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Senate panel adopts amendment but defers final action on law‑school consolidation bill after accreditation concerns
Summary
Senate Education Committee adopted an amendment to SB 370 that preserves separate deans for the two University of Arkansas law schools while keeping provisions to consolidate certain administrative functions; witnesses clashed over accreditation risk and projected savings.
Senator Mark Johnson asked the Senate Education Committee on behalf of SB 370 to permit consolidation of overlapping administrative functions between the University of Arkansas Fayetteville law school and the UALR Bowen School of Law while keeping both schools and their deans intact.
Supporters, including Rick Peltz Steele, a law professor who authored a 2011 white paper cited by the sponsor, told the committee the proposal is limited to back‑office consolidation and would not merge the schools or risk American Bar Association accreditation. "SB 370 does not merge the 2 law schools in Arkansas," Peltz Steele said, adding that administrative sharing can free resources for students and faculty.
University of Arkansas officials pushed back. Joni Lee, UALR vice chancellor for university affairs, said the two law schools "serve different needs in the state" and disputed the magnitude of projected savings from the 2011 estimate. Melissa Rust, vice president for university relations for the University of Arkansas system, said the system and campus leadership oppose the bill.
Johnson acknowledged the concerns and offered an amendment to remove language that would have eliminated one dean. The committee adopted that amendment and Johnson said he would have the bill engrossed and return it for further committee consideration so members can review the consolidated text in context.
Next steps: SB 370 was amended in committee and will be re‑engrossed for a subsequent meeting; the sponsor asked the committee to hold the bill on the agenda until members can study the updated text.
