QUARTERLY

SUMMER 2015

Three years ago Marcus Tatum knew that some-thing needed to change. He was working what

he described as a dead-end job that promised no pro-motion because he had no college degree. Then he was surprised to learn that he was expecting his first child.

With a determination to change his life, Tatum decided that it was time to enroll at South Arkansas Community College.

Now 40, the Warren native has an associate’s degree in business administration and is working on prerequisites in accounting, with the intent to transfer to a university. He still works full-time. He wants to be an auditor someday.

“I really like accounting. I remember thinking this is how you run a business,” Tatum said. “I just opened my book and it felt like home.”

But it hasn’t always been easy. During one se-mester, Tatum started feeling bad, losing weight and battling exhaustion, but kept pushing. Ultimately he ended up in the hospital, he said, with a rare gum disease that almost took his life. He spent most of that Christmas break hospitalized.

Refusing to let that slow him down, he made a full recovery and came back for the spring semester ready to learn.

On his first day back, “They said ‘What are you doing here?’ I said, ‘It is time to go back to school. I am better,’” Tatum said. “They replied ‘You need a semester off.’ But I said no. There was no time for a semester off.”

That semester he had his best grades yet.Initially, Tatum said, he had been thinking only

about graduating as quickly as possible in order get his career started. He said that he never imagined that he would love the atmosphere of the college the way that he has, or finding himself investing in others. He has made the Dean’s List three times and is a member of Phi Beta Lambda; at the recent PBL Arkansas Spring Leadership Conference he captured first place in principles of accounting and second in computerized

accounting.He also is a tutor and a community volunteer. His

experience at SouthArk is one he talks about fondly.“You have teachers here who know how to tell you

what you need to know, and give you information to make you a better person,” he said. “You also get the same education as a big university.”

Tatum said that he is ready for the next chapter, which includes his daughter’s fourth birthday.

“I have confidence now,” he said. “Everything is different now.”

STUDENT FEATURE: MARCUS TATUM

A path to a better life

Tatum gives a class presentation.

NEWS & NOTES

More than 300 students graduat-ed from SouthArk and were recog-nized at Spring Commencement exercises in May. Arkansas Com-munity Colleges executive director Bill Stovall was the guest speaker.

Nineteen students were inducted into the college’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success in May.

The Sigma Epsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Lambda won numerous awards at the PBL National Lead-ership Conference this summer in Chicago. The SouthArk chapter received three awards and recog-nitions, while students also took home five individual and two team awards.

Adam Choate of El Dorado, a support center agent at Murphy U.S.A. and a 2009 graduate of South Arkansas Community Col-lege, was named the 2015 National Phi Beta Lambda Outstanding

FROM MAY, JUNE AND JULY

SOUTHARK FOUNDATION

The new Advanced Man-ufacturing Training Center, the ground for which will be broken this fall on the East Campus, will be named in honor of the late Charles A. Hays following a $250,000 gift from The Systems Group this summer. Hays, who died in January, started the company more than 40 years ago and saw it grow to become a global entity.

Businessperson of the Year at the Conference. Choate was nominated by the SouthArk chapter of PBL, of which he is a former member.

State Rep. John Baine helped secure state general-improvement funds for a new four-wheel align-ment lift, installed over the sum-mer, for SouthArk’s automotive service program.

Sherry Howard began duties as the new dean of workforce and continuing education at SouthArk on July 30.

Computer information tech-nology professor Vicki Badgley was accepted into the Hall of Excellence for Quality Matter Reviewers after reviewing three courses for the University of New Mexico-Alamogordo. She was the subject-matter expert for the Fundamentals of Network Commu-nication course. The “Excellence” designation was a reflection that her review team went “above and beyond” in the review of their courses.

The Arkansas Rural Nurs-ing Education Consortium—of which SouthArk is a member—an-nounced that this fall’s curriculum will feature face-to-face instruction as well as a live streaming option for a hybrid component for some classes.

Continuing education held the Plus50 Career Summit in July at the Health Science Center. The event sought to recruit new cred-it-seeking students over the age of

50, and was paid for with a grant administered by the American Association of Community Col-leges and funded by the Deerbrook Charitable Trust.

The annual Girls Learning About Math and Science day conference for eighth-grade girls hit new records, with 250 in atten-dance from 16 different schools.

Continuing education held its annual Camp Lotsafun for chil-dren.

English instructor Carol Mitch-ell attended a symposium on iFixit, a global community that helps repair portable technology.

I always say that my two favor-ite times of the school year are

orientation and commencement.As classes start for the fall, each

student arrives with a different dream, but with the same unlimited potential. The stories are com-pelling: One might be pursuing a career as a teacher, or a health-care provider, because of a life-chang-ing experience. For one student the goal is to transfer to a university and become and engineer like his father. Another student wants to take entrepreneurship classes and start a business with her sister. In some cases the goals that a student walks in with are not just his or her own, but also those of his or her family.

We at SouthArk are so privi-leged to be part of these stories and to help these students on their journeys.

For students, staff and communi-ty partners, it’s a great time to part of our team.

The SouthArk team is connected by our own goal of educating and serving our students. Each and ev-ery member of the team has a role in achieving that goal: providing a clean, safe and attractive work

FROM THE PRESIDENT

COMING EVENTS

or learning environment; financial resources; technological infrastruc-ture; faculty support; or supportive student services. We are all here to meet the Mission of SouthArk.

As last school year ended, we were sad to say goodbye to dear friends and co-workers over these past few months—some to retire-ment, some to spousal transfers and others to support new or aging family members. However, we are so excited to welcome our new em-ployees into the SouthArk family.

They hail from El Dorado, other areas of Arkansas, or beyond, and the years of experience, education and enthusiasm that they bring to their roles will help us grow.

We’re excited for the arrival of new students, returning students and wonderful opportunities associ-ated with a new year.

Just a few of the people who make up the fabric of South Arkansas Communi-ty College.

AUGUST24 Fall semester begins

SEPTEMBER7 Labor Day (College closed)12 SouthArk Outdoor Expo22 SouthArk Lecture Series (Ndaba Mandela)

OCTOBER26-28 College Knowledge Week