The agreement, announced Thursday at UAHT’s Hempstead Hall and sealed with signatures from UAHT and UAM's leaders, establishes “a campus-within-a-campus” model that allows students to complete bachelor’s degrees in K-6 Elementary Education beginning in May 2026 and in Business Administration starting in August 2026. Courses will be offered entirely on the UAHT campuses in Hope and Texarkana.
“This is not just a partnership—it’s about opening doors,” said Interim UAHT Chancellor Laura Clark. “When we fit education into our students’ lives, they’re more likely to stay on track and finish. These degrees are built for our community college students, helping them keep going without unnecessary obstacles.”
Clark explained that the collaboration enables many students with associate degrees from UAHT to continue their studies locally instead of relocating. “The impact goes beyond the classroom,” she said. “Talent stays local, employers benefit, families grow stronger, and our region becomes more resilient.”
UAM Chancellor Peggy Doss called the partnership “a one-of-a-kind model” of collaboration between two Arkansas public institutions. “We share a common goal, helping our students be successful,” Doss said. “When two institutions work together with the same mindset, it allows us to better serve our local schools, employers, and communities.”
Doss announced that every UAHT graduate entering the new programs will receive a transfer scholarship to keep the four-year degree affordable. “We know that many students want to stay home and close to family,” she said. “We can make that possible with a high-quality University of Arkansas education at an affordable cost—right here.”
Heather Flowers, director of the Hope Collegiate Academy and an alumna of both institutions, brought a personal touch to the event. “Partnerships multiply effectiveness and allow people with different gifts to accomplish a shared purpose,” she said. Flowers, who completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees through UAM while raising two children, said she hopes the opportunity will “produce teachers who will become profound blessings to the students, families, and workforce of our community.”
From the University of Arkansas System, Chris Thomason, vice president for strategic and community college partnerships, praised both universities for their innovation. “This partnership is the perfect reflection of what we want our campuses to do,” he said. “There is no one else doing this in the state. It’s a historic moment that’s going to provide our students--and our local economies--historic results.”
Thomason also commended Clark for her leadership. “This is the second time she has stepped up as interim chancellor and provided not just stabilizing leadership, but true leadership,” he said. “Today’s announcement is one of the greatest victories for this region, our community, and our state.”
The signing ceremony concluded with thanks from Clark and Doss, who both emphasized the long-term impact the collaboration will have on education and economic growth across southwest Arkansas.
“Our students will graduate ready to contribute right here in their communities,” Clark said. “This partnership proves that when we work together, we build a stronger future for everyone.”
After the meeting, Clark said the idea for the partnership grew out of an earlier attempt at arrangement between UAHT and another institution that “never really developed,” but the idea gained steam again years later when UA Monticello successfully implemented a similar arrangement with National Park College.
Clark explained that once her team saw how National Park College had built an effective structure--what she described as a “campus within a campus model”--they recognized that the same programs could benefit UAHT students. Clark said the process accelerated after a phone call with Doss, whom she has known “for a long time,” noting that both teams were able to discuss “what they already had that they knew would work” and adapt it locally.
While Clark said the two schools were already prepared for such an opportunity, Clark added they were “especially ready after talking with them and knowing them, personally and professionally as well,” calling the collaboration a natural fit
This article was written with the assistance of ChatGPT and Use AI
