Arkansas College Teachers of Economics and Business to Host Annual Conference at UAPB

The Arkansas College Teachers of Economics and Business (ACTEB) will host its annual conference on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. This day-long event will begin at 8:30 am at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). Business owners, aspiring business owners, employers of students, and alumni are encouraged to attend.

A Meet and Greet will be held the evening before for those traveling from Fayetteville, Arkansas, and other parts of the state who would like to spend the night, according to Dr. Stephanie Cox, an Assistant Professor of Accounting at UAPB and President of ACTEB.

The 2025 ACTEB Conference will feature speakers, panelists, breakout sessions, a campus tour, and networking opportunities. The registration fee is $50.00 for general participants. Lunch is included in the registration fee. Registration is free for students. The student rate with lunch included is $20.00. Click this link to register.

The 2025 theme is “Embracing the Business Culture of the Natural State.” “With this year’s theme, I hope we can have some very beneficial and positive conversations about business in Arkansas,” Dr. Cox said. “Where are we going? Where should we be by now? What’s going to change?”

Experts are invited to help answer these questions and discuss various topics addressing data, trends, analysis, and economic and industry changes.  

“The data is very, very important. A lot of individuals don’t know what’s going on in Arkansas, especially surrounding numbers, the number of businesses that we have (or) the type of businesses we have,” Dr. Cox said. She added that many individuals are unaware of the financial resources to fund businesses.  

The ACTEB recently announced a call for proposals to allow individuals to submit details of a topic they have researched and want to present during the upcoming conference. Presentation topics include the following: Accounting, Management/Leadership and HR, Operations/Supply Chain/Logistics, Business/Entrepreneurship, Pedagogy, Finances, Management Information Systems and Data Analytics, Marketing, International Business, and Economics.  

Individuals interested in presenting need to email a detailed abstract (150 to 200 words) to Dr. Thomas Snyder, Professor of Economics at the University of Central Arkansas, at [email protected] by Feb. 10, 2025.

“We want to hear what’s important. What should we be teaching in the classroom? How should we prepare our students?” Dr. Cox asked.

She revealed that one critical need worth noting is that students need assistance with developing their soft skills, such as communicating, showing up, and preparing to do the job.

“Those are the basics. It’s almost like (we need to go) back to the basics. We have to ensure they have (soft skills) because I’ve met students who know everything about accounting. They’re great with finance, but they’re missing that piece of it,” Dr. Cox said.

According to Dr. Cox, the ACTEB was organized in October 1950 to provide the best possible college-level education in economics and business for the people of Arkansas. Members primarily consist of college-level instructors who receive information about the conference. However, some community members come to the meetings and share different perspectives on business.

“So, it is a conference that will be inclusive of members that are part of higher education and also members that are a part of just the regular business community,” Dr. Cox said.

Business owners, aspiring business owners, employers of students, and alumni are encouraged to attend. Additional details about the conference are forthcoming. To learn more, contact Dr. Cox at [email protected] or 870.575.8480.