MAGNOLIA — Years spent leading youth in nature activities not only helped form new Southern Arkansas University President Bruno Hicks’ personal definition of “community,” but forged his leadership style.
“You can’t ‘force’ people to pedal or paddle,” said Hicks, who was selected by the SAU board of trustees in May 2024 and began his presidential duties the following month. “You need to give them the skills” and the motivation.
Hicks — who was provost and vice president of academic affairs at Dalton State College in Northwest Georgia before joining SAU — is focused on “rigor and readiness,” making sure graduates are “ready for their next step,” not only professionally, but as contributors to their community, he said. Employers “are always happy with the SAU graduates they hire.”
Marleena Brown, a native of southern Arkansas who graduated in May, is confident SAU’s “tough” nursing program prepared her for her career.
“Coming to SAU is definitely paying off,” Brown said. “It’s rough, but nursing school is supposed to be tough, because you have lives in your hands” as a nurse.
As a leader, Hicks “is building community all the time, and your community is part of the (larger) environment,” he said. “My main interest has always been helping people understand their relationship to the environment.”
A FRIENDLY, WELCOMING PLACE
Before starting his Dalton State tenure in 2020, Hicks was the founding dean of the school of education from 2016-2020 at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts, and he spent nearly two decades at the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) as a professor of education and environmental studies, also serving as chairman of the education department for 12 of his 18 years there. Hicks — who replaced Trey Berry as SAU president when Berry left to become chancellor of Henderson State University — has a doctor of education in Science/STEM Education from the University of Maine, a Master of Science in environmental education, experiential education, and field studies program development from Lesley College and a Bachelor of Science in biology and environmental studies from UMFK.
Hicks understands “small towns” like Magnolia, not only through previous work experience, but his own upbringing in a “town of about 300 in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts,” he said. And he’s pleased the story he heard about SAU — that it feels like “home” — has proved true since he moved to Magnolia.
SAU “feels like home, (with) true Southern hospitality and some of the nicest people I’ve met in my entire life,” explained Trent Smith, who graduated in May. “They welcome you with open arms — which is contagious — and whatever you want to be involved in, there’s a place for everybody.”
That welcoming feeling extends to the Mulerider Market, a partnership between SAU and Americorps Vista, which allows any student to pick out several items — from food to personal hygiene products — free each week, added Smith, who served as a student ambassador for SAU. “Once I learned how to budget, I really started taking advantage of” the Mulerider Market.
“I love (SAU’s) welcoming atmosphere,” said Brown, who came to SAU because she heard its nursing program was among the best in Arkansas. “Going to football games, ‘Mulegate'” — the SAU Muleriders version of a “tailgate” party — and other events gave “me an even bigger friends group than I had when I got here.”
SAU also offers the Mulerider Express, a van that takes students to spots around Magnolia, noted Makenzi Hamilton, a SAU alumna who is now director of recruitment. “That’s very important for our students who don’t have cars.”
It’s “easy to get comfortable” at SAU, said rising sophomore Saraya Morgan, who plans to become a nurse. “Everyone is so nice, not rude or toxic.”
“It’s a positive environment, with the right amount of people,” seconded fellow rising sophomore Theresa Ngo, who is studying to eventually become a dentist. “It’s calm, not super-busy or overwhelming.”
Morgan’s transition to college was “pretty smooth — no stress, really — and it’s a friendly place,” she said. “This was the best decision for me.”
At SAU, “everyone cares — it’s a big family where we thrive off one another — and celebrates, or grieves, with you,” said Hamilton. “I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”
“Everyone here is a recruiter for SAU,” she added. “If we can get (potential students) to our campus to visit, they very often choose to come here.”
Smith became “my own person” at SAU and grew “to love higher education,” he said. “I may get a master’s in higher education and work here, or I might do public speaking, (as) I’ve had a lot of opportunities for that here — whatever you want to do, you can do here.”
INVESTMENTS ‘A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE’
SAU completed its first comprehensive campaign in 2021, the Love and Loyalty Campaign, raising more than $29.7 million toward a goal of $22.275 million, which led the effort to increase the endowment to more than $50 million, according to SAU. The university plans to embark on another capital campaign with Hicks as president.
“There’s a very strong relationship between SAU and Magnolia, and we have very generous donors,” Hicks said. Donations demonstrate “confidence that what you’re going to do with the money will benefit students, (so) I see these investments as a vote of confidence.”
Hicks is “drawn to this type of school,” because he’s worked for several rural universities with similar enrollment numbers, and “I have a passion for the role they play,” he said. Often, these schools don’t enjoy ample resources, but the people are highly “creative, and SAU is very innovative.”
Hicks aims to continue that innovative spirit, particularly in “creating a next-generation university” that remains a comprehensive source for traditional college education in southern Arkansas, but is also nimble enough to adapt to changing workforce needs, he said. Higher education needs to remain “relevant” to students and families in order to attract enrollees, and they do so by demonstrating return on investment.
“Is college worth it? Of course,” he said. “Education is not a ‘cost,’ like buying a truck, but an ‘investment,’ like buying a house.”
A recent report from Federal Reserve economists found a college graduate earns $32,000 more in a year than a worker with only a high school diploma.
The payoff on a college degree stands near its all-time high, the economists reported in an April 16 post from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The return on a college investment has remained consistent — 12% to 13% a year — for the past three decades.
A typical college graduate earns about $80,000 a year, compared with $47,000 for a worker with a high school diploma, according to the analysis. The college wage premium tends to grow throughout a career, too.
SAU should be a destination not only for traditional undergraduates, but graduate students — in-person or online — and those seeking to “retool” their career by adding another degree or certificate, Hicks said. “We need to provide a lot of different paths and opportunities,” from teens to adults.
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, SAU prizes personal attention for students, with a 16:1 student-teacher ratio, and offers more than 100 degree and certification options in undergraduate and graduate studies, according to the university. Hicks is also president of the SAU System, which includes SAU Tech, a comprehensive two-year institution in Camden that began in 1968 and has an average enrollment of roughly 1,800 students.
Fall 2024 enrollment at SAU was down 8% from last fall, at 4,733 students, but the drop was anticipated, and the university budgeted accordingly, according to Hicks. SAU’s right size is likely around 5,000 students, and “we feel we’re pretty stable — this is a fun place to be, and I’ve not been disappointed at all by the energy.”
PRAISE FROM NICHE.COM
In September 2024, SAU was named the #1 Best Small Public College in Arkansas and the #2 Top Public University in the state by Niche.com, which is based in Pittsburgh and aims to help students and families select colleges based on reviews and metrics.
Niche ranks colleges based on analysis of academic, financial, and student satisfaction metrics that reflect the overall campus experience, according to Niche. Information from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, as well as student submitted surveys, factor into the rankings.
In-state undergraduate tuition at SAU for 2023-24 was $3,600 — with $1,310 in mandatory fees — per semester (assuming 15 credits taken per semester, which is standard for undergraduates). Tuition for 2024-25 increased to $3,690 per semester, while fees decreased to $1,290.
SAU scored especially high for its academic programs, “accessible faculty, and spirited campus life,” according to Niche. “These rankings are a testament to SAU’s commitment to delivering personalized attention and a close-knit community atmosphere that fosters student success.”
Hicks most appreciated the Niche ranking because of the emphasis it places on feedback from current students and alumni, he said. “They find value in being here.”
Affordability is paramount to many SAU students, such as Ngo, she said. “With all my scholarships, I’m attending for free, and home is close by.”
Additionally, “you get to know your professors, and you feel like you can ask questions you might not in a bigger class,” said Smith, a native of Central Arkansas who majored in healthcare administration. Professors also keep at least eight hours per week open for students to visit them in their offices, which “has helped me a lot.”
The fact that “professors know you by name is something we take a lot of pride in, because it’s unique,” said Hamilton. “That was one of the things I loved when I went to school here.”
SAU is “a lively environment and a special place,” added Jessica Greaves, SAU’s assistant director of Communications and Marketing. “Magnolia is a pretty small town, but there’s always plenty to do at SAU.”
LOOKING AHEAD
The Mulerider Next Step Guarantee, which activates with the fall 2025 freshman class, vows that students who fulfill program requirements will land a job in their field or related area — or be accepted into a graduate or professional school — within six months of graduating, according to SAU. If they don’t, SAU will provide dedicated career coaching and the option to enroll in up to nine additional hours of undergraduate coursework to buttress career readiness.
They will also have an opportunity to enroll in up to six additional undergraduate credits and a paid internship to acquire valuable work experience, according to SAU. Tuition and fees for these additional courses will be covered by the university.
“If you spend four years with us, and are still having a hard time, we’ll pick up” those credits to help, Hicks said. SAU is also investing roughly $300,000 in Career Services to better assist students through Next Step.
The SAU Difference, which also starts this fall, “bridges the gap between the cost of tuition, fees, and existing financial aid, ensuring that students who are Pell-eligible and recipients of the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship can attend SAU without the weight of unmet financial needs,” according to the university. “By covering essential costs like tuition and mandatory fees, this scholarship empowers students to focus on their studies, unlock their potential, and chart a path toward a brighter future” with fewer financial concerns.
SAU has built and renovated myriad buildings in recent years and substantially increased resources for students, said Hamilton. “I never would have pictured all this growth when I was a student here.”
That expansion includes athletics, as SAU recently added indoor track and field, she said. The university also recently built an athlete academic success center, as well as an indoor/outdoor facility for sports.
Esports “are on the rise, too,” she said. “We have a whole building devoted to Esports — you can get a scholarship for it — and they are competitive.”
Even the band has expanded, she noted. “We (had) our largest band ever” during the 2024-25 academic year.
Hicks certainly appreciates the band, as his longtime hobby is folk music.
“I play guitar, and my mother was from Kentucky — we spent a lot of time there when I was young — her family members were singers,” said Hicks, who has been married to his wife, Linda, for more than three decades, and has four children (Paul, Emma, and twins Mason and Mollie). “I’m more interested in ‘kitchen music,’ and (music is) a relaxing thing for me.”
