At 604 Locust Street in North Little Rock sits Shorter College, one of Arkansas’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU.) To some, it may look like a small campus, but to those who call it home, it represents something much bigger: a path to possible.
“If I had to describe it in one word, I believe I would use the word greatness. It’s here. Greatness is here,” said Dr. Jeffery Norfleet, President of Shorter College.
Founded in 1886 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church under Bishop Thomas Marcus Decatur Ward, the school was originally known as Bethel University.
It was created to educate formerly enslaved people following the Civil War, at a time when educational opportunities for African Americans were scarce.
What began with 109 students has grown into an institution now serving more than 700 students of all races. As it approaches 140 years of progress, Norfleet says its mission remains just as critical today.
“I think that the misunderstanding is that a two-year institution does not provide you the possibilities that a four-year institution would provide you with, but I’m here to tell you that students have an opportunity to start here at a cheaper cost and learn just as well if they went to any four-year institution,” Norfleet said.
Shorter College is the nation’s only private two-year HBCU. The faith-based school offers programs ranging from entrepreneurial studies to Christian leadership, giving students a variety of academic pathways while maintaining its historic foundation.
Freshman general studies majors Morgan Duvall and Caleb Jones say they chose Shorter because of the culture and support system unique to HBCUs.
“The environment, the energy, the positivity. If you’re looking for a school that’s going to support you and push you, Shorter is the one,” Duvall said.
The college is also expanding opportunities beyond its campus through a Prison Education Program. The initiative allows incarcerated students to earn an Associate of Arts degree while still serving their sentences, creating new pathways for those seeking a second chance.
Despite its growth and innovation, funding remains one of the college’s biggest challenges. In fiscal year 2024, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education awarded about $1 billion to the state’s public universities. Private institutions like Shorter College do not receive that funding.
“We want to make our campuses elaborate; we want to have the latest and greatest technology. We want to have the greatest buildings. Finances and funding is really the biggest hiccup and problem for us currently,” Norfleet said.
To operate, the college relies on tuition, private partnerships, and federal awards. Even with financial hurdles, leaders say the focus remains on growth and student success.
“In 10 years, I think we will see a larger footprint of Shorter College, more academic programs, bigger buildings, more buildings on campus. We are great and we’re going to continue to be great,” Norfleet said.
From educating freed slaves after the Civil War to serving hundreds of students today, Shorter College says its legacy is not measured by its size, but by its impact.
