MAGNOLIA, Ark. — Philip D. Covington has been named the new dean of students at Southern Arkansas University.
Covington comes to SAU from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Ark., where he spent the past three and a half years as associate vice president for student services/dean of students. At Arkansas Tech, he was responsible for planning, design, implementation and the evaluation of a comprehensive student services program as well as a host of other duties.
At SAU, Covington’s job still carries administrative responsibilities, but he hopes to be spending more of his time working directly with students, something he said his past jobs have prepared him well for.
“More than anything I look forward to serving the students and getting to know them and the University community,” Covington said. “Ultimately, I will be looking for ways to ways to create more opportunities for students to be successful so that as alumni they will be more successful. When students graduate from SAU, we want people to be able to tell they are an SAU graduate because of the way they conduct themselves.”
Another positive aspect of taking the job at SAU is the opportunity for Covington to move closer to his roots. A native of Arkadelphia, Ark., Covington said it will be nice to get to know people from areas he grew up around. Covington has spent the bulk of his career working in Kansas and has experience at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kan., Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan. and also working for Dickinson State University in Dickinson, North Dakota.
Covington began his position with SAU on Monday, January 29. Covington’s wife, Vanessa, and their three children, Lofton, 10, Parson, 7, and Martilee, 5, will be joining him soon, he said.
