3/26/2020

The SouthArk Bookstore will be closed to foot traffic for in-person transactions.

The SouthArk Bookstore will remain open to serve your needs. You may continue to call the bookstore for orders and credit card or grant/scholarship/loan payments, as many of you have been doing. There will be staff at the bookstore to answer your calls from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Thursday and Friday from 8:00 am to Noon.

To order books for the summer, we recommend you use our online ordering feature at https://bookstore.southark.edu.

If you order online, you will be given an option to have us ship you your books via FedEx or you can pick them up on campus. If you choose to pick up your books, you will receive an email from the bookstore providing you an opportunity to schedule curbside service to pick up your order. Our intent is for you to drive to the half-circle drive in front of the conference, accessible from S. West Avenue, at your scheduled pickup time and someone will be there to give you your order. You shouldn’t have to leave your car. Please be patient as we work through this process, we do not anticipate being as proficient as Walmart or Brookshire’s, especially as we begin the process.

Registration for summer courses begins April 18 and you can order your books by calling the bookstore at 870-864-7163 once you have completed your registration.

Please remember, if you have suggestions or questions, please send them to southarkstrong@southark.edu.

3/25/2020

The submission deadline for the South Arkansas Community College literary journal Between the Lines has been extended to April 15. The public reading that was scheduled has been canceled in favor of a virtual reading, date to be determined. For more information contact Scott Larkin at slarkin@southark.edu.

The Alpha Gamma Iota Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society for Two-Year Colleges, scheduled for April 8, has been canceled. Invitees still can send in their dues and application by mail to Scott Larkin, PO Box 7010, El Dorado AR 71731. The deadline has been extended to June 1.

3/24/2020

Due to the current circumstances, the Bistro will close Wednesday, March 25, 2020 until further notice.

3/20/2020

For SouthArk Students:

As part of our strategic response to the COVID-19 / coronavirus public health crisis, beginning March 30th, most in-person SouthArk classes will be moving to online instruction via Blackboard for the remainder of the Spring semester.

There are a few Health Science and Career & Technical labs that will not move to online, but everything else will.

Your instructors will be reaching out to you very soon to provide additional information about accessing online content, how labs may be affected, etc.

We are here to support you and make sure you have every opportunity to be successful. The Learning Center and select computer labs will be available to you. Also, Library services will be available throughout the semester, with some changes as to how you access those resources. More information will be coming out soon on how all of that will work.

Finally, a new email address has been established for you to use if you have questions, concerns, or suggestions during this challenging time. SouthArkStrong@southark.edu is now available for you to use to reach the support you might need. Send us an email and we’ll route those to the appropriate person at the college who can help you.

Enjoy your spring break, keep washing your hands, and look for those emails from your instructors with additional information about your classes.

3/19/2020

For the week beginning 3/23/2020, the Bookstore hours will be from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday through Thursday, and closed Friday.
Boomtown Bistro hours will continue to be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday through Thursday

3/17/2020

The Food Pantry will be open this week from Noon to 2:00, Tuesday through Friday.
Boomtown Bistro hours will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday through Thursday over the next two weeks (March 16-19 and 23-26). It will be closed on Fridays and weekends. If you patronize the restaurant we encourage you to follow guidelines for social distancing, maintaining a distance of 6 feet between yourself and other patrons whenever possible. Hand sanitizer is available in the bistro and at conference center entry points.

3/16/2020

South Arkansas Community College (SouthArk) is proactively extending spring break for students starting Monday, March 16, 2020, through March 27, 2020.

The Library, Learning Center, and computer labs are closed throughout spring break
If you need advising services from your faculty advisor or the advising center, please communicate by phone or email
We will be using this downtime to continue sanitizing and disinfecting common spaces around our campuses
The Bistro will remain open, but offerings may be limited and we might do take-out only…more to come on Monday. The Bistro will be closed this Friday and next Friday. There will be a re-evaluation of hours next week for the time period after March 27th. If you are in the Bistro we encourage you to follow guidelines for “social distancing” and maintain a distance of 6 feet between yourself and other patrons when possible. Hand sanitizer is available in the Bistro and at Conference Center entry points.
The Testing Center will remain open on Monday…decisions about additional days will be made shortly
As it usually is during Spring Break, the Library will be closed to the public from 3/16 through3/27, but it will be staffed and available for online support during that time
Student-workers may continue to work their previously arranged schedule over the next two weeks, but will not be penalized if they are unable to work during that time
Student loan checks are scheduled to be disbursed this week. Details about the day/time/location will be shared on Monday.
Unless the situation with the Coronavirus changes, students will return to classes on March 30, 2020.
SouthArk’s campus operations will continue as scheduled with faculty and staff working their regular schedules.
It is important to note that at this time, SouthArk does not have any cases of the Coronavirus. We will continue to provide information as it becomes available.
The SouthArk executive team, staff, and faculty are working together to take steps for the protection of our campus family.
SouthArk will continue to review the situation in the next two weeks and make an update no later than Friday, March 27, that will be released to the public via the College's website, social media channels, local press, and email.

3/13/2020

Earlier today, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced the state's first presumptive case of COVID-19 / novel coronavirus:

Hutchinson said the patient is in Pine Bluff and has been isolated at an area hospital. According to the Governor, the patient recently traveled out of state.
A presumptive case means the person has tested positive in the state and the test results have been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation.
The Governor has also placed a 60-day ban on out-of-state travel for all state employees. We are checking now to determine if this applies to colleges and universities.

At SouthArk, we are watching all local and national information daily and will continue to react to this developing situation appropriately and in a timely manner. Currently, we are working on the following strategies to prepare and minimize risk at the college and in the broader community:

Custodial staff will receive best-practice training regarding additional sanitation techniques to assist with reducing person-to-person germ transmission
Raise awareness for all faculty, staff, and students regarding personal hygiene (see attached guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control)
Reviewing previously scheduled work-related travel for all employees and students. A travel ban has not been implemented at this time, but may be necessary.
Academic administrators and support staff will meet this week to continue discussing contingency plans for continuing academic instruction in the event a campus closure becomes necessary
An appendix is being added to the college’s “Emergency Operations Plan” to address proper procedure for epidemics / pandemics
Conversations are ongoing regarding how to react any time an employee or student travels internationally on personal business. At some point, it may become necessary to require a non-return policy for a period of time following international travel.

As we continue to work through this situation, all communication concerning COVID-19 and SouthArk’s response should only come from the President’s office. If you have questions or concerns, please send those to me directly. We will update employees and students regularly.

3/13/2020

Overview
While the United States is not experiencing large numbers of people with the novel coronavirus at this time, South Arkansas Community College is reviewing and updating our emergency management plans so that we understand what actions we would take should there be an outbreak in our area.

Will there be school closures?
We do not know yet if the virus will cause closures of colleges, schools, childcare centers, or offices in our area. But we are preparing so that we will be ready to take fast action if needed. Everyone’s health and safety is our highest priority.

Decision-Making
Unlike our local decision making with weather-related closures, our President will follow the advice and direction from local officials, the Arkansas Department of Health, and the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Notifications
If we suspend operations, you will be notified through our institution’s website as well as through ALERTUS, the alert system South Arkansas Community College uses to send out calls, emails, and text messages to faculty, staff, and students. If you have previously opted out of this service or if your contact information has recently changed, please contact the Registrar’s Office to ensure your information is up-to-date.

Resources:

Campus Health & Safety

June 6, 2022

May 24, 2022

February 8, 2022

January 6, 2022

November 19, 2021

August 5, 2021

Phase 3 - May 27, 2021

Updated PHASE 2B - January 5, 2021

Stop the Spread on College CampusesPhase 2A - August 3, 2020

Phase 2B - August 10, 2020

Phase 1 - June 1, 2020

What is COVID-19 (Coronavirus)?

What Is SouthArk Doing?

How does it spread?

Symptoms

Prevention

Treatment