27 replies to this topic

[Aporkalypse]

mcheiss, on Nov 14 2005, 01:10 PM, said:

You mean unemployment rate, right Aporkalypse .

Business seems to be our main focus up here. I think UofA's 2020 plan involved upgrading some current programs, but I'm not sure which ones.

Everything is getting better at UA thanks to the Waltons' money but the business dept have been the biggest beneficiaries.  The business school was a joke 15 years ago, probably not as good as UALR's.  Now it's on its way to being nationally renowned.

[Mith242]

Aporkalypse, on Nov 14 2005, 05:12 PM, said:

Everything is getting better at UA thanks to the Waltons' money but the business dept have been the biggest beneficiaries.  The business school was a joke 15 years ago, probably not as good as UALR's.  Now it's on its way to being nationally renowned.

Yeah the business school is what really has been the beneficiary of the Waltons.  Wasn't it rated by some magazine not long ago in the top 15 or something like that in the nation?

[Arkansawyer]

Mith242, on Nov 14 2005, 06:23 PM, said:

Yeah the business school is what really has been the beneficiary of the Waltons.  Wasn't it rated by some magazine not long ago in the top 15 or something like that in the nation?

The Walton Foundation gave $50 million to the College of Business in 1998, but it's not accurate to say that it's "what really has been the beneificiary" of the Waltons. The Walton Foundation's $300 million gift has $200 million earmarked for the Honors College, and $100 million earmarked for graduate programs. That money is for all colleges as much as the business school.

The Walton College was ranked as tied for 24th in U.S. News and World Reports's America's Best Colleges 2005 for public undergraduate business schools.

Edited by Arkansawyer, 15 November 2005 - 12:47 AM.

[Mith242]

Arkansawyer, on Nov 15 2005, 12:43 AM, said:

The Walton Foundation gave $50 million to the College of Business in 1998, but it's not accurate to say that it's "what really has been the beneificiary" of the Waltons. The Walton Foundation's $300 million gift has $200 million earmarked for the Honors College, and $100 million earmarked for graduate programs. That money is for all colleges as much as the business school.

The Walton College was ranked as tied for 24th in U.S. News and World Reports's America's Best Colleges 2005 for public undergraduate business schools.

I guess you have a point.  Although I think the Business College has been the major beneficiary so far the Waltons did donate a lot more money more recently that we haven't seen the full results of it so far.

[Aporkalypse]

Arkansawyer, on Nov 15 2005, 12:43 AM, said:

The Walton Foundation gave $50 million to the College of Business in 1998, but it's not accurate to say that it's "what really has been the beneificiary" of the Waltons. The Walton Foundation's $300 million gift has $200 million earmarked for the Honors College, and $100 million earmarked for graduate programs. That money is for all colleges as much as the business school.

The Walton College was ranked as tied for 24th in U.S. News and World Reports's America's Best Colleges 2005 for public undergraduate business schools.

I am aware but these are general improvements that 1) haven't really had an impact yet and 2) will improve the university as a whole but not specifically any one department.

15 yrs ago everyone would've said UALR had the best B-school in the state and neither UALR nor UA would crack the top 1000 nationally.  You're seeing a huge impact of the Walton's donation as new faculty trickle in.

[mcheiss]

Since we are talking about Colleges...

The Northwest Arkansas Community College recently purchased an aviation company based at Fayetteville Drak Field. I don't know how much this is going to affect NWACC, but now the community college will be able to offer aviation related courses.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Nov 16 2005, 01:49 PM, said:

Since we are talking about Colleges...

The Northwest Arkansas Community College recently purchased an aviation company based at Fayetteville Drak Field. I don't know how much this is going to affect NWACC, but now the community college will be able to offer aviation related courses.

Oh yeah I forgot about that.  Yeah I heard something about that not too long ago but I don't think it was a done deal yet.  Nice to see that there are still uses for Drake Field and it's not just fading into oblivion.  Although I know it really wasn't that bad for the airport but I hadn't heard too much about it in quite a while.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Nov 16 2005, 04:04 PM, said:

Oh yeah I forgot about that.  Yeah I heard something about that not too long ago but I don't think it was a done deal yet.  Nice to see that there are still uses for Drake Field and it's not just fading into oblivion.  Although I know it really wasn't that bad for the airport but I hadn't heard too much about it in quite a while.

It would be nice to start a good aviation program going.

Than something like Ozark Aircraft Systems can come back to say Drake Field and we could attract more aircraft related jobs to the area.