Dr. Charles Welch

Arkadelphia is such a unique community in having two outstanding universities literally   right across the street from each other.  That brings a unique flair to the community, as well as a very well-educated group of citizens.  The Clark County educational attainment statistics are going to be out of whack when compared to the state as a whole, but that's a positive result of these two universities.

Ouachita President Rex Horne and I have talked about how collectively the universities bring great things to Arkadelphia.  While we may be rivals on the football field and in other athletic arenas, we work together on education.  We have a joint educational consortium, where some of our students take classes from OBU and vice versa.  If there's a course we're offering and they're not, we've worked it out so students can get the courses they need.  I meet regularly with Dr. Horne and we work together to see what we can do to help our respective students and the region. 

Here at Henderson, we have a very strong liberal arts program.  We also operate our own planetarium, Arkansas' only university-led aviation program, a strong school of business, graduate degrees and a strong teacher education program.  As we move forward, Henderson has the opportunity to influence the region as our students and graduates take their knowledge and programs out to those who need it, making superior education accessible.

We offer dance productions, plays, athletics events, art shows and speakers - the things that you don't find in other communities of this size.  And it really adds to the uniqueness of our community.  I don't know if people really understand this - I didn't before I came here.

We're the largest employer with the largest operating budget in the county.  And when you look at the community from a retail standpoint, it's often our faculty and our students out there spending money in restaurants and at the grocery stores and other retailers.  We're the lifeblood of the community, as well as OBU.  We add to the tax base and provide many jobs in the community.

So many people want to move away from Arkansas, but I always knew I wanted to stay here.  I've only been working full-time in education for eight years yet I've had four different positions and two different presidencies.  I think that speaks to the opportunities that are available.