If you were expecting Governor Hutchinson to announce any financial help for struggling Henderson State University from the state’s huge budget surplus, forget it.

That didn’t happen at today’s news conference, where a bunch of men, almost all white, and one woman gathered to say the Arkadelphia-based college is here to stay.

Advertisement

If anything, the news conference at the state Capitol seemed aimed at reassuring prospective students who may be shying away from enrolling at the former liberal-arts college.

If you are a student, “you don’t have to be worried about the future of Henderson,” said Arkansas Education Secretary Johnny Key.

Advertisement

“We wanted to assure everyone it’s on solid financial footing now,” Hutchinson said. “Survivability of [Henderson] was a real issue.”

It certainly seems that prospective students have been worried. Just last week, Henderson spokeswoman Tina Hall said graduate and undergraduate registration for the fall semester totaled just 1,643. That compares with 2,325 as of that time last year, she said. Henderson’s enrollment for the fall 2021 semester totaled 2,914.

Advertisement

Hall won’t have another enrollment update until next week.

Hutchinson told reporters that the layoffs and budget cuts were “painful decisions” but were “necessary for the survival of Henderson State University.” The college’s leaders also have focused on making it ‘more affordable” to attend in order to sustain enrollment, the governor said.

Advertisement

Key recalled that his mother, who was a teacher, graduated from Henderson and said he realized the massive job and budget cuts there have been “traumatic on the community,” but perhaps hit students the hardest.

In May, the Arkansas State University System’s board of trustees voted unanimously to cut 88 instructional positions, or 37% of the 237 total positions at Henderson, which is now a part of the ASU System. Some layoffs have already happened, while tenured professors affected by the layoffs have one year before they lose their jobs.

Advertisement

In 2019, then-President Glen Jones Jr. left the university under pressure as the extent of its debts became apparent and school leaders realized they didn’t have enough money to keep going. Still, it took two more years before major layoffs took place.

Henderson Chancellor Chuck Ambrose said last month that the college was scheduled to end the fiscal year with $3.7 million to $5 million in cash. That money will be used for summer payroll and getting ready for the fall semester, he said.

Advertisement

At today’s news conference, Ambrose stressed the school’s partnerships with industry and other colleges, including Ouachita Baptist University, a private college across the street from Henderson.

The state is sitting on a budget surplus of $1.6 billion, but that money is expected to be used mainly to cut rich people’s taxes.

 

 

Advertisement

 

 

 

 

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article Squirrel! Next article New boathouse at Two Rivers Park could launch ‘out-of-the-box’ park programming