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Senate committee approves bill to rename East Arkansas Community College following UA System affiliation
Summary
The Senate Education Committee approved Senate Bill 46 to update statutes after East Arkansas Community College became a campus of the University of Arkansas System and to remove obsolete language following a prior merger with Crowley's Ridge.
The Senate Education Committee on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 46, which updates state statutes to reflect East Arkansas Community College’s change of ownership and official name following its affiliation with the University of Arkansas System.
Senator English presented the bill on behalf of Senators Caldwell and Murdoch, who were absent. Melissa Rust told the panel the Higher Learning Commission voted in November to accept East Arkansas Community College’s change-of-ownership application, and the college’s new formal name is “University of Arkansas, East Arkansas Community College.”
Dr. Kathy Cline, chancellor of East Arkansas Community College, urged the committee’s support and said the name change would help raise the institution’s profile and better serve students and communities after a recent merger with Crowley’s Ridge (CRTI). “I would just appreciate your support on this bill,” Cline said.
Senator Flowers asked whether the name change would affect funding. Melissa Rust replied, “No, ma'am. It does not,” and said the bill’s funding section only updates names and not dollar amounts. Rust also said the bill removes statutory language made unnecessary by the earlier merger with Crowley’s Ridge.
With no public comment and no further questions, the committee moved the bill by voice vote. The committee chair announced the motion carried and that the bill was passed out of committee.
Key details cited during the presentation included the November Higher Learning Commission approval of the change of ownership and that the legislation purposefully limits changes to statutory language and names rather than altering funding formulas.
