By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
More Arkansans are opting to attend two-year colleges as an alternative to the state's four-year universities, a trend borne out locally.
Cost and convenience are two big reasons given.
According to a study by the California-based National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, the average tuition in Arkansas' public four-year colleges increased by 77 percent during the 1990s, while tuition at two-year schools increased at a much slower rate.
Dr. Coy Grace, president of East Arkansas Community College at Forrest City, said the local two-year college has seen a lot of growth.
"We saw our enrollment increase last spring 11.7 percent over the year before," Grace said. "And we have seen our summer enrollment for Summer I classes increase about 16 percent over last Summer I."
He said enrollment for Summer II seems to be following that same trend, and the school is ahead on pre-registration for fall classes.
"We still believe we have the best thing going, in terms of bargain education in the state," said Grace. "And of course, our cost is among the lowest of all the two-year schools."
At its most recent board meeting, tuition per credit hour was raised from $36 to $41 for county residents, from $43 to $49 for Arkansas students from outside St. Francis County, and from $53 to $56 for out-of-state students. At that time, Grace said EACC would still have the lowest, or one of the lowest, tuitions in the state.
Ed Franklin, executive director of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges, agreed that the growth has been tremendous for two-year colleges.
"Just this last year, two-year colleges had a 10 percent growth in full time equivalency," Franklin said. "What's happening is, we're serving more and more people. There are more Arkansans who are getting interested in education, and they are interested in education closer to home."
He said the average enrollment age at two-year colleges is 28.
"So while we are serving students who come right out of high school, we are also serving a lot of adults in the community who say they want to get ahead in life."
Since 1991, he said enrollment in two-year schools in Arkansas has more than doubled, from about 20,000 to more than 43,000.
"The bad news is, with the economy down right now, we have less money to serve students. We've taken cuts over this last year," he said.
According to the report by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, tuition at Arkansas four-year public universities during the 1990s rose by a higher percentage than any other state in the nation except Hawaii.
''Many students who plan on receiving a four-year degree are starting at two-year institutions,'' said Lu Hardin, director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.
Tuition at the two-year schools is also on the rise, but not as much. According to the center's report, average tuition at two-year schools, adjusted for inflation, rose by 56 percent from $962 to $1,503 during the 1990s. It was the fourth largest percentage increase in the nation.
Ron Harrell, the Higher Education Department's assistant director of planning and accountability, said tuition costs prompt many would-be university students to try two-year schools first.
From 1991 to 2001, enrollment at all Arkansas public colleges and universities increased from 81,121 to 103,740. Harrell agreed that the enrollment increases were mostly in two-year colleges. While enrollment at two-year schools rose by 21,821 students, enrollment at four-year institutions grew by only 798 students.
He said the numbers show the state's plan for two-year schools is working.
''Part of what Arkansas is trying to do is get higher education closer to people, to where people live,'' Harrell said.
In the early 1990s, the state Higher Education Department co-opted a number of technical colleges, creating a system of 22 two-year schools. The schools are spread throughout the state and have become some of the nation's fastest-growing two-year colleges.
Harrell said the move has helped increase the number of baccalaureate degree holders in the state.
Higher Education Department statistics show that in 1997, 19 percent of those graduating from college had previously attended a two-year college. In 2002, that figure had more than doubled with 40 percent of graduates reporting they had attended a two-year school.
A motorist objected to his arrest early Saturday on a variety of traffic charges by using his head to knock out a window on a police car.
The Forrest City Police Department reported about 5:50 a.m. Saturday that an officer on patrol near the Shell Superstop at 105 E. Broadway heard loud music coming from a car on the parking lot. The officer reportedly contacted the driver of the vehicle, Jason Williams, 23, 622 N. Cherry St., Forrest City, and noticed an odor of alcohol.
According to the police report, Williams refused to provide documents pertaining to his vehicle and also refused requests for several sobriety tests. After trying to handcuff an uncooperative Williams, the officer reportedly used pepper spray to subdue the subject and place him in the back seat of his patrol car, police reported.
Police said Williams complained that his face hurt because of the pepper spray, and before police could provide him with a decontaminate, the subject reportedly knocked out the rear left passenger window with his head.
Williams was taken to the Forrest City Police Department and met there by emergency personnel with Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City, but refused treatment to several cuts on his head.
He is charged with second offense driving while intoxicated, violation of the city's loud music ordinance, resisting arrest, first-degree criminal mischief and refusing to test.
The week of June 24-28 has been named YAC Week in St. Francis County, by County Judge Carl Cisco.
YAC stands for Youth Advisory Council, and the week is meant to educate folks on what the council does.
"It's kind of to let people know what YAC is about," said Carla Nimocks, advisor to the group. "It is tied up with our St. Francis County Community Foundation and the Arkansas Community Foundation."
The YAC does many of the same things that the older foundations do, such as raise money and make grants. But they do it on a somewhat smaller -- and younger -- scale.
"They survey the needs in our county," said Nimocks. "And they find out what the concerns and needs of youth are. And they are raising funds to start a youth endowment that will last for generations.
The group of 13-18 young people, aged 13 to around 17, are learning philanthropy, and are also learning how to make good decisions. They recently accepted their first grant applications, and will soon be announcing the recipients. Nimocks said some people would be amazed at how smart young folks can be, when given a chance.
"It was amazing, the questions they had, and the thought processes they went through, to come to very good decisions," she said. "The adults are involved only on an advisory level, to help guide them. But they do it themselves."
Some examples of projects which might receive help from the YAC include:
*Lack of recreational opportunity.
*Teen pregnancy.
*Drug and alcohol abuse.
*Violence and juvenile crime.
*Racial tension.
YAC members, at the same time learn the following:
*To meet challenges.
*To be advocates for their beliefs.
*To be responsible stewards.
*To be members of a positive team.
*To be generous.
*To become tomorrow's leaders.
Nimocks said St. Francis County was among the first counties in the state to have a YAC. In existence for about seven months, the YAC has had a successful letter campaig, which has raised more than $5,000.
"We're really excited that we have been able to get started and have such good response," said Nimocks. She said the funds that are being raised will be matched by the Kellogg Foundation and the Walton Foundation.
"They're learning how to take money and use it for granting," she said. "They've worked hard and they've kind of set their minds to it. I'm really proud of these kids."
A Hot Springs woman was airlifted from a crash site early Saturday morning after she was ejected from her vehicle and thrown onto the roadway.
Sharon Marrow, 32, was a passenger in a 2002 Ford Explorer driven by her husband Shawn Marrow, 34, of Hot Springs. The Marrows were westbound on Interstate 40 near the Widener exit when their vehicle, which was pulling a boat, was rearended by a 2000 Freightliner driven by Robert F. Eddings, 40, of St. Albans, W.Va.,
The accident occurred about 1:15 a.m., according to Arkansas State Police Corporal Kelvin Stewart.
Stewart said the Freightliner struck the rear of the boat trailer, knocking the boat off and continuing up the boat trailer until the 18-wheeler struck the back of the Explorer knocking it into the median. Eddings' truck also left the roadway and overturned.
Sharon Marrow was taken by helicopter to the Med Center in Memphis. Shawn Marrow and his daughter, Kendall, 11, were treated and released at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City. A fourth passenger, Jeremy Marrow, 9, was not treated locally.
Eddings was not injured in the wreck. According to Stewart, Eddings is charged with careless driving and other charges may be pending.