Stephen F. Austin State University

Dear faculty and staff,

As we near the end of the spring semester, I wanted to share some updates and information with you from across campus.

Provost Announcement

I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Jordan Barkley as our next provost and executive vice president for the Division of Academic Affairs. Dr. Barkley brings nearly two decades of administrative experience at institutions including the University of Northern Colorado, Tarleton State University and Jacksonville State University. He will officially begin his tenure at SFA July 1. View the full announcement.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Dustin Knepp and the entire search committee for their excellent work in selecting such a strong candidate to lead the Division of Academic Affairs.

Enrollment Update

This spring, we welcomed thousands to campus for our largest Showcase Saturday event in history. Mark your calendars for our next Showcase Saturday on June 7. More than 120 students have opted in to the Coordinated Admission Program, or CAP, with The University of Texas at Austin. We celebrated these students and their families during our first-ever CAP Day March 29.

For the first time in 10 years, our undergraduate semester credit hour production has increased year over year. We continue to observe positive enrollment trends as we look to the fall semester.

Fall 2025 admits:

• Undergraduates: 19.6% increase
• Transfers: 14.7% increase
• Graduates: 101.7% increase

We have recently launched the Lumberjack Transfer Alliance to collaborate with community colleges across East Texas. Earlier this semester, we held a signing day with Angelina College. We invite you to join us at the three additional events this semester at the remaining community colleges:

• April 17, 10 a.m. – Tyler Junior College
• April 21, 2 p.m. – Panola College
• May 15, 3 p.m. – Kilgore College

We are also establishing the Lumberjack Launch Direct Admit Program to facilitate a smooth transition for students from partnering regional schools to the SFA community. It ensures direct admission for eligible students, providing essential resources, mentorship and guidance to foster academic success while aiming to remove barriers to higher education in East Texas.

We invite you to join us at 10 a.m. May 7 in the Cole STEM Building Atrium for the official Lumberjack Launch Day. During this event, we will introduce the program in collaboration with our high school partners from across East Texas.

Purple Promise

Earlier this semester, we announced that the UT System Board of Regents made a significant investment that enables our Purple Promise program to offer tuition-free education to students from families with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less. We are pleased to inform you that this program will now be available to transfer students as well. If you would like materials to share with prospective students, contact the Office of Admissions.

Construction Update

Pineywoods Dining

The new dining hall on East College Street, Pineywoods Dining, is set to be completed this month. We expect the furniture to arrive mid-May, at which point Chartwells will begin installing their equipment. This summer, we will provide information about the plans for the grand opening event.

Forestry and Agriculture Building project

In February, the UT System Board of Regents approved an $85 million budget for the final design phase of our Forestry and Agriculture Building project. Crews are demolishing the existing building, and we expect the construction of the new buildings to be completed by mid-spring 2027.

Admissions office renovation

The renovations of the Office of Admissions are complete, and the team has returned to the Rusk Building. These upgrades enhance our ability to welcome prospective students and their families to campus. We invite you to visit the second floor of the Rusk Building to see the newly renovated space!

Entrepreneurship building

I am excited to share that we will present plans at the UT System Board of Regents meeting in May for the Greg Arnold Entrepreneurship Building. The proposed facility will be adjacent to the new Forestry and Agriculture Building on the corner of Raguet and Hayter streets. This innovative space will foster collaboration among various disciplines across campus and serve as the hub of entrepreneurial activity in East Texas.

Legislative Update

In the upcoming days, we expect the Senate to advance Senate Bill 37, which relates to the governance of public institutions of higher education. As with all legislation impacting our university, we are attentively monitoring the bill and are actively collaborating with the UT System as well as our state officials. Our priority is to ensure that higher education in Texas continues to provide a positive and supportive environment for all stakeholders involved.

CARRI Update

The Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation will now be under the Office of the President. In the coming months, we will evaluate the center's current operations and future plans.

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Lastly, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your excellent work and effort this academic year. I am confident in the bright future of our university, largely because of the incredible dedication of our faculty and staff, who are committed to making SFA an extraordinary place. Thank you for all you do!

Sincerely,
Dr. Neal Weaver
President