The NorthWest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees covered several major pieces of the college’s future on Monday (June 8), including athletics, enrollment, campus infrastructure projects, and possible student housing construction.
Trustees heard an athletics report covering student-athlete achievement and recruiting, reviewed campus projects, including a proposed roundabout near Water Tower Road and NWACC Boulevard and the Eagle Way tunnel, and considered action items connected to proposed on-campus student housing. Trustees approved two measures regarding student housing — a building location and a college-funded financing method — but deadlocked on issuing a request for qualifications.
(Wayne Cook)
Brooke Brewer, executive director of athletics and institutional branding, presented the athletics report, which highlighted regional championships in men’s and women’s cross-country, including the men’s fifth consecutive regional title and the women’s ninth-place national finish. Brewer also noted NWACC’s first track and field national qualifier, Omar Medina, placed ninth nationally in shot put. She also pointed to continued esports success with one NJCAAE Street Fighter national champion, and the growth of newer programs such as soccer, along with recreational and club activities such as cycling and pickleball.
Brewer’s report also focused on the academic profile and diversity of NWACC student-athletes. According to the report, student-athletes averaged about 15 credit hours while being required to take at least 12 under National Junior College Athletic Association rules, and student-athletes had an 85% fall-to-fall retention rate. The report said 49% of student-athletes were first-generation college students, and 33% were multilingual; 13 languages were represented. Student-athletes came from Northwest Arkansas, elsewhere in Arkansas, out of state and internationally, representing 11 countries, nine states and 76 high schools. The report showed about 43% of student-athletes came from Northwest Arkansas, 4.3% from elsewhere in Arkansas, 15.2% from out of state and 37% internationally.
Brewer also reported that student-athletes were 54.3% male and 45.7% female. She said the racial and ethnic makeup of athletics closely mirrors the college’s overall student population, with one difference being that about 10% of student-athletes identify as Black or African American, compared with about 3% collegewide.
Alex Vasquez, chief of staff and executive director of governmental and public relations, gave updates on campus infrastructure projects tied to NWACC’s campus master plan. One project discussed was a proposed roundabout entrance near Water Tower Road and NWACC Boulevard, which includes a traffic study required by the City of Bentonville. The meeting also included a discussion of the Eagle Way tunnel and trails project, a proposed bike and pedestrian tunnel under 14th Street. Vasquez said a $4.5 million federal appropriation for the tunnel project has moved forward by receiving committee approval but still needs final congressional approval.
Justin White, vice president of student affairs and strategic initiatives, presented NWACC’s proposed first on-campus student housing structure, which would be located in the Building 23 area identified in the campus master plan. White said Building 23 would be the smallest housing facility in the plan, with space for about 300 to 400 residents. The proposed structure would cover about 120,000 square feet and cost an estimated $35 million.
Trustees voted on three housing-related action items. The board approved the proposed Building 23 location as identified on the campus master plan and approved the college-financed business model for the housing project. However, the motion to authorize the administration to develop and issue a request for qualifications, or RFQ, tied 4-4 and did not move forward. After the vote, President Dennis Rittle said the housing team would likely need to look for a different route for the RFQ process.
The housing discussion is expected to continue in the coming months. College leaders said they plan to go before the state higher education coordinating board in July to request debt authority for the project, while trustees are expected to discuss housing details such as safety, access, student ratios and other concerns at an August board retreat.
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