February 19, 2017

Hot Springs and the Garland County communities extend an enormous amount of support to National Park College. We could not be successful in changing lives without your friendship and support. Here is an update on what you can look forward to in 2017 from the NPC Nighthawks.

National Park Promise

NPC is considering the feasibility of a pilot promise scholarship for graduates of the NPTC program. These students currently receive a 50 percent tuition scholarship to attend NPC. We are proposing that graduates from the NPTC program who enroll at NPC will not pay tuition or fees.

This scholarship could augment the Governor's proposal for the Arkansas Future Grant (ArFuture), which will guarantee students the ability to attend the two-year college of their choice tuition free. The proposed program will be designed to cover the cost of tuition and fees for students pursuing a degree in certain high demand STEM and technical fields at a two-year college.   

Nursing Expansion

NPC is working with local health care providers on a plan to expand the size of its Registered Nursing class in order to help meet the demand for qualified nurses. NPC is currently the largest producer of nursing graduates in the region, and we intend to build upon that presence.

We are currently working with a number of universities to bring Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree options to our nursing alumni.

Nursing students may qualify for the ArFuture program if it becomes law during this General Assembly. So again, in addition to other available aid, students could have the chance to earn this degree tuition free.

Academic Program Enhancements

Students will have more focused and relevant degree opportunities when they come to campus in August. There are numerous new degree and transfer options, some of which have been made possible by the Regional Alliance with Henderson State and College of the Ouachitas. At the time of this writing, we know there will be an additional 30 new degree programs and transfer options, 15 are with the University of Central Arkansas.

We plan to redesign our Information Technology (coding) program, providing students with more opportunities to graduate locally and earn high salaries in the programming industry. Students have the opportunity to earn their two-year degree in Business Information Systems[MR1]  from NPC and transfer seamlessly to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to complete their bachelor's degree. For students who wish to remain at home, this degree can be earned entirely online.

Additional transfer options will likely arise throughout the spring and summer. These relationships are developing and expanding very rapidly.

Nighthawks

National Park College is considering bringing back athletics for students in the fall of 2017. If approved, this is likely to begin with club sports opportunities and, if successful, may evolve further. The possibility of a men’s and women’s basketball team, a women’s volleyball team, and others have been discussed. While this decision is still being weighed, we plan to continue to build on our robust intramural athletic program which was made possible by a collaboration with the City of Hot Springs Parks Department.

Campus Expansion

In 2017, National Park College hopes to break ground on a new 46,000 square foot student commons facility. This facility will serve as the centerpiece for student interaction and development. It will include all of the supporting services that students require, housing our  student advising center, a modern library, and other new amenities for students. In addition to the construction of the new facility, NPC plans to create a new front entrance directly from Mountain Pine road. The construction of this new facility will improve campus safety, allow space for community events, and create about eight new instructional spaces. The construction will be funded through a refinancing of existing bonds and private donations, so there will be no effort to extend the millage at this stage.

Regional Alliance

We were very pleased to have a voice in the formation of the Southern Arkansas Regional Alliance, which includes College of the Ouachitas and Henderson State University. Our goals are to minimize administrative overhead and re-invest savings into academic linkages and student success. You will be hearing more about specific collaborations and how those investments will contribute to higher student success and degree attainment in Clark, Garland and Hot Spring counties. These three schools understand that educating our population in the region from kindergarten through a bachelor’s degree increases the odds that students will remain in the area to work, start businesses and raise families.

Enrollment Growth

Few community colleges are experiencing enrollment growth, but NPC was the exception this year. Our fall enrollment[MR2]  increased by just over three percent. This is good news for the community, since enrollment is a major contributing factor to the numbers of graduates staying home and going to work. NPC is diligently working to recruit high school seniors in every area high school and talking to employees who work for companies that help reimburse educational expenses.

Paid Internships

NPC was one of 16 institutions nationwide to receive a two-year, $174,816 Career Ready Internship Grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates. An anticipated 84 new paid internships will be created this academic year. The goal of the program is to help students with financial need to gain career related skills and connections while working toward their degree. We are thrilled about the opportunities this will bring about for our students and for our local employers.

Innovative Technologies Center

The Innovative Technologies Center (ITC) will host a grand opening in March. This is a temporary facility on Albert Pike near Bear State Bank. The ITC is an innovative space where students, employers, and others can interact with emerging technologies that are germane to local industry. The ITC will be permanently relocated to the main campus once the student commons construction is completed.

Major Gifts/Capital Campaign

The National Park College team and the NPC Foundation Board are considering the feasibility of a major gifts campaign. This campaign will be focused on raising funds for student success[MR3] , capital expansion, and expansion of the NPC endowment.

We have set an aggressive agenda for the year and we will need your help to make all of these initiatives successful for our students and our community. NPC appreciates your support and we are eager to move Garland County forward together in 2017.

John Hogan, NPC President