September 1, 2015Hot Springs, Arkansas - Governor Asa Hutchinson addressed the Arkansas Division of Higher Education’s President’s Council today. The Governor spoke about degree attainment and plans to improve the state’s economic position. Dr. John Hogan, National Park College (NPC) President, attended the Governor’s address. He shared, “I commend Governor Hutchinson on taking the first step toward closing the attainment gap in Arkansas. As many already know, Arkansas ranks 49th in the nation on this measure, and studies show this rate continues to decline.”
Hogan added, “Governor Hutchinson has taken a leadership role in developing a master plan to reverse this trend, along with Dr. Brett Powell and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education. Closing the Gap 2020: A Master Plan for Higher Education in Arkansas is an innovative step forward that will rely on community colleges to help close the attainment gap for Arkansas students. I believe this is the most critical issue challenging the state’s economic development.” Dr. Hogan expressed pride that NPC has already committed to many of the steps outlined in the plan, including: Reducing tuition for Arkansas students Implementing a Tuition Guarantee, a promise that tuition will not increase for continuously enrolled eligible students Implementing a Graduate Guarantee, a promise that our graduates leave with the skills our employers and transfer institutions expect Committing to developing seamless, convenient transfer opportunities to four-year universities through our National Park University Initiative Prioritizing diversity, underserved, non-traditional and minority degree attainment Re-allocating campus resources to maximize efficiency
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