WINTER 2016

When South Arkansas Community College was founded nearly a quarter-century ago, getting

an education without having to visit campus, delivered via computers, was the stuff of science fiction.

Today, it’s a fact. After a semester on campus in fall of 2014, education major Kasey Johnston, 20, of War-ren spent two semesters and a summer term attending SouthArk only as an online student. She’s back on campus this spring one night a week, but takes other classes online.

The schedule flexibility has freed up Johnston to have a full-time job at a preschool where she works with 4 and 5 year olds. She has impressed her employ-ers.

“With this degree that I am going to get through SouthArk, I will be able to take a teaching position [where I work],” she said. “I have the opportunity to move up.”

About half of our students take at least one ful-ly-online class, and it’s even possible to get a liberal arts transfer degree entirely online.

Johnston enrolled at SouthArk after seeing the positive experiences that her then-boyfriend, now-husband Jacob John-ston had as a student here from 2012 to 2014. Now Mrs. Johnston has be-come a SouthArk devotee herself.

“Some of the benefits are that the professors are so helpful, and SouthArk has such a great informa-tion technology depart-ment,” she said. “If you need help they are there to

STUDENT FEATURE: KASEY JOHNSTON

Going the distance

Kasey Johnston said that she loves being an online student at SouthArk.

help you. I know the support is there if I need them—both the professors and IT.”

She also is telling other prospective students her story. Kasey Johnston has convinced one of her cous-ins, who currently is a senior in high school, to enroll at SouthArk this fall as a distance-learning student.

Mrs. Johnston is on track to graduate from South-Ark in May, and intends to transfer the associate’s degree that she will earn here to an area university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in teacher education. She said that she intends to continue taking classes online.

“When I graduate this May, I won’t just have a degree in education. I’ll have the experience and hours that I have put in at the preschool on my resume as well as my degree,” she said. “Without being able to take classes online, I never would have been able to take a job teaching while I am gaining experience going to school.”

NEWS & NOTESThe Alpha Gamma Iota Chapter

of the Phi Theta Kappa honor so-ciety inducted seven new members at a ceremony in November.

A 2014 SouthArk promotional video received a Gold Medal-lion, representing first place in the category of promotional videos, at the annual District 4 Conference of the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations in Galveston, Texas. It was scripted by marketing coordinator Heath Waldrop.

The Semi-Annual Student Recognition Ceremony was held Dec. 1 at the El Dorado Conference Center.

Employees held a holiday pot-luck in December in advance of the winter break.

FROM NOVEMBER, DECEMBER AND JANUARY

SOUTHARK FOUNDATION

For a second time in three years, the Foundation Annual Report received a Gold Medal-lion at the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations District 4 Conference. The announcement was made in November.

The foundation participated in #GivingTuesday on Dec. 1, held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The global day of giving is intended to encourage philanthropy world-wide. The foundation’s goal was to raise money in support of college initiatives that bene-fit students.

A portrait of donor Bill Howard by SouthArk art in-structor Dinah VanHook was unveiled publicly in a ceremo-ny on Jan. 22. Heritage Plaza is named for Howard and his late wife Cacilia Howard. The painting hangs in the Library Atrium.

The SouthArk Outdoor Expo was announced on Jan. 28 as runner-up for the Fes-tival of the Year Award at the Arkansas Festivals and Events Association’s annual Arkan-sans Love Festivals and Events Awards in Little Rock. The Expo also captured first place in the category of Social Media Campaign.

The SouthArk Employee Club held its Holiday Gala on Dec. 5.

A manufacturing career ex-ploration day was held in early December to provide the public a chance to familiarize itself with the advanced welding, process tech-nology and industrial technology: mechatronics programs.

Fall Commencement was held

on Dec. 17 with special speaker State Rep. John Baine of El Dora-do. More than 300 students gradu-ated.

The spring semester began on Jan. 13.

The SouthArk Leadership Class visited the Arkansas Capitol in Little Rock in late January.

Occupational therapy assistant program director Cindy Meyer is a finalist for a League for Innovation in the Community College Excel-lence Award.

We strive to stay on the cut-ting edge at South Arkan-

sas Community College.We offer our students quality

education utilizing state-of-the-art technology. We constantly evaluate, research and learn in order to meet the demands of a knowledge-based economy and a technological work-place in the global market.

Our faculty and staff have worked diligently to identify, pro-pose, secure and implement state, federal and philanthropic grants to enable the college programs to stay current, relevant and cutting-edge. In the last decade more than $10 million in grant funds have been secured to build new programs and expand or support existing pro-grams in health care, manufactur-ing, technology and the arts.

Most recently, through funds provided by our U.S. Department of Labor Regional Advanced Man-ufacturing Partnership: Unleashing Potential (RAMP:UP) grant, we have purchased and installed a small modern assembly line, a full-scale robotic arm (the same kind used in some area manufacturing facilities) and a 3-D printer, all of which will help train the next gen-eration of engineering technicians to work in manufacturing facilities.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

COMING EVENTS

Visitors to our campus who see this impressive equipment always exclaim “Wow!” I am similarly impressed, and excited to be able to offer a safe and relevant environ-ment to learn.

Our various health-care students benefit from use of high-fidelity patient simulators. These devic-es mimic conditions that real-life human patients experience, but that our students might not observe during their clinical internships. The computer-driven simulators can run a fever, experience high blood pressure, discuss their tol-erances for pain—even give birth. We usually make the medical simulation laboratory a stop on campus tours when area legislators, dignitaries and other guests visit campus. It is easy to see how such amazing equipment can have such a positive impact on both teaching and learning.

Even when students are away from campus, they benefit from state-of-the-art technology that we have available at SouthArk. Our distance-learning equipment allows students not only to have access to their coursework, but also online tutoring. Increased bandwidth through ARE-ON has enabled im-proved connections for our nursing

and University Center students tak-ing courses via compressed video.

We’ve improved our automotive service program by adding a new computerized four-wheel alignment lift. Our respiratory therapy pro-gram utilizes first-class ventilators. Our radiologic technology students train on a hospital-quality imaging system. And our process technol-ogy students regularly work on top-line training units that emulate actual chemical processes. The list goes on.

In many cases this equipment was purchased entirely by or in concert with federal, state or private funding, or donated by business and industry partners. This generosity has helped make it possible for SouthArk—and there-fore our students—to stay at the technological forefront with skills that prepare them for tomorrow’s workforce.

We live in amazing, evolving world, and SouthArk is proud to be able to grow and change with it, all to meet our educational mission and for the betterment of the stu-dents and region that we serve.

FEBRUARY8 Ultimate Blowout Show16 African-American Read-In20 African-American Family and Friends Day

MARCH10 Lecture Series: P. Allen Smith15 Transfer Fair17 Spring Fling17 Senior Day

21-25 Spring BreakAPRIL

2 An Evening With the Stars21 Student Recognition Ceremony28 Donor-Scholar Luncheon