SFA University
August 9, 2022 – Following recent approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Social Work will begin offering a Doctorate of Social Work program in spring 2023, officially becoming the university’s fourth doctoral-level degree option.
SFA’s DSW program is structured to enhance the clinical expertise of social workers while also containing a pedagogical track that prepares graduates for teaching in bachelor’s- and master’s-level social work programs. It also will prepare social workers to enter leadership positions in health care management and administration.
“SFA’s overarching goal focuses on creating transformational learning experiences for students, and the DSW program strongly aligns with this goal,” said Dr. Emmerentie Oliphant, interim chair of SFA’s School of Social Work and the Buddy Zeagler Endowed Professor. “Students will be engaged in learning and will practice opportunities to develop leadership, teaching and practice competencies. The program also will provide experiential learning opportunities based on social work practice realities, which will develop students’ abilities to address social problems. The social work practice will focus on individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations.”
The need for social workers is at an all-time high in Texas and the United States, and the need gives rise to an accompanying need for more social work instructors to teach in bachelor’s and master’s social work programs.
The School of Social Work recognized a need for a doctoral program in 2007 and, under the leadership of Dr. Freddie Avant, associate dean of the School of Social Work, established a planning committee in 2010.
“The Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work are already among SFA’s largest academic programs,” said Dr. Marc Guidry, SFA associate provost. “The DSW will further enhance the School of Social Work’s reputation as the premier provider of social work education in East Texas and take our Center for Rural Social Work Research to new heights. Adding a doctoral program adds to the reputation of the entire university for academic excellence at the highest level. Therefore, the DSW will be an anchor program for the university and a magnet for recruiting high-performing students to our campus.”
SFA is one of two Texas universities to offer the DSW program. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved Angelo State University’s DSW program at the same time as SFA’s. However, unlike Angelo State, SFA will offer in-person courses.
Currently, the nearest higher education institution to offer a DSW program is Tulane University in New Orleans, which is more than 350 miles from Nacogdoches. Therefore, the addition of the DSW program addresses a regional need for East Texas.
"I am very proud of the staff and faculty who have worked so hard to make the DSW a reality,” said Dr. Lorenzo Smith, SFA provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “This is another great example of how SFA is serving as the anchor university for deep East Texas."
The initial DSW cohort will consist of 10 students, and classes will be held on Fridays to make it accessible for those who work.
For more information, contact Oliphant at oliphante@sfasu.edu, or visit sfasu.edu/socialwork.
August 3, 2022 — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business has partnered with Smith Sawmill Service to provide SFA students with a direct path to business careers in wood processing, an industry that’s integral to East Texas’ economy.
Smith Sawmill Service is one of the largest suppliers and service providers of saws, cutting tools, filing room equipment and critical consumable products. With locations in Texas, Louisiana and North Carolina, Smith is owned by BID Group, a private company established in 1924 that is now the leading supplier to the wood-processing industry in North America.
“We are thrilled to work with Smith Sawmill Service to better serve our students and our region,” said Dr. Jason Reese, associate dean of SFA’s College of Business. “Smith Sawmill Service is a first-class organization that truly cares about the success of our students and the East Texas region.
“Their support will help us achieve our mission of providing a quality learning environment and helping our students launch their careers and become effective leaders," Reese continued.
Smith Sawmill Service is one of a growing number of corporations that SFA’s College of Business works with to help students explore their career options before graduation.
“We see a tremendous opportunity in our partnership with SFA's College of Business,” said Dustin T. Norris, vice president of Smith Sawmill Service. “SFA has consistently produced leaders and creative thinkers that bring value to our organization, and I am proud to reinforce our commitment to higher education here in the piney woods of East Texas.”
These partnerships are a win-win for corporations and students, said Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the College of Business.
“Engaging with an excellent partner such as Smith Sawmill Service is a great example of how a quality corporate partner program works to the benefit of all,” he added. “I’m excited to see this partnership grow in the years to come.”
To learn more about SFA’s College of Business, visit sfasu.edu/cob.
Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host a floral design workshop to share methods for creating artistic flower arrangements from 9am to noon August 13 in the Pineywoods Native Plant Center’s Brundrett Conservation Education Building.
July 18, 2022 — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host a floral design workshop to share methods for creating artistic flower arrangements from 9 a.m. to noon August 13 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.
Jordan Cunningham, SFA Gardens greenhouse technician, will explore the principles of floral design, including shapes, colors, materials and construction.
"This year, we will be exploring the elements of floral design using both common plants from the garden and traditional floral materials," Cunningham said. "We want to use the resources here at SFA Gardens to show people how they can use materials from their own garden to make floral works of art.”
Participants will create their own floral arrangements to take home. All materials will be provided, but attendees are welcome to bring flowers and greens from their own gardens to add to their arrangements, or a vase of their own.
Cost for the seminar is $25 for members of SFA Gardens and $35 for nonmembers. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required at sfasu.edu/sfagardens.
For more information, contact SFA Gardens at (936) 468-4404 or sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
July 15, 2022 — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host its annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale from 9am to 2pm on October 1st and 2nd at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St. in historic Nacogdoches.
The sale will feature an array of hard-to-find, “Texas-tough” plants, with an emphasis on native, pollinator-friendly selections, garden favorite perennials, and trees, including Japanese maples, magnolias and bald cypress. A list of all available plants will be posted on the SFA Gardens website two weeks before the sale.
This very popular event raises money for the operations of all the areas under the SFA Gardens umbrella: Mast Arboretum, PNPC, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Gayla Mize Garden, Kingham Children’s Garden, Hinds Park and the alternative fruits research program.
Parking will be available at SFA’s Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon for their plants.
For more information and a list of available plants, call (936) 468-4404 or visit sfasu.edu/sfagardens.
Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host its annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 1 and 2 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St. in historic Nacogdoches.
The first test unit dug during the Sand Hill community archeological project. Found in the test unit were broken glass pieces believed to have been from a school window, nails, and a lid from what could have been a paint or tar can.
July 11, 2022 - Stephen F. Austin State University’s Dr. George Avery, staff archeologist and cultural heritage coordinator, along with volunteer archeological stewards from the Texas Historical Commission, began to unearth the history of an often-neglected gem in Nacogdoches County – the Sand Hill community.
Tucked between Melrose and Chireno along Highway 21 sits Sand Hill, a community established as a freedom colony — those in which African Americans settled after they were freed. To date, there are about 500 freedom colonies recorded in Texas.
According to Avery, researchers of that era often neglected or overlooked freedom colonies, leading to a lack of historical resources cataloging their rich cultures.
“The project is meant to introduce the Sand Hill community to the idea of learning about their past by using archeology,” Avery said. “There are not many historical documents about them, so what we’re doing here is providing information for the documents.”
As part of a grant, Avery, along with stewards and volunteers Lori Horne, Keith Stephens, John Jefferson and Archie Rison Jr., began the dig on June 27 at a location in the community that was believed to have been a Rosenwald School – a school built through support by the Rosenwald Fund, which was established to construct schools for African Americans between 1920 and 1932.
The group began the project by canvasing the area with a metal detector and marking areas where they hit a target. After that, they used ground-penetrating radar to look for areas of disturbed earth across the site.
It didn’t take long to find the first artifacts.
About an inch into the sand-filled, weed-ridden earth of their first test hole, the group found broken glass believed to have been from a school window, nails, and a lid from what could have been a paint or tar can.
“We are finding a surprising number of artifacts here,” Avery said.
Volunteer archeological steward Keith Stephens uses tools to inspect the initial dig, or test unit. Found in the test unit were broken glass pieces believed to have been from a broken school window, nails, and a lid from what could have been a paint or tar can.
Rison, a 1971 SFA graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, recalled fond memories of the short travel from his hometown Nacogdoches to Sand Hill to visit family on his mother’s side, as well as participating in the area’s ample hunting scene.
As what he considered a “kid from the big city of Nacogdoches” compared to the “country” of Sand Hill, Rison remembered it as a place that wasn’t rich financially but was rich in spirit.
“This was a thriving Black community at one time. It was really thriving. Were they rich? No, but they were rich in culture, heritage and togetherness. If a hog was killed, they didn’t mind sharing it.”
According to Avery, the first couple of days were an introduction, and the bulk of the work will commence when the heat begins to subside.
Avery hopes to present the stories of and artifacts found at Sand Hill in May 2023 during the Aya Symposium, a vehicle for the multidisciplinary exploration of Texas Freedom Colonies held in conjunction with the Texas Purple Hull Pea Festival.
“You learn what people did and what they used back in the day. It’s a learning process of human behavior,” Rison said, referencing the significance of the project.
Since the artifacts are from private property, they belong to the property owners. However, Avery has asked the owners to let SFA hold the artifacts until they are washed, photographed and analyzed. They will then be offered back to the property owners.
Anyone who thinks they may have familial ties to a Texas freedom colony and is interested in an archeological project in the community can contact Avery at averyg@sfasu.edu.
For more information about SFA’s Department of Anthropology, Geography and Sociology, visit sfasu.edu/anthrogeosoc.
Volunteer archeological stewards Keith Stephens, left, and John Jefferson place a grid over the test unit. The project is to introduce the Sand Hill community to the idea of learning about their past by using archeology.
June 8, 2022 - Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host a houseplant and succulent summer sale 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 9, 2022 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center greenhouse, located at 2900 Raguet Street.
The sale will feature succulents, cacti and houseplants of various varieties, plus a few other exciting odds and ends. This will be a much smaller event than the SFA Gardens semi-annual plant sales and will offer a very specific selection of plants intended for indoor or special care.
Limited parking will be available at the PNPC greenhouse. Visitors are encouraged to arrive at or after 9 a.m. when the doors will open. For more information, call (936) 468-4404 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
June 7, 2022 — Two new Bachelor of Science degrees will be added to Stephen F. Austin State University’s offerings in the fall. The Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering will be housed in the College of Sciences and Mathematics and taught by faculty members in the Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy.
The Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges approved the new degree programs in June. Students can now enroll in the programs and begin working toward their degree when the fall semester begins Aug. 22.
“SFA currently offers an engineering physics degree with concentrations in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering,” said Dr. Matthew Beauregard, professor and interim chair of the Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy. “The engineering physics program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. ABET recommended that SFA create parallel baccalaureate degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering. We will be seeking ABET accreditation for the new programs in the near future.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in mechanical and electrical engineering should grow by 7% from 2020 to 2030.
“The BLS estimates there will be more than 520,000 mechanical and electrical engineers employed in the U.S. by 2030,” Beauregard said. “Demand, coupled with salaries that hover around $100,000 a year, makes these careers a solid choice.”
The Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering will comprise 122 credit hours. The Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering will take 126 credit hours to complete. Each program will be offered on the Nacogdoches campus through face-to-face instruction utilizing facilities in the Cole STEM Building.
All current faculty members in the Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy will contribute to the program. Additional faculty members are slated to be added after initial enrollment goals are realized.
The steps to obtaining approval to offer these degree programs began in fall 2020 with a coordinated effort throughout SFA’s Division of Academic Affairs. They progressed to SFA’s Board of Regents in spring 2021. The process then had to meet the approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which was granted in April 2022. The recent approval by SACSCOC means the programs are ready to go.
“I would like to thank everyone involved for their vision and dedication,” Beauregard said. “This would not have been possible without the historical labors of faculty members within the department and administrators on this campus. I especially want to recognize the tremendous work by Dr. Dan Bruton, empowerment by our dean Dr. Kimberly Childs, leadership support by Dr. Lorenzo Smith, and the careful and concerted analysis done by Dr. Marc Guidry, John Calahan and Alisha Collins.
For more information about the degree programs, contact the Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy at engineering@sfasu.edu.
June 3, 2022 — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Charter School was recently ranked the second best charter elementary school in Texas by U.S. News & World Report. The high ranking also marks the school’s first appearance on the media company’s gold standard list.
“It is with great pride that we receive this wonderful news regarding our ranking,” said Lysa Hagan, CEO and principal of the school. “This recognition belongs first to our dedicated, hard-working students who truly want to learn. Secondly, our success rests on the shoulders of our parents, who get them to school each day and support reading at home. Lastly, we have an exceptional group of teachers who support learning in the classrooms through rigor, urgency and a constructivist learning environment.”
The K-5 school is also listed as the fourth best in the state by educational rating agency Niche.
Located in the Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center, the SFA Charter School opened in August 2008 with a focus on the twin goals of improving public education and enhancing the preparation of future educators and school psychologists.
The school has 255 students, 87% of which scored above the proficient level in both math and reading. Its minority student enrollment is 31%. The school enrolls 9% economically disadvantaged students.
To learn more, visit sfasu.edu/charterschool.
May 25, 2022 –– Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Les and Theresa Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 9 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.
Dr. Allen Owings, longtime educator and professor emeritus of horticulture at the Louisiana State University AgCenter, will present “Super Flowers, Super Shrubs and Super Trees for a Super Landscape.”
Born and raised in Hammond, Louisiana, Allen received his bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Louisiana University, a master’s degree from Louisiana State University, and a doctoral degree in horticulture from Mississippi State University in 1991. Owings retired in 2017 after 26 years of educational service, which included serving as coordinator for the LSU AgCenter Louisiana Super Plant program.
Owings has provided statewide extension service programming for nursery growers, landscapers, garden centers, and to master and home gardeners. Currently, Owings is employed as a senior horticulturist at Bracy’s Nursery in Amite, Louisiana, and horticulturist at Clegg’s Nursery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There, Owings works in education, outreach, social media and new plant production, and connects with nursery professionals and landscapers across the country.
The Les and Theresa Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month. It is preceded by an attendee social at 6:30 p.m., and a rare plant raffle will follow the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Les and Theresa Reeves Lecture Series fund are always appreciated.
Parking is available at the PNPC and Raguet Elementary School, located at 2428 Raguet St.
For more information, call (936) 468-4129 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
May 23, 2022 — Business owners, travel and tourism professionals, and local economic development leaders are invited to the Stephen F. Austin State University campus to attend the Deep East Texas Travel and Tourism Conference from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Twilight Ballroom.
The conference is the first in a series of travel and tourism sessions that are part of the larger Deep East Texas Travel and Tourism Collaborative. The collaborative focuses on enhancing the preparedness of the region’s tourism workforce, developing new travel packages to attract external guests, improving existing travel and tourism practices and services, and strengthening and diversifying the regional economy.
“I am very excited to collaborate with this organization to help establish the best experience for destinations across the region,” said Dr. Gina Fe G. Causin, associate professor of human sciences at SFA.
To register for the conference, fill out the online form at tinyurl.com/DEEPETXTravel.
The DETTTC is a joint collaboration between faculty members at SFA and Tarleton State University.
“As a fifth generation East Texan and SFA grad, I am excited to promote rural travel in the East Texas area,” said Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards, professor of communication at Tarleton.
For more information, contact Causin at causingf@sfasu.edu or Edwards at jtedwards@tarleton.edu.
Pages
