The School of Education at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) has established a new partnership with Drew Central Elementary School to build a Literary and Math Learning Lab Classroom. The partnership provides teacher education candidates at UAM with opportunities to apply their coursework in a public-school setting while supporting instruction for elementary students. 

Supported by the UAM Centennial Grant, the partnership has equipped the lab classroom with the necessary technology and high-quality instructional materials designed to enhance learning for both UAM students and Drew Central Elementary students.  

The partnership’s pilot course is Teaching Literacy, which is taught on the Drew Central Elementary campus by Crystal Grimes, instructor of education at UAM. College students enrolled in the course have been admitted by the School of Education as teacher education candidates. Candidates work directly with an elementary classroom selected specifically for the partnership. Candidates first learn literacy concepts and instructional strategies from Grimes and then teach those concepts to the elementary students, assessing their progress to identify learning gaps. If a learning gap is detected, candidates create a plan to help students strengthen those skills. The entire process occurs under the supervision of Grimes and Drew Central Elementary teachers.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) will host its annual Parent/Family Appreciation Day on Saturday, September 26, on UAM’s Monticello campus. 

This year’s Parent/Family Appreciation Day invites relatives of students to enjoy an afternoon of family-friendly activities with the UAM community and cheer on UAM Football during its game against the Arkansas Tech University Wonder Boys.

Activities will begin at 2:30 p.m. on the south side of Weevil Pond and include music, face painting, a temporary tattoo booth and a variety of games. Students may bring any number of family members.

At 3:30 p.m., the Walk of Champions game-day parade will begin on Tailgate Row. 

The Chancellor’s Tailgate Cookout will begin on the south side of Weevil Pond following the parade. Families can visit the registration tent at the south end of Tailgate Row between 3:45 and 5:30 p.m. to receive free tickets to the cookout and free passes to the football game. The first 300 individuals to register will also receive a free UAM T-shirt. 

On Thursday, September 17, the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) Division of Music, in collaboration with the SEARK Concert Association, National Federation of Music Club (NFMC) and Pine Bluff Musical Coterie, will host a concert featuring mezzo-soprano Claire McCahan, the 2026 NFMC Young Artist Winner, accompanied by pianist Mary Scott Smith. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the Harris Recital Hall in the Music Building at UAM and will last approximately one hour. The event is free and open to the public. 

Claire McCahan is regarded as a musician of sincerity and versatility, delivering compelling and honest performances across Baroque, recital, opera and contemporary repertoire. Winner of the 2022 Joy in Singing International Art Song Competition, the 2022 National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards, the 2025 NFMC Young Artist Competition and the 2025 Federation of the Art Song Fellowship, McCahan is an accomplished recitalist, devising programs revealing thematic connection across time and language. Along with collaborative pianist Barbara Noyes, she co-founded Horizon Duo, dedicated to creative programming of contemporary and classic repertoire. The duo made their New York recital debut at Weill Recital Hall in 2023. Praised for her interpretations of J.S. Bach, she is the winner of the 2025 American National Oratorio Competition, an alumna of the American Bach Soloists Academy and a featured soloist on the Boulder Bach Festival’s first commercial album. 

On Friday, October 2, the University of Arkansas at Monticello will hold a public ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center on UAM’s Monticello campus.

In February 2024, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration received approval to allocate $16.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to UAM for the construction of the center. At the groundbreaking ceremony in October 2024, Attorney General Tim Griffin announced an additional $1 million from state settlement funds for the project. The family of John W. Spivey also contributed $400,000 to support the addition of the John W. Spivey Conference Center. 

The research center, poised to be among the top facilities of its kind in the Southeast United States, is designed to address a critical gap in Arkansas’ forest research capacity. Prior to the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center, the state lacked in-state facilities to test for forest diseases, invasive insects and climate threats that increasingly threaten its $16 billion annual forestry economy. Estimates indicate the center will generate a $157 million annual economic benefit to Arkansas by protecting against lost values of trees and forest products and increasing the workforce for forestry, allied health, agriculture, wildlife and related fields.

In addition to the research wing and the conference center, the building includes a wing of biology and chemistry labs to benefit all UAM students, including those in natural sciences, allied health, agriculture, natural resources and other highly demanded career fields.

For additional information on the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center and the ribbon-cutting ceremony to be held at 132 Science Center Drive, Monticello, Arkansas, on October 2, contact Dr. Michael Blazier at blazier@uamont.edu or 870-460-1152.

When severe weather threatened the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s (UAM) fall semester welcome-back concert, a new student lounge became the unexpected hero. 

On the evening of August 18, UAM held a grand opening for Weezy’s, the campus’s new sports-bar-style student lounge in the John F. Gibson University Center. At the same time, country artist Patrick Averill performed on the University Center lawn in UAM’s first campus concert since 2016, bringing students, faculty and staff together for a long-awaited night of music and entertainment. 

Then the clouds rolled in.

Shortly after the concert began, rain and lightning swept across campus, and hundreds of people fled back to their cars and dorms. However, instead of ending the festivities, more than 100 students sought refuge in the University Center, setting the stage for an unforgettable opening night at Weezy’s. Students packed into the lounge, filling the couches and chairs and mingling beneath the glow of Weezy’s bright neon-green sign. Averill happily continued his acoustic setlist inside, turning Weezy’s into a concert venue. 

With the storm in the background, students sang along, cell phone lights glowing in the air, and Weezy’s became exactly what it was designed to be: a welcoming place to connect, unwind and build community. 

The University of Arkansas at Monticello Forestry Club will host the Tall Pines Timber Challenge on Saturday, September 12, at the Bradley County Fairgrounds as part of the Bradley County Fair.

Designed as a fun, family-friendly introduction to forestry and timbersports, the Tall Pines Timber Challenge will give members of the public an opportunity to learn about forestry skills and traditions while participating in a friendly competition. Participants of all experience levels are encouraged to join in, and the emphasis is on having fun and trying something new.

The event will have divisions for both youth and adults. 

A youth division will begin at 10 a.m. and is open to participants ages 10 through high school seniors. Youth competitors will test their forestry knowledge and skills in events including tree identification, forestry equipment identification, compass and pacing and a tree cookie toss.

The adult division, open to participants ages 18 and older, will begin at 1 p.m. and will feature traditional timbersports events such as crosscut sawing, axe throwing, Jack and Jill, and more.

No experience is necessary to participate. UAM Forestry Club students will demonstrate the events throughout the competition and help participants learn how each event works. For events requiring a partner, Forestry Club members will also be available to team up with participants who need a partner.

The exhibition “into the current: eroding and evolving” by Brooke Cassady will be on display from August 19 through October 21 in the Glassblock Gallery in the Fred J. Taylor Library and Technology Center at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM). There will be a closing reception and activation of the gallery space on Wednesday, October 21, from 6 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

“Working across ceramics, fibers and metals, I build objects and installations holding the tension between lack and excess, between the solitary self and the collective unconscious, weaving through all living matter,” said Cassady. “I engage the alchemy of air, fire and water, transmuting raw material into form to give shape to what has no shape.”

The exhibition, which spans both floors of the Glassblock Gallery, is based on the concept that “everything alive is in the process of becoming and dissolving,” explained Cassady. “What do we keep and what do we release? Shells and nests outlive the creatures that built it. Seed hold plants that have yet to emerge. This altar begins with what can still be touched: clay, sand, bone, the record of a hand’s touch pressed into earth. Small pinches of clay dissolve slowly in a jar of water over the course of the show, an invitation to let go of something. Upstairs, the waters of the unconscious unravel. Between the two floors, suspended in the open air, eight porous vessels escape from their nets, dredging what is buried into the light.”

Emily Davis, a college and career coach at the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-Crossett (UAM-CTC), was recently recognized as the Top Performing Career Coach of Region 5 at the 2026 Arkansas Career and Technical Education Summer Conference. The conference was held from July 20 to 24 at the Saline County Career and Technical Campus in Benton, Arkansas.

The college and career coach position housed at UAM-CTC is provided through the College and Career Coach Program administered by the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Career and Technical Education (DCTE). According to the DCTE website, “The College and Career Coach Component is designed to motivate and support Arkansas students and adults achieve their goals as it relates to college and career planning through intensive hands-on programs and services.”

Davis, a Monticello native, joined UAM-CTC in September 2024 to serve in Region 5, which includes several institutions participating in the program throughout eastern and southeastern Arkansas. Davis currently works with the Crossett and Drew Central School Districts.

Before joining UAM-CTC, Davis spent eight years working for Mainline Health Systems in health care. She left for a short time before returning to Mainline to work in marketing and public relations. Davis credits her experience at Mainline with helping prepare her for her current role as a college and career coach. 

The 2026 graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) recently achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

This achievement marks the program’s first 100% first-attempt pass rate since 2023.

The NCLEX-RN is a standardized licensure exam required by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing for nursing graduates seeking to become registered nurses. Passing the exam demonstrates that a graduate has met the national standard of education and training necessary to begin practice as an entry-level nurse. 

The graduating cohort includes Kaitlyn Clark, from Hamburg; Annie Figueroa, from Warren; Harley Latta, from Warren; Fabiola Mondragon, from Dumas; Graci Philips, from Star City; Courtnee Poppy, from Maumelle; and Noemi Salazar, from Hope.

The stage is set for an exciting new campus event at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM). On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 7:30 p.m., UAM will kick off the fall semester with an outdoor concert featuring country act Patrick Averill.

The event will also include yard games, refreshments and opportunities for students to connect with campus organizations and one another. The event is free and open to the UAM campus community. 

The event is sponsored by UAM Student Programs and Activities. James Hanten, director of Student Programs and Activities, is responsible for bringing the concert to UAM. “I started asking students what kinds of special events they wanted to see at the university,” Hanten explained. “One of the things that kept coming up was a concert on campus.”

Less than a year after its creation, the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) Trap Shooting team proved to be right on target, finishing among the nation’s best at the 2026 Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) National Championship. 

The team arrived at the national competition, held from July 10 to 18 at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, locked and loaded to compete in the co-ed collegiate American Trap event. 

Each member fired 200 rounds over the course of a two-day competition. The number of successfully shot targets was the shooter’s final score, and the team’s five highest individual scores were combined to determine the final standing. UAM Trap Shooting earned a ninth-place finish, landing them among the top ten of more than 70 collegiate teams.

In addition to the American Trap competition, one team member participated in the Super Sporting Clays event, which the team plans to incorporate into next year’s practice schedule.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) continues to transform higher education in Arkansas through an innovative campus-within-a-campus model that is redefining how rural students earn bachelor’s degrees while creating lasting economic benefits for communities across the state.

What began in 2023 as a single partnership has rapidly evolved into a statewide initiative spanning nine community college partners, creating one of Arkansas’ most significant higher education collaborations. The model provides students with the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree from UAM while remaining on their local community college campus, removing many of the financial, geographic and personal barriers that have historically prevented students from completing a four-year degree.

For rural Arkansas, the initiative represents a transformational investment, not only in students but also in the future workforce and economic vitality of communities throughout the state.

“The campus-within-a-campus model represents one of the most significant innovations in higher education access in Arkansas,” said Dr. Peggy Doss, chancellor of UAM. “For many students, relocating to pursue a bachelor’s degree is simply not an option. By bringing the university to students rather than requiring students to come to the university, we are creating opportunities that change lives, strengthen communities and support the state’s workforce needs.”

Two students from the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) participated on a team that recently won third place at the AI Hackathon and HealthTech Startup Week competition in Little Rock. 

The event, held at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock) from June 8 to 12, was open to high school and college students from Arkansas and surrounding states. Hosted through a collaboration between UA Little Rock, local health care providers, NVIDIA and Google, participants from a variety of health, technical and business backgrounds of all experience levels were brought together to earn AI certifications, learn from health care professionals and solve real-world challenges using AI tools. 

This event was the first hackathon experience for UAM students Pronita Ghimire, a freshman double majoring in computer science and mathematics with a data science option, and Kshitiz Khatiwada, a sophomore double majoring in computer information systems with a cybersecurity concentration and mathematics with a data science option. Friends since high school in Kathmandu, Nepal, the two were eager to participate to advance their knowledge and skills.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) is set to make history with the launch of its innovative UAM Collegiate Academy, which will be piloted in partnership with Drew Central High School. This initiative marks the first time in Arkansas that a four-year university has partnered with a public school district to offer high school students a no-cost pathway to earning an associate degree before graduation.

The UAM Collegiate Academy, which will begin in the fall 2026 semester, represents a bold reimagining of higher education and workforce preparation in the state. By enabling students to complete up to 60 hours of college credit during their high school years, the program empowers participants to earn a bachelor’s degree in as little as two years after high school, saving them time and money while accelerating their entry into professional careers.

“This is a soft introduction to the collegiate world for high school students,” said Dr. Peggy Doss, chancellor of UAM. “It allows them to engage in career exploration and university life while in a very safe and supported environment, maturing with guidance from both high school teachers and college professors. This program reimagines the timeframe and method to deliver college degrees to students, creating an incredible return on investment.”

On Wednesday, Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas (UA Cossatot) and the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) unveiled a new partnership designed to expand affordable higher education opportunities in Arkansas. This initiative allows UA Cossatot students to earn bachelor’s degrees from UAM while remaining in southwest Arkansas and benefiting from some of the state’s lowest tuition rates.

The agreement will enable UA Cossatot students to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from UAM through coursework offered on UA Cossatot’s campuses. The degree offering is pending approval from the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Higher Learning Commission.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello Student Nurses Association (UAM SNA) recently received the Stellar School Chapter Award at the 74th National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) annual convention. 

UAM SNA attended the convention in Houston, Texas, from April 8 to 11. The delegation included Brianna Barnett, instructor of nursing at UAM; Kaitlyn Clark, a senior from Hamburg, Arkansas; Jacob Courson, a junior from Star City, Arkansas; Ashley Owen, instructor of nursing clinicals at UAM; Graci Philips, a senior from Star City, Arkansas; and Emma Scott, a junior from Magnet Cove, Arkansas.

According to the NSNA website, “the NSNA Stellar School Chapter Recognition Program recognizes NSNA school chapters that demonstrate ongoing involvement in NSNA, including a strong commitment to shared governance and professional development of their students and faculty. The awards are open to official NSNA school chapters that have maintained constituency status for the previous five years and meet specific criteria for recognition.” 

The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) has received a $500,000 grant from the Windgate Foundation to establish the Weevil Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art, integrated health facility dedicated to serving UAM’s students, faculty and staff.

The grant, which runs through March 2027, will enable the transformation of 2,500 square feet of campus space into a facility offering behavioral health, urgent care and family practice services, delivered collaboratively by UAM and Mainline Health Systems, Inc.

UAM Counseling Services and Mainline Health Behavioral Health Clinic, both currently located in the Gibson University Center, and Mainline Health UAM Medical Clinic, currently located in Maxwell Hall, will relocate to the new center, which will be housed in an unoccupied portion of the Visual and Performing Arts Center, previously the Student Union. The building recently benefited from major upgrades funded by the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council.

Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas (UA Cossatot) and the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) are set to announce a new partnership that will expand access to affordable higher education in Arkansas. On Wednesday, July 8, the two institutions will unveil a program allowing UA Cossatot students to earn a bachelor’s degree in southwest Arkansas at one of the state’s lowest tuition rates.

The strategic partnership between UA Cossatot and UAM will integrate business programs, enabling UA Cossatot students to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. The degree program is currently pending approval from the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Higher Learning Commission.

The partnership aims to leverage the strengths of both institutions and combine resources to support student success and improve college completion rates within the region.

UAM Kids’ University will be held at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) from July 6 through July 9, 2026. 

The summer enrichment program carries out a mission of serving capable and motivated students who are entering 1st through 6th grades in the fall. The day camp aims to cultivate new interests, expand knowledge and spark imagination and creativity in children in a non-graded environment. 

The morning session is for students entering grades 1-3 and will be held from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. The afternoon session is for students entering grades 4-6 and will be held from 1-5 p.m. 

Early registration is open now and runs through May 28. If you sign up and pay by May 28, the registration fee is $80. If you sign up and pay between June 1 and June 25, the registration fee is $100. If you sign up and pay after June 29, the registration fee is $125. The fee includes a T-shirt and all supplies.

Checks made payable to “UAM Kids’ University” can be mailed to Attn: Rebecca Newton, P.O. Box 3608, Monticello, AR 71656. Payments may also be made over the phone by contacting the UAM Cashier’s Office at 870-460-1043.

To reserve each child’s spot, parents should complete a separate registration form and pay registration fees for each child who will participate.

Register online here.

Teen volunteers are needed. High school student volunteers will assist campers with activities, assist teachers with set up and clean up, lead students to classes and assist with drop-off and pick-up. Volunteers can complete an application at here.

For additional information, contact Rebecca Newton at kidsu@uamont.edu or call 870-460-1596.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) was recently awarded a $1,405,759 grant from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council (ANCRC) to renovate the Music Building, formerly known as the Fine Arts Building. The Music Building is located on UAM’s Monticello campus and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2025.

The grant will fund the replacement of the interior mechanical systems serving the first and second floors. The renovation will include replacing the current freon system with a 4-pipe HVAC system and installing a new hot water boiler. 

All students in the 2025–2026 University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-McGehee (UAM-CTM) Paramedic cohort passed the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) paramedic exam on their first attempt.

This impressive achievement marks the program’s first 100% first-attempt pass rate since May 2022.

The path to becoming a paramedic is one of the most demanding tracks in healthcare education, requiring hundreds of hours of intense classroom instruction, advanced life support training and challenging clinical and field rotations.

The graduating cohort includes six students.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) presented 555 awards to 518 spring 2026 graduates, according to information released by the UAM Registrar’s Office.

The Harris and Horsfall Historic District at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) has been officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. The designation recognizes the buildings’ architectural and historical significance, affirming their value as structures worthy of preservation.

Constructed in 1933, the Harris and Horsfall Historic District encompasses two UAM campus buildings: Harris Hall and Horsfall Hall. Construction was supported by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, a federal agency established in 1932 under President Herbert Hoover to provide emergency funds during the Great Depression. The project provided employment opportunities for local residents while expanding campus infrastructure. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation was a precursor to the Public Works Administration, which later funded several additional campus buildings. 

Applications are open for the Weevil Jumpstart Program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM). First-time freshmen who enroll in six credit hours during the Summer II session are eligible for the program. Classes run from July 1 to August 3.

Now entering its third year, the program continues to provide first-time freshmen with a strong foundation for academic success, personal growth and campus engagement as they transition into college life. 

The program is designed to support incoming students prior to the start of the fall semester through academic enrichment, campus resource exploration, peer mentorship, leadership development and college readiness experiences. Participants, who live in on-campus housing during the four-week program, can build meaningful connections with faculty, staff and fellow students while gaining confidence in navigating university life. 

The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) named 356 students to the Dean’s List and 237 students to the Chancellor’s List for the spring 2026 semester, according to Keith Chambliss, UAM’s registrar.? 

Selection to the Dean’s List requires a student to earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on at least 12 semester hours of course credit at the 1000-4000 level.Selection to the Chancellor’s List requires a student to earn a grade point average of 4.0 on at least 12 semester hours of course credit at the 1000-4000 level.?