Report on Strategic Evolution in Arkansas Higher Education and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The higher education sector in Arkansas is undergoing a significant transformation driven by legislative mandates, demographic shifts, and evolving economic needs. Institutions are strategically adapting to ensure their continued relevance and contribution to sustainable development, with a pronounced focus on achieving key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Fostering Quality Education and Lifelong Learning (SDG 4)

Institutions are implementing multifaceted strategies to enhance educational quality, access, and lifelong learning opportunities, directly aligning with the objectives of SDG 4: Quality Education.

Strategic Mergers and Expanded Access

A key initiative is the impending merger of North Arkansas College with the University of Arkansas System. This strategic consolidation is designed to broaden educational access and create seamless pathways for students.

• Students earning associate’s degrees at the newly named North Arkansas College of the University of Arkansas can complete four-year degrees at University of Arkansas prices, reducing financial barriers.
• The merger provides employees with access to in-system educational discounts, promoting continuous professional development.
• It creates equitable opportunities for students in the region to receive an education comparable to that in major metropolitan areas of the state.

Innovative Delivery Models and K-12 Integration

Universities are pioneering new models to deliver education and forge stronger ties with the K-12 system.

1. The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) has established a “campus-within-a-campus” model, allowing students at two-year colleges to earn UAM bachelor’s degrees without relocating. This directly supports SDG 4 by making tertiary education more accessible and inclusive.
2. UAM is also developing a collegiate academy with the Drew Central School District, enabling high school students to graduate with an associate’s degree.
3. North Arkansas College partners with the Clinton School District to provide hands-on aircraft maintenance training to high school seniors, creating an early pipeline into skilled trades.

Driving Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8 & SDG 9)

A central focus of the transformation is the alignment of academic programs with state and regional economic needs, contributing to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Industry Partnerships and Workforce Development (SDG 17)

Collaborations between universities and key industries are critical for developing a skilled workforce and driving innovation. These partnerships exemplify SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Southern Arkansas University (SAU) is partnering with companies like Albemarle and Standard Lithium to prepare students for careers in the emerging lithium industry and is expanding its engineering program.
• Arkansas State University (ASU) collaborates with Arkansas Northeastern College and ASU-Newport on workforce development for the manufacturing, food processing, and steel industries.
• North Arkansas College is building the Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Innovation and conducting drone training in partnership with the University of Arkansas to meet future technological demands.
• University of Central Arkansas (UCA) offers non-credit, high-demand programs such as the UCA Aviation Academy and the Arkansas Coding Academy, providing rapid pathways to employment.

Ensuring Career Readiness and Return on Investment

Institutions are launching initiatives to guarantee that education translates into meaningful employment, thereby restoring public confidence and demonstrating a clear return on investment.

• SAU’s “Mulerider Next Step Guarantee” provides graduates with additional training if they are unable to secure employment or graduate school placement, a direct commitment to SDG 8.
• The Arkansas ACCESS Act mandates that institutions ensure a robust return on investment through post-graduation earnings and employment, formalizing the link between education and economic outcomes.
• UCA’s “UCA Commitment” offers students a debt-free path to a degree, addressing concerns over student loan debt and making higher education more attainable.

Addressing Systemic Challenges and Ensuring Institutional Sustainability

Arkansas universities are proactively addressing long-term challenges, including demographic changes and shifting public perception, to ensure their operational and financial sustainability.

Navigating the Demographic Enrollment Cliff

Leaders are implementing forward-thinking strategies to mitigate the impact of a declining pool of traditional high school graduates.

1. Proactive Management: UCA began preparing for the enrollment decline nearly a decade in advance by “right-sizing” its staff and scholarship offerings to maintain fiscal health.
2. Expanding Recruitment: UAM is focusing on attracting non-traditional and “stop-out” students by offering flexible degree options with “on- and off-ramps,” which supports the lifelong learning aspect of SDG 4.

Policy Outlook and Federal Considerations

The policy environment at both the state and federal levels significantly influences institutional strategy. The Arkansas ACCESS Act is viewed as a positive step that reinforces connections between K-12, higher education, and the workforce. However, institutional leaders express concern over potential federal cuts to programs like Pell Grants and National Science Foundation grants, which are vital for upholding the principles of SDG 4 by supporting low-income students and SDG 9 by funding critical research and innovation.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The article is centered on higher education in Arkansas, discussing challenges and strategies related to access, affordability, and relevance. It highlights the creation of noncredit workforce training, partnerships with K-12 schools, and the development of flexible degree options to promote lifelong learning opportunities. For instance, it mentions UAM’s pilot program for a collegiate academy allowing high school students to graduate with an associate’s degree.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article strongly links education to employment outcomes. The Arkansas ACCESS Act is cited as challenging universities “to ensure a robust return on investment from their programs in the form of postgraduation earnings and employment.” Initiatives like SAU’s “Mulerider Next Step Guarantee” and the development of workforce-ready programs in aviation and coding directly address the goal of achieving full and productive employment.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• The article discusses the need for universities to adapt to “emerging technology and shifting industry needs.” It provides examples of fostering innovation, such as the creation of the “Northark Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Innovation,” drone training programs, and ASU providing “research and development for steel companies.” These efforts align with upgrading technological capabilities and enhancing scientific research.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The article addresses disparities in educational access. The merger of North Arkansas College with the University of Arkansas System is intended to give students in a smaller region “the opportunities to have the same education that they’re getting in some of the major areas of the state.” Furthermore, programs like UAM’s “campus-within-a-campus” model and UCA’s “debt-free path to a college degree” aim to reduce inequalities based on geographic location and economic status.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• A major theme of the article is collaboration. It details numerous partnerships, including university mergers, collaborations between universities and industries (e.g., SAU and lithium companies), partnerships with K-12 school districts, and community engagement efforts. The article explicitly states that “Colleges and universities across the state are honing in on partnerships with industries, K-12 schools and the local community.”

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 4: Quality Education

1. Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. The article discusses this through initiatives like the Northark-U of A merger, which allows students to complete four-year degrees at lower prices, and UCA’s “debt-free path to a college degree,” both of which aim to improve affordability and access.
2. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. This is addressed by the focus on “noncredit workforce training” and specific programs like “hands-on aircraft maintenance training,” “drone training,” phlebotomy education, and the “Arkansas Coding Academy,” all designed to provide job-ready skills.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all… and equal pay for work of equal value. The article connects directly to this target through the ACCESS Act’s mandate to ensure “postgraduation earnings and employment.” SAU’s “Mulerider Next Step Guarantee,” which provides additional training to unemployed graduates, is a concrete mechanism to support this goal.
2. Target 8.6: By 2030, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. The development of short-term certification programs, such as the UCA Aviation Academy, is highlighted as a way for students to “become workforce ready without a four-year degree,” directly targeting the reduction of youth who are not in education or employment.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

1. Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation… This is reflected in ASU’s work providing “research and development for steel companies” and the establishment of new facilities like the “Northark Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Innovation” and the “Arkansas Forest Health Research Center” to facilitate engagement with industry.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

1. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all… The article describes UAM’s “campus-within-a-campus” model, which aims to “deliver more four-year degrees to areas of Arkansas that those students may not always have the opportunity” to access, thereby promoting inclusion for geographically isolated students. The concern for “first-generation students reliant on Federal TRIO programs” also aligns with this target.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships… The article is replete with examples of such partnerships, including the public-public merger of Northark and the UA System, public-private partnerships between universities and companies like Standard Lithium, and public-K-12 partnerships like the one between Northark and the Clinton School District.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Implied Indicator: Number of students enrolled in and completing technical and vocational certification programs (e.g., aviation, coding, phlebotomy). The article’s emphasis on these programs suggests their completion rates are a measure of success.
• Implied Indicator: Student enrollment rates, particularly for “nontraditional and stop-out students.” The concern over the “enrollment cliff” implies that tracking and increasing these numbers is a key metric.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Mentioned Indicator: Post-graduation earnings and employment rates. The article explicitly states the Arkansas ACCESS Act requires universities to demonstrate a “robust return on investment… in the form of postgraduation earnings and employment.”
• Implied Indicator: Return on Investment (ROI) of a college degree. The article repeatedly mentions the need to demonstrate ROI to restore public confidence, making it a critical, albeit complex, indicator.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Implied Indicator: Number of university-industry research and development partnerships. The mention of ASU’s work with steel companies and SAU’s with lithium companies implies that the quantity and quality of these collaborations are a measure of progress.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Mentioned Indicator: Amount of student loan debt. The article discusses the negative narrative around “hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt” and highlights programs like the “UCA Commitment” that offer a “debt-free path,” indicating that reducing average student debt is a key goal.
• Implied Indicator: Number of students from underserved regions completing degrees through remote or satellite campus models. The success of UAM’s “campus-within-a-campus” model would be measured by the number of graduates it produces from these areas.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Implied Indicator: Number and type of active partnerships (public-public, public-private, public-K-12). The extensive list of collaborations in the article suggests that tracking the formation of these partnerships is a primary indicator of success in this area.

SDGs, Targets and Indicators Table

Source: armoneyandpolitics.com