The UAFS Vision, Mission, Role and Scope, and Values
Vision
UAFS will be a national model for preparing students for workforce mobility through education and professional development while serving as the thought leader in the region for workforce training.
Mission
UAFS prepares students to succeed in an ever-changing global world while advancing economic development and quality of place.
Role And Scope
Founded in 1928, UAFS has grown in stature, role and scope over the years into a singularly distinctive institution. Organized and focused on teaching and learning, UAFS offers multifaceted academic and technical educational opportunities. The university provides these learning opportunities at times and places convenient to students and clients. Programs include single courses of instruction, certificates of proficiency, technical certificates, and associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees designed to meet a demonstrated demand of the region. In addition to certificate and degree programs, UAFS provides a wide range of customized, on-site education and training services - both pre- and post-employment - designed to meet the workforce education and retraining needs of business and service organizations.
UAFS provides a variety of public service activities for the people and organizations within its service area. Included are noncredit courses, seminars, workshops, lectures, travel, telecourses, and teleconferences organized by the Center for Business and Professional Development. UAFS makes campusfacilities and resources available to community organizations and seeks to enrich quality of place in the community through sponsored cultural activities and events.
Values
UAFS is:
- Inclusive: UAFS fosters a welcoming, diverse campus that embraces and promotes inclusion as an integral component to institutional excellence.
- Student-focused: UAFS students have countless opportunities to become leaders on campus and in the community with the help of an engaged campus and intimate learning environments led by attentive professors.
- Committed to Academic Excellence: UAFS students receive a top-notch education that prepares them for post-graduate success through practical, hands-on learning opportunities spanning the university’s spectrum of diverse course offerings.
- An Economic and Workforce Developer: UAFS drives economic growth and development in the greater Fort Smith region by educating a workforce, collaborating with organizations and industries, and promoting the arts.
- A Driver of Creative Economy: UAFS works with regional businesses and industries to identify the technical, social, and intellectual skillsets that will promote entrepreneurship and the thinking skills of change.
- Innovative: UAFS is an educational pioneer that is constantly examining and pursuing new methods of educating students, whether it be the microcosm of a creative classroom with an inspiring professor or a cutting-edge academic program inspired by local and state needs.
Assessment Of Student Learning
UAFS has clear expectations for student learning and is committed to continual assessment as the means to improving learning outcomes. Every academic program specifies educational objectives with outcomes that are measured to determine ways in which learning will be improved. Findings based on assessment objectives are used in curriculum improvement, planning, and resource allocation. A faculty-led, student-learning committee coordinates assessment activities of the entire campus for the purpose of continuous improvement in learning.
Accreditations
UAFS is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and is approved by the United States Department of Education, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the Arkansas State Approving Agency for veterans’ training.
College Of Arts And Sciences
The music department is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). The art department is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
College Of Business And Industry
The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The following technical programs are accredited by the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE): Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology, Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, Associate of Applied Science in Computer Graphic Technology, Electronics Technology, and General Technology. The automotive program is additionally certified by the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation.
College Of Health, Education, And Human Sciences
Nursing programs are approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. The traditional BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The surgical technology program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA) through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The dental hygiene program is accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The radiography program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) and the diagnostic medical sonography program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS) through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Education programs are approved by the Arkansas Department of Education and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The Middle Childhood Education Program is nationally recognized by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). The Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and a preschool education credential. Candidates pursuing the Elementary K6 degree can also receive an age 3-4 endorsement to add to their licensure area. All candidates may choose to pursue the Special Education Resource Room endorsement or the Teaching English as a Second Language.
Secondary Education Programs are delivered in their respective colleges in coordination with the School of Education. The Biology with Life/Earth Science Teacher Licensure Program is nationally recognized by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). The English with Teacher Licensure Program is nationally recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The History with Social Studies Teacher Licensure Program is nationally recognized by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). The Mathematics with Teacher Licensure Program is nationally recognized by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). The Music with Teacher Licensure Program is accredited by National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
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