Between April 9 and 11, the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) will host the 85th annual conference of the Arkansas Historical Association (AHA).  

Other local sponsors of the conference are Monticello’s A&P Commission and Commercial Bank. A complete program, which includes a full list of sponsors, is available on the AHA’s website. 

The Arkansas Historical Association has published the “Arkansas Historical Quarterly,” the state’s premier peer-reviewed history journal, since 1942. Each year, the organization holds a three-day themed conference. The theme for the 2026 meeting in Monticello will be “Arkansas at Work: Histories of Labor, Land, and Learning.” This year marks the first time that the conference will be held in southeast Arkansas in over two decades. 

The conference will kick off on Thursday afternoon with an archival workshop in the Gibson University Center, moderated by UAMS Historical Research Center Director Tim Nutt. This will be followed by an evening reception at the UAM Trotter House. On Friday and Saturday morning, historians and history students will gather in the Gibson University Center to present 36 selected research papers during 12 thematic sessions. 

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

The agreement will enable UACCB students to pursue bachelor’s degrees in business and education from UAM through coursework offered in Batesville.

The Bachelor of Arts in K-6 Elementary Education program is slated to begin in May 2026, with the Bachelor of Business Administration program launching in August 2026. Both degree offerings are pending approval from the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Higher Learning Commission.

On January 21, the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-McGehee (UAM-CTM) launched the UAM-CTM Digital Literacy Program in collaboration with Digitunity and AT&T. The launch event was hosted by UAM-CTM on its campus in McGehee and attended by representatives from Digitunity and AT&T.

Digitunity is a national nonprofit organization committed to making computer ownership possible for all Americans. For over 40 years, Digitunity has worked to close the digital divide in the United States by shaping and strengthening systems that make computer ownership possible. With 1 in 7 U.S. households lacking a computer, this national-local approach mobilizes resources, influences policy and builds durable solutions that expand opportunity, participation and economic mobility. 

Digitunity and AT&T are working together to expand computer ownership and digital skills through their “3 Southern States Connected Communities Program,” which supports local organizations across Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi by focusing on four key components: computer distribution, digital navigator support, digital skills training and community capacity. Organizations across the three states are helping residents gain access to computers, develop new skills and build confidence with technology. Through community-based events, training and computer distribution, more people can fully participate in today’s digital world. 

It’s been a big weekend for CFANR as the forestry club hosted and competed in the 67th Southern Forestry Conclave at the UAM Trucking Academy. Out of the 14 universities competing this year UAM placed 3rd!

UAM had a 1st place finish in Wildlife and 3rd place finishes in Wood Technology, DBH estimation, Men’s Bowsaw, Women’s Bowsaw, Chain Throw, Jack & Jill Crosscut, Men’s Crosscut and Pole Felling.
It’s been a steady year of planning and hard work for the forestry club and their advisor Dr. Laura Sims. We’re thankful for the many supporters and alumni who made this event possible and extra special.

Our students placing in the top 3 of the events were:

• Wildlife: Brent Haden & Riley McGihan
• Wood Technology: David Coussens
• DBH Estimation: Holton Johnson
• Men’s Bowsaw: David Coussens
• Women’s Bowsaw: Marce Aranda
• Chain Throw: Hannah Hopson & Tate Tanner
• Jack & Jill Crosscut: Marce Aranda & Tate Tanner
• Men’s Crosscut: Tate Tanner & Josh Meyers
• Pole Felling: Caleb Van Pelt