Dr. Charles “Chuck” Welch, newly appointed president of the Arkansas State University System, will speak at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, to graduate students in Dr. T. Gregory Barrett’s Higher Education Governance and Policy Making class in Room 203 of Dickinson Hall.

Welch, who will leave the chancellorship of Henderson State University to become the ASU System president, is a graduate of UALR’s higher education doctoral program. Welch received his doctorate in education (Ed.D.) in 2003

“His rapid ascendancy in Arkansas higher education has been widely chronicled, but the higher education faculty believes that Dr. Welch’s successes should give hope and confidence to all of our students — past, present, and future — of what they may accomplish with a UALR doctorate in higher education,”  Barrett said.

Following Welch’s visit, the class will hear from state Department of Higher Education Director Dr. Jim Purcell. Last week, the class heard from University of Arkansas President B. Alan Sugg.

For more information about UALR’s Department of Educational Leadership, contact Barrett at 501-569-3016.