This page is provided so that parents, supportive friends and relatives, and others significant in students’ lives will have the opportunity to review the Family Guide and to view information about specific UALR programs and services.
Welcome to UALR!
You are reading this guide because someone you care about is enrolled in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). It may be your child, sibling, friend, or other relative, but it is someone that you want to support. The Office of Campus Life recognizes how important a support-system is to the success of a new student. This Family Guide includes information regarding the university structure, the grading system, and higher education terms that are used often. You will also find ideas to help you help your student from a distance. This and other official publications that communicate academic policies are always available online at ualr.edu.
Structure and Organization
The University of Arkansas System is made up of 17 public campuses and units. UALR joined the System, which is led by a president and board of trustees, in 1969, but it was founded in 1927. Chancellor Joel Anderson currently leads this dynamic, centrally located and civic minded university. An overview of the internal structure will help you to understand how policies and procedures are administered. Faculty members are organized into departments by their subject area or discipline; each department is headed by a chairperson. Related departments are organized within colleges, and each college plus several other units on campus, such as the Ottenheimer Library, are headed by a dean. All deans report to the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs. The university is formed by all of these colleges and administrative units, but without students there will be no UALR. Student education and intellectual growth is the reason we are here.
Advising & University College
All undergraduate students are initially in University College. This college houses the Office of Academic Advising and provides the first academic home for all entering and transfer students regardless of their intended academic major. Every student must be advised every semester before registering for courses. An academic adviser will help your student select how many and which classes to take, but the student has the final choice. A standard full-time load is 4 courses or 12 credit hours (credit hours per course may vary). Advisers also help students understand the core curriculum requirements, offer advisement for the associate of arts in general studies degree (AAGS), refer them to student resources on campus, and interpret placement tests. For example, a student with an ACT test score of 19 or lower will receive additional advising within the Academic Success Center.
Students must meet the specific admission requirements for their intended major before admission is granted to that program of study. Academic advisers will help you plan to meet your specific requirements. Students who wish to request admission into the college of their intended major/minor from either University College or another UALR college need to do so by using boss.ualr.edu. After declaring a major and being accepted into the program, advising will take place within the department.
A Flexible Core Curriculum
The UALR Undergraduate Catalog contains a list of specific courses and requirements that make up the core courses almost every student must complete. A standard unit of measurement for university level work that will be applied toward a degree in higher education is a credit hour; the typical 3-credit-hour course is based on meeting 50 minutes a day for 3 days a week throughout a fifteen week semester. The current core is 44 credit-hours or about 18 courses (if each course is 3-credit-hours); although additional lower level courses might be needed to prepare for these core courses. The core courses fall within the following categories:
English and Communications – 9 credit hours
Fine Arts and the Humanities – 9 credit hours
Social Sciences – 15 credit hours
Science – 8 credit hours
Math – 3 credit hours
Within a category a student will have choices and options as to which course best fits their goals. There are substitutions and additional requirements within some degree programs.
First Year Colloquium
Planning for graduation begins on day one! UALR wants to assist all incoming freshmen students in making the transition to college and staying on a path to success. All full-time freshmen, including transfer students with less than 12 credit hours, will be required to take this course. First Year Colloquium courses will all be limited in size so that students can learn about campus and off-campus resources. They will also focus on strategic goal-setting and time management. Service-learning projects that apply classroom-learning to real situations will be available.
Student Privacy and Their Records
Under the provision of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA is found in Title 20, section 1232g of the United States legal code), student education records are private and will not be disclosed to anyone except the student without written consent of the student through the Office of Records and Registration. This includes parents and guardians. There is also an option in BOSS so that students may block the release of personal contact information in the form of a student directory, which is distributed on campus. UALR policies and procedures are in full compliance with regulations implementing FERPA. Copies of this act and its implementing regulations are on file in the Office of Campus Life and are on reserve in the UALR Ottenheimer Library. Policies and procedures regarding student records are published each academic year in the UALR Student Handbook, which can be accessed online at ualr.edu/deanofstudents.
Registering for Classes
The Course Schedule and a Registration Guide for each term will be posted online at boss.ualr.edu. Students will be issued an identification number and a PIN (Personal Identification Number) to access the Banner Online System Services (or BOSS). Printed Registration Pocket Guides will be available in the Office of Records and Registration and the Office of Campus Life. Important dates and deadlines are listed within the guides, and they are important to student success.
Making the Grade
Attendance requirements and grading standards are determined by individual instructors and communicated to the student at the beginning of each semester. These standards are stated in the course syllabus, which is distributed by each instructor at the beginning of each term and communicates expectations, schedules, and other important information. The online UALR Registration Guide and the UALR Registration Pocket Guide also list critical dates during the semester when absences should be avoided. Grade reports are available online at boss.ualr.edu to each student at the end of each spring and fall term and at the end of each summer term offered. They may be mailed with a written request made at the Office of Records and Registration. Because of federal law, the university cannot provide parents or other family members with information on grades without the expressed written permission of the student.
Students are expected to maintain a grade point average of 2.00 each semester and cumulatively. If the student falls below a 2.00 GPA, he or she is placed on probation. After two successive terms of academic probation, if the student’s current term and cumulative GPA are below 2.00, the student will be placed on academic suspension for one semester.
Tuition Payment and Educational Funding
Financial assistance is available from federal, state, private and institutional sources. Federal programs include the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Federal Family Education Loan programs. Various scholarship programs are administered by the State of Arkansas. UALR offers a number of scholarships from a variety of sources. Eligible students may also qualify for veterans’ educational benefits. If awarded a work study, contact Counseling and Career Planning Services for further information.
First students should complete the Free Application Federal Student Aid at fafsa.ed.gov. The deadline for Private UALR Scholarships is the March 1 preceding the fall term. The final deadlines for general UALR financial aid applications are November 1 for the fall term, April 1 for the spring term, and June 1 for the summer term. Check for priority deadlines, which are always earlier. Application deadlines for state programs vary.
Select the BOSS link in the upper right-hand corner of any UALR webpage where you can access a Tuition and Fee Estimator. Administrative withdrawal will result from checks returned for insufficient funds. Each semester has its own payment deadline. Tuition charges for audited courses will be the same as courses taken for credit.
UALR tuition and fees may be deferred using an installment payment plan during the fall and spring semesters. Students must sign up for the payment plan on or before the payment due date, and pay 25% down and 25% on the 15th of each month. There are no interest charges but plan users are charged a $30 processing fee due when the plan is established.
Payments by bank draft or credit card can be made at boss.ualr.edu. UALR’s official method of correspondence is via the student’s assigned ualr.edu email address. This includes tuition statements and bills.
Textbooks
Textbook purchase depends upon the number of courses enrolled in and course requirements. Students may purchase used books at a reduced cost and may sell books in the UALR Barnes and Noble Bookstore buy back program.
Public Safety • 501.569.3400
UALR Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers are constituted police and possess all the powers provided by law for city police and county sheriffs, to be exercised as required for the protection of the state institution. The officers are authorized and empowered to arrest with or without warrants, any person on the campus who is in violation of federal, state, or local laws, and to enforce all rules and regulations of the university.
The DPS encourages all members of the university community to promptly report all crimes to the DPS or other appropriate police agencies. The DPS is located in University Plaza. Law enforcement officers are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Traffic safety regulations, including speed limits,will be enforced. Notify DPS in the event of any criminal or dangerous activity.
• Parking: Students who park an automobile, a two-wheel motorized vehicle, or a bicycle on the campus must register the vehicle with DPS. Open lots are available with no fee, but your Campus Card is needed to access gated, open-parking lots. Some gated lots require permits and hang-tags. The annual permit fee is $165, and there is a waiting list. The parking deck is $1 per exit.
• Security Officers: Trained security officers patrol campus, and they are available to escort students/staff/visitors to campus destinations. To request a security officer, call 501.569.3400 or use one of the blue emergency telephones on campus.
Safety Programs and Crime Reports
Educational programs on safety issues are provided by various departments on campus. Reports will be issued when a crime occurs on campus. Notices of programs or reports will be posted in the Student Center, at the Information Center, in the Residence Halls, and in the Cashier’s Office.
UALR’s annual safety reports, Campus Safety: Your Right to Know, and a Campus Safety Summary are prepared and distributed annually. Copies are available at the Office of Campus Life or online.
Emergency Awareness
UALR has an Emergency Notification System which will be used as an alert system to notify students as quickly as possible when needed. The following methods will be used:
• Email – sent only to your ualr.edu email address.
• Phone – messages via AlertXpress originating from the DPS. You must log in to BOSS with your UALR T-number and PIN, and go to the Personal Information page to enter optional contact information, up to six phone numbers may be registered.
• Text message – opt-in using your BOSS account.
• Outdoor Loudspeaker System and Sirens – will activate simultaneously with the citywide Little Rock Office of Emergency Services for warnings like tornado alerts. Periodic testing of these systems will occur.
• P.A. Systems – patrol officers will issue announcements from their vehicle loudspeakers.
• Campus Signs – watch the 28th Street marquee and other message boards for safety alerts.
• Evacuation procedures for fires, tornadoes, and earthquakes are posted in every building on campus. You are encouraged to become familiar with the procedures in each building.
Health Services
Health Services is an ambulatory clinic providing quality, cost-effective health care for any UALR student who is currently enrolled. A nominal health fee, included in the tuition, covers the cost of clinic visits and most services. Health Services is staffed by RNs, APNs (Advanced Practical Nurses), and a consulting physician. Services provided include:
• Evaluation and treatment of illnesses with access to prescription medications
• Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Prevention, Screening & Treatment
• Women’s Health Services, including birth control and annual exams
• Health screenings, including cholesterol, blood pressure, TB testing, & other lab tests
• Immunizations
• Smoking Cessation Programs &
Individual Support
• Classroom presentations on health- related topics
• Peer Education Program
• Alcohol/drug information,referrals, and risk reduction programs
Call 501.569.3188 to make an appointment. Appointments are preferred if possible. Health Services is located in the Donaghey Student Center 102.
Housing
The Office of Student Housing offers a variety of services to meet the housing needs of a diverse student population. Campus Housing includes apartments and traditional residence halls. For a complete description of options, amenities, and requirements, see their website. Online applications are accepted through the BOSS. While there is no deadline, applications are prioritized based on the date they are received. There are many options in metropolitan Little Rock, including apartments, duplexes, and houses for rent.
Academic Calendar
The Academic Calendar contains key dates important to every student, including the registration deadlines, start and end dates of classes, holidays, and exam days. It is approved by the Faculty Senate, subject to change, and published by the Provost’s Office.
