Southern Arkansas University

Southern Arkansas University “feels like home” with personalized tour visits, faculty and staff who care about student success, and a caring campus community. SAU also offers traditional and unique academic degree programs that are ranked nationally for quality and affordability. 

Nestled in a quiet and beautiful part of south Arkansas, SAU is a great place to call home and to study a broad range of academic programs, including some unique offerings to the state and region. Along with boasting a complete college experience on campus, the University is a short drive from outdoor activities and is central to many regional hubs, such as Texarkana, Shreveport, Little Rock, etc.

Established in 1909, SAU has built on its dedication to student achievement and continues to grow, both on campus and online, with more than 80 degrees in four distinct colleges and the School of Graduate Studies.

Mission

The mission of Southern Arkansas University is to educate students for productive and fulfilling lives in a global environment by providing opportunities for intellectual growth, individual enrichment, skill development, and meaningful career preparation. The University believes in the worth of the individual and accepts its responsibility for developing in its students those values and competencies essential for effective citizenship in an ever-changing, free, and democratic society. Further, the University provides an environment conducive to excellence in teaching and learning, scholarship, creative endeavors, and service.

Vision

SAU is a quality, comprehensive, regional University expanding accessible and transformational learning experiences.

Goals

1. Implement strategies that demonstrate student learning as the most important university experience.
2. Insure the University Learning Goals and General Education Goals are achieved through a comprehensive assessment process.
3. Recruit and retain diverse, well-qualified faculty and staff that support an environment of collegiality and academic excellence.
4. Develop and implement enrollment management strategies that recruit students of character and academic promise.
5. Improve retention and graduation of students.
6. Establish strategic partnerships and initiatives to expand advancement and development of SAU.

Southern Arkansas University (SAU), a comprehensive regional public university, was founded in 1909 as the Third District Agricultural School (TDAS). The school was later elevated to a junior college, Magnolia A&M, in 1925, and a four-year college, Southern State College, in 1951. Renamed Southern Arkansas University in 1976, the University has grown to host over 4,000 students, serving as an educational cornerstone of the Magnolia community and Southwest Arkansas.

The list of opportunities available outside of the classroom at SAU is as broad and diverse as the list of degree programs. While earning a degree at SAU, students can find a niche to match any interest through more than 60 student organizations.

Through the Residential Interest Group program, SAU even offers students the unique experience of living with others who share similar interests. Because of the record enrollments, including campus living, SAU is currently constructing two new residence hallsat the north entrance to campus.

Entertainment flavors the campus experience throughout the year as SAU offers professional entertainment, concerts, plays, movies, lectures, workshops and intramural sports to round out the complete college experience.

For die-hard sports fans and athletes, SAU is a competitive member of the NCAA Division II and part of the Great American Conference. Men’s teams compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, track, and golf. Women’s teams compete in volleyball, basketball, cross country, softball, track, and golf.

In 2012, SAU added a sports fishing team to the school’s list of extracurricular competitive sports. The SAU Rodeo Team is nationally competitive and consistently ranks high in regional and national intercollegiate competitions.

Housing Options

We provide places in 16 student dormitories. Among them are:

• Arkansas Hall. Arkansas Hall will open in the Fall of 2019 as our newest hall on campus. It will house Freshman only who are accepted to the Leadership College Living Learning Community (LLC). Arkansas Hall has beautiful rooms with moveable furniture so students can configure their space with their roommate. There are kitchenettes on every floor with…
• Burns-Harsh Hall. Burns-Harsh Hall is a freshman-only residence hall for students in the Leadership College Living Learning Community. Burns-Harsh Hall opened in August 2017 and has a kitchenette along with hybrid-style bathrooms to give extra privacy to our residents.
• Bussey Hall. Bussey Hall is a three-story, brick structure built in 1949-1950 as an all-girls residence hall and functions as this still today.  It is roughly U-shaped with the main entrance sheltered by a three-story portico and triangular gable pediment supported by round columns.  
• Columbia Hall. Columbia Hall is a freshman-only residence hall for students enrolled in the Residential College Living Learning Community. Columbia Hall opened in August 2016 and has kitchenettes on every floor with lush common areas, along with hybrid-style bathrooms that give extra privacy to our residents. 
• Eichenberger Hall. Eichenberger Hall is a small, residence hall for our Engineering and Science students.  It opened in August 2017 with a common kitchenette and hybrid-style bathrooms for extra privacy for our residents. Students in Eichenberger Hall will choose between the living learning communities of Tomorrow’s Engineers and Life Support.
• Fincher Hall. Fincher Hall is a co-ed residence for our students who participate in the SAU Mulerider Band Program. It has 45 suite-style rooms, computer lab, vending room, laundry room, classroom, and study rooms on each floor and is located just across from the Oliver Band Hall.

Facilities

• Campus Dining
• Mulerider Activities Center. The MAC provides programs and services in the area of open recreation, intramural sports, equipment check out, and special events.
• The Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center at Southern Arkansas University is an integral part of the campus and the surrounding community.  Grand Hall, Foundation Hall, and many other meeting rooms provide state-of-the-art equipment in addition to beautiful backdrops to those groups and organizations that need comfortable and spacious meeting places. The University encourages anyone who wishes to use the Reynolds Center to call (870) 235-5355 and make your reservations.  Whether it be a conference for hundreds of people, or a small meeting for 10, the Reynolds Center will be able to accommodate each individual group’s needs.
• The Story Arena. The Story Arena is a multipurpose, covered arena located on US 82, west of the Mulerider Stables. The facility consists of a 78,000 square foot covered rodeo-style arena with a dirt floor and seating for approximately 1,400. There is also an adjacent 7,500 square foot reception area that sits in front of the arena. 

• International Scholarship Program