University of Arkansas at Little Rock

The UALR Alumni Association Board of Directors will host a “Taste of Argentina,” their ninth annual scholarship fundraiser at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center and will honor Dr. Charles W. Donaldson, vice chancellor for Educational, Student Services and Student Life for his leadership of educational and student service programs dedicated to the retention and success of UALR students.

Donaldson became a counselor for UALR’s Student Special Services program in 1973. From his next role, director of Career Planning and Placement to his appointment as associate vice chancellor for Educational and Student Services and dean of University College to his present position, Donaldson’s leadership has resulted in student programs and services that serve as models for many campuses across the nation.

Donaldson’s implementation of Cooperative Education, and the TRIO Program, which includes Student Special Services; Upward Bound; the Educational Opportunity Center; and Talent Search resulted in national and international recognition for the First-Year Experience course as well as federal funding that exceeds $16.5 million. He expanded the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps from a class of 50 to a fall 2012 class of 200 student leaders with $32,000 each in scholarship support over four years. Donaldson also provided leadership for the African-American Male Initiative, a program that has garnered national and international recognition for its considerable impact on the retention of the UALR minority male student population. He also provided leadership for the Rwandan Presidential Scholars Consortium at UALR.

Donaldson’s leadership has resulted in building projects dedicated to student support that total approximately $70 million, beginning with the expansion of the Donaghey Student Center. The creation of the UALR Welcome Center followed. Donaldson led student housing from its beginning, with a 300-bed single residence hall, to four unique facilities that provide living-learning opportunities for 975 students. He also led the Trojan Grill project, a late-night dining option for students that will open fall 2012.

Donaldson’s long-lived vision of a “Student Services One Stop” building will open March 2012. Connected to the Donaghey Student Center, the facility reflects his vision to house student services and related administrative departments under one roof to provide students easy access to services.

Donaldson’s work is highly regarded on campus and among his peers in higher education. The Student Government Association at UALR recognized Donaldson’s legacy as a student services administrator several years ago when the association established the Charles W. Donaldson Administrator of the Year Award. The award, presented annually to a campus administrator recognized by students, was conceived as a way to honor those administrators who exemplified the service to students and commitment to their success that the association found in Donaldson.

Donaldson’s education prepared him well for his chosen field. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Philander Smith College, Little Rock, Arkansas; a master’s degree in counseling from State College of Arkansas (UCA) at Conway, Arkansas; and a doctoral degree of education in counseling from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He also completed the prestigious Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Donaldson is an associate professor of Higher Education. He also serves on several boards within the Arkansas community and the United Methodist Church.

Jan and Paul Austin, both UALR alumni, are chairing this year’s event. According to Jan Austin, “Charles Donaldson’s commitment to higher education is readily evident in the countless students, faculty, staff and peers he mentors. He expects excellence, and challenges others to do the same. If student success and life on campus have come to be understood as the responsibility of everyone within our educational community, then I believe Charles Donaldson has done a great deal to lead us to that understanding.”

Please join us at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center on Thursday, March 15 at 6 p.m. for a “Taste of Argentina” as we celebrate Dr. Charles W. Donaldson and our present - and future - alumni. This year’s event will feature an Argentinean menu by Sodexo and beverages by Glazer’s Distributors of Arkansas.

Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased online or by calling Christian O’Neal at 501.683.7208. Questions regarding the event should be directed to Christian by phone or email at cxoneal@ualr.edu.