Government of the University is vested in the Board of Trustees, consisting of five members who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate of Arkansas. Each board member serves a five-year term. Terms of appointment are staggered so that one member is appointed each year. The Board determines the general policies of the University and approves expenditures of its funds.

The Organizational Chart illustrates the structure of the University’s internal administrative organization and its relationship to the Board of Trustees.

An Academic Organization Chart illustrates the structure of the academic programs of Southern Arkansas University, which are administered by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (Provost). The University is organized into four colleges (the David F. Rankin College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Liberal and Performing Arts, and the College of Science and Engineering) and the School of Graduate Studies. The Library Director, the Registrar, the Director of Continuing Education, and the Director of the Honors College all report directly to the Provost.

SAU has a commitment to continuous quality improvement is the subject of Section VI of this document. The Open Pathway model of accreditation is a quality-based, continuous improvement mode of accreditation promoted by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

The Faculty Assembly and the Faculty Senate are the subjects of Sections III and IV of this document, and their roles in the overall functioning of Southern Arkansas University are described there.

The channels of communication are a two-way process. One way involves communication from administrative officers to faculty. The other involves communication from the faculty to the administration. Thus, channels of communication operate throughout the University by means of individual discussion, written communication, and committee reports. Any faculty members should feel free to discuss any program or problems related to the University with the administrative staff members concerned with the program or problems. However, faculty members are encouraged to indicate this intention to their immediate supervisor.

Communication among the various constituent groups of the University is achieved through a variety of means, including

• • electronic mail messages sent to individuals or groups,
  • campus mail, with slots for each department and office within the University,
  • regular and called meetings of departments, colleges, the Faculty Senate, and the Faculty Assembly,
  • minutes of meetings of the Faculty Assembly, the Faculty Senate, and certain ad hoc committees, which are distributed to the faculty,
  • other written communications and discussions, and
  • The Stater, a semi-annual publication for alumni and friends of SAU.