UCAFANS.COM | GO UCA BEARS!

Just a few FACTS reported at the Board meeting on Friday. We will finish this fiscal year with approximately 5mm+ in cash. This is up from the zero balance on the line of credit at the end of last year (Tom Courtway/Adcock miracle) and the 5mm negative balance from two years ago. The new Business building is finished and ready for use (it is beautiful) and several other construction projects remain on schedule. In the last year, we have had the winner of American Idol, Survivor, and Ms. Arkansas from our student body. We have the largest number of "traditional" students (defined as 18 to 24) of any pubic university in AR. Our remediation rates are the second lowest of any public university in the state. The lottery will provide 5,000 to any AR resident with a 2.5 GPA which will hopefully free up some cash in student aid and help us move towards state mandated limits in that area. In spite of the challenges of the last 18 months we surpassed our goal of 35mm in our first ever capital campaign. Our football team won its first ever game against a DI (not 1AA) program last year, our girl's volleyball team went undefeated in conference, the girl's basketball team has had the biggest turnaround in all of D1, and the baseball team has had victories over top twenty programs on the road. All this in the last 18 months in spite of the efforts of many to discredit and to, I think, harm the University. We need to make every effort to reward our faculty and staff for hanging in there during these rebuilding years and I am confident that we will be able to do so in the near future. Thanks to all of you who love UCA.

Well said Old Bear! The Conway and UCA community are with you, the BOT and president Meadors!

GEAUX UCA!

Oh and please get this published in the Democrat Gazette! Arkansas needs to know how good things are going for the student body, faculty and staff at UCA!

All great stats Old Bear. It was good to to see you Friday at the press conference. Keep up the good work!!!!

Go Bears!

old bear, shed us a little light on the purchases of the used busses. What's the cost going to be? How long are the busses projected to last us? How much money will be spent to "UCA" them?

I am hopeful this is not "Busgate": There are two used busses that have been identified as worthy to be purchased for 465,000. We are told that we spend 75,000 a year chartering busses. These used busses have a remaining life, we are told of 8 years +/-. The funds to buy the busses are part of a prior bond issue that can only be used for such purposes. So, a big plus is that the 75,000 a year that came out of our operating budget will no longer be spent. The operation and maintenance will be covered by charging a per mile fee to the department using the bus. We are assured that the busses will be used for a wide range of dpts on campus.

We can advertise on the exterior of the bus, a rolling billboard if you will. We will always have access to transportation when needed. Disasters have happened when chartered busses have broken down on the way to events. These are the pluses.

Negatives: If they tell you they have an 8 yr remaining life, it is probably less. We will have the costs of insurance, maintenance, fuel, warranty, etc. which you don't have when you charter.

Does it make sense to use the 465,000 from bond proceeds to pay down on new busses and keep spending the 75,000 a year to amortize the balance and then have new busses under warranty that will be paid for in seven years and still have 8 years +/- remaining?

I hope the folks that make those decisions have thought all of that thru, Dr. Meadors thinks it makes sense. The fact that there is money set aside already earmarked for that purpose is a big plus and the fact that no funds will be deducted from our operating budget is another plus. To then tell me the costs of operating will come from a fee charged to the using department is a little smoke and mirrors because 75,000 out of the EG budget is saved, but a similar amount will be charged to various departments to operate, insure, and warranty the busses.

The availability at all times, plus the "rolling" billboard, plus the control of having our own mechanics etc make it ok for me, but it is probably a wash at best. I don't think it saves a lot but it doesn't hurt us either. The bond funds have to be spent by May or they must be turned back to avoid arbitrage issues with the IRS.

Thanks for the info. Hopefully this move will be cost effective for the university and not an albatross around our neck. Time will tell.

Enjoy the Super Bowl. Geaux Saints

Don't we have a bus factory in Conway that is going out of business? Can't we get a couple of busses at major discounts? Going out of business sale?

Thanks for always being so open and honest old bear! That is the great thing about all those facts that you posted in the first post....they don't lie! She can say what she wants to but the truth eventually comes out, and thankfully the truth is finally starting to turn positive!

As for "busgate," I'm sure you just gave her the title for her next story!

Old Bear, I agree with everything you said. As someone who has been at the school for the past seven years and have seen everything that has happened to the school, I must say there have been a lot of ups and downs, but I like where we are right now and moving forward. I also want to say that being at UCA has been the best thing that has happened to me so far. I have enjoyed these last few years with all that is involved with UCA, and I really hope to continue that relationship for many years to come.

E-Rod - I noticed you wanted to go to a SB;s game on the road. Pick the game, you are my guest. We can leave from Conway, I will have you home by 10:30. Honey Bear, you in??

E-Rod - I noticed you wanted to go to a SB;s game on the road. Pick the game, you are my guest. We can leave from Conway, I will have you home by 10:30. Honey Bear, you in??

Not to make anybody's plans for them, but the game at Arlington on the 20th might be an attractive option. Tough place to play and win, though the Mavs are beatable - Sugar Bears might just need a little "home court" feel that only The Rod can provide. Relatively short trip and on a Saturday. And, it's a unique place to see a game.

Southeastern is a little further away, a little nicer arena, also on a Saturday and a divisional game the Sugar Bears need to win (though I guess they need to win them all). Not sure if that would be a more important/attractive game or not.

Then there's the game at SFA on Wed., March 3 in the next-to-last game of the year that might basically be for the East Division title. That'd be fun.

Or there's always next year. Options abound, and they're all good.

Lucky HB and ERod!

Those are good options, Beary. It would be great to go to SFA, but I do have an event to volunteer that same day on campus. Southeastern would be great too, but it is too far. I would love to go to Arlington, but then the guys have a game at home plus the tv cameras will be there. However, I think going to Arlington would be wise idea and they would play in a unique building in Texas Hall. Hmm Decisions, Decisions.

Pick, we can take seven comfortably or eight if most are not as big as me! Ya'll invite some regulars on the blog, it would be a good chance for us to support the SB's and get to know each other better. We can leave from Conway, flight time to Arlington is only 45 minutes, or the other places are easy to get to. Let's do it and let me know your favorite beverages to stock the bar. What game are we going to?