![\"\"](\"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/08\/FreshmanClass-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a>SAU\u2019s increased freshman class surrounds the Mulerider on the football field before heading to the Alumni Center to participate in Blue and Gold day festivities.<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cWe feel so completely fortunate to reach this historic level in our enrollment. So many people in our SAU community worked tirelessly and built strong relationships with our student body and their families to make this milestone happen,\u201d says Dr. Trey Berry, SAU president.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThis has been a complete team effort! Our SAU family goes above and beyond to make SAU feel like home for our students.\u201d<\/p>\n
When retention rates and enrollment numbers are both trending upward, this creates exciting times at SAU.\u00a0 Undergraduate enrollment for the fall remains strong with 3,148 students calling SAU home. The incoming freshman class shows an 10% increase over the entering class of fall 2021.\u00a0 This is coupled with a freshman retention rate increasing 7% from the previous fall class.\u00a0 Transfer student enrollment also saw a boost this fall with a 54% increase.\u00a0 Sarah Jennings, associate vice president for enrollment, notes, \u201cPromoting SAU and making our students feel welcome is truly a campus-wide effort.\u00a0 The increase in enrollment is a reflection of SAU\u2019s commitment to quality programs in a caring environment.\u00a0 The recruitment and admissions teams are thrilled to welcome this new class!\u201d<\/p>\n
Graduate enrollment at SAU is at an all-time high.\u00a0 The 53% increase in graduate enrollment can be attributed to SAU\u2019s continued commitment to affordability, convenience, and quality.\u00a0 Programs strongly contributing to the enrollment increase include the Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling, Master of Science in Computer Information Science, Master of Public Administration, and a Doctorate in Education in Rural and Diverse Educational Leadership. All of the graduate advisors work diligently to provide a comprehensive range of academic services to support students throughout their graduate programs.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Mulerider marching band is not only celebrating a record-breaking number of students but also the introduction of new uniforms.<\/p><\/div>\n
As more students choose SAU, the community enjoys continued growth in areas such as the Mulerider Band. Now the largest in the University\u2019s history at 195 students, Director of Bands J.P. Wilson says, \u201cWe are one of the largest college marching bands in Arkansas and we are very excited for this season.\u201d<\/p>\n
While enrollment climbs, SAU\u2019s commitment to excellence remains steadfast. SAU nursing students completed the 2022 NCLEX with a first-time pass rate of 100% which ranks them first in Arkansas among Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are so proud of our faculty and students,\u201d said Dr. Karen Landry, department chair.\u00a0 \u201cOur students have the commitment necessary to successfully complete this program. Nursing curricula are not easy. We are preparing these students for one of the most challenging and versatile careers available today. Family members entrust their loved ones to our care, and patient safety is our highest priority. We are an essential member of any healthcare team, and we take our responsibilities very seriously at SAU.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/a>Mulerider Country comes to life during move-in weekend as student-athletes and organizations help students move in.<\/p><\/div>\n
Campus Housing provides a home away from home for seventeen hundred twenty-two SAU students – a 3.3% increase from last year. Sandra Martin, dean of housing, commented, \u201cWe are so excited to see so many faces back on campus, and we get to welcome so many more to campus housing.\u201d Students can select from 16 different residential living options, including traditional, suite-style, or apartments.\u00a0 Among several residential options, SAU provides engaging residential interest groups that pair living with learning communities.<\/p>\n
Mulerider Athletic programs continue to be a highlight for the campus.\u00a0 The spring teams had exhilarating sports seasons as they had enormous success in competition.\u00a0 The Mulerider baseball team made its first appearance in the NCAA DII Baseball Championship.\u00a0 They ended the season ranked 3rd<\/sup> in the nation for DII Baseball.\u00a0 Mulerider Men\u2019s Tennis earned a trip to the DII National Tennis Tournament.\u00a0 Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s Track and Field posted a third-place finish at the GAC Conference Championship.\u00a0 Men\u2019s Golf and Softball also made appearances in regional post-season action.\u00a0 As we return to more normalcy from the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions of the past two fall semesters, Mulerider fans are anxiously awaiting the return of fall sports to the campus.<\/p>\n Mulerider Baseball celebrates their victory as Central Regional Champions, sending them to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship; the program’s first national postseason tournament appearance since the 1991 NAIA World Series.<\/p><\/div>\n As Muleriders settle into a new semester, SAU\u2019s Office of Admissions is gearing up for next year. Students interested in attending SAU are encouraged to visit campus.\u00a0 Southern Arkansas University provides students with the complete college experience in a caring environment of service, innovation, and community. With more than 100 degree options in four distinct colleges and the School of Graduate Studies, SAU initiates new degree programs to fit the needs of career and professional trends of today.\u00a0 To learn more about SAU, visit www.saumag.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, has exceeded its enrollment predictions with increases in first-year, transfer, and graduate students.\u00a0SAU is celebrating a record-breaking enrollment with 5,094 Muleriders, a 15% increase for fall 2022. SAU\u2019s commitment to offering in-demand programs and providing a \u201cculture of caring\u201d approach has provided a tremendous appeal to a diverse group of students…. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1125,"featured_media":9054,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[271,94,207,308,32641,33,7753,284,288,143],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9050","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-admissions","9":"category-college-of-liberal-performing-arts","10":"category-college-of-science-and-technology","11":"category-featured-layout","12":"category-graduate-studies","13":"category-homepage","14":"category-office-of-student-activities","15":"category-regional-news","16":"category-student-life","17":"entry"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1125"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>