ARKADELPHIA — Charles Welch, a first-generation college student who became the chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope three years ago, will be Henderson State University's next president.
The university's board of trustees unanimously approved Welch's hiring at a meeting Monday.
Welch, 34, vowed to "remove barriers" to education by expanding the number of Hendersoncourses available in other communities to reach people who can't go to the campus. And he stressed collaboration with community colleges so more students go on to earn four-year degrees.
"I want Henderson State University to become a model for collaboration," he said after giving remarks to more than 100 people who gathered for the announcement.
He will begin in July following Charles Dunn's retirement after 22 years as president of the public liberal arts school.
Welch entered the packed banquet room holding his 4-year-old daughter Wheatley's hand. His wife Mandy, who hoisted their 2-year-old daughter Emma on her hip, followed behind. Redcheeked and perspiring, Welch paused from moment to moment to hold back tears and take control of his quivering voice while talking about his path to his new job.
"I was able to break the cycle," he said about being the first in his family to go to college. "And my girls are going to live a better life because of it."
He said he wants to help replicate that for others.
Before UA Hope, he was the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Arkansas State University at Beebe.
Welch said he wasn't looking to leave Hope, but said he saw the opportunity to play a part in reversing Arkansas' low college attainment record.
An August 2007 report by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education said the state ranks 49th for the second consecutive year in percentage of adults 25 or older with at least a bachelor's degree.
Welch earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1995 and his master's in political management from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., two years later.He went back to UA-Fayetteville to earn his doctorate in higher education administration.
He has taught at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and served as an adjunct professor of political science at Hendrix College.
"Chuck's Arkansas roots and familiarity with the state and the legislature was a major asset to his candidacy," said Bruce T. Moore, chairman of the board of trustees and Little Rock city manager.
The other finalists were: Gregory Aloia, dean of the College of Education and a speech professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla.; and Roosevelt Newson, vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of North Alabama in Florence.
More than 50 people applied for the job.
University officials said Welch's compensation package is still being negotiated. The board will meet again in April.
Dunn, who became the 14th president of the school in 1986 and is the school's longest-serving president, announced his retirement last year. He will continue to teach political science for another five years, he said Monday.
He said he hoped Welch would improve economic development initiatives and increase enrollment of the school to somewhere around 4,000.
Henderson saw its enrollment hit a 12-year high last fall with 3,589 students.
Arkansas, Pages 9, 16 on 02/26/2008