Twenty-three members of the Arkansas Tech University faculty were promoted and 12 ATU faculty members were granted tenure by the ATU Board of Trustees during its meeting on Thursday, March 17.
Policies and procedures regarding faculty evaluation, promotion and tenure were approved by the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees on May 17, 2018, following a faculty-led, three-year process of review and modification.
The promotion and tenure actions taken by trustees on March 17 will become effective at the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year.
Promotion to Professor:
- Dr. Alejandra Carballo, Department of English and World Languages
- Dr. Erin Clair, Department of English and World Languages
- Dr. Melissa Darnell, Department of Nursing
- Elizabeth Gray, Department of Emergency Management
- Dr. Emily Hoffman, Department of English and World Languages
- Dr. Robin Lasey, Department of Physical Sciences
- Dr. Seungsuk Lee, Department of Parks, Recreation and Hospitality Administration
- Dr. Joshua Lockyer, Department of Behavioral Sciences
- Dr. Jeanine Myers, Department of Mathematics
Promotion to Professor and Tenure:
- Dr. Peng Huang, Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics
- Dr. Michael Waller, Department of Health and Physical Education
Promotion to Associate Professor:
- Dustin Simpson, Department of Art
Promotion to Associate Professor and Tenure:
- Dr. Jorista Garrie, Department of Biological Sciences
- Dr. Jacob Grosskopf, Department of Physical Sciences
- Dr. Kelly Jones, Department of History and Political Science
- Jessica Mongeon, Department of Art
- Dr. Justin Moss, Department of Behavioral Sciences
- Dr. Mary Sharpe, Department of English and World Languages
- Dr. TJ Perry, Department of Music
- Dr. A. Arwen Taylor, Department of English and World Languages
- Dr. Matthew Young, Department of Electrical Engineering
- Dr. Kaiman Zeng, Department of Electrical Engineering
Promotion to Librarian:
- Mr. Philippe Van Houtte, Library
Also on Thursday, the ATU Board of Trustees approved a one-time $1,000 payment for cost of living adjustment (COLA) to ATU faculty, classified staff and non-classified staff who were employed at ATU on or before Jan. 3, 2022, in permanent appropriated positions and who remain employed as of July 1, 2022.
The COLA payment for part-time employees will be pro-rated based on the percentage of full-time equivalency. Grant employees and auxiliary employees are included.
The payment, which is a one-time payment and does not become part of the employee’s base pay, will be made on the last pay period in May and/or June 2022 where applicable. The classified employee COLA pay will follow the guidelines issued by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education. Members of the ATU Executive Council requested that they be excluded from the COLA payment.
In other business on Thursday, the ATU Board of Trustees approved:
*utilization of maintenance contingency funds to replace the kiln and ceramic wheels in Norman Hall ($80,000), renovate a portion of the first floor of Dr. Robert Charles Brown and Jill Lestage Brown Hall to house the ATU One-Stop Shop in support of student success ($150,000), establish a food truck park at the Jerry’s Eats location at 1122 N. El Paso Ave. ($75,000) and install three electric vehicle charging stations on the ATU campus in Russellville and one such station at ATU-Ozark Campus ($100,000);
*purchase of property located at 1007 N. Denver in Russellville for $55,000 and subsequent demolition of the structure on that property;
*a 4 percent increase in meal plan rates on the ATU campus in Russellville for the 2022-23 academic year;
*a request by ATU’s Upward Bound programs to participate in the Arkansas Department of Human Services summer food service program;
*changing the name of the Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural and geospatial studies to anthropology and geography as of July 1, 2022;
*a request to begin offering the Master of Arts degree in multi-media journalism online beginning in fall 2022;
*proposed changes to the membership section of the ATU Faculty Senate constitution based on the restructuring efforts approved by the board in January 2022 and in an effort to ensure proper representation and better communication between senators and those they represent;
*and all presented requests for continuation of provisional positions funded by third-party entities.
In personnel matters, the ATU Board of Trustees approved hiring the following full-time personnel:
*Holly Anderton, executive assistant to the vice president for student affairs, effective Jan. 5, 2022; Cade Camp, assistant football coach, effective March 1, 2022; Mya Jones, project/program specialist in adult education at ATU-Ozark Campus, effective March 1, 2022; Dr. Julie Furst-Bowe, interim vice president for academic affairs, effective March 29, 2022, and continuing through June 2023; Lexie Norris, project/program specialist in adult education at ATU-Ozark Campus, effective March 1, 2022; Brendalyn Shockley, executive assistant to the vice president for administration and finance, effective Jan. 24, 2022; and Ryan Watson, career services support facilitator at ATU-Ozark Campus, effective Jan. 18, 2022.
The board approved changes in assignment for:
*Dr. Sarah Gordon, associate professor of educational leadership, as interim dean of the ATU Graduate College, effective Feb. 22, 2022; and Megan Morris, previously an academic and career advisor, as assistant dean for academic advising, effective March 3, 2022.
Trustees accepted resignations from the following ATU employees:
*Maily Andraca-Lopez, public safety officer, effective Dec. 23, 2021; Mitchell Brashear, automotive instructor/aide at Arkansas Tech Career Center, effective June 7, 2022; Tommy Crayton, assistant football coach, effective Jan. 24, 2022; Kimberly Duvall-Renteria, instructor of criminal justice, effective Feb. 4, 2022; Dr. Rebecca Goldstein, assistant professor of psychology, effective May 7, 2022; Leslie Jenkins, workforce education faculty of health science/emergency medical technician at Arkansas Tech Career Center, effective June 7, 2022; Dr. Saffeer Khan, associate professor of electrical engineering, effective March 1, 2022; Dr. John O’Connor, associate professor of health and physical education, effective May 7, 2022; and Christopher Sheach, visiting instructor of emergency management, effective May 7, 2022.
The board approved the following requests for retirement:
*Karen Alexander, coordinator of grants management, effective March 24, 2022; Karen Futterer, associate professor of music, effective May 7, 2022; Ken Futterer, associate professor of music, effective May 7, 2022; Dr. Nina Goza, associate professor of accounting, effective May 7, 2022; Dr. Lynn Walsh, professor of curriculum and instruction, effective May 7, 2022; and Dr. Donna White, professor of English, effective May 7, 2022.
Combined, those six retirees have given more than 153 years of service to Arkansas Tech, including 42 years each by Mr. and Mrs. Futterer.
