Lions' Chronicle staff to moderate Municipal Candidate Town Hall at UAFS

The Lions' Chronicle staff will moderate upcoming town hall discussions featuring Director-At-Large and Mayoral candidates for the upcoming municipal elections. The town hall discuss

ions will be held in the Reynolds Room in the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Campus Center. Each session will begin at 11 a.m.  The Director –At-Large Town Hall will be held Monday, Oct. 12; the Mayoral Candidate Town Hall will be held Tuesday, Oct. 13. 

According to UAFS Chancellor, Dr. Teresa Riley, local elections are important to institutions like UAFS because local representatives make decisions that affect UAFS employees' and graduates' daily experiences. Representatives are elected to direct taxpayer investments for the betterment of the community.  Riley said citizens depend on local elected leaders to strengthen public infrastructure like transportation, utilities, and more with the expectation of improving the quality of life and safety of all citizens. 

"As a public university, UAFS is very reliant on the region where we educate students," said Riley. 

"Research on this topic refers to the 'Town-Gown Relationship,' which references the town where the university is located, and 'gown' represents the regalia worn by faculty and administrators. Each group heavily influences the growth, economy, and daily operations of the other." 

The influence of the academic 'gown' in that metaphor is critical to the Fort Smith community off-campus as well. 

 "The Arkansas River Valley and by default the City of Fort Smith look to UAFS for targeted education conducive to planned workforce development in our area," Riley said.  

“UAFS has invested heavily in health care and engineering programs to meet the needs of local hospitals/clinics and manufacturers." 

All UAFS students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend one or both of the town halls so they can develop a better understanding of each candidate's views on the important issues that affect Fort Smith and the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.