Member Institutions

Kyle D. Parker, JD, President & CEO

Arkansas Colleges of Health Education


Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) is a private, non-profit institution located on 542 acres in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  ACHE’s first college, the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM) welcomed its inaugural class of 150 osteopathic medical students in August 2017.  Construction on the new main campus has included the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Health Sciences buildings which are home to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, … …more

Terry Kimbrow, President

Central Baptist College


Central Baptist College is a four-year, private liberal arts college located in Conway, Arkansas. Central Baptist College was founded in 1952 and since its inception has been committed to transforming lives through education that integrates Christian faith and academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment. What began as a dozen students and five employees has grown to over 750 students and 80 full time employees. Forty-two baccalaureate degree programs are offered at CBC’s main campus in … …more

Richard Johnson, President

Crowley’s Ridge College


Crowley’s Ridge College at Paragould became a four-year institution in 2008 after many years of being the only two-year college in the country affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The college opened in July 1964. Its founder, Dr. Emmett Floyd Smith Jr., had a strong desire to bring college-level Christian education to northeastern Arkansas. Smith had established a Christian secondary school, Crowley’s Ridge Academy, in 1953. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new college campus was … …more

Dr. David B. Burks, President

Harding University


Harding University at Searcy is the largest of the 11 AICU member institutions with almost 7,000 students representing more than 50 nations. Building on the qualities that have marked the school since its founding, Harding was recognized in October 2002 as the first Campus of Character by the International Association of Character Cities, an association of the Character Training Institute in Oklahoma City. This unique designation followed the passage of a resolution by the university’s board … …more

Dr. Karen Petersen, President

Hendrix College


In a guidebook he wrote for students, parents and counselors about 40 U.S. colleges and universities that make a difference in the lives of students, former New York Times education editor Loren Pope said this about Hendrix: “I was unexpectedly blown away by Hendrix. It is an exemplary college, and teenagers of a wide range of abilities and interests would find this a very happy fit socially. … There should be at least one college … …more

Dr. Charles Pollard, President

John Brown University


John Brown University at Siloam Springs, founded in 1919, serves more than 2,100 students from almost 40 nations. The university is an independent Christian institution with no denominational affiliation. “JBU is dedicated to one thing, educating the whole person – head, heart and hand,” says Dr. Charles Pollard, the school’s president. “We are a community of believers.” Numerous campus improvements have taken place in recent years, including an engineering and construction management facility, technology center, … …more

Dr. W. Joseph King, President

Lyon College


Lyon College in Batesville, one of the country’s premier liberal arts colleges, has received recognition from publications ranging from U.S. News & World Report to The Princeton Review to Washington Monthly. Lyon has been placed in the top tier of best liberal arts colleges and named one of the nation’s most socially beneficial liberal arts colleges. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education have selected … …more

Dr. Ben Sells, President

Ouachita Baptist University


Ouachita Baptist University at Arkadelphia opened its doors in September 1886 and has operated continuously since that time along the banks of the Ouachita River. Small classes are the norm rather than the exception at this nationally recognized liberal arts institution, which is affiliated with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. Dr. Ben R. Sells became Ouachita’s 16th president in 2016. Dr. Sells, who has extensive leadership experience in higher education, fundraising and missions involvement, recently served more … …more

Dr. Roderick L. Smothers, President

Philander Smith College


Philander Smith College at Little Rock is a historically black liberal arts institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It’s the only United Negro College Fund member in Arkansas. The college says its mission is to “graduate academically accomplished students, grounded as advocates for social justice, determined to change the world for the better.” Founded in 1877, Philander Smith was the result of the first attempt west of the Mississippi River to make education available … …more

Dr. Richard Dunsworth, President

University of the Ozarks


The University of the Ozarks at Clarksville is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA and located on a campus that covers 30 acres in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Founded in 1834, Ozarks was among the first coeducational schools west of the Mississippi River. It has posted a number of “firsts” through the decades. It was the first college in Arkansas to admit women in 1875, the first historically white college in Arkansas to … …more

Dr. Stan Norman, President

Williams Baptist University


Established in 1941 as Southern Baptist College, Williams Baptist University near Walnut Ridge now bears the name of its founder, Dr. H.E. Williams. The 180-acre campus is located on the fertile flatlands between the Ozark Mountains and Crowley’s Ridge. The college’s facilities have undergone significant improvements in recent years, including the construction of an administration building and a landmark chapel. Most of the other buildings on campus have been extensively renovated since the late 1990s. … …more