Southern Arkansas University (SAU) (formerly known as Southern State College, Magnolia A&M, and Third District Agricultural School) is a public four-year institution located in Magnolia, Arkansas, in Columbia County, Arkansas, situated less than 20 miles north of the Louisiana state line.
Maintaining a 17-1 student to instructor ratio, Southern Arkansas University offers programs that are unique for the region, including Game and Animation Design with a computer science concentration, or an arts and design focus. The University also provides an engineering program, the only of its kind in the southern half of the state.
In 2002, the University began a major capital campaign, the "Blue and Gold Vision," to upgrade academic and athletic facilities across the campus. The Blue and Gold Vision aims to raise $102.2 million for improvements to the University through a mix of public and private financing. Through the Blue and Gold Vision several new facilities have been built, including: the Donald W. Reynolds Campus & Community Center, Band Building, Mulerider Stables, University Village, Harton Theatre, Fincher Hall, and the Story Rodeo Arena.
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History
Southern Arkansas University was established by an Act of the Arkansas Legislature in 1909 as a district agricultural high school for southwest Arkansas and was originally named Third District Agricultural School, often called by students and faculty "TDAS." Its first term began in January 1911, with its curriculum including only subjects at the secondary school level. In 1925, the State Legislature authorized the school to add two years of college work and to change its name to Agricultural and Mechanical College, Third District (Magnolia A&M). The school continued to offer both high school and junior college courses until 1937, at which time the high school courses were discontinued.
In the fall of 1949, the Board of Trustees, exercising authority vested in it by the State Legislature, decided to develop the college at a four-year, degree-granting institution. The Board authorized the addition of third-year college level courses to being with the fall semester of 1950. Fourth-year courses were added in the fall semester of 1951. By Act Eleven (January 24, 1951), the State Legislature changed the name of the institution to Southern State College. In 1975, the institution was approved and accredited to offer a Master of Education Degree in selected areas. Following approval of the Board of Trustees, the name of the institution was changed to Southern Arkansas University by the Board of Higher Education on July 9, 1976, in accordance with Act 343 of the General Assembly of 1975.
Also in 1975, Southwest Technical Institute in Camden, Arkansas, joined the SAU system as Southern Arkansas University Tech.
University housing
Residence halls
The university operates eight residence halls:
- Bussey Hall (Females Only)
- Fincher Hall (Freshmen Only)
- Greene Hall
- Harrod Hall
- Honors Hall (North and South)
- Talbot Hall (Males Only)
- Talley Hall
- University Hall Learning Community
Fincher Hall is the site of the Residential College, a special program for freshmen which builds community and contact with faculty.
Honors Hall is the site of the Leadership College, a living and learning option for freshman and sophomore students focusing on students' academic and personal success.
Magnolia and Columbia Halls are currently under construction, with completion expected in the Fall of 2016. The new halls are estimated to house a total of 264 students between them at a construction cost of $12 million.
On-campus apartments
- University Village (two-bedroom and four-bedroom apartments
Academics
Undergraduate
Southern Arkansas University offers 70 different undergraduate options, including pre-professional tracks, and 2+2 degree completion programs in four different academic colleges.
David F. Rankin College of Business
- Accounting, Finance, and Economics
- Management, Marketing, and Management Information Systems
College of Education
- Teacher Education
- Early Childhood Education with certification in grades P-4
- Middle School Education with certification in grades 4-8
- Health, Kinesiology, and Recreation
College of Liberal and Performing Arts
- Art and Design
- Behavioral and Social Sciences
- English and Foreign Languages
- History, Political Science and Geography
- Music
- Theatre and Mass Communication
College of Science and Engineering
- Agriculture
- Biology
- Biochemistry, Chemistry and Physics (Engineering)
- Math and Computer Science
- Nursing
Graduate
Southern Arkansas University also offers 19 graduate programs, which are offered either face-to-face, online, or as a hybrid combination of the two.
Athletics
Southern Arkansas University is in the NCAA Division II as a member of the Great American Conference.
The university's athletic nicknames are Muleriders and Lady Muleriders. The Muleriders take their name from the legend that the football team in the early 1900s had to ride mules from the college's agricultural department to catch the nearest train 6 miles (9.7 km) north of the college in order to reach out-of-town football games.
The Muleriders football team won the Gulf South Championship in 1997.
In each of 1953 and 1954, the then Southern State College Mulerider tennis team went undefeated winning the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference in both singles and doubles and was invited by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to represent their district in their National Tennis Championships in 1953.
In 2006 and 2009, the Mulerider baseball team won the Gulf South Conference championship. In 2009 the Mulerider baseball team hosted the NCAA Division Two South Regional for the first time in school history.
In 2007, the Mulerider coed cheerleading squad competed at the NCA National Competition. In 2008, the cheerleading squad went back to nationals and took 5th in their division.
Traditions
Bed races
The annual Bed Races have been a unique tradition as a part of SAU's Family Day festivities since November 7, 1981. Representatives from SAU's residence halls build and race twin-sized "beds" with a mattress platform on top of four bicycle tires. Once constructed, the beds are decorated according to a theme decided annually by the residence's Hall Councils. The bed must have one reclining student, protected by a football helmet, and four runners. Each team competes in a double elimination race, and the winners take home the coveted Bed Race Trophy.
Celebration of Lights
The Celebration of Lights has been a Christmas tradition at SAU since 1984. What once started as a single display to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the school has become an annual part of the holidays in Magnolia. During the celebration, a large Christmas tree is lit in front of Overstreet, as well as light displays all over campus. Additional strands of lights are strewn along the 187-foot SAU bell tower, transforming it into a giant Christmas candle. Included in the festivities each year are: the Magnolia City Christmas Parade, caroling, pictures with Santa Claus for the children, and a holiday buffet dinner for the community.
Mulegating
"Mulegating" is a family-oriented event that gets Mulerider football fans geared up for every home SAU football game. Mulegating got its start in September, 2003, after the opening of the SAU Welcome Center. The SAU version of tailgating, students, family, and friends of SAU gather to visit, eat, and prepare for the upcoming game. The event is hosted by the University's Office of Alumni Relations, and there is always a variety of grilled food, as well as games for the children.
Greek life
Sororities
National Panhellenic Conference affiliates
- Alpha Sigma Alpha (Epsilon Alpha chapter)
- Phi Mu (Epsilon Omicron chapter)
- Sigma Sigma Sigma (Epsilon Zeta chapter)
- Sigma Alpha
National Pan-Hellenic Council affiliates
- Alpha Kappa Alpha (Iota Zeta chapter)
- Delta Sigma Theta (Lambda Mu chapter)
- Sigma Gamma Rho (Mu Eta chapter)
- Zeta Phi Beta (Iota Xi chapter)
Music
- Tau Beta Sigma (Gamma Omicron chapter)
- Kappa Kappa Psi (Delta Chi Chapter)
Fraternities
North-American Interfraternity Conference affiliates
- Alpha Gamma Rho (Gamma Gamma chapter)
- Sigma Pi (Epsilon Kappa chapter)
- Phi Lambda Chi
National Pan-Hellenic Council affiliates
- Alpha Phi Alpha (Kappa Iota chapter)
- Kappa Alpha Psi (Lambda Kappa chapter)
- Omega Psi Phi (Delta Eta chapter)
- Phi Beta Sigma (Theta Nu chapter)
- Iota Phi Theta
Other
- Sigma Phi Lambda (Alpha Iota chapter)
Notable alumni
- Jordan Babineaux - NFL football player for the Tennessee Titans
- Ken Beck - defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers in 1959 and 1960 seasons; later, educator and coach in Cotton Valley, Louisiana
- Bruce Bennett - Arkansas attorney general (1957-1960 and 1963-1966)
- Joyce Elliott - Democratic member of the Arkansas Senate since 2009
- Steve Forbes - Head basketball coach for the East Tennessee State men's basketball team
- Dan Kyle - Louisiana politician
- Tracy Lawrence - Award winning country music performer
- Nik Lewis - CFL All-Star football player for the Montréal Alouettes
- Lynn Lowe - Republican state party chairman, 1974-1980; Republican gubernatorial nominee, 1978
- Fred Perry - CFL All-Star football player for Edmonton Eskimos
- Ron Simmons - Member of the Texas House of Representatives from Carrollton since 2013; reared in southern Arkansas, attended SAU, and transferred to Dallas Baptist University, from which he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree
- Frank Spooner - Louisiana businessman and politician, attend first two years of college at SAU in the 1950s
- Harry Thomason - film & television producer/director of TV series: "Fall Guy","Designing Women"
- Cedric Thornton - NFL football player for the Dallas Cowboys
- Tommy Tuberville - Head football coach at University of Cincinnati. Former head football coach at Texas Tech University, Auburn University, & Ole Miss
- DeAnn Vaught - farmer in Sevier County and a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives since 2015
- Horace M. Wade - General in the United States Air Force
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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