Southern Arkansas University

Located in the town of Magnolia just 20 miles from the Louisiana state line, Southern Arkansas University (SAU) is a four year institution dating back to 1909.

Undergraduate study at SAU is divided into four colleges; Business, Education, Liberal & Performing Arts, and Science & Engineering. An integral part of the Agricultural Sciences course is the SAU Farm on campus, which includes both crops and cattle and can allow for practical application of a student’s academic study.

In the area of graduate study there are fifteen master’s programmes at SAU. The master of education in elementary or secondary education is a two year course with four separate focus areas. As well as on campus courses, for those who wish to balance study with work life SAU provides over 350 online courses each year.

Through PrepStep resources at The Magale Library students can take practice exams, preparatory courses, and read skills-based e-books. Every year the library has a Banned Book Week, in which in defence of First Amendment rights students are encouraged to read literature than has been prohibited at education centres or libraries in America.

Sports teams at SAU are known as the Muleriders, and compete in the NCAA Division II. There are seven men’s and seven women’s sports programmes, including cross country, golf, and rodeo. As well as the team name the mascot of SAU is the Mulerider, who rides university mule Molly Ann into events. Warm-up for football games at SAU is known as ‘mulegating’, and includes partying, grilled food and family events.

First held in 1981, Bed Races have become a lasting tradition at SAU, and involve a competition in which two twin beds are raced down the street on bicycle tyres in hopes of winning the Bed Race Trophy.