A Brief History of SouthArk

merger

South Arkansas Community College was established by a vote of the citizens of Union County on March 31, 1992. Voters approved forming a community college district for the county, merging Oil Belt Technical College and Southern Arkansas University-El Dorado Branch, and approving a tax levy to support the new college.

The college is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees initially appointed by Governor Bill Clinton. The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of a 16-member committee co-chaired by Billy McGehee and Dr. Kermit Parks. It made recommendations to the President and Board of Trustees on administrative structure, policy, and procedures and worked to unify the two institutions into a comprehensive community college.

On April 14, 1992, the Board of Trustees elected Charles Thomas to be Board Chairman, appointed Dr. Ben Whitfield as President, and named the new college. The original Oil Belt Vocational-Technical School, now known as the East Campus, located at 3696 East Main Road, opened its doors in August, 1967. After a name change and an expanded mission, it became Oil Belt Technical College in 1991. Oil Belt offered certificate level programs in health occupations and technical fields, adult basic education, and a variety of non-credit programs.

West Campus

West Campus

Institutional Research

1 2 3


The Mission of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Advancement at South Arkansas College is to lead and assist in developing research protocols; coordinate institutional research; provide timely and accurate data to enhance effective decision making and planning, and continually use feedback to improve the College and help to fulfill its mission and goals.


In an effort to assist you with your research needs, we will post several different sources of institutional information on this section of the website. All documents will be updated periodically.


SouthArk Fact Book:
The SouthArk Fact Book contains regional data acquired from the census, school enrollment and demographic statistics for the specified year, as well as some longitudinal data from the College.

2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023


SouthArk Fact Card:
The SouthArk Fact Card is a one page summary of enrollment, top degree programs, graduations, etc. This document is updated several times a year.

2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 Fall 2020 Fall 2021 Fall 2022 Fall 2023

Dashboard:
Our Main Dashboard is a quick visual reference for some of the most commonly requested information about the College. We are also in the process of adding separate dashboards for benchmark comparisons and strategic plan accomplishments.


Additional Resources of Interest:

  1. The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) (2010), (2011), (2012), (2013), (2014), (2015), (2016), (2017), (2019), (2021), (2022)
  2. Strategic Plan Reports:
    1. Strategic Plan Report 2011-2016
    2. Strategic Plan Report 2013-2014 
    3. Strategic Plan Report 2015-2016
  3. Student Achievement Information (2022) 
College Navigator

Archived:
Please use the following for historical reference only. The contents herein may not reflect current practices or data.
 
Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA)

Additional historical references

South Arkansas Arboretum

IMG 18102The purpose of the South Arkansas Arboretum, Arkansas's 50th state park, is to preserve the flora and fauna of the West Gulf Coastal Plain, the natural division covering most of southern Arkansas, and to serve as an educational and recreational resource for local residents and visitors. Operated by the South Arkansas College, the park is located in El Dorado on Timberlane Road one mile north of U.S. 82-B. For more information and to arrange guided tours led by knowledgeable botanists, phone (870) 862-8131, ext. 447 or visit the Website at: ww.ArkansasStateParks.com.

Beneath the forest canopy of the 13-acre South Arkansas Arboretum, runners and walkers frequently exercise on more than two miles of paved trails. Spring visitors take advantage of numerous benches along the routes to enjoy a show of azaleas and dogwoods in bloom, while birders and those simply seeking a little solitude make use of them year-round.

Opened in 1965 and tucked between a residential neighborhood and El Dorado High School, the arboretum is Arkansas's only natural state park located within a city. Besides its trails, the arboretum's other major facilities are limited to a pavilion with picnic tables, restrooms and a bulletin board. It has no on-site staff.

The late James Riley, a biology teacher at the high school, is credited with being the driving force behind the arboretum's creation. Land acquisition and early development were funded through federal education grants, since the primary intent was for the arboretum to serve as an educational resource for El Dorado schools.

Initial development included a perimeter fence, the trails, and the construction of several wooden bridges and two small retaining dams to create ponds. Though the rolling terrain of the property was intended to preserve vegetation native to the West Gulf Coastal Plain, flowering azaleas and camellias were imported to make the arboretum more attractive to casual visitors.

apt linkanim lg red
Arkansas festivalsfunfood & more.
Click to explore...

By the early 1990s, the arboretum had fallen on hard times. In 1994, the state legislature authorized an agreement placing the arboretum under the auspices of the state Department of Parks and Tourism, making it Arkansas's 50th state park. Ownership of the site remains, however, with El Dorado schools, and it is leased to and operated by the South Arkansas Community College.  

Small signs identify many of the arboretum's trees, valuable to those seeking to improve their identification skills. Available for comparison, for example, are shortleaf and loblolly pines and southern and sweet bay magnolias. Among oak species on hand are water, post, southern red, white and overcup. Black gum, white ash, American sycamore, Carolina beech, American holly, black cherry and sugar maple are among many other trees at the park.

Limited numbers of wildflowers bloom from spring through fall, while the purple fruit of French mulberries, commonly known as "beauty berries," are abundant in autumn.

Birds seen year-round include those one would expect to find in an urban wooded area, such as northern cardinals, blue jays, Carolina wrens and chickadees, tufted titmouse, northern mockingbirds and American robins. Summer tanagers and Acadian and great-crested flycatchers have also been reported. And the arboretum hosts -- for a short time -- a variety of warblers during their spring migration. 

The arboretum, located about a mile west of El Dorado's restored "oil boom" downtown, is open from 8:00 to 5:00 Monday - Saturday, and 9:00 - 5:00 on Sunday, except for designated holidays. During daylight savings hours are from 8:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and 9:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Sundays.  Admission is free. The arboretum lies adjacent to the parking lot on north side of the old El Dorado High School, where ample parking is available for visitors.   

Further Information:

arboretum3Excerpt from: Small State Park in El Dorado Serves as Natural Sanctuary.  By Jim Taylor, travel writer, Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

 

SouthArk Singers

The SouthArk Singers is made up of students who either volunteer or enroll in choir. They meet 2 times a week (Tuesday/Thursday) at 11:00 in the SouthArk Music Room (ADM206). The SouthArk Singers are music ambassadors for the college. On campus, the Singers provide music for events such as graduation, student recognition ceremony, Veterans' Day observance, Holiday Tree Lighting, and Outdoor Expo. But they also travel into the community to perform at local nursing homes, civic clubs, and other public functions. They sing at the Students-in-Recital, a concert featuring music students held at noon during the week in the El Dorado Conference Center, at least twice during each semester.

The SouthArk Choral Society consists of SouthArk students, staff, and administration as well as community members who love to perform high quality choral music. This group presents a concert each semester in diverse venues such as churches, on stage, and regular concert settings. Past performances have included Requiems by Durufle, Brahms, and Faure, Choral music by Leonard Bernstein and Benjamin Britten, Oratorios by Felix Mendelssohn and G.F. Handel as well as staged productions of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Mikado" and "Pirates of Penzance".