UCA overtakes UALR to reach second place

Arkansas Business, August 13, 2007 by Jaime Walden

MORE THAN 147,000 Students were enrolled in colleges and universities in Arkansas in the rail 2006 semester--about 5 percent of the state's total population.

The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville remains far and away the largest institution of higher education in the state, but its enrollment last fall was up less than 1 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, fast-growing University of Central Arkansas at Conway recorded 8 percent growth last year, putting its five-year enrollment increase at 44 percent. UCA secured second place, bumping the University of Arkansas at Little Rock into third place.

However, UCA is not the only school rising in ranks. The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith moved into seventh place, knocking Harding University at Searcy down to No. 8 despite a nearly 6 percent increase in enrollment last year.

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, ranked 16th on last year's list, lost 174 students, dropping it to 18th place. The University of Arkansas at Monticello climbed to the No. 12 spot, surpassing the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Southern Arkansas University. Garland County Community College's name change from National Park Community College seems have hurt more than helped considering the school lost 217 students, falling back to 15th place from 14th.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock, topping out at 11,905, grew by only nine students. Southern Arkansas University at Magnolia grew by only four students.

Philander Smith College continued to lose students between 2005 and 2006. The school's total enrollment plummeted from 785 to 580, a 26 percent decrease. Philander Smith College also had the enrollment decline the previous year, from 949 to 785, a 17 percent loss.

The average enrollment growth for all colleges in the state for rail 2006 compared with fall 2005 was 2.8 percent.

MBA Programs

The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville has reorganized its master in business administration program to three semesters.

During the summer of 2005, administrative officials formed a committee to analyze the MBA program that had been in place since 1999. Their research indicated that although the program was short, only a fall and spring semester, the students did not have the opportunity to complete a summer internship, said Michele Halsell, assistant dean of the graduate school of business.

After much research, the administration decided on a three-semester program beginning in the spring because its research showed that employers usually seek to hire graduates at the end of spring semesters.

The UA revised curriculum focuses on consumer packaged goods in a retail environment. The electives have been organized into career-driven tracks such as retail marketing management, supply chain management, financial management, and entrepreneurship and innovation.

The trial cohort that started at the beginning of this year was composed of 30 students. UA placed 28 of them in summer internships this year in businesses ranging from M&M/ Mars to the World Trade Center.

After a 40 percent loss in enrollment between fall 2005 and fall 2006, Webster University hired a new MBA director for its Fayetteville program: Roger Essar, who had 24 years of sales experience.

Webster has seen a big increase in enrollment since his hiring, according to Jerry Peters, regional director of Arkansas for Webster University.

Fastest-Growing Colleges and Universities

Fall 2005-Fall 2006

1 University of Phoenix, Little Rock 93.7%

2 Southern Arkansas University Tech. Camden 35.6%

3 Central Baptist College, Conway 27.6%

4 Cossatot Community College, De Queen 11.1%

5 Black River Technical College, Pocahontas 11.1%

6 Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock 10.1%

7 Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock 10.0%

8 John Brown University, Siloam Springs 8.5%

9 University of Central Arkansas, Conway 8.4%

10 Mid-South Community College, West Memphis 8.3%

By Jamie Walden

walden@abpg.com