Faculty Appreciation: Thank You for All You Do

April 6, 2026

Dear Faculty, 

With Faculty Appreciation Week underway, we'd like to thank you for all you do for the University of Arkansas. 

Our land-grant mission calls on us to transform lives through education, research and service, and we are fulfilling that mission in ways and on a scale that would have been unimaginable for most of our history. But while we’ve achieved records in areas such as our graduation rate, research activity, economic impact and enrollment, they only tell a fraction of the story.  

Behind every milestone are faculty members whose teaching, scholarship and creative activities, and service make that progress possible. They include the instructor whose passion for a subject transforms a general education survey course into a turning point in a student's life; the teaching assistant professor whose mentorship, dedication and support help a struggling student persevere and graduate; the assistant professor whose research excellence and collaboration generate new knowledge and real-world impact; the associate professor whose research and service advance our land-grant mission; and the professor whose research strengthens an industry and bolsters our economy and whose outreach brings life-changing knowledge to the people and places that need it most. These are the kinds of powerful contributions that have made our recent success possible.     

As our enrollment has grown in recent years, we have welcomed many new faculty and staff members who help us advance our mission. Since 2019, our faculty has grown 14%, and our staff has grown 16%, with many of those positions directly supporting the work of our growing faculty.  We have added these faculty and staff to keep pace with our enrollment growth, advance our student’s success, strengthen our research enterprise and help us better serve Arkansas. In doing so, we have built on a culture of excellence cultivated over decades by outstanding faculty across the university. 

We're looking forward to recognizing examples of that excellence at the Provost's Faculty Recognition Reception on Wednesday. We also hope you will all take advantage of the discounts, giveaways and special events the Office for Faculty Affairs is offering this week. 

Thank you for everything you do for our students, your colleagues and the communities we serve. Have a wonderful Faculty Appreciation Week. 

Sincerely,