HOPE/TEXARKANA, AR – August 20, 2021
A new era begins at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana today as Dr. Christine Holt begins her role as the new chancellor of the College. Holt comes to UAHT from the University of Missouri System, where she served as Chief of Staff. "I am excited to join a team that has been so innovative over the years," Holt said. "I appreciate all of UAHT's accomplishments and look forward to maximizing the innumerable opportunities the College has in the future."
Dr. Holt will spend her first 100 days as chancellor with one primary goal: to listen. "I'll be out in the community at listening sessions," she said. "I'll be at civic clubs, meeting with district superintendents, at religious organizations, and meeting with many other partners. I'm excited to get out there, familiarize myself with the community, and find out the needs and how we can work together to address those needs. There are so many wonderful things that I'm looking forward to being able to do in the communities UAHT serves."
UAHT has made significant strides over the last several years. In 2022, the Texarkana campus will celebrate its 10th anniversary. The campus began in a small building on the Arkansas High School campus in 2012 and now encompasses 22 acres and two buildings, the Campus Center Building and the Professions Building. In addition, this fall, the College will begin construction on a new building to house the welding program, secondary career center, and the Arkansas High Collegiate Academy, among others. The first Hope and Arkansas High Collegiate Academy classes graduated this year, with twenty-seven students receiving their high school diploma and associate degree simultaneously debt-free. The incoming 10th grade class of the Hope and Arkansas High Collegiate Academies are the largest since the programs began. UAHT has added a secondary career and technical education center, a truck driver training academy, and Arkansas's first solar technology program in the last few years. The College also continues to receive generous support from donors who have established many new scholarships and endowments. UAHT has accomplished all of this and more while maintaining the most affordable tuition rate in Arkansas.
"As always, we celebrate all of the wonderful accomplishments of UAHT and realize there is still considerable untapped potential," Holt said. "I want us to be a national leader in academic excellence and student success and a paragon of innovative excellence. I also want to make sure that we're reaching underrepresented populations and underserved students. We've also got to improve our retention. I want us to be at the forefront of business and industry when they are looking for a partner for corporate training. I want our graduates to be civic-minded and a part of the community. Those are grandiose goals that will take all of us to put into action and figure out what's best for the communities we serve."
Dr. Holt is excited about the future of UAHT. "I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and help solve problems to move the entire community toward more economic viability and vitality," she said. "I believe this is the right time for me to be a part of this institution, to join a team of people who are just as committed as I am to being a part of this great movement."
