The Arkansas Tech University Board of Trustees approved a balanced 2025-26 fiscal year operating budget for ATU during a meeting at the ATU-Ozark Campus Student Services Conference Center on Thursday, April 17.
The $170,291,541 budget accounts for a decrease in state appropriation, a decrease in sales and services and an anticipated 10 percent increase in health insurance costs.
In order to achieve a balanced budget, those decreases in revenue and increases in costs are offset in the 2025-26 ATU budget by holding maintenance, operation and scholarship budgets flat and by increases in tuition and fees.
Tuition and mandatory fees for an undergraduate student enrolled in 15 hours at Arkansas Tech in Russellville during the 2025-26 academic year will be $5,113.50 per semester, an increase of 2.55 percent as compared to the 2024-25 academic year.
“Our number one priority during the budgeting process for the 2025-26 academic year was to maintain affordability for our students,” said Dr. Russell Jones, ATU president. “It will cost $127.35 more per semester in tuition and mandatory fees for an undergraduate student to enroll in 15 hours at Arkansas Tech in Russellville next year than it did this year. We wish that number could be zero like it was when we submitted the 2024-25 budget, but in this time of inflation and given the other budgetary factors beyond our control as an institution, I am proud of the work members of our faculty, our staff, our student body and our administration put into this budget. We achieved our goal of keeping an Arkansas Tech education within reach for our constituents. Arkansas Tech remains an outstanding value for individuals who seek the life-changing benefits of a college education.”
Graduate tuition and mandatory fees at Arkansas Tech in Russellville will also increase by 2.55 percent in 2025-26, while tuition for the career education and skilled trades programs offered at ATU-Ozark will increase approximately $4 per student semester credit hour (SSCH) from $136.01 per SSCH in 2024-25 to $140.09 per SSCH in 2025-26.
In other business on Thursday, April 17, the ATU Board of Trustees approved:
*a letter of notification deleting the ATU Master of Education degree in K-12 literacy;
*continuation of provisional positions on the ATU campus in Russellville for the 2025-26 fiscal year;
*changes to the ATU hazing prevention policy and the ATU student code of conduct consistent with the provisions in the Stop Campus Hazing Act, which became federal law on Dec. 24, 2024;
*fines and fees administered by the ATU Division of Student Affairs for the 2025-2026 academic year;
*an amendment to the organizations and terms of office section in the ATU Staff Senate constitution;
*rescission of the ATU affirmative action policy;
*and adoption of a new events policy that applies to internal and external constituents regarding the use of Arkansas Tech facilities.
In personnel matters, the ATU Board of Trustees approved the following full-time appointments:
*Tiffaney Adams, administrative specialist III, effective April 1, 2025; Justin Baumgartner, ATU-Ozark public safety officer, effective March 3, 2025; Susan Boyd, custodial, effective March 17, 2025; Andrea Brewer, associate controller, effective March 1, 2025; Jeremy Bull, program professional development coordinator for GEAR UP, effective March 10, 2025; Daniel Coster, custodial, effective March 17, 2025; Sarah Defoor, custodial, effective March 3, 2025; Melanie Ewing, grant coordinator, effective April 1, 2025; Hermania Gamarro, custodial, effective March 3, 2025; Kathleen Martin, director of human resources, effective April 1, 2025; Heather Meeker, advisor for GEAR UP, effective March 17, 2025; Peytan Nepivoda, administrative specialist for GEAR UP, effective April 1, 2025; Michele Swint, financial aid specialist, effective April 1, 2025; Codi Tedford, accountant, effective April 15, 2025; Cortney Webb, fiscal support specialist, effective April 1, 2025; and Stephen Withing, lead carpenter, effective April 1, 2025.
The board accepted resignations from the following ATU employees:
*Josh Clem, director of development, effective April 25, 2025; Dr. Aubrey Holt, director of assessment for student affairs (part-time), effective April 11, 2025; Mya Jones, ATU-Ozark adult education specialist, effective April 11, 2025; Dr. Joshua Lynch, assistant professor of anthropology, effective May 10, 2025; Samantha Meeks, coordinator of graduate recruitment, effective April 15, 2025; Erin Michael, accountant, effective March 7, 2025; Regina Olson, ATU-Ozark adult education director, effective June 30, 2025; Jennifer Snow, administrative assistant II, effective April 1, 2025; Dianna Trahan, custodial, effective Feb. 21, 2025; and Dr. Kelsey Utne, assistant professor of history, effective May 10, 2025.
Trustees granted requests for retirement from:
*Mark Mitchell, instructional design specialist, effective Feb. 28, 2025; and Sherry Tinerella, associate librarian, effective June 30, 2025.
