Arkansas Tech University will begin construction of Ferguson Student Union on its Russellville campus after the ATU Board of Trustees accepted the guaranteed maximum price for building the facility during its meeting on Thursday, June 20.
Kinco Constructors submitted a final price of $33,946,865 for the project. That figure includes the cost of demolishing the Administration Building and Tomlinson Hall, constructing Ferguson Student Union and parking lot development on the south side of the new building.
Among the amenities the 68,000-square foot Ferguson Student Union will provide are student meeting spaces, lounge spaces for students to enjoy during their free time, fast casual dining, an e-sports gaming lab, basketball courts, a location to check out outdoor recreation gear and workout areas for cardiovascular and strength fitness training.
It is anticipated that construction of Ferguson Student Union will begin during summer 2024 and that the facility will open in 2026.
Ferguson Student Union is named for Jimmy Ferguson, his wife Cindi and their family. Mr. Ferguson served on the ATU staff from 1975-94, advancing to the rank of assistant vice president and dean of students.
While at ATU, Mr. Ferguson was elected president of the Arkansas College Personnel Association in 1982. He served the National Association for Campus Activities as the chairman of the board of directors. He held an appointment by Gov. Bill Clinton to the Arkansas Governor’s Advisory Council on Volunteerism.
Since completing his service to ATU and entering the private sector, Mr. Ferguson and his family have owned and operated more than 30 McDonald’s franchises in central Texas over a span of three decades. He has held numerous national and regional leadership positions with the McDonald’s organization.
In other business on Thursday, June 20, the ATU Board of Trustees approved:
*a balanced operating budget of $171,576,401 for Arkansas Tech University during the 2024-25 fiscal year;
*a revision to the ATU non-resident tuition waiver policy that clarifies that in order to be eligible for the waiver an incoming undergraduate student must be a U.S. resident; or have an appropriate visa; or must have resided in Arkansas for three years and have either an in-state high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma (GED);
*a policy that formalizes the authorizations and frameworks needed to effectively manage and facilitate special income generating activities at ATU, including camps, special projects and operating areas that generate revenue;
*a revision to ATU student accounts transcript policies that states “financial holds may be placed on the release of academic transcripts/records, as allowed by applicable laws and regulations;”
*selection of Environmental Enterprise Group Inc. for on-call environmental engineering services;
*selection of Insight Engineers, Brown Engineers and Petit and Petit Engineers for on-call mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services and Crafton Tull Engineers for on-call civil engineering services;
*a request from Entergy to relocate a utility easement on the southwest corner of the ATU campus in Russellville;
*certification of the ATU athletic operating budget for fiscal year 2024-25 per Arkansas Division of Higher Education guidelines;
*a letter of notification that calls for the Bachelor of Arts degree in communication to be offered online;
*letters of notification deleting Bachelor of Arts degrees in fine arts and world language in Spanish as well as Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering from ATU’s program inventory;
*2024-25 proposed fees and fines associated with ATU Division of Student Affairs operating areas (residence life, testing center, disability services, student conduct, public safety, campus life, international student services and health and wellness);
*2024-25 parking regulations for the ATU campus in Russellville;
*an increase in the annual parking permit fee on the ATU campus in Russellville from $45 to $55;
*removal of the Distinction in Intercollegiate Athletics category from the ATU Hall of Distinction due to the fact that it has been replaced by the establishment of the ATU Athletics Hall of Fame;
*and naming a forthcoming academic facility the Farm Credit Agriculture Building.
In personnel matters, the ATU Board of Trustees approved hiring the following full-time employees:
*Dr. Aniruddha Acharya, assistant professor of biology, for the 2024-25 academic year; Nathan Brennan, visiting instructor of chemistry, for the 2024-25 academic year; Arron DeGracia, Arkansas Tech Career Center (ATCC) director, effective June 10, 2024; Andrea Denk, visiting instructor of mathematics, for the 2024-25 academic year; Cory Fica, instructor of music, for the 2024-25 academic year; Dr. Karmen Goodner, assistant professor of nursing, for the 2024-25 academic year; Joseph Gordon, ATU-Ozark Campus maintenance specialist, effective May 1, 2024; Evan Mino, instructor of music, for the 2024-25 academic year; Zack Moran, assistant professor of fisheries science, for the 2024-25 academic year; Charles Petty, ATCC workforce education faculty of automotive service technology, for the 2024-25 academic year; Dr. Ralph Reese, visiting assistant professor of mathematics, for the 2024-25 academic year; Dr. Mathew Sharples, assistant professor of biology, for the 2024-25 academic year; Dr. Bindu Subhadra, assistant professor of biology, for the 2024-25 academic year; Janet Winn, visiting instructor of mathematics, for the 2024-25 academic year; Clay Wyllia, associate director of admissions, effective May 1, 2024; and Katrina Young, advancement scholarship administrator and institutional assistant, effective May 20, 2024.
Trustees approved these changes in assignment:
*Dr. Christine Austin, from director of assessment and institutional effectiveness and professor of student affairs administration to professor of student affairs administration, for the 2024-25 academic year; Natasha Branch, from coordinator of testing services to grants and contracts accountant, effective April 16, 2024; Dr. Herbert Brown, from professor of business data analytics to interim associate dean for the ATU College of Business and Economic Development and professor of business data analytics, effective July 1, 2024; Brittany Burris, from instructor of nursing to assistant professor of nursing, for the 2024-25 academic year; Abbygayle Cook, from area coordinator for residence life to assistant director for residence life, effective July 1, 2024; Bryan Cook, from student development specialist to assistant director for residence life, effective July 1, 2024; Rhylie Gachot, from assistant director of campus life to assistant dean of campus life, effective May 1, 2024; Jennifer Griffin, from project/program analyst to associate director of student aid, effective June 1, 2024; Katie Hook, from administrative specialist III to coordinator of student success and instructor, effective March 1, 2024; Dr. Sheila Jacobs, from ATU-Ozark chief academic officer and interim chancellor to ATU-Ozark chancellor, effective May 1, 2024; Mark Moultrup, from coordinator for student and guest operations to assistant director for residence life, effective July 1, 2024; Kim Tate, from executive assistant to the vice president for student affairs to administrative specialist III in the College of Education and Health, effective April 12, 2024; Heather Taylor, from associate director of student aid to director of student aid, effective May 2, 2024; Meaghan Wilt, from interim associate director of admissions operations to associate director of admissions operations, effective May 1, 2024; and Richard Wolaver, from area coordinator for housing services to assistant director for residence life, effective July 1, 2024.
The board accepted resignations from the following ATU employees:
*Chloe Clifton, ATU-Ozark coordinator of student recruitment, effective June 3, 2024; Dustin Ford, skilled tradesman, effective May 3, 2024; Luke Hams, director of residence education, effective June 3, 2024; Farah Hatcher, ATCC visiting workforce education faculty of health sciences, effective June 7, 2024; Cole Hendrix, Veterans Upward Bound outreach service coordinator, effective July 31, 2024; Morgan Hitt, webmaster and digital strategy specialist, effective May 23, 2024; Weiwei Ji, instructional design specialist, effective May 28, 2024; Ereck Ladd, ATCC visiting workforce education faculty of computer engineering, effective June 7, 2024; Malik McBride, assistant dean for multicultural student services, effective June 3, 2024; Niki Schwartz, director of student aid, effective May 1, 2024; Kennedy Shelstead, assistant volleyball coach, effective March 15, 2024; Tyler Tober, ATCC career coach, effective June 30, 2024; Brianna Watkins, ATU-Ozark workforce education faculty of practical nursing, effective May 10, 2024; and Robert “Jeremiah” Wilson, ATU-Ozark industry training specialist, effective May 17, 2024.
Trustees granted a request for retirement from Dr. Debra Hunter, associate professor of accounting, effective May 11, 2024. Hunter had served on the ATU faculty since 2011.
