UALR has received a $25,000 gift from the Bank of America Foundation to support the University’s efforts to recruit low-to-moderate-income students and support programs to help them succeed.

The grant will support UALR’s mandatory orientation session for all freshmen and transfer students and a series of workshops and other activities designed to enhance a student’s chance of success.

Donnie Cook, president of Bank of America Central Arkansas, said the UALR programs are addressing various issues expected to positively affect graduation rates among the targeted group of students.

“Bank of America is pleased to continue its support of UALR,” he said. “We are particularly interested in supporting those students within the low-to-moderate income bracket to help them stay in school and receive a four-year education.”

UALR’s Office of Recruitment and Retention’s “Campus Life Success Points” program includes planned monthly session topics, such as “Basics of College Success,” “Time Management,” “Creating Good Study Habits,” “Picking the Right Major,” and “Managing Personal Finances.”

“These programs highlight the myriad issues facing incoming freshman and go a long way to assure that students new to UALR will be successful and graduate,” said Bob Denman, executive director of UALR’s Department of Development. “The Bank of America Foundation understands that the long-term health of our economy depends in large part on the state’s ability to ‘grow’ more college graduates. This generous gift from the Bank of America is helping UALR do its part.”

Since 1990, the Bank of America has invested close to $400,000 in various programs across UALR’s campus, most notably its annual award presented at the annual Faculty Excellence celebration honoring achievement in teaching, research, and public service.