Pathfinder Program Offers Campus Life for ASU-Newport Students at A-State
JONESBORO – The Pathfinder Program at Arkansas State University will open the door to an on-campus student life experience for students who can enroll in classes at both A-State and Arkansas State University-Newport.
The Pathfinder Program is for ASU-Newport students who are seeking more of a traditional on-campus living experience as they explore their options, and the potential to transfer into A-State upon completion of their associate’s degree. ASUN students enrolling for fall 2021 can opt to participate in the pilot program which is open to 2021 high school graduates who do not meet current admission standards for incoming A-State freshman.
The Pathfinder students would take the majority of their classes at the ASUN at Jonesboro campus, but would live in residence halls on the A-State campus and will be allowed as non-degree-seeking students to take one course per semester from A-State during their first two semesters in college.
“I know that as a first-generation student I would have benefited from the chance to experience both a university classroom and life on a university campus,” A-State Chancellor Kelly Damphousse said. “We know that many students at our sister system campuses would like to have the opportunity to live in residence halls, and with the unique situation where ASU-Newport has its Jonesboro campus, this opens that door for those students.”
Along with living in A-State residence halls, the ASUN Pathfinder students would be eligible to participate in many A-State on-campus activities and would have access to A-State resources including intercollegiate athletics events and student life events.
"This unique partnership creates countless opportunities for ASUN students to meet new people and develop lasting friendships,” ASU-Newport Chancellor Johnny Moore said. “In post COVID, one of the keys to student success will be our ability to effectively build strong partnerships with sister universities."
Pathfinder students will register for either nine or 12 hours on the ASUN at Jonesboro campus, then select from a pre-approved list of A-State classes for an additional three hours. The classes taken as non-degree-seeking A-State students will be reverse transferred to ASUN. Pathfinders must complete more than 24 transferrable hours before requesting the opportunity to transfer to A-State, but the goal is for these students to complete their full associate’s degree.
“This is an exciting and unique chance for degree-seeking students at ASU-Newport to have the best of both worlds,” Dr. Ashley Buchman, vice chancellor for student affairs at ASUN, said. “We know that many of our students may want to explore life on campus, but they may be unsure if they want to commit to A-State or they might have not qualified for full admission at A-State. With Pathfinder, they can.”
“We want to stress this as a way for students for our transfer team to partner with a new program with ASU-Newport,” said Dr. Thilla Sivakumaran, vice chancellor for enrollment management and global outreach. “We want to open doors for new ways to encourage their graduates to transfer to A-State, and what better way than to host them to live on campus.”
To learn more and to become a part of the Pathfinder program, contact Buchman at ASU-Newport at vcsa@ASUN.edu.
Carl R. Reng Student Union
