The Board of Trustees at Williams Baptist University gave its stamp of approval to the upcoming slate of graduates, and it approved the university’s budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year Tuesday, April 7. The board, meeting in regular session on the WBU campus, also recognized two standout athletes.
Williams will operate on a $20.4 million budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, which begins in July. The board gave its approval to the spending blueprint. It represents a 4.6 percent increase over the current fiscal year.
“The budget approved by the board today reflects careful stewardship of our resources while providing the funding necessary to provide an academically outstanding, Christ-centered education for our students,” said Williams President Dr. Stan Norman. “We are grateful to have a spending plan which meets our needs in a fiscally conservative fashion.”
In other action, trustees gave their formal approval to the slate of graduates in the Williams Class of 2026. More than 100 graduates are set to receive diplomas when WBU holds commencement exercises on May 9.
“This is the time of year when we get to see the fruits of our labors,” Norman said. “After years of pouring our lives into these students and sharing this wonderful part of life’s journey with them, we get to watch them grasp that diploma they have worked so hard to achieve. We are so excited for them and we are eager to see all that God does in their lives as Williams graduates.”
The board also approved the renaming of two psychology awards to honor a couple of longtime WBU professors. The awards are now known as the Dr. Paul Rhoads Psychology Award and the Dr. Gary Gregory Child & Family Studies Award. Both awards will be presented yearly to standout students in the Department of Psychology.
Rhoads and Gregory both retired in recent years after serving for decades on the WBU psychology faculty.
And trustees were given the opportunity to congratulate two Williams Eagles basketball players who earned accolades this season. Cha’Myrean Ellis of the women’s basketball team and Deion Wesson of the men’s squad were both honored. Both were named American Midwest Conference Player of the Year and AMC Newcomer of the Year in their respective sports, and both were honored as NAIA 3rd team All Americans. Norman recognized the two athletes during the board’s luncheon.
WBU’s Trustees are appointed by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. They meet three times each year.
