Full-time staff at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home (ASUMH) will now earn a minimum of $31,200 annually, following a budget adjustment approved by the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees. The amendment, part of a broader agenda covering all system campuses, also includes a $1,000 annual pay increase for all ASUMH employees and one-time bonuses to be issued in December.
The Arkansas State University System announced the changes in a release but did not specify the number of employees affected by the new salary floor or the total cost of the raises and bonuses.
Beyond ASUMH, trustees approved four new technology policies applicable to all campuses in the system. The new policies include an artificial intelligence governance policy, a data security and classification policy, and an information and technology resource security policy. Additionally, the board revised the appropriate use of technology resources policy. Arkansas State University System President Todd Shields stated that consistent procedures would be developed to implement the new policies across all institutions.
“My job is not to make campuses alike, but help them succeed,” Shields told trustees. “Higher education is changing quickly, and we must be willing to change, too.” Shields, who has been on the job for three months, noted that his visits to system campuses demonstrated their distinct missions and strengths.
The trustees also approved the bylaws for Arkansas State University Strategic Endeavors Inc., a nonprofit organization created to manage partnerships and transactions related to campus facilities, research, infrastructure, and private companies. The bylaws include provisions on when projects need approval from the full Board of Trustees.
In other actions, the board approved 10 high schools as instructional sites for ASU Three Rivers under the Arkansas Access College and Career Enhancement System (ACCESS) law. Additionally, the board authorized the purchase of property intended for faculty housing at Henderson State University.
The changes at ASUMH and system-wide initiatives come as higher education institutions across the state aim to adapt to evolving challenges and opportunities.