SAU Honors College

The SAU Honors College was founded in 2003 by Dr. David Rankin, president of SAU. Dr. Lynne Belcher served as founding director and is retired from SAU. The Honors College seeks and admits qualified students who seek to pursue a serious academic program with equally gifted peers and committed teachers. Honors classes are small and provide academically enriching opportunities for students and the faculty who teach them. Currently, SAU enrolls nearly 170 honors students and graduates about 66% of admitees in four years or less. Anyone interested in applying to the Honors College or seeking further information should contact the director, Dr. Edward P. Kardas at epkardas@saumag.edu or at 870 904-8897.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Honors 2 + 2: South Arkansas Community College


 Dr. Barbara Jones, president of SACC, and Trey Berry, Provost of SAU, sign an MOU initiating an Honors 2 + 2 program between the two schools.

Today, Southern Arkansas University and South Arkansas Community College signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) marking the beginning of an Honors 2 + 2 program. Under the provisions of the MOU SACC will begin an Honors Program, headed by Dr. Jim Bullock, that will then allow its graduates to continue their honors education at SAU. Dr. Bullock, the incoming Vice President for Student Services, is an old hand in honors education, having taught and administered honors programs at two universities previously.

Prior the the Honors 2 + 2, honors qualified graduates from two-year colleges did not have enough time to earn an honors degree at SAU as it requires 24 honors hours. Now, graduates from Honors 2 + 2 programs will be able to transfer 12 to 15 honors hours to SAU and then complete their remaining honors hours during their last two years of college at SAU.

All Honors 2 + 2 programs (SACC, SAU Tech, and College of the Ouachitas) teach the same introductory course: Honors Seminar. That common course introduces students to honors education, teaches study and time management skills, and is writing intensive. Thus, honors graduates from Honors 2 + 2 programs will learn the same skills and will share the same expectations about honors education as the students in SAU's traditional Honors College program.

SAU is delighted to welcome another member to its Honors 2 + 2 program.