By The Arkadelphian

The campus-wide furloughs that went into effect in February will be ending for those faculty and staff members still employed at Henderson State University.

Dr. Chuck Ambrose made the announcement Friday on the university’s website. In a letter to the Henderson community, Ambrose said the school will end the fiscal year with $3.7-$5 million in cash to support payroll this summer and to transition into the fall semester.

Ambrose noted a savings of more than $8 million since January, with $2.5 million of that figure coming from eliminated salaries and a hiring freeze.

The chancellor has also hinted that an announcement regarding Henderson’s future will be discussed at an upcoming community event “in the coming weeks.”

Administrators are in talks with sister institutions in the Arkansas State University System to “expand learning opportunities across our geographic areas and to build the size and shape of our academic program moving forward,” Ambrose noted in his letter. “This will include expanding academic programs that have traditionally been offered at Henderson to new locations and markets. This also will include providing Henderson students with access to new degree options, especially graduate degrees, by [using] instructional resources in collaboration with system institutions.”

Ambrose said also that Henderson will be working “closely” with the ASU-Three Rivers campus in Malvern to “support workforce development” in Clark County, and are exploring how the two campuses could join forces to increase the number of two- and four-year degrees earned in the area.

CLICK HERE to view Henderson’s modified cash budget.