Twenty-two members of the Arkansas Tech University faculty were promoted and 14 ATU faculty members were granted tenure by the ATU Board of Trustees during its meeting on Thursday, March 18.
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 18 will become effective at the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year.
Promotion to Professor:
Dr. Gabriel Adkins, Department of Communication and Journalism
Dr. Herbert “Matt” Brown, Department of Management and Marketing
Dr. Jon Clements, Department of Music
Dr. Shellie Hanna, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Jay Hudkins, Department of Communication and Journalism
Dr. Sangki Lee, Department of Communication and Journalism
Dr. Charles Mebi, Department of Physical Sciences
Dr. Hamed Shojaei, Department of Physical Sciences
Promotion to Professor and Tenure:
Summer Bruch, Department of Art
Promotion to Associate Professor:
Susan West, Department of Parks, Recreation and Hospitality Administration
Promotion to Associate Professor and Tenure:
Dr. Douglas Barron, Department of Biology
Dr. Nathaniel Chapman, Department of Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Rajib Choudhury, Department of Physical Sciences
Dr. Michael Davis, Department of Physical Sciences
Dr. Amber Harrington, Department of Physical Sciences
Dr. Alexis Johnson, Department of Communication and Journalism
Dr. Tennille Lasker-Scott, Department of Professional Studies
Dr. Rejina Manandhar, Department of Emergency Management
Dr. Ekong Peters, Department of Emergency Management
Dr. Erica Wondolowski, Department of Behavioral Sciences
Promotion to Senior Instructor:
Leslie Bain, Department of Mathematics
Tracy Johnston, Department of Accounting, Finance, and Economics
Tenure:
Dr. Steve Bounds, Center for Leadership and Learning
Dr. Jeff Bright, Department of Music
Dustin Simpson, Department of Art
In other business on Thursday, the ATU Board of Trustees approved:
*submission of a request to the Arkansas Division of Higher Education to fund, through appropriation, a non-formula entity (the Arkansas Technology Center) in order to provide for operational and programming costs associated with the center as part of a regional economic development initiative;
*authorization to hire a consultant/broker with the appropriate expertise and staff to analyze the current data and market offerings to determine if a transition to a self-insurance program is appropriate for ATU’s employee health insurance needs and to provide advice on other benefit program offerings;
*an updated policy on agency and custodial accounts that is consistent with Governmental Accounting Standards Board statement No. 84, which goes into effect July 1, 2021;
*initiation of a search for an architect who can assess a comprehensive update and replacement of the mechanical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at Jones Residence Hall;
*initiation of an architect search and/or engineer search for a project that would utilize Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act funds to upgrade heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in university facilities to meet current American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers recommendations for reducing airborne infectious aerosol exposure;
*allotting $300,000 from remaining Hull Building student union renovation funds and up to $75,000 from the roof reserve to perform repairs to the roof covering the union portion of the Hull Building;
*a revised structure for summer residence hall and on-campus apartment rental rates that incentivizes students to take summer courses and reside on campus;
*a request to continue grant-funded provisional positions on the Russellville and Ozark campuses of Arkansas Tech for fiscal year 2022;
*and submission of a grant proposal to the Arkansas Department of Education for $149,648.17 supporting high-wage, high-demand short-term training at ATU-Ozark Campus, with funding coming from the Arkansas Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funds.
In personnel matters, the ATU Board of Trustees approved the following measures involving full-time personnel:
*hiring of Katie Griffith, financial aid analyst, effective Jan. 25, 2021; Tanya G. Martin, academic budget coordinator, effective March 1, 2021; and Whitney Parsons, Career Pathways counselor at ATU-Ozark Campus;
*resignations by Jill Balaster, senior instructor of English language, effective May 8, 2021; Eli Fuentez, academic advisor, effective Feb. 5, 2021; Jamison Hall, junior associate registrar, effective March 19, 2021; Danielle A. Hodges, director of teacher education student services, effective June 30, 2021; and Regina Storment, coordinator for student housing administration, effective Feb. 26, 2021.
Editor’s note: for additional information from the March 18, 2021, ATU Board of Trustees meeting, visit www.arkansastechnews.com/atu-takes-steps-to-ensure-continued-fulfillment-of-institutional-mission.
