SFA University
October 3, 2017 - Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of International Programs is hosting 14 exchange students from six different locations this semester.
“This has been one of the most diverse groups of foreign exchange students the university has hosted,” Heather Catton, SFA director of international programs, said.
The students comprise of two from Pakistan, two from Tunisia, five from France, three from the United Kingdom, one from Taiwan and one from Malta. Eleven of the students are undergraduates while three are graduate students.
The students participate in exchanges through different programs.
Two programs are offered by the U.S. State Department: Global UGRAD, which is part of a broader effort to promote a better understanding of the U.S. abroad, especially among future world leaders, and the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship, which allows students to develop a deeper understanding of American culture and gain new skills that will help them further the economic growth and development of their country.
Along with the U.S. State Department programs, students come from the Rose Bruford theatre exchange program, the LaRochelle business exchange program and the ISEP world-wide study abroad program.
Sujata Panjwani, a Pakistan exchange student through the Global UGRAD program, said studying in America will help both her education and personal growth.
“I have a great desire to enhance and share my knowledge and explore the widely diversified cultures in the U.S.,” Panjwani said. “Being a Pakistani and coming from a different culture, I have a lot to share in terms of my beliefs, perception and ideology.”
Mariem Hmidy, an exchange student from Tunisia through the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship, believes her time in America will benefit her when she returns home.
“Tunisia needs its young citizens to help make the country better,” Hmidy said. “Tunisia needs active young people to help its economic and political needs. This exchange program teaches me how to be a better citizen.”
While at SFA, Hmidy will undergo career preparation activities in the fall and an internship in the spring.
The SFA Office of International Programs works to ensure the students thrive during their time at the university. The program works to help students easily transition to living in America. Many exchange students deal with a myriad of issues and new challenges, such as introductions to new and different foods, academic course offerings and lack of public transportation. The office also verifies that credits acquired at SFA will transfer when the exchange students return to their home countries.
Catton said she encourages the exchange students to participate in different activities while studying abroad.
“A lot of students get to experience what life is like at a U.S. university while they are here, such as enjoying social clubs and joining fraternities and sororities. Many foreign colleges do not have the same social opportunities we do in the U.S., so these students really take advantage of those activities while here.”
The Office of International Programs hopes to expand the number of exchange programs SFA offers. In the spring, Catton said they are planning to add Université Jean Monnet in France to the list of participants.
For more information about international programs at SFA, visit http://www.sfasu.edu/oip/.
September 27, 2017 - While Stephen F. Austin State University is reporting a fall enrollment of 12,614 students, a 1-percent decrease from fall 2016, there are bright spots to be found in the enrollment numbers.
The highest first-time undergraduate retention rate for fall 2017 is 71.6 percent, representing a 4.3-percent increase during the past five years.
SFA has recorded a five-year increase in the number of first-time undergraduates of 6.6 percent. In 2013, there were 2,016 SFA students who were first-time undergraduates; in 2017, there are 2,150 first-time undergraduates.
“This upward trend is a reflection of the new initiatives we have implemented to create meaningful and sustained enrollment growth,” said Dr. Steve Bullard, SFA provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We are setting tuition and fees earlier so that we can offer financial aid packages sooner, and we’ve increased the amount of scholarship dollars that are available. We created new programs, including an online Bachelor of Business Administration and programs in Houston and The Woodlands. All of these will contribute to future growth in enrollment.”
SFA also awarded more degrees in 2017 than in 2016, when 2,703 degrees were distributed. During the 2017 academic year, the university awarded 2,767 degrees, a 2.4-percent increase over the prior year.
The number of students in each of SFA’s six colleges is:
· Rusche College of Business, 1,848, a 3.4-percent increase from 1,787 in fall 2016;
· James I. Perkins College of Education, 3,968, a 2.6-percent decrease from 4,076;
· College of Fine Arts, 920, a .1-percent increase from 919;
· Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, 800, a 4.2-percent increase from 768;
· College of Liberal and Applied Arts, 2,672, a decrease of 1.9 percent from 2,724; and
· College of Sciences and Mathematics, 2,406, down 2.5 percent from 2,468.
While SFA recorded increased graduate enrollment in half of its colleges for fall 2017, overall enrollment in SFA’s Graduate School was down 3.3 percent.
“As market and student demands change, we respond by developing new graduate programs and by offering existing degrees in new ways,” said Dr. Richard Berry, Graduate School dean. “Other such offerings are in the works now and will launch in the coming year. These changes in program delivery are a part of the university’s initiative to ‘meet our students where they are.’”
Among the graduate programs offered by the university are a Master of Social Work in a face-to-face format in The Woodlands and an online Master of Public Administration. This fall, the university also began offering a Master of Science in Nursing with a nurse practitioner focus online. In the coming year, SFA will implement a Master of Science in cybersecurity.
In the College of Sciences and Mathematics, graduate enrollment increased by 13.2 percent with a total of 137 graduate students enrolled. Additionally, graduate enrollment grew in the Rusche College of Business from 128 to 134, a 4.7-percent increase from fall 2016. Also, graduate enrollment in the College of Fine Arts grew from 78 to 82 students, a 5.1-percent increase. Decreases were reported in the College of Education, from 989 to 965; Forestry and Agriculture, from 107 to 91; and Liberal and Applied Arts, from 261 to 220.
September 26, 2017 - The following students received degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University during the August 2017 commencement exercises:
Center, TX
- Christopher Ryan Draper, Master of Education, Educational Leadership, James I. Perkins College of Education
- William Jacob Hudspeth, Master of Science, Kinesiology, James I. Perkins College of Education
- Johnathan Eli Liker, Bachelor of Business Administration, Management, Nelson Rusche College of Business
- Ashley Ann Sellman, Bachelor of Science, Fashion Merchandising, James I. Perkins College of Education
Shelbyville, TX
- Elizabeth Nicole Grissom, Bachelor of Science, Health Science, James I. Perkins College of Education
Tenaha, TX
- Michael Patterson Hill, Doctor of Education, Educational Leadership, James I. Perkins College of Education
September 26, 2017 - The Children’s Performing Arts Series at Stephen F. Austin State University will open its 2017-18 season on Friday, Oct. 13, with a performance of the Virginia Repertory Theatre’s “Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs.”
This musical adaptation of the classic Grimm’s fairy tale comes to life with a talented ensemble of actors and wonderful puppets, according to Diane Peterson, Fine Arts Box Office manager and director of the series.
“Follow along as Snow White meets her pint-sized friends, takes the apple from the Evil Queen, receives a kiss from the Prince, and lives happily ever after,” Peterson said. “This faithful rendition of the fable will inspire young audiences to read the original.”
“Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs” targets children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Performances are at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in W.M. Turner Auditorium, located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus. Tickets are $7.50 for individuals and $6 per person for groups of 20 or more.
This presentation of “Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs,” based on the original story by the Brothers Grimm, is by Bruce Craig Miller and Ford Flannagan with lyrics by Bruce Craig Miller and music by Ron Barnett.
Presented by the SFA College of Fine Arts, the Children’s Performing Arts Series annually features five shows designed to entertain, educate and engage young audiences of all ages, according to Peterson. Study guides provide suggestions for pre- and post-performance activities and discussions for teachers to use in the classroom. A study guide for “Snow White” may be accessed at http://va-rep.org/tour/guides/snow_white.pdf.
Other upcoming CPAS performances include “A Christmas Carol” on Friday, Dec. 1; “Harriet Tubman & The Underground Railroad” on Thursday, Feb. 1; Super Scientific Circus on Wednesday, March 7; and “The Ugly Duckling” on Friday, April 27.
To order tickets, call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS. Visit the CPAS website at www.cpas.sfasu.edu for additional information.
September 21, 2017 Nacogdoches — With tears still welling at the corner of her eyes, Natalie Clem of Memphis, Tennessee, offered her sincere gratitude for being named the first recipient of the Christopher J. Snyder Memorial Scholarship, which was recently endowed at Stephen F. Austin State University.
“Orientation and mobility is my passion,” Clem told the crowd gathered in the Human Services Building third-floor conference room, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. “Christopher J. Snyder is an inspiration to me because he made it from Chicago to Nacogdoches in 1997 to do something that I love and I’m passionate about as well. To be able to follow in his passion and love for orientation and mobility is an honor.”
Snyder was a two-time SFA graduate and a certified orientation and mobility specialist.
Snyder moved to Nacogdoches from Chicago in 1997 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in orientation and mobility, and he graduated in 1999. He returned to Illinois to work with visually impaired students, teaching them how to travel safely in different environments. In 2001, Snyder and Nacogdoches native Kim Luna were married, and they lived in the Chicago area until 2004.
“He arranged a trip for his seniors to Wrigley Field, and their assignment was to be able to plan the route, get on the bus, get on the train and get to their seat in the stadium,” Luna said during the scholarship ceremony. “I met them at the train station, and it was very touching and gave me a real admiration for those of you who are helping and working with others, especially the blind. Your profession does make a difference in the world. It impacts students every day.”
Snyder served each summer as an instructor for a six-week SFA course teaching other teachers orientation and mobility skills to better assist their visually impaired students.
In 2005, he earned his Master of Education in special education with an emphasis in serious emotional disorders and autism. He began working for Nacogdoches ISD that year as an assistive technology teacher and orientation and mobility specialist, working with special-needs students and their teachers throughout the district.
Snyder passed away in January after being diagnosed with cancer in August 2016. To honor his memory, Snyder’s family worked to create a scholarship for orientation and mobility students. Enough donations were received from family, students and friends to establish the permanently endowed Christopher J. Snyder Memorial Scholarship.
“The field of orientation and mobility changed Chris’ life,” said Michael Munro, director of the visual impairment and orientation and mobility program at SFA. “We currently have the only undergraduate orientation and mobility program in the country. I hope that the Christopher J. Snyder Memorial Scholarship will facilitate others to move to Texas to study and fall in love with this great field.”
The scholarship’s endowment will allow “the memory of Chris to continue through each and every scholarship recipient,” Luna said. “I think it takes very special people to be in this field, and Chris was very passionate about his profession. Until his very last day, he was very much a part of education and the orientation and mobility community.”
By Christine Broussard, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University
September 20, 2017 Nacogdoches — 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. Saturday, October 7, at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., in historic Nacogdoches.
The sale will feature a variety of hard-to-find, “Texas-tough” plants, including Texas natives, heirlooms, perennials, shrubs and trees, with an emphasis on pollinator friendly natives as well as exclusive SFA introductions. The featured plants are extensively trialed before being offered to the public and are produced by staff members and volunteers of the SFA Gardens.
This popular event benefits the SFA Mast Arboretum, PNPC, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden and Gayla Mize Garden, along with educational programs that are 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, 2428 Raguet St., 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) 468-4404, or visit sfagardens.sfasu.edu two weeks before the sale.
September 20, 2017 - With excitement and anticipation, Mary Jo Goodwin Morris made the five-hour drive from her home in New Braunfels to the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.
The 87-year-old former SFA twirler had been invited to attend the Lumberjack Marching Band and Twirl-O-Jacks Reunion and to perform with an SFA alumni band in Homer Bryce Stadium prior to the kickoff of the football game between the SFA Lumberjacks and the University of Incarnate Word.
A number of Morris’ family members, including some of the seven siblings in her family, two of her four sons and several of her nieces and nephews, either graduated from or attended SFA. Her baby brother, the late Judge Gerald A. Goodwin of Lufkin, was an SFA graduate. So the memories she carried with her back to campus for the reunion represented “some of the happiest times of my life,” she said.
Morris had returned to campus many times for events that celebrated the SFA Twirl-O-Jacks’ rich history. Most recently, she attended events last year that celebrated The Lumberjack Marching Band’s 90th anniversary and the Twirl-O-Jacks’ 60th anniversary.
After graduating from Lufkin High School, Morris was a freshman at SFA in the fall of 1948 and made the twirling line that year and the following. She recalls wearing the “freshman cap,” living in Gibbs Hall, “doing a lot of crazy things” and riding around in roommate Doris Smith’s convertible.
The rivalry between what was then Sam Houston State Teachers College was strong even in those days, she said, recalling when a group of guys from Sam Houston “painted up campus,” were caught and sentenced to serving meals in the dormitories and leading SFA cheers outside the dorms.
“One who had attended SFA before going to Huntsville was put in a wooden and screened box and put on the train to ride back to Huntsville,” she said. “It was unbelievable.”
She was a member of the Pine Burrs (now Chi Omega), whose initiation attire remains vivid in her mind.
“We wore these old tow sacks that had pine cones all around them,” she said. “We had a clock hanging around our necks, wore pigtails with purple bows in our hair and no makeup, and wore one high heel and one low heel shoe. There was a photo of us in the annual.
“I loved SFA and had a wonderful two years there,” she said. “SFA was real special.”
Her college and twirling career was sidelined when she met Ferrell Morris of Pasadena while she was working during summers in the Houston area. The two married in the fall of 1950, and Mary Jo had a large wedding party, including her roommate from college and many of her twirling colleagues. Mary Jo and Ferrell had a long and happy life together and were blessed with four sons and a lifetime of adventurous careers and extensive travel, including a few years in the Middle East. Throughout the years, Morris has enjoyed working with children, often as a teacher and now as a “reading buddy” for students in the New Braunfels area and as a kindergarten Sunday School class teacher.
She stays active by working out at area gyms, including participating in water aerobics. She still mows her own lawn, and not with a riding lawnmower, she points out.
“My kids fuss at me for that,” she said, “but all I have to do is turn the key and follow it. As long as I can keep doing what I’m doing, I want to keep going as long as I can.”
Morris enjoyed reconnecting with her past at Saturday’s reunion. She said event organizers and representatives of the SFA Alumni Association “have been so precious to me.”
“They have reached out to me, and I feel so flattered,” she said, adding that she enjoyed meeting SFA President Dr. Baker Pattillo and sitting with him and his wife, Dr. Janice Pattillo, during the game. Prior to the weekend, she said she was looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.
“It’s exciting at my age to get this attention,” she said. “It’s flattering. They treated me like I was special, when I’m just another human being, just passing through this world.”
Cutline: Former SFA twirler Mary Jo Goodwin Morris performs for Lumberjack football fans during the pre-game show Saturday, Sept. 16, in Homer Bryce Stadium. Morris was among the Lumberjack Marching Band alumni who returned to campus for a reunion and meeting of the newly formed Lumberjack Band Alumni Association.
September 19, 2017 Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Bachelor of Science in human sciences with an emphasis in human development and family studies has been ranked as one of the top 20 most affordable online child development degree programs in the nation by affordablecolleges.com.
“This is a recognition of a lot of hard work on the part of the faculty members in the human development and family studies program, with the support of the School of Human Sciences, who have worked to better serve our students no matter where they live,” said Dr. Rachel Jumper, assistant professor in the human development and family studies program.
SFA’s program was ranked 18th in the nation. Affordablecolleges.com based its rankings on three measurement categories: financial, student success and program metrics.
This degree allows students who have completed courses at another higher education institution to complete the last two years of the degree at SFA. The program provides an in-depth understanding of growth, change and development of children, adults and families, and integrates a life span, multi-contextual and family systems approach. The HDFS major culminates with a 200-hour, hands-on practicum in the senior year.
“Our program emphasizes hands-on experiences working with children and families,” Jumper said. “Currently, a student in our program will experience several hands-on and community service projects throughout their major courses.”
In spring 2018 all required courses for a HDFS degree are scheduled to be online. At that time, it will no longer be necessary to have any courses at another institution, and a fully online bachelor’s degree in HDFS will be available to students at SFA.
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
September 19, 2017 Nacogdoches — During the past 10 years, the Gilbert I. “Buddy” Low Scholarship Program has covered the cost of tuition and fees for several San Augustine High School graduates to attend Stephen F. Austin State University.
Those involved with the scholarship program recently celebrated a decade of promoting student success with a luncheon that brought scholarship donors, current and past scholarship recipients, and SFA administrators together.
Low, who graduated from SFA in 1954 and is a trial attorney with Orgain Bell & Tucker in Beaumont, credits his San Augustine teachers with preparing him for the rigors of higher education.
“When I got to SFA, I did well because of the quality education I received from my teachers in San Augustine,” Low said. “I had a job on campus and did pipeline work — hard, hot work — and saved during the summers to pay for my education. I started the scholarship program because I wanted to help students like me who really couldn’t afford to go to college be able to attend SFA and concentrate on their studies.”
Low’s pay-it-forward approach has helped 31 SFA students achieve their dream of higher education.
“During the past decade, we have selected three scholarship recipients per year to join this elite group of student leaders,” said W. Frank Newton, president and chief executive officer of the Beaumont Foundation of America, which administers the scholarship program. “From year to year, the recipients become mentors and support the subsequent year’s recipients, thus continuing the cycle of academic success.”
The scholarships are awarded based on financial need as well as potential for academic success in college. Interested students are screened by the school district and participate in an interview with representatives of the Beaumont Foundation of America.
“If not for this scholarship, I don’t think I would have been financially able to attend college,” said Ben Eberlan, 2014 San Augustine High School graduate and accounting major at SFA. “While the scholarships provide the funds to help us attend college, there is a tremendous support system in place, as well, that helps ensure our success. Everyone from university administrators to faculty members is vested in helping us graduate. If we need help, we get it.”
Twelve scholarship recipients were present at the luncheon along with eight SFA administrators, including SFA President Dr. Baker Pattillo; Dr. Steve Bullard, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Jill Still, vice president for university advancement; and Drs. Janet Tareilo and Mary Nelle Brunson, associate provosts.
“The 1.5-to-1 student-to-administrator ratio at today’s luncheon is a clear indicator of SFA’s commitment to the success of the students in this program,” Newton said. “Many of these administrators have spent time teaching and know that it’s not just the availability of academic resources that make students successful — it’s also about the relationship between the students and those they look to as leaders and mentors.”
Each scholarship recipient is eligible to receive up to $11,200 per year for four years of study at SFA. In addition to paying for tuition and fees, the scholarship also provides reimbursement for books and supplies.
“When I found out I was a Buddy Low Scholarship recipient, I was overwhelmed with joy,” said Cordestine Clifton, a 2014 San Augustine High School graduate and SFA kinesiology major. “Knowing that I had this backing from the program took so much weight off me and my parents. I can go to school now and concentrate on my studies and not have to worry about accumulating debt.”
Chelsea Heidbrink, SFA student success coordinator, manages all student aspects of the program.
“I work to ensure that the students are meeting the scholarship requirements, are engaging at the university, and I help to eliminate the barriers they may face in college,” Heidbrink said. “I advocate for the students and help them in any way I can so their journey at SFA is as smooth as possible.”
During the luncheon, Pattillo addressed attendees and acknowledged Low for his support in helping students from his hometown reach their academic potential.
“Buddy Low never forgot where he came from,” Pattillo said. “His generosity combined with his expectation of success has provided the opportunity for these students to live and learn in a student-centered environment. They have already proven to be leaders among students, and there is no doubt that they will go on to become leaders in their communities and professions.”
For questions about the scholarship program, contact April Smith, associate director of development at SFA, at (936) 468-5406.
By Donna Parish, assistant director of creative services at Stephen F. Austin State University.
September 14, 2017 Nacogdoches — What does a day in the life of a two- or four-person household living in poverty look like? What does it feel like to have to choose between baby formula and diapers? How can poverty affect and control even the smallest portions of life?
The Poverty Simulation, hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, aims to address these questions and others through a simulated poverty experience.
“The Poverty Simulation is designed to help participants begin to comprehend what it might be like to live in poverty from week to week,” said Veronica Beavers, OMA director. “Participants will experience some of the daily challenges a family in poverty may endure through a simulated experience. I hope participants gain understanding and awareness of poverty in society. I also hope that participants become empathetic to what some families deal with day to day.”
Budgeting is a focus of the simulation; however, the psychological stress families in poverty endure also will be discussed.
The OMA partnered with the East Texas Human Needs Network, which conducts the simulation. The OMA also is interested in collaborating with other Nacogdoches organizations for volunteers. Any person interested in volunteering can sign up at sfasu.edu/oma.
Two Poverty Simulation sessions are being offered. The first will be at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, and the second at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, both in the Norton H.P.E. Complex on the SFA campus. The event is open to the SFA and Nacogdoches communities. It will last approximately two to three hours.
Seats are limited for this event. Preregister by Wednesday, Sept. 27, on the OMA website.
By Christine Broussard, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
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