The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock, UALR) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

, United States. Established as Little Rock Junior College by the

Little Rock School District The Little Rock School District is a school district in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It is one of four public school districts in Pulaski County, Arkansas, Pulaski County and encompasses of land nearly coterminous with the state's c ...

in 1927, the institution became a private four-year university under the name Little Rock University in 1957. It returned to public status in 1969 when it merged with the

University of Arkansas System The University of Arkansas System is a state university system in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It comprises six campuses; a medical school; two law schools; a graduate school focused on public service; a historically black college, statewide rese ...

under its present name. , the former campus of Little Rock Junior College is used by

Philander Smith University Philander Smith University (previously Philander Smith College) is a private historically black college in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is a founding member of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) ...

. At , the UA Little Rock campus encompasses more than 56 buildings, including the Center for Nanotechnology Integrative Sciences, the Emerging Analytics Center, the Sequoyah Research Center, and the Ottenheimer Library Additionally, UA Little Rock houses special learning facilities that include a learning resource center, art galleries, KUAR public radio station, University Television, and a campus-wide wireless network. It is

classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper * The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...

among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

History

Academics

The university features more than 100 undergraduate degrees and 60 graduate degrees, including graduate certificates, master's degrees, and doctorates, through both traditional and online courses. Students attend classes in one of the university's three new colleges and a law school: * College of Business, Health, and Human Services * College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education * Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics * William H. Bowen School of Law

Student life

The student life at UA Little Rock is typical of public universities in the United States. It is characterized by student-run organizations and affiliation groups that support social, academic, athletic, and religious activities and interests. Some of the services offered by the UA Little Rock Office of Campus Life are

intramural sports Intramural sports are recreational sports organized within a particular institution, usually an educational institution, for the purpose of fun and exercise. The term, which is chiefly North American, derives from the Latin words ''intra muros'' m ...

and fitness programs, diversity programs, leadership development, peer tutoring, student government association, student support programs including groups for non-traditional and first-generation students, a student-run newspaper, and fraternity and sorority life. The proximity of the UA Little Rock campus to downtown Little Rock enables students to take advantage of a wide array of recreational, entertainment, educational, internship, and employment opportunities that are not available anywhere else in Arkansas.

Campus living

UA Little Rock provides a variety of on-campus living options for students ranging from traditional resident rooms to multiple-bedroom apartments. The university has four residence halls on the eastern side of the campus and the University Village Apartment Complex on the southern side of campus. Six learning communities focusing on criminal justice, arts and culture, majors and careers, future business innovators, nursing careers, and STEM are available to students.

Athletics

UA Little Rock's 14 athletic teams are known as the Little Rock Trojans, with teams participating in the

Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in partnership with ...

. Little Rock's main athletic offices are located in the Jack Stephens Center. UA Little Rock offers the following sports: * Baseball * Men's and Women's Basketball * Men's and Women's Golf * Women's Volleyball * Women's Soccer * Women's Swimming/Diving * Men's and Women's Cross Country * Men's and Women's Track and Field (Indoor and Outdoor) * Men's wrestling Two Little Rock teams that do not compete in the OVC are the women's swimming and diving team (

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the fourth-oldest collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the Midwestern Unite ...

) and wrestling (

Pac-12 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...

), neither of which the OVC sponsors. Wrestling is the school's newest sport, starting in 2019, and is the first Division I program in Arkansas.

Buildings

* ''Center for Arkansas History and Culture''

Collections and archives

On July 1, 2014, the UA Little Rock Collections and Archives division was created. The division encompasses: *Ottenheimer Library *Center for Arkansas History and Culture *Sequoyah National Research Center

Weekend programs

The Japanese School of Little Rock (リトルロック日本語補習校 ''Ritoru Rokku Nihongo Hoshūkō''), a weekend Japanese education program, holds its classes at the University Plaza.補習授業校リスト

. Consulate General of Japan in Nashville. Retrieved on February 15, 2015. "リトルロック日本語補習校 (Japanese School of Little Rock) 学校所在地　 c/o University of Arkansas at Little Rock 5820 Asher Avenue, University Plaza Suite600, Little Rock AR 72204"

Notable students and alumni

Arts & entertainment

Julie Adams Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) was an American actress, billed as Julia Adams in her early career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles. She starred in a number of films in the 1 ...

(1946) – Actress (film & television) *

Mike Saunders (musician) Michael Earl Saunders (born May 1, 1952), commonly known as Metal Mike Saunders, is an American rock critic and the singer of the Californian punk band Angry Samoans. He is credited with coining the music genre label " heavy metal" in a record ...

, also known as "Metal Mike" (B.S. in Accounting) – accountant, singer of the Californian

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

band

Angry Samoans The Angry Samoans was an American punk rock band from the first wave of American punk. Formed in August 1978 in Los Angeles, California, by early 1970s rock writer "Metal" Mike Saunders, his sibling lead guitarist Bonze BlaykBad Trip Records ...

, and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

critic who is credited with coining the music genre label " heavy metal" * Symone (2017) - Drag Performer & Model (winner of

Rupaul's Drag Race Season 13 The thirteenth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' premiered on January 1 and concluded on April 23, 2021. The cast was announced via Twitter on December 9, 2020. The competition is broadcast on VH1 in the United States and showcases 13 new queens ...

)

Athletics

Kris Bankston Kristeon Lamar Bankston (born June 11, 1999) is an American professional basketball player who plays forward and center for Tofaş of Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and played basketball for th ...

(born 1999) - basketball player in the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

* Deondre Burns (born 1997) - basketball player in the

Malik Dixon Malik Dixon (born September 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He was the top scorer in the 2005 Israel Basketball Premier League. He currently resides in Sydney, and plays amateur An amateur () is generally consid ...

– basketball player, top scorer in the 2005 Israel Basketball Premier League *

Derek Fisher Derek Lamar Fisher (born August 9, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Fisher played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons, spending the majority of his career with the Los ...

– former

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

player and

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

head coach * Lis Shoshi – Kosovan-born professional basketball player * Rayjon Tucker (2019) – professional basketball player in the NBA with

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

Education

* James E. Cofer – Ed.D. alumnus, former UA Little Rock professor, and former president of both

Missouri State University Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second-largest u ...

and the

University of Louisiana at Monroe The University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) is a public university in Monroe, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the University of Louisiana System. History ULM opened in 1931 as Ouachita Parish Junior College. Three years later it becam ...

Government & civil service

* Camille Bennett – Arkansas House of Representatives, 2015–present * Karilyn Brown – Arkansas House of Representatives, 2015–present * Matthew Brown – member of the Arkansas House of Representatives *

James Richard Cheek James Richard Cheek (April 27, 1936 – May 16, 2011) was an American diplomat. Life Born in Decatur, Georgia, Cheek served as United States Ambassador to Sudan in 1989, succeeding G. Norman Anderson and later was the United States Ambassador t ...

(1957) – U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador (1979–1981), Ethiopia (1985–1988), Sudan (1989–1992) and Argentina (1993–1996) *

Charlie Daniels Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, and was a pioneering contribution to Southern rock and progressive country. He was ...

(attended) – Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands (1985–2001), Arkansas Secretary of State (2002–2010), Arkansas State Auditor (2001–present) * Denise Jones Ennett (M.A.) – politician *

Vivian Flowers Vivian Flowers is an American politician who is the mayor of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She serves in the Arkansas House of Representatives and is a Democrat. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She lives in Pine Bluff, Ar ...

(B.S. in political science) Arkansas House of Representatives, (2015–present) Mayor of

Pine Bluff, AR Pine Bluff, officially the City of Pine Bluff, is the tenth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Jefferson County. The population of the city was 41,253 in the 2020 census. Pine Bluff is situated in the S ...

(2025–present) *

Herschel Friday Herschel Hugar Friday (February 10, 1922 – March 1, 1994) was an Arkansas bond lawyer. He was best known for having been considered by President Richard Nixon for an appointment as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1971 ...

* Kenneth Henderson - Arkansas House of Representatives, 2015–present * Douglas House (1976) – Arkansas House of Representatives, 2013–present *

Bob Johnson (Arkansas state senator) Bob Johnson (born October 23, 1962) is a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic former member of the Arkansas Senate and of the Arkansas House of Representatives. He was President Pro Tempore of the Senate for the 87th General Assembly s ...

(

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

) – politician * Allen Kerr (attended) – Arkansas Insurance Commissioner (2015–present) and former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives * Jim Lendall (1974 Bachelor of Arts in political science and history) – American Army veteran,

nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

, and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, including as the 2010

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...

candidate for Arkansas governor *

Frederick Love General Sir James Frederick Love (1789 – 13 January 1866) was a British Army officer who served as Lieutenant Governor of Jersey. Military career Love was commissioned into the 52nd Regiment of Foot in 1804 and took part in the retrea ...

(

and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

public administration Public administration, or public policy and administration refers to "the management of public programs", or the "translation of politics into the reality that citizens see every day",Kettl, Donald and James Fessler. 2009. ''The Politics of the ...

) – American politician *

Jim Nickels Jim Nickels (born September 10, 1947, in Hot Springs, Arkansas) is an American politician and a Democratic former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives representing District 41 from January 14, 2013, to 2015. Nickels also served from ...

(JD) — American politician * Tommy F. Robinson – American businessman,

lobbyist Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...

, and politician * Mike Ross (1987) – U.S. House of Representatives, 2001–2013 * Bill Sample (attended) – Arkansas House of Representatives, 2005–2010; Arkansas Senate 2011–present * Robert William Schroeder III (1989) - U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Nominated June 2014 * Frank Scott Jr. (

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...

) – Mayor of

Little Rock, AR Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

(2019- present) *

Vic Snyder Victor Frederick Snyder (born September 27, 1947) is an American physician, lawyer, and politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States Marine Corps duri ...

(1988) – U.S. House of Representatives, 1997–2011 * James Sturch – (B.S., Political Science) – Arkansas House of Representatives, 2015–present

Other

Marc Perrone Anthony "Marc" Perrone (born November 14, 1955) is an American labor union leader. Born in Hearne, Texas, Perrone grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He began working at a local Weingarten's grocery store in 1971 when he was 16, and joined the Retai ...

(attended) – American labor union leader

Notable faculty

* Robert Bradley – psychologist *

Carolina Cruz-Neira Carolina Cruz-Neira is an American computer scientist, researcher, designer, educator, and a pioneer of virtual reality (VR). She is known for inventing the cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE). She is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical ...

–

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

Venezuelan Venezuelans (Spanish language, Spanish: ''venezolanos'') are the Citizenship, citizens identified with the country of Venezuela. This connection may be through citizenship, descent or cultural. For most Venezuelans, many or all of these connect ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

computer engineer, researcher, designer, educator, and pioneer of

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...

(VR) who is known for inventing the

cave automatic virtual environment A cave automatic virtual environment (better known by the recursive acronym CAVE) is an immersive virtual reality environment where projectors are directed to between three and six of the walls of a room-sized cube. The name is also a referen ...

(CAVE) *

Joycelyn Elders Minnie Joycelyn Elders (born Minnie Lee Jones; August 13, 1933) is an American pediatrics, pediatrician and public health administrator who served as Surgeon General of the United States from 1993 to 1994. A Vice Admiral (United States), vice admi ...

–

pediatrician Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their youth ...

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

in the

Public Health Service Commissioned Corps The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHSCC; also referred to as the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service) is the Uniformed services, uniformed service branch of the United States Public Health S ...

, and

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

administrator who was the second woman, second

person of color The term "person of color" (: people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is associated with, the United States. From th ...

, and first

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

to serve as

Surgeon General of the United States The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States. T ...

(1993–1994) * Sara Alderman Murphy –

civil rights activist Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

* Daniel R. Schwarz – professor of English literature

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arkansas at Little Rock, University of 1927 establishments in Arkansas Aftermath of World War I in the United States Universities and colleges established in 1927 Universities and colleges in Little Rock, Arkansas

Little Rock Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...