The University announced Dr. Michael D. Williams as Harding’s sixth president at a press conference on Oct. 27. Since then, Williams has continued his role as president at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama. As announced in October, Williams will begin his tenure as Harding University president on June 1, 2022.
President David Burks informed faculty of the approval of a reduced workload policy in an email on March 1. Burks said the policy came to fruition with input from the Faculty Leadership Committee (FLC), and allowed faculty members two contract options to apply for: a three-fourths or a one-half teaching load faculty employment contract. Interested faculty were instructed to request their preferred option in writing to their college’s dean by March 18. The deans submitted approved requests as recommendations to the provost for further approval.
Incoming President Mike Williams announced a major reshuffle of his cabinet on Tuesday. After switching his filing technique from alphabetical order to the Dewey decimal system, Williams also announced the addition of four new members to his executive cabinet. Williams said while all four of the positions are now officially created, all but one remain open. Applications can be found on Handshake.
Elizabeth Soisouvanh died on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, near Hartington, Nebraska, in a car accident. Daughter of Ouphavanh and Victor Soisouvanh, Elizabeth was born July 19, 2000. She was 21 years old.
On Wednesday, Feb. 23, the Black Student Association (BSA) hosted a panel after the devotional period of chapel, and sought to have a conversation about allyship. This program was the fourth in a five-part series of chapel programs and devotionals planned by the BSA during Black History Month. During and in the hours following the panel discussion, YikYak posts were made in strong dissent toward many of the statements made by panelists, and the existence of the panel altogether.
On Tuesday faculty will vote to approve a proposed change to the core University Liberal Arts curriculum. The current Liberal Arts Program is a 53-hour core of classes required of all undergraduate students in order to graduate. The proposal reduces the required minimum liberal arts hours to 47, among other shifts within the makeup of the core curriculum.
University President David Burks announced a voluntary faculty retirement incentive at the Harding faculty meeting on Monday, Jan. 24, citing ongoing decreasing enrollment. His statement made at the meeting was emailed to faculty members on Tuesday. Affected faculty will be notified of their eligibility for the incentive by Monday, Jan. 31. Each faculty member will have 21 days to accept or decline the offer.
Tacker’s Shake Shack of Marion, Arkansas, announced plans to open a new location in the University’s Student Center on their Facebook page on Dec. 22. As of Jan. 19, the Tackers plan to hold a grand opening the week of Jan. 31. The new location will replace Tu Taco in the pit of the Student Center.
On Oct. 24, ProPublica published a bombshell report detailing the stories of over a dozen former Liberty University students, all of whom were discouraged by the university from sharing their stories of sexual assault. The school, founded by evangelist Jerry Falwell, reportedly ignored multiple reports of rape and sexual assault and threatened to punish accusers for breaking its moral code, former students said.
On Wednesday, Oct. 27, Dr. Michael D. Williams was announced as Harding University’s sixth president. Dr. Robert C. Walker, president of the board of trustees, made the announcement on behalf of the board at a press conference in Cone Chapel. This announcement concluded a nine-month, nationwide search for a president.