On Monday, March 17^th, Dr. Trey Barry and Dr. Celya Taylor, both of Henderson State University (HSU), traveled to Mena to meet with Dr. Phillip Wilson and several other UA Rich Mountain (UARM) officials to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for their newest 2+2 degree: a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education. This degree – the first of its kind – will provide students with a birth through kindergarten, integrated Special Education certification.

Through this partnership, students enrolled in the degree program can complete their first two years at Rich Mountain and transfer all 60 hours to Henderson. The next two years will be completed through Henderson’s teachers’ college and may be completed entirely online. Students who wish to complete their UARM coursework online may do so as well.

“With the Special Education teaching component, students will have a leg up in the job market, as Special Education is a high-need, high-demand specialty,” said Dr. Wilson, Rich Mountain’s Chancellor. Additionally, with the inclusion of kindergarten certification, graduates can enter the public school system and benefit from the increased salaries as a result of the LEARNS Act of 2023. This Act increased Arkansas’s minimum annual teaching salary to $50,000.

Brianne House, Rich Mountain’s Student Support Services (SSS) Director and adjunct instructor for the institution’s early childhood courses, shares, “This degree is unique because it is offered online and leads to teacher licensure. This is huge because most early childhood degrees in the state lead to non-licensure only.” House, an alumna of HSU, reflected on her time in HSU’s teachers’ college, “I understand the level of preparation the Teachers’ College provides for students to become professionals in the field, and I am excited to be a part of this partnership from the other side of the table.” Henderson was founded in 1890 and, according to their website, “served as a teachers’ college for more than four decades and continues to be known as a national leader in teacher education.”

Notably, next year marks a 50-year relationship between Henderson and Rich Mountain. Originally established in 1973 as the Rich Mountain Vocational-Technical School, the college began offering vo-tech classes in 1975. The following year, Henderson State University came to Polk County as an outreach program, offering local residents the first two years of general education courses towards a bachelor’s degree. This partnership laid the groundwork for a college that offered both vo-tech and general education courses. Nearly 50 years later, Rich Mountain maintains this dual services focus. 

Presently, UARM has two partnerships with HSU: one in business with a management option and one in teaching with a focus on middle school math and science. Regarding future partnerships between the two institutions, Dr. Barry stated, “I would like this MOU to be one of many more to come.”

Partnerships such as this one allows the college to fulfill its mission statement: “UA Rich Mountain provides transformative education to all learners.”