Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

First Black chancellor picked for University of Arkansas

The University of Arkansas' governing board has appointed Charles Robinson as chancellor for its flagship campus in Fayetteville

Via AP news wire
Thursday 17 November 2022 00:03 GMT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Charles Robinson was named Wednesday as the chancellor for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the first Black person to lead the flagship campus.

The university's board of trustees voted unanimously to appoint Robinson, who has served as the nearly 31,000-student school's interim chancellor since August 2021. Robinson has been appointed to a three-year term.

“He now has the opportunity to cast a broader vision for advancing the university as a leading public research university in the region and raising its status on the national stage,” University System President Donald Bobbitt said in a statement. “He has a unique ability to inspire others and to relate to the many different constituencies across the university, and I look forward to working with him to help make his tenure as Chancellor a success.”

Robinson, who has served at the university for 23 years, was most recently its provost and executive vice chancellor for academic and student affairs.

“I’m looking forward to serving our campus in its entirety and greatly appreciate the support and confidence shown in me to be a good steward of the land-grant mission,” Robinson said.

The university's previous chancellor abruptly resigned last year, citing the challenge of leading the school in “today’s polarized society.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in