ASU boasts record spring enrollment ASU announced a preliminary record spring enrollment of 11,056 for the Jonesboro campus, the highest spring enrollment ever recorded. This number shows an increase of 723 students, or 7 percent, compared to the spring 2008 headcount of 10,333. The number of undergraduate students enrolled for associate and baccalaureate degree programs is up at all ASU-Jonesboro instructional sites—9,270 students for spring 2009, as compared to 8,849 for spring 2008. ASUJ has 383 international students enrolled for spring 2009 in undergraduate, graduate, and/or English as a Second Language programs—this includes 125 undergraduates and 150 graduate students. There are 3,560 students enrolled in either Web or Web-assisted instruction provided by the Jonesboro campus, as compared to 2,683 students enrolled in Web-based instruction for spring 2008—which includes more than 227 students enrolled in online master’s degree programs. Also, 481 students are receiving instruction by means of compressed video at other ASU-Jonesboro instructional locations. For details, see the NewsPage release. Dr. Mark Bauerlein presents inaugural Honors Lecture The Honors College will present its inaugural Honors Lecture featuring Dr. Mark Bauerlein, on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Auditorium. A reception and book signing will be held at the lecture’s conclusion. The lecture is free, and the public is invited. The annual lecture aims to stimulate campus discussion through academic discourse about various issues affecting higher education. Dr. Bauerlein is a professor of English at Emory University. His newest book, "The Dumbest Generation:  How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future; Or, Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30," was released in May 2008 and has been heralded by CNN, CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Newsweek, and The Wall Street Journal. Drawing upon exhaustive research, detailed portraits, and historical and social analysis, "The Dumbest Generation" argues that “the digital age stupefies young Americans.”  For details, contact Rebecca Oliver, director, Student Services, the Honors College, ext. 2308, or see the NewsPage release. Harvard University's Dr. Steve Caton to present lecture ASU’s Middle East Studies Committee will host Dr. Steve Caton, Monday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Auditorium. This lecture is free, and the public is invited to attend. Dr. Steve Caton, professor of anthropology and director of the Center for Middle East Studies at Harvard University, will present "From T.E. Lawrence to Special Operation Forces: The White Sheik as a Modular Image in 20th Century Popular Culture." For more information, contact Dr. Erik Gilbert, History, ext. 2137, or see the NewsPage release. University sends NCAA final report on certification issue Following academic certification issues discovered last August at Arkansas State University, an external investigation concluded there was "no unethical conduct or purposeful intent to certify student-athletes as eligible for competition contrary to National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) legislation." ASU Chancellor Robert L. Potts noted that although this matter was distressing to those involved in intercollegiate athletics at ASU, the concerns, once discovered, were immediately reported to the proper entities for a full investigative review. Following the review, ASU began implementing the investigative group’s recommendations to correct the matter as well as to ensure full compliance with NCAA certification rules in the future. In light of the inadvertent mistakes made in the certification of 21 student-athletes, the school is self-imposing a penalty for the certification errors made by the university. In addition, ASU officials have taken steps to correct campus certification procedures. In a letter dated Jan. 29, 2009, Chancellor Potts notified the NCAA enforcement office in Indianapolis, Ind., of the results of the investigation and steps taken to address its findings. The institutional monetary penalty of $43,500 was calculated from a formula outlined in NCAA Bylaw 19.5.1, which is a $500 fine per student-athlete multiplied by the number of athletic contests played while ineligible. The maximum fine per student-athlete is $5,000. For details, including a link to support documentation which includes the ASU Student-Athlete Certification Review, click here, or see the NewsPage release. Back to the top