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Main :: The
University
The University
MISSION
Arkansas State
University educates
leaders, enhances
intellectual growth, and enriches
lives. (ASU=e3).
CORE VALUES
Arkansas State
University values the following as central to our success:
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Student-Centered: We are committed to education, inquiry and
service in order to meet students' changing needs. We foster
lifelong learning, civic and social responsibility,
leadership, and individual and career growth.
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Learning-Centered: We nurture intellectual flexibility,
knowledge and skills by integrating teaching, research,
assessment and learning to promote continuous improvement of
our scholarly community.
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Excellence:
We pursue excellence within the campus community through
opportunities for achievement in teaching, research,
scholarship, creative activity and service.
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Diversity:
We embrace diversity in all of its dimensions realizing that
mutual respect for individuality and the inclusion of all
are vital for both personal and institutional success.
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Service: We
support and recognize service at all levels of the
university. We strive to contribute to the benefit of the
university, the Delta, the state, the nation and the world.
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Integrity:
We hold high standards of character and integrity as the
foundations upon which the university is built.
VISION
Arkansas State University aspires to be an academic leader
recognized for innovation and quality in teaching and learning,
international standing in strategic research areas, and
commitment to outreach and service to the Delta and beyond.
LOCATION
The university is located about halfway
between the Mississippi River Valley, one of the most fertile
areas in the world, and the Ozark Mountains, rich in American
folklore and tradition. The university campus occupies an area
of 800 acres on the gently rolling slopes of Crowley’s Ridge, in
the city of Jonesboro.
HISTORY
Arkansas State
University enjoys a reputation as a quality regional institution
of higher education and is recognized for offering special
services to the people of the Arkansas Delta. It is the only
comprehensive public university located in this region.
Dedicated to teaching, research, and service, the university
provides students with the broad educational foundations that
help develop critical thinking and analytical skills,
decision-making capabilities, and communication skills. Dr. Les
Wyatt has been president of Arkansas State University since July
1, 1995.
This institution
was founded in Jonesboro in 1909 by the Arkansas Legislature as
a regional agricultural training school. It began offering a
two-year college program in 1918, then became "First District
Agricultural and Mechanical College" in 1925. A four-year degree
program was begun in 1930, and A & M College became "Arkansas
State College" in 1933. The Arkansas Legislature elevated the
college to university status and changed the name to Arkansas
State University in 1967. Today, the institution has more than
55,000 alumni.
Degree Programs:
Master's degree graduate programs were initiated in 1955, and ASU began offering its first doctoral degree, in educational
leadership, in the fall of 1992. A second doctoral program, in
environmental science, was begun in the fall of 1997, and the
doctoral program in heritage studies began in the fall of 2001.
The doctoral program in molecular biosciences began in the
spring of 2006. Programs at the specialist's, master's,
bachelor's and associate's degree levels are available through
various colleges: Agriculture, Business, Communications,
Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Humanities and Social
Sciences, Nursing and Health Professions, Sciences and
Mathematics, and University College. Classes are also offered
through The Honors College and the independent Department of
Military Science. More information about the various colleges
and academic departments is available through the Office of Academic Affairs
and Research.
Accreditation:
Arkansas State University's commitment to excellence in higher
education is demonstrated by its accreditation by The Higher
Learning Commission of the North Central Association, as well as
18 specialized accrediting organizations. In addition, the
university holds membership in several national organizations
which support the highest educational standards.
The ASU System:
The ASU System includes campuses at
Jonesboro
(Craighead County), which offers degree programs through the
doctoral level; Beebe
(White County), Mountain
Home
(Baxter County), and
Newport
(Jackson County), where associate degree programs are offered;
and at Heber Springs,
Marked Tree
and Searcy.
Arkansas State University-Beebe became part of the ASU system in
1955. It associated with White River Vo-Tech at Newport in 1992;
that campus has attained stand-alone status and is now Arkansas
State University-Newport. The Mountain Home campus officially
became ASU-Mountain Home on July 1, 1995. Delta Technical
Institute at Marked Tree merged with ASU and became Arkansas
State University Technical Center on July 1, 2001. A new campus
is being built for ASU-Heber Springs, which operates as a sister
campus of ASU-Beebe. Foothills Technical Institute at Searcy was
merged with ASU Beebe on July 1, 2003, and is now ASU-Searcy, a
technical institute of ASU-Beebe.
ASU offers
bachelor's degree programs, master's degree programs and upper
level courses through ASU degree centers at ASU-Beebe, ASU-Mountain
Home, and three other cities -- Blytheville, Forrest City and
West Memphis -- where partnership agreements have been
established in cooperation with the local community colleges.
ASU also operates an instructional site at nearby Paragould, in
Greene County.
LIBRARY
The Dean B. Ellis Library, centrally located in an eight-story
building, functions as an educational center for the university
community. It houses an open shelf collection which includes
over 595,791 books and periodical bound volumes, 577,684 federal
and state documents, and 584,730 units in microform. The
collection includes most subject fields, but emphasizes
education, history, fine arts, general reference, law, and
American and English literature. The Library of Congress
classification system is used for the arrangement of books, and
an online catalog provides access to its book collection and
electronic resources. Reserve items are available at the
Circulation Desk.
The library meets the informational needs of the university by
offering a variety of services. A staff of 14 professional
librarians and 23 support personnel acquires, organizes, and
services the collection. Reference librarians assist users in
locating information and in the use of the library. The
reference staff also offers an active library instruction
program which reaches numerous university classes. Online
databases provide access to thousands of journals and books not
housed within the library. Materials that are not contained in
the library's collection are accessible by interlibrary loan
through the OCLC network.
Special collections include 1) the Cass S. Hough Aeronautical
Collection of 14,000 books and memorabilia which has been
described as the single most valuable collection of aviation
materials in private hands; 2) an outstanding collection of Lois
Lenski books for children; 3) collections of notable Arkansas
authors of children's books: Charlie May Simon, Lois Snelling,
Faith Yingling Knoop; and 4) a collection of Arkansas writer
John Gould Fletcher.
The Tom Love Collection forms the nucleus of an extensive
"Arkansas Collection." It is comprised of manuscripts,
documents, and other historic materials relating to the state of
Arkansas. In addition, the Arkansas Room collection contains
Arkansas topographic and other maps, Arkansas State University
publications, and the student newspaper, The Herald.
The Honorable E. C. Gathings Collection is comprised principally
of correspondence from Arkansas' long-time congressional
representative, making available primary research materials
relating to the First Congressional District during Gathings'
time of service in the Congress.
The Honorable Bill Alexander Collection expands and extends the
research materials relating to the First Congressional District
through Congressman Alexander's tenure as a member of the U.S.
House of Representatives. The Alexander and Gathings collections
cover 53 years, 1939 to 1992.
The collection of creation science papers, donated by former
Arkansas Attorney General Steve Clark, includes the state's side
of the landmark creation science case.
The Judd Hill Collection, Mabel H. Gieseck Collection, and the
Ira Twist, Jr. Collection form the core of a primary research
emphasis on the agricultural development and environment
transformation of Eastern Arkansas.
An Oral History Program, housed in the library, has conducted
and taped interviews with a number of local citizens and state
leaders. The tapes are available for use by any interested
patron holding an ASU library card.
Other collections the Curriculum Materials Center which contains
K-12 teacher education materials. In addition to materials
directly related to classroom and research work, the library
provides students with general and recreational reading
materials. Exhibits and displays presenting ideas and issues are
also a regular part of an ongoing service program.
Media Services offers a wide range of audio and visual services
for both students and faculty engaged in university functions.
The staff produces overhead transparencies, produces audio and
video recordings, and provides laminating services.
Additionally, Media services lends audio-visual materials and
equipment for short-term use to students and faculty.
MUSEUM
Arkansas State University Museum is a
general museum housed in the Museum Building connected to the
west end of the Dean B. Ellis Library. Providing resource
materials for teaching and research, it exhibits strong
collections of Arkansas artifacts: birds, archaeological
objects, minerals and fossils, mammals, Pioneer items, and
military history. Arkansas Indian cultures—Quapaw, Osage, Caddo,
Chickasaw, and Choctaw—as well as Southwest Indian cultures
constitute multiple exhibits. The nationally known Lutterloh
glass collection forms the nucleus of an extensive decorative
arts collection. Dolls and toys extend the many historic
collections.
The museum, accredited by the American Association of Museums,
is a public as well as an institutional museum by
classification. It is one of five accredited museums in the
state and is open on a regular schedule Mondays through Fridays
as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
DELTA STUDIES CENTER
The Delta Studies Center at Arkansas
State University has been established to increase understanding
and address needs of the seven-state Lower Mississippi River
Delta, as well as to focus national and international scholarly
attention on the region.
The Delta Studies Center works with all
colleges and programs across campus to focus on and seek support
for interdisciplinary studies and activities directed toward the
people, institutions, economy, health care issues, history,
folklore, culture, arts, and biological and physical
environments characteristic of the Delta. Specific activities of
the center include archival development; public service;
dissemination of information; support for program development,
teaching and applied research; and collaboration with other
agencies and institutions in the seven-state region. |