Southern Arkansas University Tech (SAUT) is pleased to announce the award of $1,070,483 for the improvement of technology and training for faculty. In fall 2020, SAU Tech applied for the US Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education. The grant competition was funded through the first round of the federal CARES Act through a discretionary grant competition-Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity Grant Competition (IREPO). The funds were directed towards colleges that met the following criteria:

• Provide Dual Enrollment Opportunities to Students Who Live or Attend School in a Rural Community or Opportunity Zone:
• Are led by, or include as partners, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges, minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and/or developing institutions that are eligible to participate in Title III or Title V programs; and/or
• Are committed to developing more resilient instructional delivery models, such as distance learning, that make learning possible even when students cannot be physically present on campus for any reason.

SAU Tech was one of two colleges in Arkansas to be awarded the IREPO funding and the only one to be awarded over $1 million. The project will provide for the upgrade of streaming technology for all of the college’s classrooms and training funds for faculty to become QM certified online instructors. the grant also includes funds for improvements to the college’s email systems, wifi access, and technology for student use.

The grant project is already underway with planning meetings taking place on the campus this week. The project director is Dr. Valerie Wilson, SAU Tech’s Vice Chancellor for Academics and Planning. SAU Tech’s Chief Information Officer, Laura Johnson, and SAU Tech’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Academics will also be responsible for working on the project. Johnson will implement the technology upgrades working with a consultant, and Eppinette will work with faculty and the department of online learning to implement software and training. Kimberly Coker, Dean for Communications & Public Relations and the college’s grant writer, will assist with the implementation phase of the project along with Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Gaye Manning. The project runs for two years and ends in August of 2023.