Division of Academic Affairs
Campus Life and Student Support Services
ASG MEETING AGENDA/MINUTES
Monday, September 8th, 2025
Zoom Meeting Room
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Morgan B. Whited, ASG President
Bushra Zaman, ASG Vice President
Carvis Campbell, ASG Secretary
Chimezie Finian Nwadinigwe, ASG Representative Coordinator
Dr. Stephanie Gardner, Chief Academic Officer & Provost
Dr. Kristen Sterba, Assoc. Provost for Students & Admin., Director, Department of Institutional Research, Policy, & Accreditation, Associate Professor
Nakia Dedner, Director of Campus Life and ASG Advisor
Morgan B. Whited: Opening Remarks + Arkansas Travelers Pyro Night Pictures
- Morgan calls the meeting to be started at 12:04 PM.
- Morgan Introduces herself and officers.
- Arkansas Travelers Night was a success as Morgan overviews the pictures
- A call for any additional photos was asked, there were no photos shared
Morgan B. Whited: ASG Introduction: Roles and Responsibilities
- Morgan explains the purpose of ASG
- She briefly overviews the roles and responsibilities of all officers and representatives.
- First year representatives are not elected at this time and will have a more in-depth meeting about representatives’ responsibilities in the future.
- Finian asks for representatives to log their attendance
Dr. JoAnn Scales: Director of the Educational and Student Success Center, Associate Professor, Academic Affairs Speech
- Dr. JoAnn Scales presents at 12:08 on the resources available to students through the Educational and Student Success Center (ESSC)
- She exclaims that her message from the presentation is to remove any stigma for asking for help
- Introduces Amber Bisbee as an Administrator that helps at ESSC
- Dr. Scales shows that the 3 main student resources are: academic coaching/peer mentoring, writing support, and tech support are available through the ESSC.
- Only 49% of UAMS students utilize at least one ESSC service per year.
- Academic coaching helps provides study skills, time management, and test taking strategy.
- Peer tutoring helps by providing group review, small group tutoring, and 1:1Tutoring
- Learning Specialists within ESSC helps facilitate these academic coaching/peer tutoring and starts with them
- Due to budget tutoring and academic coaching must be given on need-based decision
- Learning specialists consist of Ann Holliman and Marjorie Harper, Lian Taylor (NWA Campus), Dr. Dechantria Wallace, and Dr. Rikki Turner.
- There is the writing center with Tim Muren and Courtenay Ragan. It helps basic writing, drafting, research, formatting, and resume/cv/letter
- Tech support is led by Calvin Webb and helps with electronic malfunctions, software assistance, laptop lending, and mobile electronic assistance.
- To get assistance do an initial appointment with learning specialists (QR Code is provided for intake form)
- Students are encouraged to be proactive and to not wait until help is needed to take advantage of the resources
- Office of Educational Development Team are introduced and provides services more catered towards employees.
- Dr. Scales extends an invitation to the faculty celebration and open house on September 25th, 2025, from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM at UAMS Library ESSC 3024 A
- Dr. Scales is located on the 3rd floor of library
- Morgan Thanks Dr. Scales.
Morgan B. Whited/Bushra Zaman: Discuss Community Services and Future Events
- Finian repeats and asks representatives to log their attendance
- Ricardo Explains campus life and intramural sports asking for assistance to spread the message
- Morgan discusses upcoming events
- Ms. Dedner explains more thoroughly about the significance and importance of the resource fair/ constitution day. It is important to students new to Arkansas to learn more about political standards.
- Ricardo exclaims that flag football will also be held on October 12th, 2025, alongside the existing dates.
- Ms. Dedner asks representatives to turn on notifications for the app and spread the word to their corresponding school and classes.
- Morgan calls for volunteer ideas and discusses previous volunteer events such as can food drives and hospital volunteering.
- Finian exclaims volunteering at the pantry is a good opportunity (Stocked and Reddi).
- Carvis adds that volunteering with youth is a good idea.
- There are no more ideas added
- Ms. Dedner shares additional photos from the Arkansas traveler’s game
- Meeting Adjourned at 12:37 PM
The next ASG Meeting is:
Monday, October 13, 2025