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University of Arkansas

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
1 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
Phone
(479) 575-2000
Email address
uofa@uark.edu
School Information
"Founded in 1871 as a land-grant institution, the University of Arkansas is the flagship of the University of Arkansas System. Our 27,000 students represent all 50 states and more than 120 countries. The U of A has 10 colleges and schools offering more than 210 academic programs. The University of Arkansas is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission." The university enrolls over 27,500 students, has 1,400 faculty, and offers over 240 academic programs. (Source: https://www.uark.edu/about/index.php) (Source: https://www.uark.edu/about/quick-facts.php)
General Information
The University of Arkansas has not yet implemented university-wide actions in support of anti-racism. However, its university libraries hosted a conference on “Confronting Our Inherent Biases: Their Impact on Collections, Research and Scholarship,” which focused on implicit biases and how to mitigate biases. The university also offers resources. For instance, the university's library offers resources on "Antiracism +Being an Ally," including Ibram X. Kendi's "Stamped from the Beginning." No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:

Actions Taken

Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • As part of its requirements of the "Diversity Certification program", the university's HR department will provide free monthly Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion trainings. These trainings cover topics ranging from "gender bias" to "sexual orientation and gender identity".
Resources
  • University Libraries hosted a conference on “Confronting Our Inherent Biases: Their Impact on Collections, Research and Scholarship,” which discussed “issues of antiracism, how inherent bias affects what information is made available through libraries and other cultural heritage institutions, and what can be done to mitigate biases.”
  • The university is hosting the "Arkansas Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Conference," which "will explore the current climate and its impact on advancing equity and inclusion in our workplaces and communities."
  • The university's library offers resources on "Antiracism +Being an Ally," including Ibram X. Kendi's "Stamped from the Beginning."
  • The Mechanisms of Creative Cognition and Attention laboratory will have "Bi-weekly lab meetings that will include topics surrounding anti-racism or bias in psychological science."
  • The university's library created an "Anti-Racism and Social Justice" research guide, which includes "A kids book about systemic racism" and "A kids book about white privilege."
  • On June 21, 2023, Inside Higher Ed published an article titled "Dissolving a DEI Office to Save DEI," which discusses the reasons and possible outcomes of the University of Arkansas' decision to dissolve its diversity, equity, and inclusion offices. According to Stephen Caldwell, chair of the university's Faculty Senate, "all of the people on our campus doing that type of work [DEI] are going to stay and will continue doing that type of work, just reporting to different people." However, Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education had a different take on how this would affect DEI programming at the university and stated, "'In an environment that is so highly politicized right now, colleges, universities and systems are at a point where they feel the need to change... it’s more out of political expediency than a result of anticipating that this will be the best approach for the institution'."
Last updated June 26th, 2023
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