region for its relatively low tuition and fees, and it allayed local concerns about the risks of co-education by enforcing a strict code of moral conduct and discipline.
Under the stewardship of Rick Niece, who began serving in 1997, funding helped propel Ozarks into the twenty-first century with multiple new faculty positions; several new buildings (including the $7 million Walker Hall, completed in 2002); and a stronger system of student recruitment, retention, and support. Niece, who was named the university's 24th president in 1997, stepped down on June 30, 2013, after 16 years of dedicated service and leadership at the helm of the Clarksville, Ark., campus. Only the presidencies of F.R. Earle (1858–1891) and Wiley Lin Hurie (1923–1949) lasted longer in the university's 182-year history.
The University of the Ozarks Board of Trustees elected Richard L. "Rich" Dunsworth, J.D., as the university's 25th president, which was effective July 1, 2013.
== Academics ==
University of the Ozarks offers more than 60 …
