SFA University
September 15, 2020 - Teacher candidates in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Community Responsiveness and Engaged Advocacy in Teacher Education program, or C.R.E.A.T.E., have partnered with the Nacogdoches Public Library to provide free real-time drop-in homework help for local students.
“We know there is a lot of need in the community right now, with so many parents, grandparents and caregivers working to help their children learn from home,” said Dr. Heather Olson Beal, professor in SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education. “We also hope this service is helpful to teachers, who can recommend that their students join the homework help sessions.”
The library is hosting free virtual drop-in sessions for teacher candidates to answer quick homework questions from 9 to 11 a.m. on Mondays and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays throughout September on the Discord meeting platform.
The homework sessions are open to all local students, but students age 13 and younger will need a caregiver or guardian to register for them. To participate, visit sfasu.edu/create-hwhelp.
The library also is hosting a continuation of the free virtual activity lessons teacher candidates in C.R.E.A.T.E. began last spring when schools were shut down because of COVID-19. While providing a fun break during the day for children and their families and caregivers, these activities help teacher candidates give back to the community while gaining valuable online teaching experience.
Students can participate in these activities from 1 to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 10 to 11 a.m. on Fridays throughout September. The lessons include art activities and science experiments designed for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Caregivers and guardians can register students for these activities at sfasu.edu/create-activity.
“We think this is a great way to promote community while helping both local families navigating virtual learning and SFA teacher candidates working to gain real-world experience during the pandemic,” said Crystal Hicks, librarian at the Nacogdoches Public Library.
Depending on response, the sessions may continue beyond September, said Dr. Lauren Burrow, an associate professor in the Perkins College of Education.
“C.R.E.A.T.E. always tries to prioritize community needs and respond, creatively, so as the school year progresses, we’ll assess interest in these sessions and continue them as needed,” Burrow said.
To learn more, email Burrow at burrowle@sfasu.edu.
September 10, 2020 Nacogdoches — In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens is introducing a modified version of its popular fall plant sale known as the Fabulous Fall Festival.
Plant sale patrons will have the opportunity to reserve a two-hour window to shop in the SFA Gardens plant nursery throughout the month of October. Up to six plant sale patrons may shop during the same two-hour window, and all physical distancing measures must be observed.
Reservation windows will occur between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday October 1 through 30, with two Saturday opportunities on October 3 and 17.
The sale will feature more than 300 varieties of hard-to-find, “Texas-tough” plants, including Texas natives, edibles, heirlooms, 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 and volunteers.
All proceeds support staff members and operations within the Mast Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden and Gayla Mize Garden.
Reservations will begin September 18 and may be made online at sfagardens.org and on SFA Gardens’ Facebook and Instagram pages. Reservations are required, and participants must wear a mask in all buildings. Additionally, the much-anticipated plant list will be released in conjunction with the reservation. Cash will not be accepted, but checks and all major credit cards are welcome.
Parking will be available at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St. Carts will be provided. For more information, email dawnstover@sfasu.edu.
September 1, 2020 - All online degree programs in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business will be converted to an eight-week format by spring 2021. The college has already started the process of moving classes to the new model, which will replace the traditional 16-week schedule.
“The advantage with the eight-week course format is that if offers our online students more flexibility within their academic schedules,” said Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the Rusche College of Business. “They can focus on a couple of classes at a time and still be full-time students. It also provides options for students who may need to temporarily stop and restart their program of study due to unforeseen circumstances. Many college students today balance work, family and other issues while pursuing their degree. We want to make sure that our course offering structure is not an obstacle, but an asset to students as they seek flexible ways to complete their degree.”
By spring, the college will host three undergraduate degree programs in this format – General Business, Sports Business, and Business Communication and Corporate Education. While flexible options are the goal, research also indicates that shorter course delivery may improve student outcomes.
“Studies show that students have a higher rate of success with the eight-week courses versus extended weeks, said Dr. Steve Bullard, SFA provost and VP of academic affairs. “Our ability to meet students where they are is essential to student success. With the flexibility, potential cost savings, and favorable outcomes, it makes so much sense for our online programs to offer the 8 week schedule.”
Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president, said the pro-active steps being taken by the college provide an outstanding example of educational leadership.
“Providing ultimate flexibility to our students through the innovative use of technologies and flexible course design and delivery is a foundational component of the new model for higher education,” Gordon said.
For more information about the eight-week online class format, contact Dr. Tim Bisping at bispingto@sfasu.edu or 936.468.3101.
August 31, 2020 - Among 338 universities researched, Stephen F. Austin State University ranked No. 32 nationally and No. 3 in Texas for social media engagement — a metric of growing importance in an increasingly virtually connected world.
“I’m proud to see University Marketing Communications’ social media team recognized for its exceptional work,” said Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president. “Social media engagement has been growing in importance throughout the past decade and has been particularly valuable during the global pandemic. As plans continue to evolve at a rapid pace around the world, it will remain a front-line tool for sharing those changes.”
Rival IQ, a social media analytics company, conducted the higher education social media engagement study by surveying content posted between June 1, 2019, and May 31, 2020, on three main platforms: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
“SFA is ranked in the top 10% among universities for overall consistent, steadily engaging accounts encompassing all social media platforms,” said Dr. Shirley Luna, SFA’s executive director of University Marketing Communications. “It’s imperative SFA keeps its audience engaged because it is one of our main forms of communication with current and prospective students, alumni, and the SFA and Nacogdoches communities.”
Using survey data and a weighted formula, Rival IQ generated an overall engagement ranking for each school that blends total engagement with engagement rates, according to its report. Rather than simply comparing total clicks, likes or shares, this type of weighted formula reveals true engagement percentages so that a larger university’s sheer number of followers doesn’t bury smaller universities with a naturally lower follower base.
“Engagement rate evens the playing field between accounts with varying audience sizes,” said Kerry Whitsett, SFA University Marketing Communications social media specialist. “Obviously, an account with 100,000 followers will have more comments on any given post than an account with 20,000. So, rather than comparing total number of comments on a post, it compares the number as a percentage in relation to the number of the account’s followers.”
SFA’s ranking far surpassed other Texas universities of similar size: Texas State University ranked No. 105, Sam Houston State University ranked No. 151, and Lamar University ranked No. 267.
“One of the reasons SFA is ranked so high is because the marketing team communicates with its followers — and our communication is not one way,” Whitsett said. “We like and make comments on posts, we answer questions, and we congratulate people when they post about being accepted to SFA and upon graduation. We tell people visiting our campus, ‘We hope you enjoyed your day at SFA!’ We want our audience to know SFA is actively engaged with them.”
Of the three individual platforms, SFA’s performance on Twitter was the best ranked, landing the No. 12 position nationally.
As of August 2020, SFA has 20,800 followers on Twitter, 18,800 on Instagram, and more than 75,000 on Facebook with each platform comprising its own unique audience.
Rival IQ, a social media analytics company, ranked Stephen F. Austin State University No. 32 among 338 universities nationally and No. 3 in Texas for social media engagement — a metric of growing importance in an increasingly virtually connected world. Pictured here are snapshots of one high-performing post from each of SFA’s main platforms.
August 25, 2020 - One Stephen F. Austin State University student doesn’t have to worry about paying for the review courses and registration fees associated with the four-part Uniform CPA Examination she’ll take next year.
Nicole Phifer, a graduate student in accountancy at the Rusche College of Business, recently received an important windfall – a $10,000 scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a nonprofit established through the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to oversee the audits of public companies.
Nicole Phifer, a graduate student in the Schlief School of Accountancy, won a $10,000 scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Phifer is on schedule to finish the five-year Bachelor of Business Administration/Master of Professional Accountancy program in four years and has an internship lined up for spring semester.
The agency’s scholarships are funded through fines assessed on accounting firms across the world. For Phifer, a 21-year-old graduate student from Rusk, the scholarship means she can focus on maintaining her 4.0 GPA, finishing out her coursework, and ramping up her CPA prep this spring. Considering that the CPA cycle can cost in excess of $3,000 – in addition to fall and spring tuition – the scholarship is not just an accolade, but an essential, enabling element of Phifer’s five-year Bachelor of Business Administration/Master of Professional Accountancy program at SFA.
“I didn’t think I was going to get it,” said Phifer, one of 234 students nationwide who received the honor.
Phifer was nominated for the award by Dr. Kelly Noe, director of SFA’s Schlief School of Accountancy.
“She saw potential in me,” Phifer said. “She sees potential in students that they might not see in themselves.”
With Phifer, the potential was not hard to find. She took an accounting course during the fall semester of her first year in 2017 and never looked back. Along with the 4.0 GPA, Phifer worked at University Finance and Administration as a student assistant, is president of accounting honors group Beta Alpha Psi, is a member of business honors society Beta Gamma Sigma, and is a graduate assistant at the business college.
Phifer already has an internship lined up at Henry & Peters in Tyler, a blue-chip regional accounting firm founded in 1929. And if the firm makes an offer for permanent employment, Phifer, who has yet to decide on whether her focus will be on tax or audit, will oblige.
“People talk about going to Dallas or Houston, but Tyler is big enough for me,” she said, noting that her family would be just 40 miles down the road.
According to PCAOB, since 2011 the organization has issued $13.7 million in scholarships to 1,370 students at 473 institutions. The nonprofit reports that women and minority recipients have been on the rise since 2017.
In some instances, the fines that pay for the scholarships are enormous, as was the case last year when a Mexico-based firm and its associates were assessed $530,000. While many settlements involve US companies, plenty include registered firms based in places like Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, India and South Korea. If the proceeds from an auditing penalty out of Seoul can end up in a place like Nacogdoches, then that’s something Phifer can accept.
“Whoever came up with that idea knew what they were doing,” she said.
By Richard Massey, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University
August 25, 2020 - Based on forecasts that indicate Hurricane Laura will be a Category 3 storm at landfall and will impact our area with high winds and rain beginning late Wednesday night, the following operational changes are now in effect at Stephen F. Austin State University:
- Beginning noon Wednesday, Aug. 26, all classes are canceled for the remainder of the week. Classes are expected to resume as scheduled Monday, Aug. 31.
- Beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday, university offices will be closed for the remainder of the week. Non-essential university employees are released from duties at that time and will be granted emergency leave for work time missed.
- SFA’s Early Childhood Laboratory and Charter School will operate as normally scheduled on Wednesday, but will be closed Thursday and Friday.
- Campus housing and dining will remain open, and students are welcome to remain on campus. Dining hours may be modified based on weather conditions.
- A call center will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, and will remain open as needed. The number is (936) 468-3401.
- All Lumberjacks are encouraged to remain aware of weather conditions and to put safety first when making travel decisions.
Updates will be posted at SFA’s University Police Department emergency management page – sfasu.edu/upd/emergency-management/jackalert – and on the university's social media account.
August 24, 2020 — In setting the example of “being the best,” Stephen F. Austin State University Professor of Military Science James Attaway recently was promoted from the rank of major to lieutenant colonel.
“Being promoted to lieutenant colonel means a lot to me,” Attaway said. “I started in the Army as a private more than 20 years ago and plan to retire in a few years with my final rank as a lieutenant colonel. It is incredible to think back on all I have experienced.”
Attaway, who graduated from SFA in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology, began his Army career in 1998 when he enlisted as an infantryman. He has since completed training at Ranger, Airborne, and Air Assault schools and more. He has served with numerous units across the world, including Kosovo, Iraq, Korea and Afghanistan.
Attaway was selected as SFA’s chair of military science in 2018. Since then, he has overseen a successful 50-year anniversary for the department, helped establish the 1st Lt. Kile G. West 5K and 10K Memorial Race, and aided the ROTC Ranger Team in winning first place in the Task Force Ranger Challenge for the first time in SFA’s history.
He said he is happy to be “stationed” in Nacogdoches, where he and his family plan to remain after his retirement.
“After 17 years of marriage and 10 moves, it feels really good to be putting down roots,” Attaway said.
Even though his rank has changed, Attaway is still committed to training future Army officers for commissioning.
Despite the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the faculty and staff under Attaway’s leadership have continued to train cadets. Due to safety restrictions, the department is preparing for course modality changes and physical distancing regulations.
“As both Army officers and noncommissioned officers, part of our job is to adapt, overcome and complete missions,” Attaway said. “While COVID-19 has changed how we teach, it hasn’t caused us to stop teaching and mentoring the next generation of Army officers.”
Rehearsals are underway for SFA’s Lumberjack Marching Band color guard and drum line, and band rehearsals get underway when fall classes begin.
August 21, 2020 - As schools and universities carefully crafted their reopening plans amid the coronavirus pandemic, questions about health and safety for students and faculty were at the forefront. Right along with those were questions about sporting events and extracurricular activities.
Although Stephen F. Austin State University currently does not have any home football games scheduled following the Southland Conference’s decision to postpone conference competition for the fall, the athletic department is working to amend that. SFA Athletics Director Ryan Ivey said in a recent press release that SFA will explore avenues for fall competition against other institutions looking to compete.
The Lumberjack Marching Band will be ready if and when that happens.
SFA band directors worked throughout the summer on more than designing marching routines; they are fine tuning plans to keep their student musicians safe. Directors opted to split the university band into two separate groups of equal instrumentation to better accommodate social distancing guidelines on the field and in the stands, according to Dr. Tamey Anglley, associate director of bands at SFA and director of the Lumberjack Marching Band.
“We are requiring students to wear face masks anytime they aren’t playing their instruments and brass players to have bell covers for their instruments to help lower the aerosol emission from their bells,” Anglley said.
Additionally, all drills on the field will be at six-step intervals, which means students will be 11.25 feet apart while performing.
As the far-reaching effects of the pandemic began to become more apparent last spring, SFA band directors started researching best COVID-era practices for band instruction and performance. In May, the directors attended a virtual athletic band symposium sponsored by the College Band Directors National Association. The symposium featured presentations from the scientists who were leading the aerosol studies out of University of Colorado and Colorado State University and also clinics from various marching band directors around the country, Anglley explained.
“At that time, no one knew football could or would be canceled or moved to the spring semester,” she said, “so we were mostly discussing the safety measures we needed to take for our students and the many details to think about with social distance protocols. Since then, I have been in communication with our regional CBDNA and Southland Conference athletic band directors where we discuss how everyone is planning this season.”
As a result, fall rehearsal days, performances and game day times for the LMB will be alternated as needed, Anglley explained. If home football games can be scheduled, the band plans to perform, albeit in a limited fashion.
“We went into this season knowing that we wouldn’t be performing at pregame or halftime, but we are still discussing with athletics the possibility of a postgame performance once all football personnel have vacated the field,” Anglley said.
Color guard and drum line camps were conducted this week; leadership camp is Aug. 22; and split-band rehearsals are scheduled during regular class time once the fall semester starts.
For many, performing in the Lumberjack Marching Band is a highlight of the SFA university experience – one that builds memories and fosters friendships that last a lifetime. The 2020 fall LMB season will be like none other before it, and directors are committed to making it memorable and safe.
“The health and safety of the students is our utmost priority at SFA and in the Lumberjack Marching Band,” Anglley said. “We have and will continue to work diligently to provide a safe rehearsal and game day space for our students to have a fulfilling musical experience.”
August 21, 2020 - The Stephen F. Austin State University Rusche College of Business is offering an entrepreneurship major beginning this semester. In response to high demand and the growing need to prepare students with versatile skills that are transferable across many industries, the goal of the program is to equip students with learning tools they can use during times of economic success or in times of uncertainty.
While the entrepreneurship major is a new program, a minor in entrepreneurship has been available and is offered to all SFA students. Dr. Matthew Lindsey, chair of the marketing and management department, believes the entrepreneurship major will be an excellent opportunity for students who have been seeking that degree, while the existing entrepreneurship minor will appeal to a variety of academic disciplines.
“For the past several years, students interested in management and marketing have inquired about two subjects, sports business and entrepreneurship,” Lindsey said. “We are looking forward to fulfilling that demand. I also think the minor is a valuable asset for non-business students across campus who are studying something they love, like music, and want to incorporate that passion into a business. It will equip them with the ability to think through the fundamental business elements needed to produce a viable venture.”
Two new faculty members were hired to help establish the entrepreneurship program: Dr. Raymond Jones, who began in fall 2019, holds a Ph.D. in management with an emphasis on strategy and entrepreneurship; and Dr. Brian Nagy, who earned his Ph.D. in management strategy. He started this semester.
Jones has already taken an active role in the local business community by serving on several panel discussions with the Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation. He is utilizing those connections to help establish relationships between the university and local businesses.
“The intention of the entrepreneurship program is two-fold: It will prepare our students with a strong skill-set for life after college while serving as a resource for local businesses and start-ups in the community,” Jones said. “Collaboration is important. We are also looking forward to identifying sponsorship opportunities to allow for entrepreneurial competitions on campus.”
Lindsey is optimistic about the program and believes it will be an asset to many students.
“We have a thriving sports business program that was just recently established, and we are excited to be able to launch and grow the entrepreneurship program as well,” he said.
For more information about the Rusche College of Business entrepreneurship minor, contact Dr. Mathew Lindsey at lindseymd@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-1858.
By Richard Massey, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University
August 20, 2020 - In celebration of the passage of the 19th Amendment, the bells of Griffith Fine Arts Building on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus will ring 19 times shortly after noon on Wednesday, Aug. 26, to commemorate the U.S. Constitution article that guaranteed women the right to vote.
The 19th Amendment states the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. It was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, ratified on Aug. 18 then certified on Aug. 26 of 1920, formally adding it to the U.S. Constitution and providing suffrage to all citizens.
Starting in fall 2018, a group of local interested people – Nineteenth Amendment Celebration, or NAC – began meeting to plan events for 2020 to commemorate the passage of the amendment, according to Dr. Dana Cooper, professor of history at SFA. The onset of COVID-19 changed those plans.
“The Nineteenth Amendment Celebration group had such good intentions for 2020,” Cooper said. Among the events were readings, symposiums, exhibitions, living histories and more.
According to Cooper, the fight for the right to vote was a long struggle that officially began in 1848 with the Seneca Falls convention, which was attended by some 300 men and women. During the conference, Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments, which outlined the rationale for women's suffrage and was based upon the Declaration of Independence. Stanton's document was signed by 100 people, including 68 women and 32 men.
“This is typically considered the formal beginning of the fight for suffrage in the United States,” Cooper said.
Numerous battles ensued in the courts and at the state level, and many women attained suffrage in specific states before the amendment was ratified at the federal level. Texas voted to ratify the 19th Amendment on June 28, 1919, making it the first southern state to do so.
“As one of the original events planned by NAC to commemorate this moment in history, the ringing of the bells on Aug. 26 will honor the long fight – by so many and for so long,” Cooper said. “Different people of different backgrounds, perspectives and races fought for decades to provide equality at the polls and the opportunity to partake in democracy, a process that is arguably more important than ever.”
Plans are underway to move some of the planned commemoration events to Zoom so that the celebration can continue on campus and within the community, regardless of the restrictions imposed by social distancing, according to Dr. Linda Levitt, professor of communication studies at SFA.
“We want to find ways to continue our celebration despite the need to change our context,” she said.
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