Thirty-one members of the Arkansas Tech University faculty were promoted and nine Tech faculty members were granted tenure by the ATU Board of Trustees during its meeting on Thursday, March 14, at Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center.
Policies and procedures regarding faculty evaluation, promotion and tenure were approved by the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees on May 17, 2018, following a faculty-led, three-year process of review and modification.
The promotion and tenure actions taken by trustees on March 14 will become effective at the beginning of the 2019-20 academic year.
The following individuals were promoted to professor:
*Dr. Christine Austin, Department of College Student Personnel
*Dr. Jacqueline Bowman, Department of Biological Sciences
*Tracy Cole, Department of Accounting and Economics
*Dr. Cynthia Jacobs, Department of Biological Sciences
*Dr. Julie Mikles-Schluterman, Department of Behavioral Sciences
*Dr. Nelson Ramirez, Department of English and World Languages
The following individual was promoted to professor and granted tenure:
*Dr. Daniel Belongia, Department of Music
The following individuals were promoted to associate professor and granted tenure:
*Dr. Shaana Escobar, Department of Nursing
*Dr. Rebecca Garvin, Department of English and World Languages
*Jasmine Greer, Department of Art
*Dr. Susan Self, Department of Nursing
*Dr. James Stobaugh, Department of Behavioral Sciences
*Dr. Jessica Young, Department of Physical Sciences
The following individuals were promoted to senior instructor:
*Robin Jamie Dalton, Department of Biological Sciences
*Laura Griffin, Department of Accounting and Economics
*Linda Hensen-Jackson, Department of College Student Personnel
*Jessica Hogan, Department of Mathematics
*Nancy Horton, Department of Mathematics
*Susan Jordan, Department of Mathematics
*Patricia Joselin, Department of English and World Languages
*Pete Kelly, Department of Health and Physical Education
*Pallavi Ketkar, Department of Mathematics
*Jamie King, Department of Mathematics
*Jennifer Lewter, Department of Biological Sciences
*Tonya Mays, Department of Biological Sciences
*Troy Norton, Department of Health and Physical Education
*Jennifer Saxton, Department of Professional Studies
*Kristi Spittler-Brown, Department of Mathematics
*Teresa Taylor, Department of Mathematics
*Jennifer Willbanks, Department of Behavioral Sciences
The following individuals were granted tenure:
*Dr. David Blanks, Department of History and Political Science
*Dr. Melinda Wilkins, Department of Biological Sciences
The following individual was promoted to associate librarian:
*Sheryle Tinerella, Library
In other business on Thursday, the ATU Board of Trustees approved:
*a proposal to enter into negotiations to purchase the property at 404 N. El Paso Ave. in Russellville for no more than the appraised value;
*renovation projects for academic, athletic and dining facilities totaling $3.463 million that will enhance the Hull Physical Education Building, Tomlinson Hall, Witherspoon Hall, Williamson Hall, the new home of the ATU Department of Public Safety on North El Paso Avenue, the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex and Chambers Cafeteria as well as campus wayfinding and navigation;
*beginning an architect selection process to explore renovating the former pool area in the Hull Physical Education Building into a student leisure space that would include such features as soft seating, video game pods, a signature dining area, ping pong, ballroom space and pool tables;
*student housing renovation projects totaling $1.876 million that will bring improvements to Brown Residence Hall, Caraway Residence Hall, Critz Residence Hall, Jones Residence Hall, M Street Residence Hall, Nutt Residence Hall, Paine Residence Hall, Tucker Residence Hall and Turner Residence Hall;
*renovations to University Commons apartments in the amount of $171,800;
*an increase in the pre-payment/deposit fee for student housing that will adjust the fee from $50 to $100 for those living in residence halls and from $100 to $250 for those living in university-operated apartments;
*a transfer of ownership of University Commons Apartments from the Arkansas Tech University Facilities Development Foundation Inc. to Arkansas Tech University;
*an investment of $55,750 to match a grant from the Arkansas Department of Transportation and provide for architecture and engineering costs related to the existing walking trail at ATU-Ozark Campus;
*establishment of a provisional position at ATU-Ozark Campus that will manage the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) education and training under the auspices of adult education operations in Franklin, Johnson and Logan counties;
*and a revised presidential evaluation policy effective for the 2019-20 academic year.
In personnel matters, trustees approved hiring the following new, full-time employees:
*Dr. Randy Kelley, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, for the 2019-20 academic year; Sydney Murphy, assistant director for recruitment events, effective Feb. 4, 2019; Dr. Angelina Perrotti, assistant professor of anthropology, for the 2019-20 academic year; Taylor Ragland, executive assistant to the vice president for student affairs, effective Feb. 1, 2019; and Leann Watson, counselor for counseling services and disability services, effective March 4, 2019.
The ATU Board of Trustees approved the promotion of Kyle Shipp to the position of head football coach. He was hired as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach effective Jan. 10, 2019, and was promoted to head coach effective March 6, 2019.
The board accepted resignations from the following individuals:
*Dr. Sherman Alexander, associate professor of accounting, effective May 11, 2019; Bo Atterberry, head football coach, effective March 4, 2019; Charles Burks, football defensive coordinator, effective Feb. 20, 2019; Dr. Haiyan Wang, assistant professor of agriculture, effective July 3, 2019.
Lanita Bruce and Lea Ann Woods, health science instructors at Arkansas Tech Career Center, were approved for retirement effective June 4, 2019.
Trustees accepted retirement notices from two members of the ATU faculty on the Russellville campus. Dr. Kathryn Pearson, associate professor of mathematics, and Sarah Robison, associate professor of computer and information science, will both retire effective May 11, 2019.
Pearson has served on the faculty at her alma mater since 1984, while Robison has been a member of the faculty at Arkansas Tech since 1989.
