The November 21 presenter at the meeting
of the Rotary Club of Heber Springs was ASU Beebe Interim Chancellor Roger
Moore. Mr. Moore is a 19-year veteran of the institution, having begun with ASU
Beebe in 1998 as an Assistant Professor of Business. Through his career with
the institution, he has also served as Director of Student Success and Vice
Chancellor of Finance and Administration before being named Interim Chancellor
in August of this year.
Speaking during Thanksgiving week,
Mr. Moore reflected with thanks on the career path he has traveled. Noting that
the mission of the institution is transforming lives through quality
educational experiences, he noted that he is thankful to have been an influence
in so many lives. “Influencing individual lives with opportunities in higher
education results in generational change,” he said, “And there is not money out there that can replace that.”
The Heber Springs campus of ASU Beebe
is celebrating its tenth year in operation during the 90th year of
ASU Beebe. One of the first states to have a two-year college, Arkansas founded
ASU Beebe in 1927. It is the oldest two-year college in the state. Heber
Springs began it’s affiliation with the institution in 2001 with a store-front
location on Main Street. In 2002 the Latimer Center was built, and in 2007 the
main campus opened.
Addressing rumors that the Heber
Springs campus may be on the chopping block, Mr. Moore adamantly denied anything
of the sort. “To the contrary,” he said, “ASU is investing more fully in the
facilities” in Heber Springs, making needed improvements in lighting, recently
installing a $50,000 chiller system and investing in Zoom technology which will
allow new and expanded opportunities for remote learning. ASU Beebe is the second-highest performing
two-year college in the state, and although there are funding challenges
affecting all higher education institutions in the state, ASU Beebe stands to
not only survive but thrive in the years ahead. Currently, the Heber Springs
campus has 351 enrolled students, not including those attending adult education
classes in the Latimer Center.
Mr. Moore demonstrated an obvious
passion for the institution stating that he was himself a product of a two-year
college. “I wouldn’t be here today if not for a professor who took an interest
in me,” he said, speaking of the beginning of his college career. That professor made a big difference in his
life, and he hopes to continue to make such a difference in the lives of the
students who attend all four of the ASU Beebe campuses.
Rotarians are “People of Action” who are making a difference locally, nationally and internationally. The Object of Rotary is "to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise." The Rotary Club of Heber Springs meets each Tuesday at noon on the ASU-Heber Springs Campus. For more information about the Rotary Club of Heber Springs, please visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/TheRotaryClubofHeberSpringsAR.
