April 10, 2020

To: Faculty, Staff and Students
From: Laurence B. Alexander, J.D., Ph.D.
RE: University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees Meeting

The University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees approved several resolutions at a special meeting through Zoom videoconferencing service on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, to help ease the strain on new and returning students during the COVID-19 pandemic. These resolutions seek to help students maintain recommended social distancing while also providing pathways to begin or complete their education at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

No Increase in Tuition and Fees for Fall 2020
In recognition of the economic uncertainty facing students and families, the Board decided that tuition and fees at all of its institutions will remain flat for the Fall 2020 semester. The Board’s resolution noted that it “will work with the UA System and campus administrations to monitor the economic situation in the coming months before establishing tuition rates for the Spring 2021 semester.”

Credits/Refunds for Room and Board
The Board authorized the institutions to provide prorated credits or adjustments to students in residential housing for room and board costs when residence halls were closed during the Spring 2020 semester due to the pandemic. UAPB students classified as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and non-graduating seniors will receive a credit for room and board costs after March 11, the date students left the dorms to begin social distancing as a precaution against the coronavirus. The credits will be issued after July 1 and can be used toward a student’s general account during the upcoming academic year. Students classified as graduating seniors who complete their coursework by the end of the spring 2020 semester will receive a refund for the portion of prepaid room and board that was unused. If graduating students have an unpaid balance on their account, they will receive a credit that will also be prorated for the portion of the unused room and board.

Online/Distance Education to Continue During the 2020 Summer Semesters
The Board suspended all face-to-face in-person classes for the 2020 summer semesters. UAPB will offer all of its Summer I and Summer II courses online to enable students to continue their progress toward earning their degree. Any exceptions may be approved by UA Systems Board President Donald Bobbitt and must involve social distancing measures as have been prescribed by the Arkansas Department of Health.

Cancellation of Summer Academic and Non-academic Camps
All in-person academic and non-academic camps were cancelled by Board resolution for the summer 2020 term.

Temporary Modification to Admissions Policies
The Board authorized the System President to allow temporary modifications to institutional admissions policies to provide greater flexibility in admitting students for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters. UAPB will be notifying prospective students of modified admissions policies, which include ACT/SAT waivers. Students who applied, but had not submitted their standardized test scores prior to this amended policy, will receive notification on whether they can now be admitted.