UWA president extols achievements to Demopolis Rotary

With all the enthusiasm of a cheerleader, Dr. Ken Tucker proudly spoke of the accomplishments and strides made by the University of West Alabama since he became president of the university Jan. 1, 2015.

Speaking to the Demopolis Rotary Club Wednesday, Tucker said one of his first actions was to form a committee of UWA staff to develop a strategic plan. Among other goals, it “addresses the educational, social and cultural needs of the overall student body.”

He praised the faculty and staff. “They care about their students,” he said.

Classes have a 15-to-1 ratio of students to teacher, and 85 percent of the faculty hold the highest degree possible in their fields.

UWA, he continued, is the only four-year institution in the state that also offers two-year degrees. It has certificate programs to train students in several technology fields, which can be parlayed toward associate or bachelor degree programs to aid in career advancement.

UWA started life as a teacher’s college, said Tucker. It has graduated more teachers than the larger universities in the state combined. The school offers master’s degree programs in education and now is looking to add a doctoral program as well.

Students in nursing have a 97 percent pass rate in its two-year RN program. UWA offers a bachelor’s degree in conjunction with the University of Alabama but is looking to start its own four-year program.

The College of Education offers a nationally recognized Athletic Training degree as well, and the successful MBA program now is going to be offered over the Internet.

The Integrated Marketing Communications degree is the only one of its kind in the state, Tucker continued. Now with 80 students in its degree program, it has the distinction of having a 100 percent job placement.

Close on its heels is the Industrial Maintenance and Engineering Technology track. It provides intensive hands-on experience, and students quickly find jobs when they graduate.

Tucker gave credit to the university’s recruiting team for helping the school see a jump in admissions, turning the corner of decline. He said the freshman class last fall was the largest in 20 years. The rise in enrollment is reflected in the numbers of students both on campus and on-line.

He also gave a tip of his hat to the UWA faculty. Many have attended college fairs throughout the state. Prospective students – and their parents – are impressed that they can talk to the person who might be teaching them.

Tucker bragged on UWA’s athletic accomplishments this past year. The school had four Gulf South Conference championships, three GSC Coaches of the Year and brought home its first Men’s All-Sports Trophy. It offers nine men’s sports and 10 for women.

One of the best recruitment tools for the school has been its alumnus Malcolm Butler, who played an integral role in the New England Patriot’s Super Bowl win in 2015.

“We got more exposure in five minutes than in the past 180 years,” joked Tucker.

Several years ago as Dean of the College of Business Tucker was instrumental in forming a partnership with a university in China to bring students to Livingston, a move which has been highly successful for both UWA and the students.

The university attracts students not only from China but from South America and from Europe. Tucker is exploring potential partners in South Korea and Japan.

Having students from many countries expands diversity on campus and offers American students the opportunity to learn of other cultures when many cannot afford to travel abroad.

The Livingston community has been “very accepting” to the international students. They have been welcomed into homes and churches and even have been “semi-adopted” by some families.

All international students who have applied for graduate programs in colleges around the country have been accepted.

UWA recently received a $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, one of only 12 in the nation out of 140 applicants.

The grant will provide a center to offer tutoring, advice and counseling to all students in an effort to make certain they are successful not only while at UWA but throughout their lives.