U of A Chancellor Gearhart to Retire in July

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Jane and G. David Gearhart

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After 20 years of service to the University of Arkansas, in which he guided the institution through an unprecedented period of growth, G. David Gearhart will step down as chancellor on July 31.

“I have four main reasons for making this difficult decision,” the chancellor wrote in a Jan. 9 letter to UA System President Don Bobbitt. “They are our four grandchildren: Ben, age 5; Caroline, age 4; Ellie, almost 2; and soon to be born, Lily Jane. Going forward, I hope to spend more quality time with each of them as well as with our children and their spouses, Katy and Justin and Brock and Lindsey.”

Gearhart became the fifth chancellor of the University of Arkansas on July 1, 2008, following 10 years of service to the university as vice chancellor for University Advancement. He previously served at the university for three years as director of development in the early 1980s. As vice chancellor, he led the University of Arkansas in the largest fundraising endeavor ever undertaken by an organization in Arkansas, the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century, which raised $1.046 billion for academic programs. That campaign included the largest single gift to an American public institution of higher education, a record-setting $300 million gift to found an Honors College and endow the Graduate School and a $50 million gift to endow the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

After stepping down from the chancellor’s post, Gearhart plans to take a period time off, and then continue teaching. He is a member of the faculty of the College of Education and Health Professions.

Previously he served as senior vice president and managing director of the international consulting firm Grenzebach Glier & Associates Inc. Before his service at GG&A, Gearhart was senior vice president of Penn State University, during which time he was named a Fulbright Scholar, studying at Oxford University in Oxford, England.

His Bachelor of Arts degree is from Westminster College where he was named a distinguished alumnus in 1992. Both his law degree and his Doctor of Education degree are from the University of Arkansas. He is a native of Fayetteville.

 As chancellor, Gearhart instituted the first tuition freeze in 24 years and implemented a $400 million campus building renovation and refurbishment plan of academic and athletic facilities, as well as a campus-wide energy savings plan. He has also undertaken a renewed emphasis on the arts on campus, including the establishment of the “All Steinway Campus” and the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Center for the Performing Arts, scheduled to open in 2015. He is well known for his emphasis on “Students First,” a philosophy which has resonated across campus and beyond.

In 2010, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching placed the university in its highest research classification; in August 2011, the Chronicle of Higher Education named the University of Arkansas on its list of “Great Colleges to Work For”; and recently, U.S. News and World Report recognized the university as being among nine public institutions that were “up-and-comers,” while the Chronicle of Higher Education recognized the university as the seventh-fastest growing public research institution in the country. The chancellor has been a staunch supporter of promoting the University of Arkansas for its ability to contribute to Arkansas as a knowledge-based economy; the university’s contributions – from educational, cultural and economic to the local, national and international communities – have reached unprecedented levels, in addition to the estimated $1 billion economic impact on Arkansas.

He has been a supporter of immigration reform, and the DREAM Act. Greek membership during Gearhart’s tenure has exceeded expectations both for men and women, reaching an all-time high of 5,400 members. Five new fraternities and sororities have joined the campus at this time.

“The most difficult part of this transition will be giving up my daily contact with our superb faculty and staff, extraordinary students, loyal and generous alumni and benefactors and campaign volunteers,” Gearhart continued in his letter. “We have a tremendous team at the University of Arkansas, and that team has made these past 17 years, 10 as vice chancellor, and seven as chancellor, both exciting and memorable.”

Gearhart’s wife of 40 years, Jane, is also an active figure on campus, having devoted much time and leadership to the university, most notably to causes such as the Full Circle Campus Food Pantry, which was featured on NBC Nightly News in March 2013.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the commitment my dear wife, Jane, has given the university every step of the way,” Gearhart wrote. “The hundreds if not thousands of events she has planned and attended, not to mention her deep involvement in the Northwest Arkansas community and the incredible support she has afforded so many people, all on her own time, is simply breathtaking. Jane has been an amazing partner in this venture.

“I would like to express to members of the Board of Trustees that it has been my absolute privilege to serve as the chancellor of the flagship campus,” Gearhart said. “I never applied for the position nor sought it, but had the good fortune to be tapped for the honor by then-President B. Alan Sugg and then-Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the late Stanley Reed.”

“I was initially surprised by Dr. Gearhart’s decision, but after talking to him and learning that his reason to opt for retirement included his desire to spend more time with his growing family, I understood and supported his plans,” said UA System President Donald Bobbitt. “There never is a good time to make these decisions, but the University of Arkansas is in a very strong position with record enrollments, a strong research portfolio and nationally recognized student achievement.

“Chancellor Gearhart and his wife, Jane, have approached this position as a team and it became very clear to me upon my return as president that they viewed this honor as a calling and not a job. Mrs. Gearhart has supported the institution in so many ways it is impossible to thank her for all she has done. I hope we will be able to find a way to do so in the months ahead. Dr. Gearhart will leave an indelible mark on the institution through his 20 years of service. I join the many others who wish him much success and thank him for his many contributions to the University of Arkansas and higher education in the state.”

“I plan to proceed deliberately but aggressively with plans to identify the next chancellor for the University of Arkansas through a national search. Given the strong position of the institution, its Top 50 national research university aspirations and the statewide support it garners, I know this will be a much sought-after position. I look forward to working with campus administrative and faculty leaders, the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees and other stakeholders to name the next chancellor,” Bobbitt said.

Key Accomplishments 2008-2015

• University of Arkansas enrollment tops 26,200 for the 2014-15 academic year, a 37 percent increase since 2008.
• Six-year graduation rates reach 62.3 percent in 2014, the highest in the state among public institutions, and highest in the U of A’s history.
• Since 2008, we’ve seen a 43 percent increase in the number of incoming students with an ACT of 30 or higher, and a 60 percent increase in the number of students with GPAs of 3.75 or above.
• While growing in size and in academic quality, the diversity of campus has increased by more than 80 percent since 2008.
• The greatest single area of enrollment growth in 2014 is in online enrollment with 7,444 students taking at least one online class during the fall 2014 semester, a 506 percent increase since 2008.
• Added 300 faculty in the past five years to meet student growth needs.
• University of Arkansas elevated to the highest possible classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching during its last reclassification of the nation’s 4,633 universities and colleges. The University of Arkansas is one of just 108 schools with this distinction, bestowed for increased accomplishments in research and productivity.
• Initiated first tuition freeze in 24 years for the 2009-10 academic year.
• Implemented a set of 15 institutional goals under the heading of Providing Transparency & Accountability to the People of Arkansas, a triennial report chronicling progress toward goals.
• Created the first Commission on Women, a 12-panel advisory board focusing on issues such as work/family balance, mentoring among faculty and staff, campus safety and environment and other issues that may have an impact on women.
• During Gearhart’s tenure, the endowment went from $119 million to $920.6 million.
• Research expenditures reached $120.4 million, up from $113.8 million in 2008. Research expenditures have exceeded $120 million for the fourth year in a row.
• Annual fundraising surpasses $100 million for four consecutive years, with $113.3 million raised in fiscal year 2014.
• Oversaw the expansion, renovation, or addition of more than 1.5 million square feet to our campus space, an investment of approximately half a billion dollars.
• Among the first institutions in the country to submit a long-range Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus to zero by the year 2040 in response to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.
• Established Commission on Affordability and Cost Containment, which led to more than $62 million in savings and containment over a period of three years.
• Recognized as a Military Friendly university in the Guide to Military Friendly Schools every year for the past six years.  
• Made progress in increasing salaries for assistant professors to move them 3.6 percent above the university’s peer public institutions in the Southeastern Conference.
• More than 800 students will study abroad this year in more than 42 countries.
• Gearhart was one of the first 50 signatories on the Presidents’ Commitment to Food and Nutrition Security, an historic effort by universities declaring their commitment toward fighting global hunger.
• Recognized by the Arkansas Chapter of ALPFA with its “Lideres Corazon (Leaders of the Heart) Higher Education Award,” for his support of the Latino community in Arkansas.
• In 2008, when Gearhart began his tenure as chancellor, university reserves were approximately $2 million. At the beginning of fiscal year 2014 began with reserves of $50 million.
• Tuition remains lower than at many institutions not only in the SEC, but in the nation, and the university is consistently ranked as a “Best Bargain” in higher education.
• Chancellor Gearhart was invited to the White House in 2014 to participate in the president’s College Opportunity Summit.

Links to Further Information

• G. David Gearhart Biography
• G. David Gearhart Resume
• Carnegie Announcement
• Chancellor’s Report to the Board of Trustees, Fall 2014

Media Room Materials

The following materials are available in the Media Room.

• Images of G. David Gearhart
• Key publications – “Transforming the Flagship,” a booklet highlighting accomplishments; Transparency & Accountability to the People of Arkansas
• Letter of Retirement.PDF
• Quote Sheet