The Arkansas Legislature may soon begin to discuss Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ plan to reform higher education in the state.
State officials joined the governor for a press conference at the Capitol Friday morning to promote upcoming legislation called Arkansas ACCESS. The plan intends to reform “acceleration, common sense, cost, eligibility, scholarships, and standardization” in higher education policy.
“There’s a lot packed into this bill,” Sanders said while outlining the policies, which a sponsor said filled over 100 pages at last count.
“For far too long we’ve told a lie that the only way to be successful is to graduate college with a four-year degree straight out of high school. When I sign ACCESS we will tell Arkansans the truth: everyone is unique and everyone’s education journey should be too.”
Sanders said the bill, which has yet to be filed as of Friday, will address issues with higher education paths being “too complicated, too woke,” and not preparing students for future careers.
“We will consider return on investment in our productivity-based funding models, so that taxpayers are funding degrees that contribute to our state and to our economy.”
Sanders’ outline also referenced increasing the amount of money awarded in some state scholarships such as the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship, creating a single application for students to apply for all for state-funded higher education programs at once, and offering in-state tuition for military families in Arkansas. In response to questions from attendees, Sanders said the plans will be funded by repurposing existing state dollars, but did not clarify what the total cost will be.
The governor also said the bill will remove “indoctrination” from higher education, ensuring students can learn in a “free, unbiased setting.”
“No more using DEI and accreditation standards, no more forced statements in support of DEI, and no more excused absences for protests.” she said.
In response to a question about these policies, Sanders reiterated her message.
“We believe that every student in the State of Arkansas should be able to learn in a free, unbiased environment. We want to uphold and enforce the Constitution in state and federal law and we feel like this legislation certainly continues to do that and reflect it.”
The governor briefly criticized media coverage of similar policies, saying “when you have a piece of legislation that contains as much substance as this does, for you to only focus on one part would be a total disservice to the state.”
Arkansas ACCESS is one of several legislative goals Sanders teased in her State of the State Address in January.
Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, will sponsor the legislation in the Senate. He said the bill will “eliminate the status quo” in higher education.
“What you’re going to find is there is a focus on the individual, and in this particular situation it’s a focus on the student,” he said. “We’re going to be looking at increasing the opportunities they have before them and then we’re going to maximize their outcomes so they can be as successful as they can possibly be.”
Dismang said Arkansas ACCESS is one of many initiatives that will make the state “rise to the top”.
Rep. Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, also decried the status quo of Arkansas’ higher education policies.
“Doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result is not going to cut it,” he said, adding he has been surprised by a number of policies he’s seen while working on the legislation. He said Arkansas ACCESS will be pragmatic and impact Arkansans for years to come.
“Today is a day that we will look back at many years from now and we will count not just a few lives that have been changed, but generations that have been changed by what we’re about to set forth on,” said Shepherd.
Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva joined the legislators for remarks. He said ACCESS intends to remove barriers related to high school graduates becoming “enlisted, employed, or enrolled.”
“Bad systems beat good people every time,” Oliva said. “We've got talented students that need a system that allows them to thrive, and we’re going to build that. Arkansas is going to continue to excel.”
Responding to questions from attendees, Oliva noted part of the legislation will target how instructors conduct classes.
“We hear anecdotally [...] about where professors may be giving an assignment to a student, or adults are having to participate in professional development where they are being compelled to adhere, affirm, or adopt a certain point of view or belief.”
Oliva said, if he asked, Arkansas parents could tell him of instances where students who didn’t take a particular point of view were graded differently than their peers. He said the state needs to protect students from “possible indoctrination,” adding "this is about teaching students how to think, not what to think.”
“When we’re in a classroom, I want to be clear to all our professors: this is why you’re professionals. You should engage in debate, you should argue multiple perspectives and multiple points of view. You should engage in critical thinking, that’s what good teachers do, that’s what good professors do,” Oliva said, then quickly warned:
“But if you go a step further and say ‘if you don’t take my adoptions and beliefs and affirm it as your own personal set of values,’ then we've gone too far.”
