public institution located on more than 130 acres (53 hectares) in Arkadelphia, Ark., 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Little Rock. Its origins trace back to 1890, but it was not until 1975 that it gained university status. Enrollment is about 4,000 students, including about 400 graduate students. Most students are state residents, and all applicants who are graduates of accredited Arkansas high schools are accepted to the undergraduate program. About half of the students live on campus, most in single-sex dormitories. Women outnumber men. Roughly a third of the undergraduates are over the age of 25. The academic calendar is divided into semesters. The university awards associate and bachelor's degrees in such areas as fine and performing arts, business, communications, aviation, computer science, education, home economics, health sciences, arts and sciences, and social work. Graduate fields of study include business, liberal arts and sciences, and education. More than half of the full-time faculty hold doctorates. Extracurricular activities at Henderson State include fraternities and sororities, intramural sports, student government, the campus radio station, a student-run newspaper, and performance groups. Varsity sports teams participate in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. |