02_UAFS_FW10:toc & letters
10/27/10
12:40 PM
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From the Chancellor
Bell Tower Fall/Winter 2010 Volume 1, Number 2
A Place You Can Be Proud Of
The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith
CHANCELLOR Paul B. Beran, Ph.D.
W
VICE CHANCELLOR FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Marta M. Loyd, Ed.D.
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AFFAIRS Elizabeth Underwood
EDITOR Zack Thomas
CONTRIBUTORS Bobby Ampezzan, Erica Buneo, Liz Synder, Leslie Yingling
PHOTOGRAPHER Kat Wilson
ART DIRECTOR ZACK THOMAS
Working the chow line at the Alumni Weekend pancake breakfast, where senior staff did the serving.
coordinators for regional receptions in their hometowns. Others wanted to know how they could help with next year’s event. And all had a great time catching up with each other and their University. What we’ve learned over the last few years is that an institution’s alumni are more important even than we imagined. Without you—even a single one of you— this University would not be exactly what it is today. We honor you for that, and in everything we do, we strive to make this a place you can be as proud of as we are.
John Sizing www.jspublicationdesign.com
ADVISORY BOARD Dr. Paul B. Beran, Chancellor; Dr. Ray Wallace, Provost; Dr. Marta M. Loyd, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement; Dr. Arleene Breaux, Vice Chancellor for University Relations; Dr. Lee Krehbiel, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; Anne Thomas, Development Officer
^
hen I arrived at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith in 2006, I was surprised to find that, although our Foundation was communicating with a number of former students, there was no organized alumni association. Changing that was high on my priority list as a new Chancellor. We hired our first Director of Alumni Affairs, Anne Thomas, and started the long process of tracking down all 48,000 of you and building a community that each of you can feel like you’re a part of—whether you attended Fort Smith Junior College, Westark, or UA Fort Smith; whether you got your technical certificate and went to work, finished your associate degree and transferred, or earned a four-year degree; whether you came here as a studious 18-year-old, an athlete with D1 aspirations, or a working adult taking night classes toward a better life. That process has been intensely rewarding. We’ve created a highly interactive online community, a variety of young alumni programming, a student alumni association, and an alumni travel program. Early this year, we hosted a series of regional receptions in Tulsa, Dallas, and Northwest Arkansas, and we’re looking forward to them again this winter. In April, we debuted Bell Tower, edited by Zack Thomas. And just before this issue went to print, we marked another major milestone—our first-ever Alumni Weekend on campus, spearheaded by Elizabeth Underwood, our new Director of Alumni Affairs. Far more rewarding than what we consider our accomplishments, though, is the reception we’ve had from you. During Alumni Weekend, I heard several folks say things like, “Next year, I’m bringing 10 people!” Others volunteered to serve as local
BELL TOWER is published semi-annually by the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Alumni
Association, P.O. Box 3649, Fort Smith, AR 72913,
for alumni, friends, and faculty of the University. Tel: (877) 303-8237. Email: alumni@uafortsmith.edu. Web: www.uafortsmithalumni.com.
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mailing list to alumni@uafortsmith.edu or UA Fort Smith Alumni Association, P.O. Box 3649, Fort Smith, AR 72913.
LETTERS ARE WELCOME, but the Publisher reserves the right to edit letters for length and
content. Space constraints may prevent publication of all letters. Anonymous letters will not be
published. Send letters to belltower@uafortsmith. edu or Bell Tower Magazine, P.O. Box 3649, Fort Smith, AR 72913.
Views and opinions expressed in Bell Tower do not
PAUL B. BERAN, Ph.D. Chancellor
necessarily reflect those of the magazine staff or advisory board nor of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith.
Contents ©2010 by the University of Arkansas –
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BELL TOWER fall/winter 2010
Fort Smith.