The President's Post
    As you know, the North Central Association Review Team visited our campus in December, and we received the preliminary report. The team members’ findings were very positive, and they were impressed with Ozarks and the people they met. As a result, they are recommending our reaccreditation by North Central for another ten years
(next visit: 2012-2013). My thanks to all of you for your assistance in making this review a very successful experience. I have been on campuses where that was not the case, and I can honestly say that this evaluation process was an enjoyable one.

   Identified areas of strength include: a campus-wide adherence to the Mission Statement; a consistent commitment to the teaching/learning process; enlisting and valuing involvement in participatory governance and major decision making; facilities construction and renovation; enrollment increases; fundraising success; and fiscal responsibility. These are areas of great pride for each
one of us.

   Identified areas for us to improve include a more compre-hensive plan for the assessment of our academic programs, and updated long-range plan especially in the areas of staffing and educational technology, and a stronger emphasis on student retention strategies. These are fair recommendations, and we have already begun to address each one. Your suggestions and insights will be greatly appreciated as we move toward improvement.

   The Review Team made special acknowledgment of two of our programs as being exemplary and innovative: the Jones Learning Center and the Walton International Scholarship Program. The report commends the Jones Learning Center for maintaining “…high behavior and academic standards tempered with a caring and supportive learning environment.” The Walton International Scholarship Program is praised for “…helping to internationalize and provide diversity to an essentially rural, predominately white, regionally based educational community.”

   These two programs are a source of great pride for all of us at Ozarks, and the Review Team’s commendation validates the high quality of service and support each provides for our students and this campus. Please congratulate Julia Frost and her staff and Dr. Rickey Casey and his team.
JOB WELL DONE!


Dr. Rick Niece
President

Public Relations Office,
Mabee Administration Building,
Unversity of the Ozarks, Clarksville, AR 72830.
Phone: (479)-979-1420