SFA University
March 20, 2020 - The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents voted Friday during a telephone conference meeting to grant SFA President Dr. Scott Gordon the temporary authority to suspend university policies and take any necessary lawful action to help cope with COVID-19 without obtaining prior board approval.
Brigettee Henderson, chair of the Board of Regents, said the authority will automatically terminate once the university resumes normal operations, unless terminated earlier by the board.
“This global pandemic has already caused significant disruption to the university’s operations,” Henderson said. “The situation requires the university’s swift action to help minimize the impact to SFA’s students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders. Granting this authority will help speed up that response time.”
Henderson also recognized SFA’s administrators, faculty and staff for their diligence in dealing with the national emergency.
“Our campus community is to be commended for all the work they are doing to serve our students,” Henderson said. “The main priority is to keep everyone safe while also ensuring our students complete the necessary coursework to progress in their degree program. It has been no small task to convert classes to an online format, but that has been accomplished.”
The university announced March 19 that courses will continue to be taught in an online or distance format for the remainder of the spring semester, as well as throughout the summer semesters.
“Although we have faced many challenges during the past few weeks, we also have seen the SFA and Nacogdoches communities come together,” Gordon said. “Although our students are not here in Nacogdoches physically, they are foremost on our minds. We will continue to do whatever is possible to ensure their educational needs are met.”
During the meeting, the board also approved a wireless networking upgrade and the guidelines for use of the environmental service fee.
March 19, 2020 - For the first time since 2006, the Stephen F. Austin State University Bass Fishing Club has won the Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship. The competition was held Feb. 26 through 28 on the Harris Chain of Lakes, part of the Ocklawaha River basin in Central Florida. This is the third national championship victory in the club’s history.
On Feb. 28, marketing sophomore Ethan LeGare of Dallas and marketing junior Hank Harrison of South Padre Island weighed in the biggest bag of the day at 20 pounds, 8 ounces, giving them a total weight of 56 pounds, 5 ounces. They beat the Sam Houston State University team by an ounce.
In addition to the trophy, LeGare and Harrison won a $33,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Suzuki outboard.
The SFA team members also qualify as professionals for the 2020 Toyota Series Championship Nov. 5 through 7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky. The championship awards $235,000 for first place.
LeGare and Harrison caught their fish by targeting grassy flats on points next to spawning pockets in Lake Beauclair, Lake Dora and Lake Eustis.
“The key to winning was adapting to the changing weather conditions and being versatile with our bait selection,” LeGare said.
On the first day of the competition, the SFA team took advantage of the barometric pressure being at its lowest point of the week due to a cold front moving in that night.
“The conditions on days two and three were tougher, but we slowed down our approach to the fish we were catching,” LeGare said. “With the barometric pressure being high on days two and three, slowing down and changing up our baits were key strategies to getting our fish to bite.”
The reservoirs and lakes near SFA helped the team gain the experience they needed to be flexible during the competition. Harrison added that the main reason he chose to attend SFA was to fish.
“I’ve always loved East Texas, but to have Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Toledo Bend Reservoir both within an hour from campus, I was sold,” he said. “Both of these lakes are consistently rated as some of the best in the country, and Sam Rayburn is in the running for the best lake in the world by Bassmaster Magazine.”
Because of these two reservoirs, as well as the numerous small lakes nearby, “There’s no better place to go to school and expand your skills as a fisherman than SFA,” Harrison said.
For more information on the SFA Bass Fishing Club, email Dr. Eric Jones, professor in SFA’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Science and the club’s faculty sponsor, at jonesej@sfasu.edu.
March 16, 2020 Nacogdoches – In response to the actions taken by Stephen F. Austin State University to restrict the possible spread of COVID-19, the College of Fine Arts has canceled all art, music and theatre events through April 5, and tickets already purchased for events scheduled during that time period can be refunded.
On March 12, SFA President Dr. Scott Gordon announced that spring break would be extended an additional two days, and beginning March 18, all SFA classes will be held in an online or other distance-learning format until April 6. Additionally, all on-campus events scheduled through April 5 are cancelled or postponed. Students are asked to remain off campus until in-person classes resume.
Although there are no confirmed cases of the virus on SFA’s campus, several cases have been confirmed in Texas. SFA followed the CDC recommendations for social distancing in making its decision to move to online class formats, according to information on the university website.
The fine arts calendar at http://www.finearts.sfasu.edu indicates the events that have been canceled thus far. But because of the uncertainty of COVID-19 and the evolving circumstances associated with a pandemic, further cancellation of events is possible, according to Dr. A.C. “Buddy” Himes, dean of the College of Fine Arts.
“The College of Fine Arts wants to do its part to keep our campus and community safe,” Himes said. “Some of our fine arts events may be rescheduled, while others simply must be canceled due to time constraints and venue scheduling issues as we near the end of this semester. Please visit the CFA website at http://www.finearts.sfasu.edu for updates to this ever-changing situation.”
Refunds are available on request. Unrefunded purchases become donations to the respective events and programs. For details about advance ticket refunds or the possible rescheduling of certain events, contact the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For official information about SFA’s cancellation of on-campus activities, go to http://www.sfasu.edu/life-at-sfa/health-safety/health-clinic/coronavirus.
March 12, 2020 - Stephen F. Austin State University’s Spring Break will be extended by two days to provide time for SFA faculty members to move classes to an online or other distance-education format, until at least April 6.
Classes were scheduled to resume on March 16, but instead will be resuming on March 18 in an online or other distance-education format. Faculty are being asked to utilize March 16 and 17 to prepare for this transition. SFA staff members are expected to report for work as scheduled, and updates regarding campus operations will be announced via the university’s website at www.sfasu.edu/Covid19.
“Given the ongoing global concerns around coronavirus pandemic, we want to do our part to keep our entire campus community safe and to contribute to the management of this growing public health crisis,” said Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president.
Face-to-face classes may resume on April 6, and the university’s Easter holidays, previously scheduled for April 9, 10 and 13, will not be observed so that lost class time can be recovered.
“We will closely monitor this dynamic situation and, if necessary, could possibly extend the date for resuming in-person classes,” Gordon said. “Students will receive information from their respective colleges and faculty with details regarding how course work will be conducted.”
All on-campus events scheduled through April 5 will be canceled or postponed, and event planners will be contacted by the Baker Pattillo Student Center beginning Monday, March 16. All university-sponsored student and employee travel, both international and domestic, scheduled for March 16 through April 1 will be canceled unless approved by senior university administrators.
Showcase Saturday, SFA’s open house event for prospective students, scheduled for March 28, also will be rescheduled.
To accommodate students whose presence on campus is necessary, limited food service operations will be provided in the East College Dining Hall beginning Sunday, March 15.
Students who live on campus and need to retrieve personal belongings may do so on Sunday, March 15, from noon until 9 p.m. or Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 20, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Although there are no confirmed cases on SFA’s campus, several cases have been confirmed in Texas.
“Any student or employee who is ill or who believes they may have been exposed to coronavirus cannot return to campus and should follow CDC guidelines for self-isolation,” Gordon said. “If any student or employee is diagnosed with COVID-19, we ask that they notify the university at www.sfasu.edu/COVIDabsence.”
Although the university’s plans are evolving, May commencement exercises are expected to continue as scheduled.
“We will be updating information on the SFA website, but we ask for patience as we seek to make the best decisions possible,” Gordon said. “Our primary guiding priorities are the wellbeing of the SFA community and allowing our students to complete all course requirements for the spring semester. Every decision is made with these priorities in mind.“
March 6, 2020 - Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host its annual Garden Gala Day Plant Sale from 9am to 2pm Saturday, April 4, at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center in historic Nacogdoches.
The sale will feature a variety of hard-to-find, “Texas-tough” plants, including Texas natives, heirlooms, tropicals, perennials, shrubs and trees, with an emphasis on pollinator friendly selections, as well as exclusive SFA introductions. The featured plants are extensively trialed before being offered to the public and are produced by SFA Gardens staff members and volunteers.
This popular event benefits the SFA Mast Arboretum, PNPC, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden and Gayla Mize Garden, along with educational programs hosted monthly at the gardens. Educational programs provided at the SFA Gardens reach more than 15,000 participants annually.
Parking will be available at SFA’s Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center, and visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon for their plants.
For more information and a list of available plants, call (936) 468-4129 or visit sfagardens.org two weeks before the sale.
March 6, 2020 - Stephen F. Austin State University is on a mission to help students graduate more quickly and with less debt, and departments across the campus, including two newly created teams, are working to implement changes to meet this goal.
According to Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president, the university is laser focused on student success and on-time completion in order to assist students in achieving their dreams.
“In addition to our recently approved tuition models and housing incentives, we are looking to find unnecessary bureaucratic policies and procedures and remove them,” Gordon said. “We are streamlining processes to serve our students better. Our goal is to have students graduate in four years and with a lower cost for their degree.”
Tiger Team
Designated as the Tiger Team, the top priority for the group is removing barriers that might stand in the way of success for new or continuing students. The term “Tiger Team” is used frequently in corporate settings and describes a group that includes knowledgeable individuals from different specialties working together to solve complex problems, according to Erma Brecht, executive director of enrollment management.
“Some of our practices or processes have become outdated due to technology enhancements, new initiatives or different expectations from how our students want and need to be served,” Brecht said. “The Tiger Team is committed to dissecting each barrier and offering an enhanced approach to overcoming these barriers, when possible.”
Anthony Espinoza, chief information officer, said the team is streamlining internal processes while looking for opportunities to better leverage the university’s investment in information technology.
“For example, students in the Perkins College of Education and in the Rusche College of Business can now review and electronically sign their academic advising forms online,” he said.
As an additional benefit, registration holds have been modified, and in some cases eliminated, to improve the student’s registration experience.
“The establishment of the Tiger Team demonstrates SFA’s commitment to our student’s success,” Espinoza said.
Course Scheduling
Anyone who attended college before technology became a part of the registration process probably remembers waiting in long lines with a registration form in hand, hoping to have a sticker added to the form indicating enrollment in the desired classes. While electronic registration has eliminated the need for long lines, sometimes enrolling in the most desired class session is still not without difficulties.
A new group dedicated to removing these difficulties includes each of the six academic deans and is called the LAN-CAT team.
“LAN-CAT stands for Leadership Actions Now - Course Availability Team,” explained Dr. Steve Bullard, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The deans of each of our six colleges provide the ‘leadership,’ since each course we offer is in one of their colleges, and since they are ultimately responsible for what’s offered each semester. The rest of the team includes administrators and staff members who can support the actions needed.”
Bullard said college students across the nation experience difficulties when trying to schedule specific courses during the semesters and time periods when they need to take them.
“We're taking every step possible to make sure SFA students have the courses and labs they need, when they need them,” he said. “This means creating new sections of courses when and where needed, and it also means putting faculty, staff and technology resources in the places where students need them most.”
For the spring 2020 semester, additional seats were offered in multiple courses, across all six colleges.
“Most of our attention is on ‘gateway’ courses like anatomy and physiology,” Bullard said. “These are courses that are required before a student can progress to the next level in their degree path or curriculum.”
Advising Task Force
Advising university students includes tracking individual success according to benchmarks, recording summaries of appointments, and contacting those who may need assistance in improving their academic standing. According to Dr. Marc Guidry, associate provost, SFA is utilizing a web-based program called Navigate to communicate with students, schedule their advising appointments and assist with other advising duties.
“Our advisors can use the system to contact students whose academic performance indicates they may need additional coaching, for instance, students who performed in ‘the murky middle’—meaning somewhere in the ‘C’ to ‘C+’ range—and who could elevate their performance with the right supports,” Guidry said. “Advisors also contact all probationary students to provide them with information and resources that can help them recover their academic standing, rather than being placed on suspension.”
The Navigate program also serves as an early alert system professors can use to issue an alert regarding a student who has missed too many classes or received a bad grade early in the semester, so that an advisor can intervene and assist the student, Guidry said.
“Navigate also contains analytics on our student success metrics that can track students with academic performance concerns or academic progress concerns,” Guidry explained. “We can also track things like graduation rate by credit range, that is, what percentage of students who took 15-18 hours graduated versus their peers who only took 12-14 hours in a given semester. What our internal SFA data show is that students who take more hours tend to have a higher GPA.”
Guidry said the Navigate program allows SFA to assess the effectiveness of advising interventions and improve the opportunities for student success.
15 to Finish Campaign
Many national research studies also show that college students are more successful — with higher grades and higher graduation rates — when they take at least 15 hours during the fall and spring semesters. SFA has launched a new 15 to Finish campaign to remind students that completing fewer than 30 hours per academic year is not equivalent to a four-year degree plan.
According to Bullard, federal financial aid policies require students to be enrolled in just 12 credits each semester to be eligible for assistance, and for some students, this creates an impression that 12 hours is “full time.”
“Students who only take 12 semester credit hours tend not to do as well academically, and they also run the risk of using all of their financial aid without reaching the 120-hour goal,” he explained. “Taking at least 15 hours each semester means students are more likely to graduate on time, since in eight semesters they can achieve the 120 hours required in most bachelor’s degree programs.”
SFA tuition beginning in the fall 2020 will be on a flat-rate basis beginning at 12 hours, so students may take as many as 21 hours for the cost of 12 hours.
“The most expensive college degree is the one you never receive because you fell short of completing all requirements,” Bullard said. “SFA's new 15 to Finish campaign, and the other efforts that are underway, will help ensure our students are successful.”
For more information about SFA admissions, sfasu.edu/admissions-and-aid.
March 6, 2020 - Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host a Veggie Gardening 101 workshop to share methods for growing successful vegetables in East Texas.
The event will run from 9am to Noon March 21, 2020 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building, Room 101, at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet Street in Nacogdoches.
Jodi and Duke Pittman of Pittman Farms will lead the workshop. Participants will explore basic vegetable growing principles, including site selection, soil testing and preparation, appropriate vegetables varieties for East Texas, and common problems. Participants also will learn proper seed-sowing techniques with a hands-on project that they will take home.
“Growing your own vegetables is incredibly rewarding and not nearly as difficult as people imagine,” Duke said.
East Texas enjoys long growing seasons, and a variety of vegetables can be grown at various times throughout the year.
“There is nothing better than the taste of the first homegrown tomato of the season,” Jodi added.
Cost for the seminar is $30 for SFA Garden members and $40 for nonmembers. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. To register for the seminar or for more information, contact the SFA Gardens education office at (936) 468-4129 or sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
March 4, 2020 Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. March 19 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.
Rick J. Lewandowski, director of the Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange, will present “Plant Treasures in the Piney Woods of the Gulf South.”
Lewandowski has been director of the center since 2013. Previously, he was director of Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware for 13 years where he led its transition from private estate to nonprofit. He also was curator of the living collections and director of horticulture with the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia where he served for 16 years.
Lewandowski is a seasoned horticulturist, garden designer, plant explorer and environmentalist with over 35 years of experience. He is passionate about native plants, environmentally responsible gardening and connecting people with the natural world. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and master’s degree from the University of Maryland.
The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month and includes a rare plant raffle after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les 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.
March 3, 2020 - The Stone Fort Museum on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University will serve as the venue for a St. Patrick’s Day concert by local band El Camino Real de Nacogdoches from 2pm to 3pm Saturday, March 14.
“Live performances help us connect to our musical heritage in the same way that hands-on activities help learners connect to their studies in new ways,” said Carolyn Spears, curator of the Stone Fort Museum.
The St. Patrick’s Day musical celebration will showcase Celtic, bluegrass, traditional country, Appalachian, folk and other music genres.
According to Spears, Irish settlers brought their traditions to Nacogdoches in the 19th century, with more than 3,000 Irish listed on the 1860 census.
“This concert will allow us to enjoy traditional music from Ireland, as well as music that celebrates the rich history of Texas,” Spears said.
According to band members Paul Driver, Jon Hall, Charlie Jones, Mark McLain, Robbie Roach, Craig and Michelle Smith, and Jesse Tingle, the band is East Texas’ answer to The Old Crow Medicine Show, an Americana string band based in Nashville, playing old-time acoustic music using the fiddle, guitars, mandolin, banjos and percussion.
El Camino Real de Nacogdoches formed in 2002. The band has played at a variety of art, theatrical and musical events associated with SFA. It also has been featured during Nacogdoches’ annual Blueberry Festival, Old-Time Christmases at Millard’s Crossing and The Pine Knot Music Co-op. In 2017, the band released it first CD, “Camino Real: The Nacogdoches Sessions.”
The concert is free and open to the public. The band will perform on the north lawn of the museum, weather permitting. Light refreshments will be served and include traditional Irish treats.
For more information, contact Spears at cspears@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-2408.
March 2, 2020 Nacogdoches — A wide range of topics concerning women in leadership, health and wellness, and other women’s issues will be discussed during the fourth annual Women’s Empowerment Summit, hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs March 20 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Twilight Ballroom.
Veronica Beavers, OMA director, is excited to host an event that empowers women and educates the community on issues women face every day.
“During this summit, we want attendees to connect with others who are striving to make an impact, learn professional development skills, discuss the issues women are facing today, learn tips on improving personal wellness and much more,” Beavers said. “Regardless of gender, I believe everyone can benefit from the summit.”
Elena Freeman will kick off the summit as the opening speaker. A mentor, preacher/teacher and leader, Freeman can discuss myriad topics, such as practical life skills, student programming, public speaking, missions, conflict resolution, sex education, parenting and more. Freeman serves as an advocate for community youth programs, safe houses, shelters, prisons and organizations.
The luncheon speaker will be Valerie Henderson, area vice president at SHI, the largest female minority-owned business in the U.S. SHI is a technology consulting firm that employs more than 4,000.
Ebony Smith will close the summit. She is the founder of Yoga N Da Hood, a fast-growing nonprofit dedicated to making wellness accessible to everyone. Smith has taught yoga and mindfulness throughout the world and is an experienced speaker.
Event check in starts at 8:30 a.m. The opening keynote presentation will begin at 9 a.m. followed by a breakout session at 10 a.m. The lunch keynote will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and will be followed by two more breakout sessions. The closing speaker session will begin at 2:30 p.m. Breakout session presenters are a mix of faculty, staff and community members.
The event is free and open to the public. Lunch is provided to all who pre-register. Registration is available at sfasu.edu/oma. The deadline to register is March 13.
For more information, contact the OMA at (936) 468-1073 or oma@sfasu.edu.
By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
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