General FAQ's

Click on one of the topic areas below to read through some of the Frequently Asked Questions by parents just like you. If your question is not answered in our FAQs, don't hesitate to call the Parent & Family Programs office at (479) 575-5002 or e-mail us at parents@uark.edu.

 

Academics

Your student can purchase and sell back textbooks at the University Bookstore located in the Garland Center on Garland Avenue as well as many off campus bookstores throughout the city of Fayetteville and many online retailers. Students can reserve their textbooks before classes even start, by visiting textbooks.uark.edu. Your student can also look into renting their textbooks from the University Bookstore and can save some time and money with this option. In addition to textbooks, the University Bookstore also has a Computer Store that has a variety of options (with student discounts!) that can help your student complete their assignments on time. For more information about buying, renting or reserving textbooks, or the Computer Store you can visit the University Bookstore's website at bookstore.uark.edu. Another common textbook purchasing option is the Campus Bookstore, located on West Dickson Street. For more information, including their book reserve form, visit campusbookstoreondickson.com/home

Encourage your student to contact the Center for Learning And Student Success (CLASS+) at (479) 575-2885, e-mail elc@uark.edu or visit class.uark.edu. They have tutors for a variety of classes that can help in any subject that your student might need help in. There are also other resources like workshops and learning coaches to assist in your student's educational pursuits. Many students that get help through CLASS+ perform better and learn better study habits. If they need help in their literature classes or need a paper proofread for a class, +Writing Support is also an important resource. For more information, click here, call (479) 575-6747 or e-mail writcent@uark.edu.

Your student should be in contact with their professors. It is a great way for them to stay on top of their studies and grades. When a student is enrolled in the class, the professor gives out a syllabus with his or her office hours and an email address. Due to FERPA, the professor should only communicate academic related information with your student. So, if there is an issue, suggest that your student contact their professor.

FERPA stands for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, which is a United States federal law. This law states that students must consent prior to disclosing educational records, which are seen as confidential. These records include: personal information, grades, enrollment records and class schedules. For more information concerning FERPA, please click on the following link: registrar.uark.edu/student-records/ferpa/ferpa-for-parents It includes an in-depth definition of FERPA, including special exceptions to release information, steps on how to set FERPA restrictions, and how to set-up 3rd party access in UAConnect to view your student's grades, amongst other things.

If your student has a disability and/or needs further assistance, they should contact the Center for Educational Access (CEA). You/your student can set up a meeting with CEA to discuss specific needs and accommodation requests. To do so, you can contact the Center for Educational Access at (479) 575-3104 or visit cea.uark.edu

To access your student's grades, your student will have to set-up 3rd party access in UAConnect for you due to FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.  Once your student has granted you 3rd Party Access, you will receive a separate username and password via e-mail that will allow you to monitor your student's grades. To sign in, visit uaconnect.uark.edu and enter your new username and password. For more information on navigating the Parent Center within UAConnect, visit registrar.uark.edu/student-records/ferpa/ferpa-for-parents.php.  For questions concerning 3rd party access, call the Registrar office at (479) 575-5451.

In order to declare or change a major, your student should visit the main office of the college in which they are currently in. If your student is looking to change their major and would like help deciding on an area of interest, encourage your student to meet with an academic advisor in their desired area. A list of academic advising offices in each college/school is included below:

They can also seek assistance from the Career Development Center by taking a career assessment or finding out more about job outlooks in a specific field of interest. Encourage your student to visit career.uark.edu to find out more information about choosing a major.

Your student should meet with his or her advisor to make sure they are on the right track to graduate, and then visit https://uaconnect.uark.edu in order to enroll for classes. Enrollment times will vary depending on what classification your student is (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Senior) and if they get first priority (Honors College, Athletics, and Band).

For the academic calendar, please click here. This should show you every break the University has throughout the academic year as well as important dates about withdrawals, add and drop dates, and commencement.

Dining

This card is used for identification as a University of Arkansas student, staff, faculty or employee. It grants security access, serves as enrollment verification, and allows access to meal plans and Razorbuck$. This card helps seamlessly move students, faculty and staff through daily life on campus. In some cases, businesses outside of the University community, like movie theatres, will provide discounts to UofA students, so make sure to carry your ID with you!

There are multiple dining facilities all across campus. A full list can be found at dineoncampus.com/razorbacks/. These dining facilities offer a variety of food options at various times throughout the day. If your student has special dietary restrictions, they can contact a Dining Hall Director to set up the necessary arrangements:

Brough Commons: Lisa Huff - lisahuff@uark.edu
Pomfret: Carol Core - ccore@uark.edu
Fulbright: Darin Bowels - darinb@uark.edu

Razorbuck$ is a debit system that students, faculty, and staff can add money to their University Card. For more information visit: campuscardoffice.uark.edu/razorbucks

Students have until the 11th day of classes each semester to increase or decrease their meal plan by notifying the University Housing Department by e-mail at housing@uark.edu. They should include their University ID number, the meal plan they currently have and the meal plan they wish to switch to in the communication. After the 11th day of classes, your student will only be able to increase their meal plan.

 

Finances


Tuition and fees will be on your student's UAConnect account. In order to access this, your student has to set up 3rd party access for you to have access to their account. Once you have set this up and you log in, you should see a box labeled Student Center towards the middle of the main page. In that box it includes your student's total account balance and two buttons that say "make a payment" and "account summary by term." If you want an explanation of your student's account balance, click the "account summary by term" button. If you would just like to pay your student's bill, click "make a payment." For more information, contact the Registrar's office at (479) 575-5451.

An estimated cost of attendance per semester, including tuition and fees can be found at treasurer.uark.edu/Tuition.asp?pagestate=Average.

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form is used to determine the amount of financial support a family is expected to contribute to the price of attending a postsecondary institution. The results of the FAFSA are used in determining student grants, work study, and loan amounts. To begin the FASFA, encourage your student to visit Federal Student Aid/FASFA and begin their application. Helping your student fill out the form is advisable, since the amount of funding depends on the accuracy of your student's answers. Some of the questions included in the FAFSA pertain specifically to you (the parents and/or guardians of the student), which may prove difficult for your student to answer.

Enrollment verification provides directory information such as student's name, month and date of birth, enrollment status and serves as proof of a student's enrollment for various purposes. Enrollment verification is free of charge and may be mailed to any location. There is a $5.00 fee to fax the verification. To request an enrollment verification, your student can visit the Registrar's office in Silas Hunt Hall (at the Transcripts window) or e-mail their request to regrweb@uark.edu. They will need to include their full name, date of birth and student ID #. For more information, visit registrar.uark.edu or call (479) 575-5451.

Health

Pat Walker Health Center is a great, convenient place for your student to seek treatment. They have an in-house Medical Clinic, Women's Clinic, Counseling and Psychological Services, X-Ray and Lab, and Allergy and Immunization Clinic. For more information about PWHC, visit their website at health.uark.edu.

The closest hospital to the University of Arkansas is Washington Regional Medical Center. It is located at: 3215 N. North Hills Boulevard Fayetteville, AR 72703. More information can be found on their website at www.wregional.com.

The HPER Building ran by University Recreation is an ideal place for students to work out, lift weights or join an intramural team. There is also an additional workout facility located on the second floor of the Arkansas Union. For more information about University Recreation, visit their website at http://urec.uark.edu/ or call (479) 575-4646.

Losing a family member or friend while they are away at college can be very difficult for your student. They may experience feelings of guilt, anxiety or depression. If you are concerned about your student's physical and/or mental health at any time, you may direct them to the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) located in Pat Walker Health Center. CAPS meets with members of the University of Arkansas community concerning a variety of topics, including: stress management, relationship issues, and tragedies and crisis. They can make an appointment with a consultant by calling (479) 575-5276 or by dropping by during their walk-in clinic times, Monday-Friday 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm. More information concerning CAPS can be found at health.uark.edu/departments/counseling-psychological-services.php.

Housing

You can contact the Housing office for on-campus housing by phone at (479) 575-3951 or e-mail at housing@uark.edu. Their website is housing.uark.edu. For off-campus housing, contact Off-Campus Student Sucess at (479) 575.7351, occ@uark.edu, or offcampus.uark.edu.

 Information about housing rates and options can be found at housing.uark.edu/campus_communities/rates.php. All of the on-campus housing options are a short walk to classes and offer many ways for your student to get involved through Hall Senate, Residents' Interhall Congress and various other opportunities.

 The University of Arkansas recognizes the benefits students receive from living on campus their first year. Therefore, all single freshmen under twenty-one (21) years of age are required to live on campus in a residence hall, or in their parent or legal guardian's permanent home. Students who are admitted to the University of Arkansas as a transfer student from another post secondary institution, and who have completed at least 24 credit hours at that institution are not required to live on campus.

Gifts, flowers, and packages may be delivered to the residence halls during office hours. Packages that fit in the resident's private mailbox are placed in their mailbox upon delivery. Items shipped must be addressed properly and accurately in order to arrive in a timely manner. Make sure to contact the resident and ask for their complete mailing address. Packages may be picked up during business hours when the hall secretary is present. Typically, the hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The resident must present a picture ID to pick up items. 

 If your son or daughter is having a conflict with his/her roommate, you should encourage them to talk to their Residential Assistant (RA). RA's are well trained to solve such issues and will make sure that your student and their roommate discuss the issues that they are having. In most cases, your student filled out a roommate agreement when they first moved in, which should ease the tension that they may be experiencing. Roommate agreements cover topics like quiet times, visitors, cleaning responsibilities and respect for each other's property, so it is very important that your student takes their agreement seriously. If problems continue to persist, encourage your student to reach out to their Coordinator for Residence Education (CRE) as they can help in the mediation process.

 This means that the OSSC received information that your student may have been involved in a violation of University policy, a letter has been sent to the student's university email address notifying them to contact the office. A student who has received such a letter should contact the office at (479) 575-5170 to schedule a preliminary interview. A student has three days upon receipt of the notice to contact the office and schedule an appointment. During this preliminary interview, the complaint or violation will be explained, the student's rights and the conduct process will be thoroughly outlined, and the student will be afforded the opportunity to explain the incident. At the close of the preliminary interview, the student will be informed of the options for the resolution of their conduct case. Students are afforded the ability to have their case heard administratively or through an All-University Conduct Board. As a parent, you should talk to your student to make sure they have gotten all the necessary information regarding their case. A staff member may speak to a parent if the student has released his/her information via a FERPA waiver with the OSSC office (this is a separate FERPA waiver from the Registrar's waiver). OSSC encourages the student to speak openly and honestly to their parent about what is going on.

It's very normal for some students to struggle with being homesick, especially if this is the first time they have spent a significant period of time away from home. One of the best ways to combat homesickness is to encourage your student to get involved. There are so many opportunities on campus to get involved and make friends, so your student has all the support they need. Your student should talk with his or her Resident Assistant (RA) to see what activities are going on in their residence hall. Also, encourage them to visit urec.uark.edu/intramural-sports to find out more about intramural sports. Having a couple of close friends seems to help ease homesickness. If your student isn't interested in sports have them visit osa.uark.edu to join a Registered Student Organization (RSO), and if they don't see one they like, they can create one!

The Off-Campus Student Success office is a great resource for you that can definitely make your apartment search easier. Visit their website, fcss.uark.edu for a search tool to locate some housing options that meet your desired criteria. Each spring, Off-Campus Student Success hosts an Off-Campus Housing Fair to help students find safe, secure off-campus housing options at a good deal. The Housing Fair also covers important topics like renters insurance.

Involvement 

If your student is looking to get involved, encourage them to visit the Office of Student Activities on the sixth floor of the Arkansas Union. They are home to all of the Registered Student Organizations (RSOs), Associated Student Government (ASG) and University Programs (UP). They are responsible for all kinds of involvement opportunities and events, on campus and off. With over 300 RSOs, your student is sure to find something! More information about the Office of Student Activities can be found at osa.uark.edu. 

Your student should visit occ.uark.edu, which is the University's Off-Campus Student Services website. On this website your student can find a way to get plugged in on campus, whether they are a commuter student, transfer, non-traditional, etc. We have a place for everyone! Joining an on-campus RSO (Registered Student Organization) is also a fast and easy way for your student to meet new people and get involved on campus.

From aptitude/personality tests to resumé services and on-campus interviews, UofA's Career Development Center (CDC) works with students to help them find the careers they want. We encourage our students to start planning from the very first semester, so contact the CDC early. For more information, visit Offices of Career Connections.

There are 29 Greek lettered organizations that students can join on campus. If your student is interested in joining a greek organization, they will need to go through the recruitment process. For more information, visit the Greek Life website at uagreeks.uark.edu. If you have any specific questions about fraternity or sorority life, your student should contact the Greek Life office at (479) 575-5001.

 

Safety 

One of our highest priorities at the University of Arkansas is the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff. To achieve this goal, we invest significant resources in a variety of activities and initiatives designed to increase security on our campus as well as our students' ability to make responsible decisions. We foster a positive relationship with local law enforcement agencies to enhance a safe, secure and healthy community that borders the University. For information on the services offered to students, please visit the UA Police Department's website at uapd.uark.edu. 

 We have a variety of options for your student to be safe while on campus at night. If they need an escort to their car from class or late night studying in the library, your student can contact Razorback Patrol at (479) 575-5000. Either a UAPD officer or a trained student employee will escort your student to their car. If your student is in an uncomfortable or inconvenient situation and needs a ride back to their residence, your student can contact SafeRide at (479) 575-7233 and request a ride. More information about SafeRide and its policies can be found at parking.uark.edu/transit-services/safe-ride/index.php.

 RazAlert (pronounced Raise Alert) is an emergency notification system for all University students, faculty and staff. The campus community will be immediately notified of any significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or staff. Students can edit their information through their UAConnect account. It is important to keep this information current. For more information, see the RazAlert website.

In the event of inclement weather, the University recognizes the need to address how such conditions may affect the overall operations of the institution. In general, the University of Arkansas Police Department and Razorback Transit authorities check road conditions in the early morning hours when inclement weather is expected to occur. Conditions are reported to university administrators who discuss via conference call whether the University should delay opening or cancel classes and close business operations. They make this determination based on the following four criteria:

  • Designated university transit bus routes are open to travel
  • Major commuter parking lots are accessible
  • Interstate 540 from County Line Road in Springdale to West Fork city limits is open for travel
  • Conditions appear to be such as to allow students, faculty and staff to reach campus

Transportation

If your student needs special transportation for a temporary injury or a permanent disability, the Razorback Paratransit is available. Persons who are eligible to use the Razorback Paratransit include:

  • Persons who have specific impairment-related conditions which make it impossible, not just difficult or inconvenient, to travel to or from the bus stop.
  • Persons who need a wheelchair lift and a wheelchair lift-equipped bus is unable to deploy its lift in a particular location due to physical constraints of that particular bus stop.
  • Persons who are unable to board, ride, exit or otherwise navigate the fixed route bus system, even if they are able to get to a bus stop.

If your student meets the above criteria, encourage them to contact the Razorback Paratransit at (479) 575-6993. More information about paratransit services can be found at parking.uark.edu/transit-services/paratransit.php.

Your student can purchase a parking permit at the Administrative Services Building or the Harmon Avenue Parking Garage between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Parking permit options are: student permit, resident reserved (based upon date of housing contract and space availability), garage student reserved (based on date of application), and remote permits. Metered parking is also available in the Arkansas Union Parking Garage and the Garland Center Parking Garage. More information about parking policies, permits and guest parking can be found at parking.uark.edu.

There are a few different options for you and your student to explore when planning on flying home for a break or holiday. Your student can ask a friend for a ride to and from the airport, or check to see if anyone would like to carpool and share the parking costs. Additionally, your student can look into the option of using a shuttle or taxi service. The Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) has resources on their website, www.flyxna.com, to help you identify a company or service that meets your needs.