UA Little Rock is dedicated to improving students’ lives and enhancing our communities. We will be a leading urban and metropolitan university that engages the city, the region, and beyond through excellent teaching, research, and partnerships.
The mission of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is to develop the intellect of students to discover and disseminate knowledge to serve and strengthen society by enhancing awareness in scientific, technical, and cultural arenas and to promote humane sensitivities and understanding of interdependence. Within this broad mission are the responsibilities to use quality instruction to instill in students a lifelong desire to learn to use knowledge in ways that will contribute to society and to apply the resources and research skills of the University community to the service of the city, the state, the nation, and the world in ways that will benefit humanity.
The UALR Diversity Council is excited to announce the Diversity Survey report conducted between October 2012 and May 2013. We want to thank the over 4,000 students, staff, and faculty who took the time to complete the survey. The data from this survey will help the UALR family understand our perceptions of diversity and help drive the activities of the Diversity Council.
UALR values people with disabilities as an integral part of our diverse campus community. We are committed to the creation of usable, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming learning environments. This site brings together resources that help us make that commitment a reality. We encourage the campus community members to take an active role in creating a campus that reflects these values.
UALR recognizes that people learn and work differently, which at times may result in a request by staff, faculty, or student-employees with disabilities for an adjustment to their employment responsibilities or the work environment so job performance can seamlessly continue. UALR wants the process of accommodating student-employees, faculty, and staff with disabilities to be prompt and easy. Department supervisors may use their discretion to grant the requested adjustment. Supervisors and employees are both welcome to consult with the Department of Human Resource Services as needed.
The Department of Public Safety provides law enforcement 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Flashing blue lights identify emergency phones with direct lines to the Department of Public Safety. The phones appear in numerous locations throughout campus. Officers respond to emergency phones in use, whether or not they hear anyone speaking into the phone.
Escorts can be requested by contacting the Department of Public Safety. An accessible van is also available for emergencies. Please inform the officer or dispatch coordinator when making the request. Disability is an aspect of diversity that is integral to our society and the UALR campus community. The DRC collaborates with students, faculty, and staff to create usable, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable learning environments. However, there may be times when aspects of the campus, online environment, instruction, or design of courses result in barriers to inclusion or accurate assessment of achievement.
In 1927, Little Rock Junior College opened to provide college-level courses to central Arkansas citizens who wanted and needed higher education access. In its first year, “Jaycee” – as students would soon refer to the new college – met at Little Rock Senior High School and enrolled approximately 100 students paying five dollars per semester hour for the college’s two-year liberal arts program.
The early years of the new junior college were guided by the dreams and diligence of LRJC founder, John A. Larson (president, 1930-1950). Despite limited funding, Larson was determined to see LRJC flourish. In 1929, his aspirations for expanding the junior college were fulfilled when former Arkansas Gov. George W. Donaghey named LRJC as the sole beneficiary of a trust valued more than $2 million.
An increased commitment to public service marked the school’s growth over the next decades as LRJC continually found new ways to meet the community’s educational needs. For instance, the school responded to Little Rock’s employment demands by offering vocational instruction in surveying and pattern-making and educated non-traditional students through adult education courses in art history, sketching, and literature.
After several years of discussion and study, Little Rock University in September 1969 merged with the University of Arkansas to create the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. That was a significant step in the creation of a multi‐campus system that now includes eight campuses: the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences University of Arkansas at Little Rock University of Arkansas at the Pine Bluff University of Arkansas at Monticello Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope and University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. Within this structure, UALR is state-supported, operationally separate, and specifically oriented toward serving Arkansas's educational needs.
The University of Arkansas merger began a rapid growth period, which saw UALR go from about 3,500 students and 75 full‐time faculty members in 1969 to more than 12,000 students and 500 full‐time faculty members today. The University’s expanded offerings now include more than 100 undergraduate majors, an extensive schedule of night, weekend, and off‐campus classes, and a wide range of community educational services. UALR began offering graduate and professional work in 1975, and the UALR Graduate School was created in 1977.
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