Arkansas State University facts for kids
 |
|
|
Former names
|
First District Agricultural School (1909–1925) First District Agricultural and Mechanical College (1925–1933) Arkansas State College (1933–1967) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Educate, Enhance, Enrich: e3 |
| Type | Public flagship research university |
| Established | 1909 |
|
Parent institution
|
Arkansas State University System |
| Accreditation | HLC |
|
Academic affiliations
|
|
| Endowment | $113 million (2021) |
| Budget | $172 million (FY 2020) |
| Chancellor | Todd Shields |
| Provost | Calvin White Jr. |
|
Academic staff
|
518 |
|
Administrative staff
|
1,073 |
| Students | 14,903 (Fall 2023) |
| Undergraduates | 8,928 |
| Postgraduates | 4,428 |
| Location |
,
,
United States
|
| Campus | College town 1,376 acres (557 hectares) Urban/Suburban |
| Newspaper | The Herald |
| Colors | Red, black & white |
| Nickname | Red Wolves |
|
Sporting affiliations
|
NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference |
| Mascots | Howl and Scarlet |
 |
|
Arkansas State University (also called A-State or ASU) is a large public university in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It is the main campus of the Arkansas State University System. It is also the second-largest university in the state of Arkansas. The university was started in 1909. It sits on a big piece of land, about 1,376 acres, on Crowley's Ridge.
Arkansas State University is known for its high level of research. It is classified as an "R2: Doctoral University – High research activity." This means it does a lot of important research and offers advanced degrees.
Contents
History of Arkansas State University
A-State began as the First District Agricultural School in Jonesboro. It was created in 1909 by the Arkansas Legislature. Its first purpose was to teach farming skills to people in the region. A pastor named Robert W. Glover helped make this happen.
In 1918, the school started offering a two-year college program. It became the First District Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1925. This new name showed that it also taught technical skills. In 1930, students could start earning a four-year degree. The college changed its name again in 1933 to Arkansas State College. Finally, in 1967, the Arkansas Legislature made it a full university. That's when it got its current name, Arkansas State University.
The university has grown a lot over the years. It has welcomed many smart students. The Dean B. Ellis Library at A-State is the biggest library in Arkansas.
.jpg)
Campuses of A-State
Arkansas State University has its main campus in Jonesboro. But it is also part of a larger system of schools. This system includes several other campuses across Arkansas.
- Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas (This is the main campus)
- Arkansas State University-Beebe, Beebe, Arkansas
- Arkansas State University-Newport, Newport, Arkansas
- Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, Mountain Home, Arkansas
- Arkansas State University Mid-South, West Memphis, Arkansas
- Arkansas State University Three Rivers, Malvern, Arkansas
- Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Former Campus Locations
One campus, Arkansas State University-Paragould, closed in 2018. It was a teaching site connected to the main Jonesboro campus.
Academics and Learning at A-State
Arkansas State University offers many different types of degrees. Students can earn associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. More than 100,000 people have graduated from A-State.
The university has several different colleges, each focusing on different subjects:
- Agriculture
- Engineering & Technology
- Business
- Education & Behavioral Science
- Liberal Arts & Communication
- Nursing & Health Professions
- Sciences & Mathematics
- Undergraduate Studies
A-State is known for its research. It is also focused on teaching undergraduate students. The classes often have a good student-to-teacher ratio, about 16 students for every teacher. This helps students get more personal attention.
Advanced Degree Programs
The university started offering master's degrees in 1955. In 1992, it began its first doctoral degree program. This was in educational leadership. Since then, more doctoral programs have been added. These include environmental science and heritage studies.
In 2016, a new medical school branch opened on campus. It is part of the New York Institute of Technology. This medical school is located in the historic Wilson Hall.
Media at Arkansas State
A-State has a College of Media and Communication. This college helps students learn about journalism and media. Students can get hands-on experience in different media jobs.
- The Herald: This is a weekly student newspaper. It was started in 1921 and prints 5,000 copies.
- ASU-TV: This TV program lets students learn about television broadcasting.
- Red Wolf Radio: This is an online student radio station. It started in 2013.
- KASU: This is a powerful FM radio station. It is connected with NPR (National Public Radio). KASU is the oldest NPR station west of the Mississippi River.
Athletics: Go Red Wolves!
Arkansas State is part of the NCAA Division I. This is the highest level for college sports. Their teams play in the Sun Belt Conference. The athletic teams used to be called the Indians. Now, they are known as the Red Wolves.
Football Success
The Red Wolves football team has had great success. In 2012, they won the Sun Belt Conference championship. They also won their first bowl game since joining Division I. This was a 17–13 victory in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
In 2013, the football team won the Sun Belt Conference championship again. This was their third year in a row! They also won the GoDaddy Bowl for the second time. They beat Ball State 23–20.
International University Partners
Arkansas State University works with many universities around the world. These partnerships help students learn about other cultures. They also allow for shared research and internships abroad.
- Anhui Medical University - China
- Dominica State College - Dominica
- Horizon Campus - Sri Lanka
- Institut Informatika Indonesia (IKADO) - Indonesia
- INTI - Malaysia
- Methodist College Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
- Metropolitan College - Greece
- Saitama University - Japan
- Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) - Sri Lanka
- Woong-Ji Accounting & Tax College - South Korea
Greek Life at A-State
About 15% of the undergraduate students at A-State are part of Greek organizations. These are social groups like fraternities and sororities. There are 21 different Greek groups on campus.
Notable Alumni of Arkansas State
Many successful people have graduated from Arkansas State University. Here are a few examples:
.jpg)
- Mike Beebe – He was the governor of Arkansas from 2006 to 2014.
- Rodger Bumpass – He is a famous voice actor. He is known for being the voice of Squidward on SpongeBob SquarePants.
- Earl Bell – An Olympic bronze medalist in pole vaulting. He was also a world record holder.
- Julia Butterfly Hill – An environmental activist who lived in a tree to protect it.
- George Kell – A Hall of Fame baseball player and broadcaster.
- Al Joyner – An Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump.
- Jordan Richard – A professional bowler who was named PWBA Player of the Year in 2023.
- George K. Sisler – He received the Medal of Honor after the Vietnam War.
- Debbye Turner – She was crowned Miss America in 1990.
- Miller Williams – A well-known poet.
See Also
- Arkansas State University System
