Arkansas State University Mid-South Representatives Attend Men of Color Conference

Twelve representatives from Arkansas State University Mid-South recently attended the National Consortium on College Men of Color (NCCMC). The conference was held on the San Diego State University campus in San Diego, California June 8-9.

The NCCMC conference allows students to network with others from different colleges/universities across the United States and learn innovative ways to be successful in all aspects of life.  In addition, the conference supports faculty, staff and administrators with access to information and resources that would help implement or enhance a Men of Color program on their campus. Types of resources include topics such as funding streams, interventions, and objectives. 

ASU Mid-South Receives White River Planning and Development Grant

Arkansas State University Mid-South is pleased to announce the receipt of $50,000 in General Improvement Funds from the White River Planning and Development District, through the support of Senator Keith Ingram. The college will use these funds to purchase 13 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for the campus, as well as to provide support for Delta Cuisine, the kitchen incubator at ASU Mid-South.

Fifty percent (50%) of the funding, will be used to purchase AEDs and related supplies such as wall cabinets, portable carrying cases, signage, labels, batteries, replacement pads, and training materials. Each unit will be dispersed to campus buildings, ensuring that these vital, potentially life-saving resources are strategically located throughout the ASU Mid-South campus. This will include portable capacity units, which can serve college-sponsored activities outside and at off-campus events.

ASU Mid-South Students Persevere at State SkillsUSA Championship and Proceed to National Championship

ASU Mid-South Students Persevere at State SkillsUSA Championship and Proceed to National Championship

On June 19, eight Arkansas State University Mid-South students will embark upon a mission to earn gold at the national SkillsUSA Championships in Louisville, KY. The competition, held from June 19 through June 23, will be the result of months of planning and preparation and gold medaling success in previous competitions at local and state levels.

The SkillsUSA Championships are competitive events showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels. This is a multi-million-dollar event that occupies a space equivalent to 16 football fields. In 2015, there were more than 6,000 contestants in 100 separate events. Nearly 1,500 judges and contest organizers from labor and management make the national event possible. The philosophy of the Championships is to reward students for excellence, to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance and to keep training relevant to employers’ needs.

Marion High Student Graduates from College Before Graduating High School

“Although balancing sports activities and maintaining a social life while attaining an associates degree was difficult, in the end it was all worth it,” said Rachel Benson, 2017 ASU Mid-South grad AND 2017 Marion High School grad.

Rachel Benson graduated with an Associate of Arts degree with Summa Cum Laude honors on May 11, 2017 – a week before her high school graduation on May 18. She is the first Marion High School student to accomplish this feat in over ten years, and only the third student to accomplish it in the history of Arkansas State University Mid-South. In 2016 Harleigh Fagan, a West Memphis High graduate also completed her associate level degree and graduated in the same month as her high school graduation.

Flooding Louisiana with Love

With the help of generous businesses and individuals around Crittenden County, Arkansas State University Mid-South students and staff recently filled a college truck with needed supplies and delivered it to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to assist victims of the devastating flooding in the Louisiana region.

The items collected including cleaning supplies, clothes, baby products and emergency care kits were delivered by ASU Mid-South maintenance staff to the Louisiana Multi-Agency Warehouse in Baton Rouge being operated by Louisiana Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD).

Weaver Clean-Up Project Perfect Spring Break for ASU Students and Employees

It was a labor of love as Arkansas State University Mid-South students and employees gathered at the start of Spring Break week to help give Weaver Elementary School in West Memphis, a spring cleaning. Forty-four members of the ASU Mid-South family including students, faculty and staff gathered early on a chilly, sunny March 21st to trim and weed flower beds, add mulch, pressure wash buildings and equipment and spruce up the school with paint.

“The community has been so kind to the college and this was a way for us to give back in a small way. We hope to make this an annual event,” said Dr. Debra West, Chancellor at ASU Mid-South. “We intend to make more targeted efforts to contribute to our community, and it was obvious that everyone who worked on this project felt that it was a great start to a new tradition.”

Fraternity Supports ASU Mid-South Student Activities

A local non-profit organization comprised of members of a national fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc., has recognized Arkansas State University Mid-South’s commitment to providing higher education to the citizens of Eastern Arkansas.

The West Memphis Achievement Association’s President Grandon Gray recently presented a contribution of $500 to the Foundation to be used as support for student activities at the college. “The purpose of The West Memphis Achievement Association (TWMAA) is to exemplify achievement by preparing the next generation of leaders and empowering our community in the areas of education, economic development, health and social awareness,” noted Gray.