Students from the SAU College of Business work in the new Murphy USA Virtual Call Center at SAU. The students earn internship credit for their work.
MAGNOLIA – Southern Arkansas University will host a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Murphy USA/SAU College of Business Virtual Call Center at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10. The events will take place at the call center on the third floor of the Business-Agri Business building. SAU President Dr. David Rankin as well as representatives from Murphy USA, the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce, and the College of Business will be on hand. The community is invited to attend.
The virtual call center is part of a new partnership between Murphy USA and the SAU College of Business. Murphy USA is a subsidiary of El Dorado-based Murphy Oil Corp. The call center is operational seven days a week and employs six SAU students as paid interns who are supervised by fulltime Murphy employees. The students work no more than 20 hours per week and are paid by Murphy USA. Undergraduate student interns also receive credit towards graduation for their internships.
The call center at SAU is one of several that handles calls from Murphy USA employees across the nation. If there is a problem at a Murphy USA retail store, an employee calls the call center for assistance, and the call is then directed to the appropriate “pod” depending on the problem. Most often, the SAU pod handles technology-related questions.
Dr. Lisa Toms, dean of the SAU College of Business, said that the call center has been a great success and is providing exciting opportunities for the University’s students. Having this experience now may increase the students’ chances of being hired by Murphy USA or similar companies after graduation, she said.
For more information on the Murphy USA/SAU College of Business Virtual Call Center or the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, contact Sheila Pearson at (870) 235-4299.
