University Mission Statement
The Board of Trustees adopted the following Mission Statement on March 17, 1994.

Mission Statement--Arkansas Tech University, founded in 1909, is a multi-purpose, state-supported institution of higher education dedicated to providing an opportunity for higher education to the people of Arkansas and to serving the intellectual and cultural needs of the region in which it is located. The University offers a variety of programs committed to excellence in undergraduate and graduate studies. These programs are designed to prepare students to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive and intellectually challenging future by providing opportunities for intellectual growth, skill development, and career preparation. The institution monitors student mastery of general education and specialized studies, retention and graduation rates, and quality of teaching and academic programs to verify and facilitate demonstrable improvements in student knowledge and skills between entrance and graduation.

The basis for the student's intellectual growth and scholarly skill development is the general education program, which provides the context for more advanced and specialized studies and the foundation for life-long learning. The general education curriculum is designed to provide university-level experiences that engender capabilities in communication, abstract inquiry, critical thinking, analyzing data, and logical reasoning; an understanding of scientific inquiry, global issues, historical perspectives, literary and philosophical ideas, and social and governmental processes; the development of ethical perspectives; and an appreciation for fine and performing arts.

The University provides a range of specialized studies to prepare students to enter career fields or to continue their education at the post-graduate level. Specialized studies are offered within several areas of emphasis: business, professional education, liberal and fine arts, physical and life sciences, information technology, engineering, and applied sciences. Graduate work leading to the master's degree in selected disciplines provides advanced, specialized education which strengthens the academic and professional competence of students and enhances their capacities for scholarly inquiry and research.

The primary function of the University is teaching. Scholarly research and other professional activities of the faculty, continuing education, and community service are encouraged, promoted, and supported. In keeping with its focus on teaching, the University seeks to recruit, develop, and retain faculty who are dedicated to quality teaching and providing dynamic classroom learning experiences that integrate theory and practice. The institution values academic freedom and the concept of shared governance. Faculty and student organizations such as the Faculty Senate, Graduate Council, and the Student Government Association participate in university governance by making policy recommendations. Leadership and management of the University is the responsibility of the President. Governance of the institution is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees.

Purpose of Graduate Program

Arkansas Tech University offers eight master's degrees: Master of Arts in English, Master of Arts in History, Master of Arts in Multi-Media Journalism, Master of Education, Master of Liberal Arts, Master of Science in Education, Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, and a Master of Science in Information Technology. The purpose of these master's degree programs is to provide graduate education opportunities in professional education, sciences, technology, and the liberal arts to anyone who seeks, and who is eligible for, admission to the University's service region.

Philosophy of Graduate Program

Arkansas Tech University holds to the principle that graduate-level scholarship should be based on highly developed habits of critical judgment, independent thinking, creative initiative, and disciplined inquiry. Successful completion of the graduate program signifies that the student has acquired the research skills of an independent scholar, with expertise in a particular field of study.

The student admitted to graduate study at Arkansas Tech University should not expect to acquire these skills and to achieve this expertise through classroom and laboratory instruction alone; rather, the student should expect to draw upon independent resources to collect, organize, and synthesize research data and information in order to achieve scholarly expertise in the chosen field of study. Graduate study, then, aids the student to acquire the skills needed to identify important problems, to establish modes of inquiry, to formulate proposed solutions, and to communicate the interpretation of scholarly and research analysis.

Administration of Graduate Program

The graduate program is administered by the Dean of Graduate Studies, who is directly responsible to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Policies governing the graduate program are developed by the Graduate Council; matters pertaining to the graduate teacher education program are reviewed and approved by the Teacher Education Council before being presented to the Graduate Council. Policies are then approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, President of the University, and the Board of Trustees.

While every effort will be made to conform to catalog announcements, the University reserves the right to adapt its program as may be necessary.

Food and Housing

(Subject to changes as necessary)

Graduate students are eligible to live in single-student residence halls. All students living in residence halls are required to take their meals in the University cafeteria; seven-, fourteen-, nineteen-meal-a-week and declining balance mean plans are available during the fall and spring semesters. The room and board charge for students living in residence halls includes basic telephone service.

All residence halls and the cafeteria are closed during spring holidays and between semesters. Students desiring to remain in campus housing during these times must have specific approval from the Student Services Office and will be charged a daily or weekly room rental, as appropriate.

Reduction of Fees and Charges

Reduction of Tuition for Official Withdrawal--Students officially withdrawing from the University by the end of the fifth day of the semester in a summer term, as listed in the Academic Calendar, beginning on page 5, will receive an 80 percent reduction of tuition for courses which they are enrolled in at time of withdrawal. No reduction will be made after the fifth day of the summer semester. No reduction in fees will be made after the first day of the summer semester.

Students registering for the fall or spring semester but officially withdrawing from the University by the end of the second day of the semester, as listed in the Academic Calendar in this catalog, beginning on page 5, will receive a 100 percent reduction of tuition and fees. Room and Board will be reduced on a pro rata basis. Thereafter, students officially withdrawing by the end of the twenty-fifth day of the semester will receive an 80 percent reduction of tuition only for courses in which they are enrolled at time of withdrawal. No reduction will be made after the twenty-fifth day of the semester. No reduction in fees will be made after the second day of the semester.

In the event a student is receiving student financial aid, any refund amount attributable to a loan, grant, or scholarship will be returned to the appropriate account and not to the student. If federal aid is involved and the original total was not enough to cover all charges for the semester, the amount originally owed by the student will be taken into consideration before Federal funds will be applied to any charges on the students' account. Aid accounts will be refunded in the following order up to the amount of the original disbursement: Federal Family Education Loan Programs, Federal Perkins Loan Program, Federal Pell Grant Program, Federal SEOG Program, Arkansas Department of Higher Education Programs, Tech scholarships and private aid. Additionally, students who have received a cash payment of aid money will receive a letter after their withdrawal informing them of any amount to be repaid. These repayments will be made through the Student Accounts Office in the same order as listed for refunds.

The student will be ineligible for any further financial aid until the required payments are made.

Payment of Accounts

Tuition and all other fees and charges, including room and board charges for students in residence halls, are due and payable prior to the beginning of each term at the Student Accounts Office, in the Student Services Building, Office 133. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards are accepted for all charges. Registration is not complete until all financial obligations have been met satisfactorily.

The student identification number (social security number) is assigned as the student's account number for billing purposes. An alternate nine digit number will be assigned as the student's account number upon written request to the Director of Student Accounts. Monthly billing statements are payable upon receipt. Invoices for preregistration are mailed approximately thirty days prior to the first day of class. One copy of the preregistration invoice must be returned along with the applicable payment by the due date in order to complete registration.

Students with delinquent accounts are not eligible for food service, graduation, transcripts, recommendations, advance registration, or readmission to any term. Collection fees for outstanding debts owed to the University may be assessed to the student.

The University reserves the right to amend or add to the regulations of the institution, including those concerning fees and methods of payment, and to make such changes applicable to students enrolled in the University, as well as to new students.

Traffic Regulations

Students parking on campus between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, must have parking decals. Vehicle registration cards for decals are available in the Student Accounts Office. A printed pamphlet outlining traffic, parking, safety, and security regulations is available in Room 200, Administration Building.

Financial Aid

Three aid programs are available to graduate students -- the Federal Perkins Loan Program, which provides a five-percent loan to eligible students; the Federal Stafford Loan Program, which provides a loan to eligible students; and the Federal College Work-Study Program, which provides on-campus part-time jobs. In order to participate in these programs, the student should submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. These applications and additional information about the programs may be obtained by writing to the Student Aid Office, Arkansas Tech University, Russellville, Arkansas 72801-2222. Priority deadlines are April 1 for summer, April 15 for fall, and November 1 for spring.

Graduate students receiving federally funded student financial aid must meet the below listed conditions in order to remain eligible for financial aid:

1. Complete the graduate hours in which they are enrolled each semester.

2. Maintain a 3.0 GPA each semester.

3. Complete the degree by the end of six full-time semesters.

Graduate Assistantships

The University offers a limited number of graduate assistantships through its academic departments and administrative offices. Inquiries regarding assistantships should be directed to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Office of Graduate Studies will accept and forward all applications for assistantships to the appropriate department head or supervisor. To ensure timely consideration, please submit all material by April 1 of each academic year.

A graduate student holding an assistantship appointment does part-time work for the University as determined by the department or office involved. Eligibility requirements for graduate assistantships are as follows:

1. To be eligible for an appointment, an entering graduate student must qualify for unconditional admission to the graduate program.

2. A student conditionally admitted becomes eligible for an appointment upon completion of 12 hours of graduate course work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.

3. A student receiving an assistantship may take a maximum of nine hours and a minimum of six hours of course work per semester. During each summer term, the student may take a maximum of six hours and a minimum of three hours. Exceptions may be made upon the approval of the appropriate department head or supervisor and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

• A student may have a maximum appointment of 50% (20 hours a week) except in the summer when he/she can receive a 100% appointment.

Jim Ed McGee
Graduate Honors Award

The Jim Ed McGee Graduate Honors Award has been instituted to recognize one Arkansas Tech University graduate student each year as the outstanding graduate student of the year.

A graduate student who has recently completed a graduate degree and wishes to be considered for the Jim Ed McGee Graduate Honors Award may submit a letter of application with two faculty recommendations to his/her department head by February 1 of the year in which the honors award is to be presented. If the advisor is someone other than the department head, one of the two faculty recommendations must come from the student's advisor. The award will be presented at the annual Arkansas Tech University Honors and Awards Convocation that is held in April of each year.

Persons who graduated in May or December of one year are eligible to apply for the award which will be presented in April of the following year. The student's department head will review the application materials on the basis of graduate school performance in such areas as grades, research project, academic papers, leadership in graduate program activities, and faculty recommendations.

The department head will forward the application materials of recommended outstanding graduate students to the Dean of Graduate Studies by February 15.

A panel of evaluators, consisting of the Dean of Graduate Studies and four other graduate faculty members, will review nominations of candidates for the Graduate Honors Award. The panel will rate the applicants based on the following: (1) evaluation of documentation submitted by the applicant, graduate transcripts and faculty recommendations; (2) work submitted by the applicant, abstracts, prospectus or project summary, and advisor recommendations; (3) leadership and involvement in graduate program activities; and (4) a personal interview.

The person selected as the recipient of the Jim Ed McGee Graduate Honors Award will receive a personal plaque and have his/her name inscribed on the Jim Ed McGee Graduate Honors Award Plaque that will be on permanent display in the Graduate Office.

Health Services

The University provides a health center for use by all students. In case of illness or accident, students should contact the University Infirmary, telephone 968-0329.

Disability Services for Students

Arkansas Tech University is committed to providing equal opportunities for higher education to academically qualified individuals who are disabled. Students with disabilities attending Tech will be integrated as completely as possible into the university community. Tech does not offer a specialized curriculum for students with disabilities nor does it assume the role of a rehabilitation center, but does assume responsibility for modifying campus facilities and procedures to accommodate individual needs where feasible.

Through the established advising procedures, students with disabilities are assisted with academic program planning which includes selection of appropriate courses, registration, consideration of classroom and building accessibility, and planning for adequate travel time between classes. The Affirmative Action Officer will serve as a liaison in arranging for interpreters, note taking assistance, alternative testing, and similar types of accommodations. Per individual needs, students who may require academic support are encouraged to utilize tutoring and study skills assistance available to all students through the Student Development Center and within certain discipline areas.

Tech is subject to and endorses both the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Disabilities Coordinator serves as the coordinator for these federal programs. The Disabilities Coordinator’s Office is located in the Office of Community Education, Dean Hall, Room 110, Arkansas Tech University, Russellville, AR 72801-2222, and can be contacted by calling (501) 968-0698, for TDD call (501) 964-0536, or by E-mail: judy.robinson@mail.atu.edu.

Placement and Counseling

The University's placement and counseling services are available to students enrolled in the graduate program.