Rebecca Willems, associate director of admission at ����vlog����, was recently presented with the Above the Call Award by the Arkansas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (ArkACRAO).

The Above the Call Award “recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty daily. They strive to make a difference in the lives of students, coworkers, and their intuition,” according to the organization.

“I was shocked and excited at the same time,” Willems said of receiving the award. “I’m excited that the job that I’m doing at Ozarks is really making a difference. I love working and helping students and families see the value of Ozarks and the value of higher education.”

Willems, a 2020 graduate of U of O, is currently serving the first year of a two-year term as the articulation workshop chair of ArkACRAO.  Articulation workshops are hosted at the beginning of September for high school representatives, counselors, career coaches, and TRIO representatives throughout Arkansas to hear from represenatives of colleges and universities in the state about programs, scholarships, and other institutional information.

From Subiaco, Ark., Willems graduated with a business administration degree from Ozarks and joined the Office of Admission in June of 2020. She worked in the Admission Office throughout her time as a student at Ozarks as both a student-worker and as a student ambassador. She was promoted to associate director of admission in August of 2023.

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Kennedy Goodnight (pictured clockwise, from top left), Daniel Hicks, Annie (Rogers) Samaniego, and Tyler Wilson have three things in common — they’re all originally from Rogers County, Oklahoma; they’re all graduates of ����vlog���� in Clarksville, Arkansas; and they all say they owe their professional success to receiving the Hazel Carr Robson (HCR) Scholarship.

Coming out of high school, the four were recipients of the HCR Scholarship that was established at U of O in 1988 by the late Helen Robson Walton in memory of her mother. Walton, who grew up in Claremore, Okla., was a former chair of the University’s Board of Trustees and a long-time supporter of the private, four-year university located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.

The full-ride scholarship is given annually to one graduate of a Rogers County high school and covers tuition, room and board and learning materials. The scholarship has a four-year value of approximately $140,000.

Wilson, a graduate of Claremore High School and a 2011 graduate of Ozarks, is an attorney in Norman, Okla. Thanks to the HCR Scholarship, Wilson was the first in his family to earn a college degree.

“Receiving the scholarship greatly impacted my life and career,” said Wilson. “Attending Ozarks enabled me to take a unique path toward becoming an attorney. I was a biology major and graduated with a biology degree, but when I decided toward the end of my college career to change my career path all the professors were very helpful in getting me prepared to take the LSAT and supported me when I was applying to law school. I can’t imagine if I went to a different university, I would have received the same support that I received from the Ozarks.”

Samaniego, a graduate of Oologah High School and a 2019 graduate of Ozarks, is a fifth grade science and social studies teacher at Siloam Springs (Ark.) Intermediate School. She called receiving the HCR Scholarship “one of the biggest blessings of my life.”

“Not only did going to the U of O become a reality because of it, but it equipped me to become a professional, friend, and learner in my adult life,” she said. “My professors encouraged me to make my research and learning personal to me and take it with me wherever I go. My Ozarks education was one of the most surprising and diverse blessings of my life. I was able to study with people from all over the world, gaining so many friendships, and fulfilling a lifelong dream of visiting and living abroad in Northern Ireland studying their education system. I was able to build relationships with my professors during my time because of our small classes which helped me develop into the student I wanted to be. U of O helped me feel confident going into the teaching field because of the amount of exposure and experience I had in the classroom while attending the University. They made sure, starting with the first semester, that we would be in a real classroom with students so that we knew that was the career field we truly wanted to be in. U of O helped me feel confident leading my own classroom, and for that I am truly grateful.”

Hicks, of Oologah High School and a 2024 Ozarks graduate, landed a position with Family & Children’s Services in Tulsa, Okla., a certified community behavioral health clinic (CCBHC) covering Tulsa County. He is an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) specialist. IPS is a nationally recognized evidence-based practice that helps people with severe mental illness find and keep employment. Daniel is also pursuing a graduate degree in counseling from Northeastern State University.

“Ozarks prepared me by giving me a wide and up-to-date knowledge base in my areas of study,” he said. “Ozarks’ standards when it comes to writing, researching, academics in general have allowed me excel in the work place. In a time that a lot of graduates have stress about feeling overwhelmed by starting true adulthood. My time and education from Ozarks has decreased that stress immensely.”

Goodnight, also of Oologah who graduated from Ozarks in 2023, is a care coordinator for Grand Mental Health, a community behavioral health agency in Owasso, Okla. In her position, she works alongside social workers as a certified case manager and wellness coach to help children in middle and high school.

“My favorite part is the direct care, seeing my kiddos and helping them through things,” Goodnight said. “It truly makes my day seeing a kid leave my office happier than when they came in. My favorite words to hear have been ‘I’ve been dying to tell you this.’ It’s an honor to have such an impactful role in the lives of youth and being a trusted adult who always has their best interest at heart. I truly love my job, and the kids make it all worth it.”

Goodnight said being awarded the HCR Scholarship was transformational for her.

“It truly changed my life,” she said. “I think we all know the cost of higher education and the stresses it can put on someone fresh out of high school, barely a legal adult. Having financial freedom during your time in undergrad is invaluable; it allowed me to save up for studying abroad, it gave me more time to focus on studies instead of working, and it encouraged me to live on campus, which was the best part. Looking forward, I plan on pursuing graduate school and thanks to the HCR scholarship, the opportunities for me are not limited by undergrad debt.”

Goodnight encouraged other Rogers County students to apply for the HCR Scholarship.

“I would recommend ����vlog���� to anyone, especially if they have this scholarship at their disposal,” she said. “Ozarks is a special place, one that felt like home as soon as I went on my first tour.”

For more information about Ozarks or the HCR Scholarship, please contact Rebecca Willems, associate director of admission, at rwillems@ozarks.edu.

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Rebecca Willems ’20 (pictured, left) has been promoted to associate director of admission and Morgan Douglas ’23 (right) has been hired as an admission counselor, ����vlog���� officials announced this week.  

From Subiaco, Ark., Willems graduated with a business administration degree from Ozarks and joined the Office of Admission in June of 2020. She worked in the Admission Office throughout her time as a student at Ozarks as both a student-worker and as a student ambassador.  

“I am over the top excited to continue to grow in an environment that has supported me as a student and even more professionally,” Willems said. “Ozarks is my home and I’m happy that I can continue to help make Ozarks a home for students and parents.”  

A native of Clarksville, Douglas graduated in May with a degree in health science. She was a member of the women’s basketball team, served as a student ambassador and worked in the Admission Office for two years.  

“I am beyond excited and extremely blessed with the opportunity to serve the University that helped me find my voice,” Douglas said. “I’m so happy that I will be able to work alongside a team that has already helped me grow immensely. This University has blessed me with many opportunities. I am excited to share my knowledge and experience with prospective students.”

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Clarksville, Ark. — ����vlog���� has announced a $6.2 million project to construct new softball and baseball stadiums on its campus.  The two facilities are targeted for completion in early 2024, in time for regular season play.  They represent the second phase of a concerted effort by the University to upgrade all its varsity and intramural athletics facilities.

Funding for the project was made possible through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Wilson of Tulsa, Okla., and the new softball and baseball complex will be named in their honor.  The new baseball field will continue to be named Lonnie R. Qualls Field in honor of the late, long-time Ozarks baseball coach.

     “Student-athletes are an integral part of not only our campus community, but of the overall college experience at Ozarks,” said Ozarks President Richard Dunsworth, J.D. “The Wilson’s amazing support, along with that of many others is a caring affirmation of what these young women and men mean to the University.”

The news comes on the heels of a recent announcement by the University that it will join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, beginning competition in the SCAC in the 2024-25 school year.  The upcoming 2023-24 season will be Ozarks’ last in the American Southwest Conference.  Ozarks competes at the NCAA Division III level.

“What an exciting time for Ozarks athletics… new softball and baseball facilities just as we prepare to begin competition in a new athletic conference,” said Athletic Director Jimmy Clark. “We are always proud to host our fellow competitors, but it will be especially exciting to have them on our campus next season and beyond. We feel like our new conference affiliation combined with the new complex will enhance the lives of our student-athletes.”

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����vlog���� has been ranked the No. 2 Best Value and No. 6 overall in the South in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings.

In the 2023 edition of Best Colleges, released this week, U of O ranked second in the “Best Value Schools” category among the nearly 100 regional colleges that were listed in the South Region. The value rankings evaluate the cost of attending a university relative to the quality of the institution and takes into account such things as the percentage of students receiving need-based financial aid and the average institutional aid those students receive.

The magazine’s annual late summer publication that analyzes institutions of higher education also had Ozarks sixth in overall rankings among South Regional Colleges — the 24th consecutive year Ozarks has been ranked in the “top tier” among regional colleges in the South.

U of O has been ranked in the top five in the Best Value category in the South in each of the past five years.

Ozarks has also been ranked overall among the top 10 in the 12-state South Region in each of the past 10 years. The overall rankings examine such criteria as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

In addition, Ozarks was ranked No. 1 in the South Region for Most International Students and 36th in the South Region in the category of “Social Mobility.” This category represents those colleges that are most successful “at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The vast majority of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000,” according to the magazine.

The publication’s South Region consists of primarily undergraduate colleges and universities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia.

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The ����vlog����’ incoming class for the 2022 Fall Semester represents a 19 percent increase over last year’s incoming class, University officials announced this week.

A total of 785 students were enrolled at Ozarks as of the end of business on Sept. 7, the official day of record for the semester. It marks a slight increase over the 2021 Fall Semester enrollment of 784 and the fourth-highest enrollment in the University’s 188-year history.

The incoming class, which includes first-time freshmen and transfer students, is 285, the third-largest in University history and a 19 percent increase over last year’s incoming class of 240. In addition, this year’s freshman retention rate of 68 percent is a six percent increase over last year’s numbers.

“Our enrollment is a testament to the hard work by not only the admission team to bring in a larger incoming class, but also the dedication of our student success division to ensure our students are successful once they get here,” said Amy Lloyd, vice president for marketing and enrollment. “Both recruitment and retention efforts are necessary for sustained enrollment growth as we navigate through a challenging time for higher education.”

This year’s student body includes 411 females (52 percent) and 374 males. A total of 330 students (42 percent) are from Arkansas, including 105 from Johnson County. It is the third most students ever from the University’s home county.

Twenty-seven states other than Arkansas are represented in the student body, with Texas (118), Oklahoma (51), Missouri (11), California (8), Louisiana (6) and Illinois (6) leading the way.

This year’s student body is also one of the most geographically diverse in the University’s history with 217 international students from 23 countries outside the United States, including Haiti, The Bahamas, France, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Zimbabwe, Belize, Ethiopia, Spain, Venezuela and Honduras.

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����vlog���� Vice President for Marketing and Enrollment, Reggie Hill, has accepted the associate vice chancellor for strategic enrollment position at University of Missouri–St. Louis, effective July 1. His last day at Ozarks will be June 15.

“This has been the most rewarding professional opportunity to date. President Dunsworth has been an outstanding leader, mentor, and friend. He has given me the space to grow as a higher education administrator and the guidance to navigate the complexity of enrollment. I owe part of my success at Ozarks to his leadership. The people that make up this campus community have given me so much and forever have a place in my heart.

Hill has led Ozarks to record enrollment growth since joining the University from Saint Leo University in Florida in 2016. Under his leadership, Ozarks has increased its enrollment more than 40 percent and student diversity has increased by 38 percent with more than a 200 percent increase in international student enrollment. He oversees admission, marketing, athletics, student life, institutional research, financial aid, the Walton International Scholars program, and the Jones Learning Center at the University.

Hill was named as a 2020 40 Under 40 honoree by Arkansas Business, which honors men and women under the age of 40 “in business, nonprofits and government who are making a significant impact.”

“Reggie will leave a lasting legacy on ����vlog����,” said U of O President Richard Dunsworth. “Reggie has built one of the most impressive marketing and enrollment divisions I have ever seen. We are excited for him and look forward to watching his future unfold at the University of Missouri at St. Louis.”

University of Missouri–St. Louis is a public research university in St. Louis County, Missouri.

Amy Lloyd, director of marketing and enrollment, will serve as interim vice president for marketing and enrollment effective immediately.

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����vlog����’ Board of Trustees has voted to freeze tuition for the upcoming academic year, the seventh time in the last nine years that Ozarks has not raised tuition from the previous year. Since 2013, tuition at Ozarks has risen just 5 percent, compared to a nearly 30 percent national average increase in tuition at four-year colleges over the past decade.

The Board voted on Feb. 5 to hold the annual cost of tuition for the 2021-22 academic year amid the uncertainty brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We know that many families continue to struggle in our current economic conditions and the University and the Board felt it was imperative to freeze tuition during these difficult times,” said U of O President Richard Dunsworth. “Our students and their families have had to face many challenges in recent months and a tuition increase for next year shouldn’t have to be one of them. We remain committed to ensuring that an Ozarks education is as affordable and accessible as possible and to reducing the amount of debt our students incur.”  

There were also no changes to the University’s learning material fees. There will be a $100 increase to both room and board for the 2021-22 academic year.

Dunsworth commended the University’s alumni and friends for their support of student scholarships, pointing out that the current Climb Higher Campaign has raised more than $30 million in scholarship support.

“Our amazing alumni and friends continue to faithfully and generously support the mission of the University by financially supporting out students’ education,” Dunsworth said. “We are extremely blessed to alumni and friends who understand the value and importance of an Ozarks education and who want to help our students experience that.”

There are approximately 200 privately funded scholarships available for Ozarks students from alumni and friends and the University awarded nearly $12 million in institutional scholarships to students last year.

U of O’s tuition of $24,950 is nearly 35 percent less than the national average of $37,650 for a private, four-year university, according to The College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2020. Not raising tuition also runs counter to national trends in higher education. According to The College Board, the national average tuition increase has been 28 percent for four-year private and public universities since 2011.

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����vlog���� has been ranked in multiple categories in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings.

In the 2021 edition of Best Colleges, released this week, U of O ranked in a tie for fifth overall among more than 80 regional colleges in the South — the 22nd consecutive year Ozarks has been ranked in the “top tier” among regional colleges in the South.

Ozarks has been ranked among the top 10 in the 12-state South Region in each of the past 10 years. The overall rankings examine such criteria as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

The magazine’s annual late summer publication that analyzes institutions of higher education also had U of O ranked second in the “Best Value Schools” in the South, trailing only Kentucky State University. The value rankings evaluate the cost of attending a university relative to the quality of the institution and takes into account such things as the percentage of students receiving need-based financial aid and the average institutional aid those students receive.

In addition, Ozarks was ranked third in the South Region in the category of “Most Innovative,” a new ranking based on “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities. The schools that received the most nominations for making promising changes on campus are listed here,” according to the publication.

In the category of “Undergraduate Teaching,” for colleges that put a focus on undergraduate teaching, Ozarks was ranked ninth in the South.

In the area of “Social Mobility,” Ozarks was ranked No. 27 in the South. This category represents those colleges that are most successful “at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The vast majority of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000,” according to the magazine.

The publication’s South Region consists of primarily undergraduate colleges and universities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia.

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����vlog����’ 2020 Fall Semester enrollment is the second largest in University history and a slight increase over fall 2019.

A total of 836 students were enrolled at Ozarks as of Sept. 8, the official day of record for the semester. It marks the second-highest enrollment in the University’s 186-year history, behind 2018’s record of 872 students, and 11 students more than the Fall 2019 Semester enrollment of 825.

This year’s student body includes 418 females and 418 males. A total of 341 students, or 41 percent, hail from Arkansas, including 102 from Johnson County. There are 173 students from the nearby Arkansas River Valley counties of Johnson, Pope, Conway, Franklin, Logan and Crawford.

Thirty-two states are represented in the student body, with Arkansas (341), Texas (120), Oklahoma (36), Florida (10) and Missouri (9) leading the way. There are also a record 244 international students from 19 countries outside the United States.

Reggie Hill, vice president for marketing and enrollment, credited the University community for a strong enrollment despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“This year was challenging for higher education as a whole,” Hill said. “Our success is testament to the hard work, dedication, and collective effort by our campus community. Covid-19’s impact on enrollment is evident and has taught us a lot about our institutional capability and our ability to adapt. Future success will be based on our ability to seamlessly synthesize recruitment and retention efforts. Both are necessary conditions for sustained enrollment growth.”

The incoming class, which includes first-time freshmen and transfer students, is 240, one of the largest incoming classes in the University’s history and the same number as last year’s incoming class.

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