The Student Government Association (SGA) chose a site in front of the Student Center and adjacent to Ferguson Chapel last month. The board had to approve the site because it is providing $225,000 of the $300,000 it will cost to build the amphitheater. SGA is providing $50,000 and Housing & Residence Life is providing $25,000

The board also authorized the administration to renew the contract with Barnes & Noble to operate the campus bookstore. The agreement extends the contract to June 30, 2013.

As part of the new contract, Barnes & Noble started a textbook rental program this semester. The company also spent $60,000 on improvements to the bookstore during the summer. The university provided $50,000 for the renovations. The contract also guarantees the university at least $350,000 annually from bookstore sales.

In other business, the board voted to ask the state legislature to transfer $25 million from the university's operating account to its capital improvement account. The money will be used to expand the HPER Center and build Bear Hall.

The university plans on almost doubling the size of the HPER Center, adding a 25-yard swimming pool, four raquetball courts, a fitness center, aerobic rooms, a climbing wall, a lounge, lockers and offices.

Bear Hall is a five-story residential hall being built behind the visitor's side of Estes Stadium. It will have 385 beds and a large lobby with a kitchen and laundry. The top floor includes 12 20-person skyboxes that overlook the football field.

They questioned him about enrollment, finances, the university's public image, the search for a new president and the university's marketing plan.

The meeting was open to everyone but only three or four students attended, something SGA president Austin Hall said he would try to change before next month's meeting.

"I'll do a better job of getting SGA involved next time," Hall said, "but I want students here asking the right questions."

Courtway initially addressed the university's need for a consistent enrollment plan and referred to the last few years as an "enrollment roller coaster."

"Once that enrollment goal is set, we need to know how we're going to get there," Courtway said.

Robert Parrent, vice president of enrollment management since July, said that enrollment is improving. Parrent said that students across Arkansas are submitting admission applications. A recent trip to a Harrison high school yielded 46 applications as opposed to just six last year. Russellville contributed 101 applicants. This year's freshman class had an average ACT score of about 23, which is higher than in past years, he said.

"UCA is on fire," Parrent said. "We have momentum going on here."

On the issue of finances, Courtway addressed concern over money to fund academic summer research. Revenues have dropped with enrollment so money to pay for  summer research will have to go back into various departments, he said.

Courtway said that  he was not personally good at raising money but pledged that he would only ask for money to improve academics, scholarships and athletics for the campus.

"I'll go anywhere or do anything for UCA," he said.

Some faculty and staff expressed concern about the university's public image following the abrupt resignations of two controversial presidents. Polly Walter, an assistant professor of journalism, asked if there has been or will be research on whether people still want to attend UCA after our administrative problems.

"I think the public, students and parents know this is a good place to go," Courtway said.

Recent declines in enrollment occurred mainly in concurrent, junior, senior and graduate student enrollment, he said. Freshmen enrollment, however, has increased, he said.

"It's because faculty, staff and students here spreading [good] word through Internet and friends," said Courtway.

Courtway also said the university's marketing slogan, "You Belong," is being reviewed. The administration plans to develop a new slogan based on a 50-word mission statement.

Courtway did not disclose any new information about a new presidential candidate. The faculty senate and SGA have said they want him to be the next president.

"I don't have any comment on it because it hasn't started," Courtway said.

Courtway plans to hold monthly Campus Talk meetings with students, faculty and staff.

Here's the "You Belong" television commercial being reviewed.

The vote was taken at brief meeting at 9 a.m. yesterday with board members Rush Harding, Victor Green and Bobby Reynolds attending by telephone. Pam Massey, the director of the office of internal audit, also attended by telephone and recommended that the board suspend its investigations because the Arkansas State Police had begun an investigation.

The board had ordered an internal audit earlier this month to determine the details of Aramark's offer to donate $700,000 for the renovation of the president's house in exchange for a seven-year extension of its contract to provide food services on campus. Meadors resigned Sept. 2 after admitting that he misled the board by characterizing the donation as a gift.

Faulkner County Prosecuting Attorney Cody Hiland requested an investigation by the state police last Thursday citing the amount of evidence involved. A state police officer has been assigned to do the investigation.

Hardin's sentence was reduced from 9-12 months in prison as part of a plea bargain with federal prosecutors. U.S. Assistant Attorney Pat Harris said Hardin is cooperating with the FBI in another investigation at UCA. Details of that investigation have not been released.

Hardin's attorney, Chuck Banks, spoke to federal judge James M. Moody about Hardin's past, saying his mostly good life should get him leniency.

"The world would be better off for people like Lu Hardin to be in it," Banks said.

Banks also said the crimes were unlike anything Hardin had ever done and were due to his gambling addiction.

"Being addicted is not an affirmative defense, but an explanation," Banks said.

Hardin then spoke for himself, asking the judge to look at the facts.

Moody then told Hardin that after considering everything, including his past and cooperation with the ongoing investigation, a more lenient sentence was acceptable. Moody called the conduct an "aberration" from his normal life. Moody also said he would recommend Hardin spend his community service teaching about ethics and the dangers of a gambling addiction.

Hardin and Banks had no comments after the sentencing.

U.S. Assistant Attorney Pat Harris said he felt the punishment matched the seriousness of the crimes. Harris also said his office did not file a request for leniency for Hardin.

Both resolutions condemned Roussel for not telling the other board members about a contract extension tied to Aramark's offer to donate $700,000 for the renovation of the president's house. Former President Allen Meadors also knew about the condition and didn't disclose it to the board. Meadors resigned Sept. 2, days after the controversy began.

The faculty senate tabled a resolution asking for Roussel's resignation from the board and a resolution that would have been a vote of no confidence in the board. The staff senate also tabled a resolution asking for Roussel's resignation. Both groups said they would wait until the investigation was complete before reconsidering the resolutions, according to a story in the Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

News6 had this report on the faculty senate's meeting earlier this week.

We know it's not polite to discuss people's salaries but we aren't disclosing any secrets here. All this information is published in the university's budget book and available in Torreyson Library. All we've done is put it into a searchable database and delivered it to your computer. You're welcome.

Here are a few of the highlights:

• President Allen Meadors makes the most - $238,000
• Provost Lance Grahn ranks second - $172,000
• Head Football Coach Clint Conque - $126,601
• Head Basketball Coach Corliss Williamson - $109,544
• Head Baseball Coach Allen Gum - $58,500
• Police Chief Larry James - $88,680
• Average campus police officer - $35,000
• Administrative Assistants - $18,000-$38,000
• Janitors - $16,000-$25,000

Just a couple of more clarifications before we link you to the spreadsheet. The salaries are the amount budgeted by the university. They may not be the amount actually paid. Some salaries are paid by more than one department but that isn't detailed in the budget book. We tried to find them all and compute the total pay but we can't make any guarantees. And, people hired under the "emergency hire" provision aren't included on the list.

Here's the list. You can search by name, department or salary amount. If you search by name, use the first name first.

"It's no big deal," Meadors said. "Just helping a brother out."

Hardin is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty last month to felony federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering. He was accused of lying to the Board of Trustees to get a $300,000 bonus.

Hardin lost his job as president of Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla., because of the guilty pleas. For the second time in two years, he was evicted from a university's presidential home.

Now, he is homeless, Meadors said.

"He's been living in a Super 8 motel near Gurdon," Meadors said. "But, a road construction crew started working in the area and he lost his room. We had to do something."

Hardin is required to have a permanent address when he returns to court for sentencing. He is asking the court for probation or house arrest with electronic monitoring instead of being sent to federal prison.

"We are working with the court to find him a job here as part of a work-release program," Meadors said.

Meadors said he had submitted a proposal to the court offering Hardin a job at the Physical Plant. The proposal includes using university police to monitor Hardin and campus counseling services to provide him regular treatment sessions. It also provides Hardin housing in the basement as part of his salary.

Lu Hardin

The basement has about 600 square feet, which is about six times larger than a standard federal prison cell. Hardin also will have access to cable television, telephone service, Internet access and a private bathroom. Meals with Meadors and his wife are included in the rent.

"We wanted him to take meals with us," Meadors said. "We just love Lu. He's taught us a lot about running a university."

Hardin couldn't be reached for comment. He hasn't returned a reporter's telephone call in almost three years.

April Fool's Day. This is a parody.

Here's the central issue. Should we have stayed in a meeting where we clearly weren't welcome? Nobody is seriously debating our right to be there but should we have left when Honors College faculty members asked us to leave? Should we have agreed to their request that the meeting remain private?

There have been strong opinions for and against our decision to attend the meeting and report about it. In fact, this is one of the oldest debates in journalism, the kind of thing we usually study from a textbook. We are honored to be part of it and we are offering a poll to find out what you think. It's quick and easy. Just answer yes or no. We'll record the votes and publish the results.

Come on. What do you think? Were we heroes (remember, Superman was a journalist) or were we jackasses? Be honest. We can take it.

If you don't know what we are talking about, click here and here to read the stories and the ensuing debate.

 The Concierge Service and SGA are sponsoring "pizza wars" during X-period today in the courtyard. Bear's Den, CiCi's, Domino's, Gusano's and Little Caesars will all be there handing out free pizza. They are competing for our votes as the best pizza.

The first 300 students there will get a free T-shirt. During the event, there will be a raffle for a chance to win tickets to Arena Cross and gift certificates from Slim Chickens, Holly's Country Cooking, Salon Blue, Radio Shack and other places.

At 2 p.m., students from several RSOs will participate in a pizza-eating contest.  There will be one male and one female champion.

There also will be several displays about the environment as part of SGA's "Be a Peace of Something Bigger" program.

You'll need your student identification to get a slice. They don't want everybody on campus crowding the courtyard for free pizza.

The college has scheduled a meeting between the two sides at 7:30 p.m. in the lobby of Farris Hall. The goal is to end the argument by allowing them to discuss their differences directly.

Karen Cockrum, the Honors College student who started the ordeal by criticizing the fraternity Feb. 1 on Facebook after reading about the sexual assualt allegation, said she is ready to end the dispute.

"I'm ready for it to be over," Cockrum said, " but I lost so much respect for the way that many members of Sig Ep handled the whole situation."

The argument has been ugly at times. On St. Valentine's Day, some members of Sig Ep left cookies with a note outside Cockrum's door.

"Karen," the note attached read. "Please enjoy these cookies as a token of our appreciation for your concern regarding our fraternal organization. Sincerely, The Gentlemen of Sigma Phi Epsilon, Spring 2011."

Sig Ep later admitted the delivery was an act of spite against Cockrum.

Sig Ep member Jon Whitt posted this comment on Facebook: "The people who were involved in the cookie incident know that it was immature. But I can totally understand the strong feelings that led them to act immaturely. It was uncalled for, but so was this entire conversation."

Sigma Phi Epsilon

Sig Ep Vice President Brad Sanders made an attempt to apologize to Cockrum through a Facebook message for the way the fraternity's pledges were behaving. He said that their harsh comments were a product of hurt feelings over the harmful words about the fraternity. His comments led to another argument.

The faculty of the Honors College plans to end the dispute tomorrow night. The meeting is open to the public.