UARM, UAMS Sign Agreement to Open Healthcare Education Pathways
MENA, AR — The University of Arkansas Rich Mountain (UARM) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have signed a formal Memorandum of Agreement that gives UA Rich Mountain students a clearer, faster path into UAMS health professions and nursing programs.
The agreement covers six UAMS programs in the College of Health Professions and the College of Nursing. Qualifying UA Rich Mountain students will receive a guaranteed interview, priority application review, or both.
The participating programs are the Bachelor of Science degrees in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nuclear Medicine Imaging Sciences, Radiologic Imaging Sciences, and Respiratory Care, all in the College of Health Professions, and the RN to Master of Nursing Science program in the College of Nursing.
Eligible students who meet each program’s GPA and prerequisite requirements will receive enhanced admissions consideration. In the five College of Health Professions programs, qualifying applicants are guaranteed an interview and priority application review. In the RN to Master of Nursing Science program, students can receive priority application review before they take their NCLEX, but prior to starting classes, they must pass and be licensed in Arkansas as an RN. Priority review means a student’s application goes directly to the program’s admissions committee and skips the preliminary prescreening used for the general applicant pool.
“UA Rich Mountain is committed to preparing students for good careers that keep them serving our communities,” said UA Rich Mountain Chancellor Phillip Wilson, Ph.D. “This agreement with UAMS gives our students a defined next step. A student who starts here in Mena can see a clear route to a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a high-demand healthcare field.”
UA Rich Mountain students who want to use the agreement must declare their intent to apply to a participating UAMS program by that program’s admissions deadline. They must also get certification from a designated UA Rich Mountain faculty or staff member confirming they meet the eligibility criteria. Students accepted under the agreement may enroll in the next academic year or admissions cycle.
“Many of the healthcare professionals who serve rural Arkansas got their start at a community college close to home,” said Tina Maddox, Ph.D., RD, associate provost at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus, who led development of the agreement. “This partnership helps UA Rich Mountain students see the many possibilities for careers in healthcare and gives them a clearer understanding of the education, preparation, and pathways available to help them reach their goals at UAMS.”
The agreement lasts three years and renews automatically each year after that.
About University of Arkansas Rich Mountain
The University of Arkansas Rich Mountain continues the tradition of being a comprehensive
community college providing a broad range of educational programs and learning opportunities
in the three-county service area. In 2017, when the merger with the University of
Arkansas System was finalized, the college name changed to the University of Arkansas
Rich Mountain. During the decision-making process, the RMCC Board of Trustees and
administrators wanted to retain the identity we had as Rich Mountain Community College
since 1983 and as Rich Mountain Vo-Tech with its beginnings in 1973. With over forty
years of presence in the service area, UA Rich Mountain has been at the forefront
of progress. Its mission to provide educational opportunities for the region continues
to guide programming, services, and involvement in its communities. The service area
of Polk, Montgomery, and Scott counties remains the same as does the College mission.
UA Rich Mountain provides transformative education to all learners.