Dr. Debra West Ready To Make Difference As New ASU-Mid South Chancellor

A large crowd gathered late Thursday at Arkansas State University-Mid South to welcome the college’s new chancellor and kick off a new beginning.

“It feels like old home week,” Dr. Debra West told about 100 people who stood in the lobby of the Donald W. Reynolds Center on the campus in West Memphis.

The college, which was formerly Mid-South Community College, became a part of the ASU system July 1. University officials said Wednesday that the college had a 2.6% increase in students for the fall semester, having 1,945 students.

West, who graduated from East Arkansas Community College in 1985, said she had an interest in math and science while going to college in Forrest City. However, she said she had a stronger interest in helping people.

“It made a difference in my life,” West said of going to the two-year college in Forrest City.

West said she believes the Delta is in “need of difference makers” and that people like former MSCC president Dr. Glen Fenter helped to make a difference in West Memphis.

ASU System president Dr. Charles Welch echoed the statement made about Fenter, who resigned earlier this year to go to work for an economic development group in Memphis.

“Replacing Glen Fenter is never an easy task,” Welch said of the work to select West for the job. “Glen did an amazing job and helped build this institution from scratch.”

Welch also said the merger between ASU and Mid-South Community College is a perfect fit, with the West Memphis college’s role in workforce development and ASU’s support of other workforce programs at ASU-Newport.

“It is huge. This institution is very unique in its history and workforce development,” Welch said, noting he believes “none do it as well as MSCC.”

FUTURE GROWTH
West said she would like to continue working on the college’s mission of workforce education. The college has been part of the ADTECH program, which prepares students for workforce training, for several years.

She said the college has seen a big increase in students interested in technical fields. The college works with several area high schools on a concurrent enrollment program that allows students to receive both high school and college credit, while still going to high school. The students can either receive a certificate to help them get a job or can enroll at ASU-Mid South to work on receiving an associate’s degree, West said.

The college has definitely grown in recent years with several new large buildings on campus. In the mid to late 1990’s, the college had only one building at its West Memphis campus with students having to take basic classes in trailers. Also, students had to take science classes at nearby West Memphis High School because no science labs were available.

Today, the mission is about helping the student grow, West said.

“Whether it is a teacher or an attorney or welding, everything we do is about preparing them for the workforce and a better life for themselves and their family,” West said.