Institutional Profile
See A-State’s current institutional commercial. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
OVERVIEW ARKANSAS STATE MILESTONES: Founded in 1909 — College status in 1933 — Graduate programs added 1955 — University status in 1967 — First doctoral program in 1992 — University system created in 2006 — Medical school partnership with NYIT in 2014 — First graduates of Campus Querétaro in 2021
Arkansas State, founded in 1909, is the second-largest university in the state. A Carnegie Research 2 university, A-State hosts the first osteopathic medical school in Arkansas, the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, and opened the first U.S.-style residential campus in Mexico in fall of 2017. It is located on Crowley’s Ridge in Jonesboro, the largest city in eastern Arkansas and the economic hub of the region. With the Discover 2025 and Beyond Strategic Plan as its guide, A-State is engaged in creating collaboration opportunities including the Center for No-Boundary Thinking and developing a College of Veterinary Medicine to serve the needs of our state and region.
A-State begins its second decade offering online curriculum and course work, and remains the state’s largest provider of 100% online degree programs based in the state with 99 areas of study. Incoming students will find more than 200 campus organizations, more than 20 men’s and women’s intramural sports, more than 20 national Greek organizations, and NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision intercollegiate athletic programs to enhance their university experience. Today, the institution has more than 100,000 alumni and meets the needs of individuals and communities at all points along the educational continuum.
Undergraduate experiences have been highlighted for the last decade with the Create@State spring conference. Create@State participants have an advantage in achieving the graduate school of their choice, including continuing to advanced degrees at A-State. Research opportunities alongside our faculty are not the exception at A-State. Whether it is performing experiments at the Arkansas Biosciences Institute or assisting with research studies in other laboratory spaces, hands-on work usually associated with graduate school is common for our students.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
West Plaza Reng Student Union
MISSION
Arkansas State University educates leaders, enhances intellectual growth, and enriches lives. Vision To be a university that is a recognized leader in the power of higher education to transform lives at an inclusive research institution.
See how A-State students and faculty won the opportunity from NASA to send an experiment to the International Space Station.
Core Values Arkansas State University recognizes the following values as central to our success: • Student-Centered: We are committed to education, inquiry and service to meet students’ changing needs. We foster lifelong learning, civic and social responsibility, leadership and individual and career growth. •
Learning-Centered: We nurture intellectual flexibility, knowledge and skills by integrating teaching, research, assessment and learning to promote continuous improvement of our scholarly community.
•
Excellence: We pursue excellence within the campus community through opportunities for achievement in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity and service.
•
Diversity: We embrace diversity in all its dimensions, realizing that mutual respect for individuality and the inclusion of all are vital for both personal and institutional success.
•
Service: We support and recognize service at all levels of the university as we strive to contribute to the benefit of the university, the Delta, the state, the nation and the world.
•
Integrity: We hold high standards of character and integrity as the foundations upon which the university is built.
Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
DISCOVER 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN The product of a lengthy study period which included town halls and meetings with constituents across the campus, community and alumni, the Discover 2025 Strategic Plan identified five goals, or pillars, for the future. It was adopted by the Discover 2025 committee and approved by the ASU System Board of Trustees. The five goals are: •
Student Success: Develop a diverse learning community and innovative environment that provides engaged and continuous support for future and current students to pursue lifelong goals.
•
Teaching & Learning: Invest in viable and relevant academic programs designed to meet the needs of our students and their future employers.
•
Research & Creative Activities: Invest in academic research, scholarly activities and creative endeavors (faculty and student) that build on academic strengths and leverage regional opportunities.
•
Community Engagement: Strengthen the university’s engagement with the community through economic and cultural endeavors.
•
Campus Culture & Shared Values: Improve campus culture and promote shared values.
Learn more about all aspects of campus in this video, 2023 Semester in Review. Click here to view full video.
Each goal has key points and examples of actionable objectives that can be viewed online at AState.edu/Discover2025
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
Dean B. Ellis Library
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE COLLEGES ON THE A-STATE CAMPUS: Agriculture — Education & Behavioral Science — Engineering & Computer Science — Liberal Arts & Communication — Neil Griffin College of Business — Nursing & Health Professions — Sciences & Mathematics — University College
Arkansas State University operates as a member of the Arkansas State University System based in Little Rock and offers degrees at the doctoral, specialist, master’s, bachelor, and associate levels. Arkansas State is home to eight undergraduate colleges: Agriculture, Engineering and Computer Science; Education and Behavioral Science; Neil Griffin College of Business; Liberal Arts and Communication; Nursing and Health Professions; Sciences and Mathematics; and University College. While it does not award degrees, the Honors College is a component of the university’s academic structure. The Department of Military Science provides programs for students who aspire to be U.S. Army officers. Arkansas State University’s online degree program, A-State Online (AOS), offers over 100 total programs at the associate, bachelor, certificate/specialist, master’s and doctoral degree levels, with another 18 programs set to roll out in the near future. Representing all 50 states, AOS is the largest online provider in the state of Arkansas. While the majority (74%) are graduate students, more than 1,500 students are pursuing their bachelor’s degree.
A-State degree programs are also offered at the ASU System’s two-year institutions at Beebe, Mountain Home, Newport and West Memphis. A-State has additional bachelor degree programs, as well as upper-level and graduate courses through degree centers located at other two-year institutions. The Jonesboro campus is led by the chancellor, with a Chancellor’s Cabinet which includes the senior executive vice chancellor and provost in Academic Affairs and Research, senior vice chancellor for Finance and Administration, vice chancellors for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations; Intercollegiate Athletics; Student Affairs and Dean of Students; University Advancement; and Chief Communications Officer. The Arkansas State University System is governed by a seven-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Governor of Arkansas to serve staggered seven-year terms. The trustees hire the system president, approve the curriculum, annually approve an operating budget, and establish policies for the efficient and effective operation of the institutions.
Arkansas State’s Campus Querétaro in Mexico provides nine degree programs at the bachelor and master’s degree level that are valid both in the United States and in Mexico, and graduated its first class in Spring 2021. The first American-style residential campus in Mexico, A-State Campus Querétaro is also a study abroad location for Jonesboro-based students and creates opportunities for new collaborative degree programs.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
HISTORY & TRADITIONS
Learn more about the history of the Wilson Award. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University (A-State on second reference) in Jonesboro evolved from a regional agricultural training school founded in 1909 by the Arkansas General Assembly. The institution began offering a two-year college program in 1918 and became the First District Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1925. A four-year degree program was initiated in 1930, with a name change to Arkansas State College in 1933. Graduate programs were initiated in 1955. The General Assembly elevated the college to university status in 1967, making it the second university in Arkansas. Since that time, A-State has continued expanding its academic programs and services to provide citizens of Arkansas and the region with access to an array of opportunities in higher education.
Today known as the Red Wolves – the only Red Wolves in NCAA Division I – Arkansas State has a history of three other mascots. One of the oldest paved roads in Jonesboro commemorates the first mascot, Aggie Road, and building the paved road from downtown to campus was a symbol during our founding period of the community’s commitment to A-State. In the 21st century, Jonesboro renamed one of its primary roads as Red Wolf Boulevard, which leads from Interstate 555 to campus.
The Memorial Arch is the oldest structure on campus, and has become the academic symbol of the university featured on the institutional seal. Located at the campus core, the Memorial Arch is surrounded by Wilson Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus; Humanities and Social Sciences, one of the newest and largest instructional buildings; and Dean B. Ellis Library, the bell tower of which is illuminated Scarlet to commemorate special occasions.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS Arkansas State University was recently affirmed as a national doctoral university with its status as Carnegie Research 2. Consistent with its traditional roots as a first-generation-serving institution, U.S. News & World Report has listed A-State twice in recent years for student upward mobility. Arkansas State is also among the top Southern universities ranked by Princeton Review.
Watch an overview of A-State’s academic programs. Click here to view full video.
As of fall 2023, Arkansas State has 46 degree programs with more than 160 major fields of study offered at the doctoral, specialist, master’s, bachelor and associate degree levels. Master’s degree programs were initiated in 1955, and A-State began offering its first doctoral degree program, educational leadership, in the fall of 1992. Arkansas State has seen continued growth in doctoral programs with Environmental Science in 1998, Heritage Studies in 2001, Molecular Biosciences in 2006, Physical Therapy in 2008, Nursing Practice in 2012 and most recently Occupational Therapy in 2016.
During fiscal year 2023, Arkansas State awarded 2,520 undergraduate and 2,361 graduate degrees, with three of the past five years ranking as record years for degrees conferred. The most bachelor degrees were awarded in general studies, nursing, business administration, exercise science, psychology, biological sciences, and elementary education. The largest master’s degree program was educational leadership, followed by reading, sports administration, public administration and special education K-12. Arkansas State’s commitment to excellence in higher education is demonstrated through its accreditation by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as more than 20 specialized accrediting organizations. A-State also holds membership in national and international organizations that support the highest educational standards. More information about the various colleges and academic departments is available through the Office of Academic Affairs and Research.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
HIGHLIGHTS BY COLLEGE
Tarendeep Thind explains how A-State has propelled her career forward. Click here to view full video.
Among our academic divisions, the Neil Griffin College of Business is the first named college, and is home to the Small Business Technology and Development Center, the Wood Sales Leadership Center, the Women’s Leadership Center and top-rated online MBA programs and online undergraduate Business Administration in the region. Griffin College coordinates with the Delta Center for Economic Development and its University Center for programs, and sponsors the largest Phi Beta Lambda chapter in the nation, and the student-members of the business leadership society routinely earn national titles. The College of Agriculture is home to the Judd Hill Farmers’ Market, a major community outreach that is set to double its facility size and incorporate new facilities for agricultural entrepreneurship. The college operates the university’s two research and teaching farm units, as well as serves as the host for notable events like the almost three-decade-old A-State Agribusiness Conference. The College of Liberal Arts and Communication remains one of the region’s centers of excellence in media and communication, Arkansas State’s School of Media and Journalism is home to an accredited media program whose students regularly take home national awards, the oldest NPR-member radio station west of the Mississippi (KASU) and celebrated in 2021 a century-long tradition of a student-run newspaper, The Herald. CLAC is also home to annual events with a national profile such as the Delta National Small Prints Exhibition, the Johnny Cash Heritage Festival and the Delta Symposium. The College of Education and Behavioral Science is the largest producer of early childhood educators in the state, and through its Childhood Services division one of the primary educators and research facilities for this critical societal area. CEBS recently received a major grant to support a broadening of its social work program in support of mental health initiatives across the state.
Along with national rankings among the top in the state and region for its School of Nursing, A-State’s College of Nursing and Health Professions has collaborative arrangements with NYIT’s on-campus medical school and numerous external clinical partners. CNHP has 15 undergraduate and 12 graduate degree programs, including doctoral programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing practice. A-State is one of the state’s leading providers of nursing graduates. The College of Mathematics and Sciences administers two interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs and is responsible for $2.5 million annually in external research. The college houses the EcoTox research facility and is the national repository for DNA and research materials for the national Endangered Red Wolves Project. The college is home to the pre-medical degree programs and successfully places around 30 students per year in accredited medical and dental schools. A member of the biological sciences faculty recently became the first professor from any Arkansas university to earn a Jefferson Scholar award from the U.S. Department of State. The College of Engineering and Computer Science has cutting edge programs in computer science, engineering, engineering technology and engineering management, and is home to the Hytrol Materials Handling Laboratory. The college is collaborating with other areas of campus on the coming Windgate Hall of Art and Innovation. Each of A-State engineering disciplines is accredited by ABET in the U.S. Engineering programs are also offered at Campus Querétaro, where students recently earned honors in national design contests in Mexico for drone development. University College is the home to A-State’s Honors College, as well as the Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, where students build flexible degree programs to meet unique needs. It also supports the academic success of all A-State students through a wide array of supportive mentoring, tutoring, and enrichment opportunities.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
OVERALL RESEARCH
Arkansas State recognizes its outstanding research faculty. Learn more about the story of Fabricio Medina-Bolivar. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University is classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R2 Institution - Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity. A commitment to research and scholarly activities has always been an essential component of the university’s teaching mission as those activities allow faculty to actively engage students in learning the material in a hands-on way by giving students opportunities to work with them in the lab, field, or studio. Thanks to the recent generosity of one of our most notable STEM graduates, a Chancellor’s Medal for Research and Creative Activities was created to recognize a veteran scholar’s work in advancing knowledge. The university continues to expand its research agenda through a variety of venues and institutes. As a member of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI), the university operates a state-of-the-art research facility. The Center for No-Boundary Thinking is creating new ways to approach problems. Faculty researchers are working at the
interface of medical and agricultural research to make discoveries that will improve human health. Further, the university operates two research field stations of distinct ecoregions in support of the environmental sciences M.S. and Ph.D. programs. Research farm space and expansion at Judd Hill Farmers’ Market will enhance our agricultural mission. The Heritage Sites system offers opportunities to preserve the past and to create local economic opportunities. The university is working with multiple partners on creation of a Red Wolf Conservation and Research Center. Spending for research is on the rise at A-State. The dollar amounts of research and sponsored programs for FY 21 was $26.6 million in expenditures; $41.7 in submitted proposals; and $23.5 million in new awards. The $23.5 million received in FY21 was a 15% increase as compared to the average from the previous five years. The $41.7 million requested was a 54% increase from the five-year average for submitted proposals.
A-State is a major player in research to determine rice varities that can prosper in a warming climate. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
911 International Students
10 7 7 24
8
8 7 9
11 8 28
13
6
186 196 39
47
39 70
96
6
DIVERSITY
To honor the four Black faculty and administrators and their families who broke the color line at A-State, the new graduate student housing area is named The Circle. Specifically, the buildings are named Gaines, Richmond, Smith and Strickland halls. Click here to view full video.
The only university in Arkansas to earn the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT into Diversity, Arkansas State in 2022 became a five-time recipient of the national honor. Established in 2002, the Office of Diversity has evolved into a cabinet-level leadership role in the creation of a Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement. Home to several individual initiatives including the Multicultural Center, the vice chancellor and the division have initiated programs to enhance minority recruitment across the campus community. This process has led to a more diverse faculty at A-State, and recognition that more work is to be done to leverage new programs for increasing diversity among the on-campus student population. One measure of progress for persons of color is the increase in the number of Black, Hispanic and Asian American graduates in the past decade.
Learn more about one of the first academic buildings on campus named after a Black man, the Lt. Col. Frederick C. Turner Jr. Military Science Building. Click here to view full video.
The university is looking ahead to the activation of the final organization in the coming academic year in offering all member groups of the Divine Nine, and has completed renovation plans and documents to provide a new common meeting space for its NPHC chapters. The university recently welcomed its first Latinx sorority to campus. Along with fostering growth in student groups and activities, the campus has recently promoted the creation of employee groups to create community and inclusion. In the wider community, A-State has served as the host for the Craighead County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration for the past several years, and is involved with El Centro Hispano, the Jonesboro area community center. The university looks ahead to returning to hosting on-campus celebrations from Dia dos Muertos to Diwali, which were disrupted by the pandemic.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
FACULTY PROFILE
Currently A-State’s dean of graduate school, Cherisse Jones-Branch is a leading historian in her field. Click here to view full video.
Along with status as a Carnegie Classification Research 2 institution, the university is classified as a Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) four-year III institution and is served by a high-achieving faculty who possess significant academic expertise in a wide variety of disciplines. Of the 514 full-time faculty members employed in the fall of 2023, 54.7% are female and 45.3% are male, 73.2% are Caucasian, 9.5% are Asian, 6.6% are African American, and the rest represent various other ethnicities. 84% of tenured or tenure-track faculty hold the doctorate or other terminal degree, while 65.7% of all faculty possess the doctorate or other terminal degree. The balanced faculty includes 100 full professors, 106 associate professors, 192 assistant professors and 116 full-time instructors.
Dr. Travis Marsico tells us about being accepted into the Jefferson Science Fellows Program. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
STUDENT PROFILE
The Wilson Award is the highest individual undergraduate award bestowed by Arkansas State. Watch the story of the 2021 recipient, Rashad Kirksey. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University recently completed the implementation of new admission standards to reflect our desire to reward students with admission based on three paths. The current first-time first-year students average a 23 ACT, which is 2.7 above the state of Arkansas average (20.3), and a 3.66 high school composite grade point average. Arkansas State’s traditional strength is in the classroom through a highly engaged faculty that works with students to advance their education.
Arkansas State students continue to excel in regional and national competitions. Examples in recent years include the debate team, the moot court team and the four-time regional champion engineering bridge-building team’s success. More importantly, A-State students continue to gain significant employment opportunities, achieve acceptance into the finest graduate schools in the United States and perform well on all professional licensing examinations.
A-State had a robust total headcount enrollment of 13,772 students during the fall 2022 semester. The FTE enrollment was 8,475, which for state of Arkansas reporting purposes does not include students at Campus Querétaro. Arkansas State also had record numbers for online students and graduate students. The number of first-time students entering A-State in fall 2022 was 1,301. The fall 2021 student body was 65% female; 71.5% white, and 14% African American; 58% traditional age (under 25); 64% undergraduate, and 36% graduate level. Approximately 67% came from Arkansas, 28% came from 42 other states; and 5% came from 65 other countries.
Arkansas State’s research mission allows students to participate with faculty mentors in funded research experiences at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Through ABI and other laboratory environments, higher than average numbers of undergraduates are participating in original research that is preparing them for both industry and graduate opportunities. In spite of recent pandemic challenges, participation numbers in the annual Create@State student research event has increased.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
9, 3 81 STUDENTS FROM
60+
countries are represented by our student body
80% More than 80 percent of our students receive some form of financial aid.
125,771 48,382 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
29,003
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
+ + 160majors 60minors 77.7 % 14,903 number of total students
15: 1
retention rate for first-time, full-time students
16
AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
*
STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO *All data is researched and generated by A-State’s Office of Institutional Research or on-campus divisions.
STUDENT FACTS :
16 150
MORE THAN
CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS
Let’s hear from some students...
NCAA DIV. I
ATHLETIC
TEAMS
Arkansas State students tell the impact of our faculty on their lives. Hunter Biram’s path into agribusiness began with a meeting with one professor. Click here to view full video.
20+ GREEK ORGANIZATIONS
POTENTIAL
7
FRESHMAN
HOUSING OPTIONS
Tyler Adams’ journey into identity was expressed in her senior art project. Click here to view full video.
Now a silver level university and the first in the state of Arkansas with ‘Bicycle Friendly University’ status from the League of American Bicyclists, A-STATE ENCOURAGES YOU TO BRING YOUR BIKE TO CAMPUS TO COMMUTE AND EXERCISE.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
CAMPUS LIFE
Learn more about the collaboration efforts of the departments of Media and Theater. Click here to view full video.
Learn more about one of our Honors trips across Europe studying the Cold War. Click here to view full video.
With a diverse student body from across the nation and around the world, and more than 100,000 alumni, A-State is the home of the Red Wolves, a Bowl Championship Series Division I athletic program with nine consecutive bowl appearances and numerous Sun Belt Conference titles across its 16 NCAA varsity sports. A-State also sponsors nationally competitive club sport teams like rugby, softball, competitive cheer and dance and Esports that have earned national titles or national runner-up titles in recent years.
international community spaces in The Village. Making campus a safe and welcoming place to live is a high priority. Arkansas State became the first Arkansas institution designated as a Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists in 2014, and in 2018 was upgraded to Silver status. A-State became the largest National Weather Service StormReady Campus in the state of Arkansas, and recently was cited as having one of the top 25 university police departments in the country.
Arkansas State’s emphases on safe and convenient residential facilities, growing options for Student Union for dining and activities, and unique classes to assist incoming students with the “first-year experience” are proving to be effective methods for enhancing student success. The university enforces a residency requirement for first-year students with a goal of improving student retention by helping students develop a stronger connection to the campus and its many service units. Arkansas State has on-campus capacity for approximately 3,000 residents, and in the last two years has prioritized renovations of its university housing.
As an outgrowth of the Discover 2025 process, a recommitment to the teaching mission of the university by providing study abroad, experiential learning, and hands-on internship experiences for student success was identified as a university goal. A revision in how support services are delivered to undergraduates is currently underway by shifting advising and learning coaches into the Dean B. Ellis Library to co-locate them with the existing resources of The Learning Center. Also heading toward construction renovation phase is a new Student Center within the Carl R. Reng Student Union that will be a meeting space providing 24/7 access to resources.
Starting with its first-year students who have six options for residential living, A-State has expanded its themed learning communities from an original set of buildings devoted to Honors College students into specialty spaces embracing individual colleges or subject areas, like the STEM Den, ROTC hall, or Griffin House, as well as new collaboration areas aligned with the coming Arts and Innovation District where students from Art + Design live with peers from the College of Engineering. A full-scale international program is returning to form after a brief disruption during the pandemic, including
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
ATHLETICS
An NCAA Silver Anniversary Award Winner, Abby Cheng discusses how A-State played an important role in her life. Click here to view full video.
A member of the Sun Belt Conference, Arkansas State University is a NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member fielding teams in 16 sports, seven for men and nine for women. A-State had a remarkable recent run of nine consecutive post-season bowl appearances from 2011-19, a span highlighted by five conference titles. Arkansas State’s Athletics Department has led the league or ranked near the top in recent years for overall GPA and academic achievement. A broad-based program, A-State claimed conference championships in 12 different team sports over the last decade (bowling, football, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track, men’s and women’s outdoor track, volleyball, men’s golf and soccer). Other recent accomplishments by the Red Wolves include winning the 2019-20 Bubas Cup (the all-sports award presented annually by the Sun Belt Conference); triple-crowns in track and field for both men’s and women’s teams; back-to-back appearances
in the NCAA Championships by the men’s golf team; national championships both indoor and outdoor for hurdler Sharika Nelvis; 14 consecutive NCAA team appearances and multiple No. 1-national rankings by bowling; a 2015 NCAA Tournament appearance by the volleyball team; two prestigious Capital One Cup national “Top 50” awards for the women’s athletics programs; and its highest finish ever in the Learfield Sports Director’s Cup. Arkansas State student-athletes were named all-America and all-region while earning top individual awards for many of their sports. Additionally, the athletics department’s most recent GSR of 82 matched the third-best in school history, after achieving a school-record 3.211 all-department GPA for the 2019-20 academic year and posting the school record for highest APR (985). The Red Wolves routinely have the highest student-athlete graduation rate of any public university in Arkansas.
Blaise Taylor is believed to be the first major college football player to complete his bachelor and master’s degrees prior to his final football season. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum, Piggott, Ark.
Johnny Cash Boyhood Home, Dyess, Ark.
Southern Tenant Farmers Museum, Tyronza, Ark.
Lakeport Plantation Lake Village, Ark.
OUTREACH & CULTURAL PROGRAMS
See the saga of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home. Click here to view full video.
The university continues providing significant services and programs to residents of the community, state and region. Annual events include the Agribusiness Conference hosted by the College of Agriculture; the Delta Symposium hosted by the College of Liberal Arts and Communication; and the Griffin College’s Women’s Leadership Forum. Among the major cultural events spanning multiple disciplines are the Delta Symposium and the Johnny Cash Heritage Festival. A-State has served as the host for the Craighead County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, and on-campus celebrations ranging from Dia dos Muertos to Diwali.
graduate and former Governor Mike Beebe. Additionally, the university maintains four physical off-campus heritage sites, including the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home-Dyess Colony at Dyess, Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center at Piggott, the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum at Tyronza, and the Lakeport Plantation Museum at Lake Village, and one virtual site, the Rohwer Japanese American Relocation Center. The A-State Museum is located on campus and is the only accredited university museum in Arkansas, providing excellent resources for the more than 35,000 faculty, students, teachers and school children who visit each year.
The university is committed to sharing the culture of the Mississippi Delta region with its students and introducing citizens of the region to other cultures. Among these initiatives, the interdisciplinary Heritage Studies Ph.D. program is the only one of its kind in the nation. The Arkansas State University Heritage Sites are a series of museum locations across the eastern region of Arkansas. The Historic V.C. Kays House on the A-State campus is the headquarters of the system, and home to a special collection of the memorabilia of A-State
Outreach is extended to broad audiences through several programs that attract scholars, visual and performing artists, and the general public. These include the Delta Symposium and the Delta National Small Prints Exhibition sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Communication. Additionally, KASU-FM, the public broadcasting service of Arkansas State University, provides National Public Radio programming to listeners in the region and is the oldest public radio affiliate station west of the Mississippi River.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
Campus Querétaro Viva Las Lobos Rojos
MAJOR PARTNERSHIPS: CAMPUS QUERÉTARO
Watch our inaugural commencement at Campus Querétaro. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State fulfills the goals of creating global opportunities for its faculty and students and securing innovative public-private partnerships to enhance institutional revenue through the creation and management of the first Americanstyle residential public university campus in Mexico. In partnership with Arkansas State University CQ A.C. (ASUCQ), a Mexican foundation, and the government leaders of the state of Querétaro, Arkansas State University Campus Querétaro opened in fall 2017. Changing higher education in both the United States and Mexico, students enrolled at A-State Campus Querétaro, or A-State CQ, complete the same academic requirements for degrees issued from the main Jonesboro campus, simultaneously achieving degrees that meet the educational requirements in Mexico. The project opens doors to multinational corporations for strategic partnerships and to develop unique academic and professional exchanges.
A-State Campus Querétaro offers the same general education program as A-State with classes taught in English. The academic rigor is overseen by A-State’s vice-rector for academic affairs and the degree programs are accredited in both the United States and Mexico. Arkansas State University is responsible for management of academic programs while ASUCQ constructed and maintains the campus. A-State CQ has a fully self-supporting operating budget based primarily on revenue from student tuition and housing. ASUCQ is responsible for all construction, maintenance and operational costs.
The privately funded $100 million campus resides on 370 acres as part of a master planned city outside of Querétaro. The first phase includes 800,000 square feet of academic and residential space. This is an American residential-style campus that includes traditional U.S. student life areas: student union, intramural sport facilities, student housing and dining, and faculty housing.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
NYIT - College of Osteopathic Medicine
MAJOR PARTNERSHIPS: NYIT (NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY) Addressing the unmet health needs of the Delta region has long been a goal of Arkansas State University. The coming crisis of physician retirement coupled with one of the most medically underserved regions of America motivated the administration of A-State to consider the establishment of an osteopathic medical school. After internal and external studies, the most efficient and impactful path forward was the creation of a partnership with an existing medical school. In partnership with the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, A-State has created a pathway for future doctors as a part of the College of Sciences and Mathematics’ pre-professional programs.
New York Institute of Technology was identified as the best potential partner, and over the course of three years Arkansas State and NYIT forged a strategic partnership to locate a second instructional site of its College of Osteopathic Medicine in Jonesboro.
Click here to view full video.
The over $12 million renovation of historic Wilson Hall into a 21st century center for medical education is one result of the collaboration, and the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University welcomed its first class of medical students to campus for the fall 2016 semester.
While the full impact of the collaboration for the region is years from now as the next decade will launch a thousand new physicians into the Delta, Arkansas State has experienced direct and immediate benefits of the partnership. Enrollment in pre-professional programs, the A-State subject area for pre-med students, has grown by 50% since the start of NYITCOM operations. The two universities have launched several programs, an annual Sports Medicine Workshop as a prime example. Opportunities for research have led to NYIT faculty utilizing Arkansas Biosciences Institute laboratories. Collaboration on grants led to a shared USDA medical outreach program focused on bringing health assessments to remote Delta communities.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
FINANCES & FACILITIES
The renovation of Wilson Hall made possible the 21st century publicprivate partnership with NYIT to bring Arkansas its first college of osteopathic medicine. Click here to view full video.
Fiscal year 2022 university revenues and other additions totaled $263.5 million, of which 32% came from tuition and fees, 28% from state appropriations, 18% from operating and non-operating grants and contracts and 22% from other revenues and additions (which includes auxiliary enterprises, sales and services, and right to use assets of $13,880,104). Total expenses and other deductions for fiscal year 2022 were $257 million, of which 21% was for instruction, 17% for scholarships and fellowships, 14% for research, public service and student services, 11% for academic and institutional support, 10% for auxiliary enterprises, 9% for operation and maintenance of plant and 18% for other expenses. The Jonesboro operations of A-State include more than 150 buildings totaling 4.3 million square feet of educational, residential and auxiliary space on 936 acres of land, including the university’s primary teaching and research farm. A-State also operates a farm near the town of Walcott, Ark., as well as four remote locations of the A-State Heritage Sites museums.
On-campus living has seen significant changes in recent years with the addition of public-private partnership housing at Pack Place and The Circle. A-State has also made substantial investments in legacy on-campus housing renovations. From university housing upgrades to renovations in academic buildings to upgrade connectivity, air flow and classroom technology, approximately $50 million has been invested in the physical structure of the campus in the past six years. One of the most significant renovations was the modernization of Wilson Hall in 2016 into the home of the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine. The opening of the Red Wolf Convention Center and Embassy Suites marks another significant enhancement to the campus community. From the oldest structure on campus, the Memorial Arch, to the newest instructional building, the Windgate Center for Three-Dimensional Arts, Arkansas State’s campus plan puts an emphasis on pedestrian scale and creation of the type of work-learn-live space that current university students prefer.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
Arkansas State Welcome Center
Learn more about Neil Griffin’s A-State story.
Scan QR Code to see a video.
ENDOWMENTS & CAMPAIGNS
What private giving means to A-State students. Click here to view full video.
Support for Arkansas State University has grown substantially in recent years, including record-level gifts to multiple areas of the institution. A-State recorded four of the best five fundraising years in university history. While not in a formal capital campaign, the university raised a record total of over $100 million in commitments in the past five years. Additionally, in 2021, A-State received its largest single gift in a $25 million challenge to launch the creation of Windgate Hall and the Art and Innovation District on campus. Ranging from building support to faculty chairs, 27 of the top 100 all-time gifts or commitments to Arkansas State are a part of this portfolio. Endowments for scholarships have grown 30% since July 1, 2017, from 314 to 409, providing crucial support for students to complete their academic goals. Another featured highlight is the alumni giving rate, which has held steady over the last few years even during the pandemic. The faculty/staff giving rate continues to rise and is currently close to a 60% giving rate.
4 OF THE BEST YEARS
FOR GIFTS & GIFT COMMITMENTS IN UNIVERSITY HISTORY OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS
$ 100
Total commitments over the past 5 years
MILLION
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
Mockup display of the NPHC Meeting Space inside the Student Union.
Mockup display of the Student Learning Commons inside the Student Union.
NPHC LOUNGE 2022
AXON VIEW
UPCOMING PROJECTS Arkansas State embarked in 2021 on the creation of new academic collaboration spaces with the announcement of Windgate Hall and the Art and Innovation District. With the goal of combining the strength of art into a wide range of disciplines, the first project of the district is the construction of Windgate Hall, made possible by the lead challenge gift of the Windgate Foundation.
The single biggest gift ever given to A-State is for the Windgate Hall and the Arts and Innovation District. Click here to view full video.
Also ongoing is a complete renovation of the Wilson Advising Center into the new home for the university’s counseling and mental health support services. The university’s advising operations will relocate to the Dean B. Ellis Library to unite with existing academic services provided in The Learning Commons.
Underway as adjacent enhancements to the campus core is the conversion of space within the Reng Student Union to support two important student-oriented projects. The Student Learning Commons will create an around-the-clock meeting and collaboration space for A-State students. The NPHC Meeting Space provides a common space for each of the Divine Nine organizations to utilize.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
Downtown Jonesboro, Arkansas
LOCAL COMMUNITY
A-State is a Silver level Bicycle Friendly University thanks to projects like the new campus multi-use path.
The fourth-largest city in Arkansas and the largest in the eastern half of the state, Jonesboro serves Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri as the medical, retail, agricultural and educational hub of our region. The 2020 census shows Jonesboro being one of the fastest growing cities in the state with a population of 81,874, with a 21% growth since 2010’s 67,548. Craighead County, of which Jonesboro is the county seat, supports a population of over 110,000 and our Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) surpasses 140,000 citizens. As the commercial hub of the region, Jonesboro’s business activity is considered one of the fastest expanding in the state and in the Delta region. The city serves an 18-county retail trade area of a half-million residents.
Jonesboro also boasts a vibrant downtown entertainment district that features many fine dining establishments, art galleries and musical performances as well as cultural activities available through The Foundation of Arts and other sponsors. Development in the A-State campus area has blossomed in the past two years, and a renaissance in the mid-town area is changing the housing and shopping environment. Two major work-live-play areas of town are also under construction, with the Greensboro Village planned development located just north of the A-State campus. For more in-depth information, we invite you to visit the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce website at JonesboroChamber.com.
Click here to view full video.
The region’s labor force, low utility rates, and a competitive cost of living ranked among the lowest in the nation combine with the vibrant, diverse economy, to allow Jonesboro to attract many Fortune 500 and world-renowned companies to our area. Nestlé USA, Frito-Lay, Post Foods, Unilever, Nice-Pak, and Riceland Foods lead the list of many notable companies that have manufacturing firms located in Jonesboro. Among the unique industries to our region are the materials handling powerhouses of Hytrol and FMH – two of North America’s largest manufacturers of conveyer systems. Directly on the A-State campus, the Beck Center provides military students with all the resources they might need. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
Each year, A-State’s Digital Creative Team produces shorts to engage the public. Here’s a look at one of their award winners, the 2016 Howl’s Valentine. Click here to view full video.
Arkansas State University - Institutional Profile
P.O. Box 600 | State University, Arkansas 72467 | 870-972-3030