The Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium has announced the recent approval from the State Board of Nursing to increase acceptance for 16 additional students and with current applications, they plan to accept 26 additional students, program-wide. This larger class will begin January 2014. “ARNEC has already exceeded the number of applications from last year, so we feel it is vital to increase student acceptance in 2014,” said Crystal Gillihan, ARNEC Director. “Our students are very successful. They are employed quickly after graduation in both acute care and long-term care settings. Many of our students chose to further their education and are gaining acceptance into BSN programs. ARNEC is a vital piece to rural education and rural health care in Arkansas.” The program is fully approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, and the eight colleges that comprise the consortium have graduated approximately 225 students each year from the program, prior to the increase. ...

The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton has taken its first big step toward expanding its campus westward in anticipation of constructing a new workforce training center. The newly purchased land is shown in green with black stripes. The surrounding area is not currently owned by UACCM. The College recently purchased 7.87 acres of land, located on the northeast corner of Poor Farm Road and University Boulevard, from Bob Coffman. The property is within the planning boundaries of the UACCM campus and is the expected site of the planned facility. UACCM Chancellor Dr. Larry Davis and Vice Chancellor for Administration Dr. Linda Birkner had been working on the purchase for quite some time, but the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees officially approved the purchase Feb. 1 in Little Rock. Coffman and UACCM closed on the property April 11 completing the transaction. “This land purchase is another step toward the success of our capital campaig...