Message from the SFA Board of Regents to the campus community
Aug. 19, 2021 - 2:48 p.m.
As has been widely publicized, American higher education is currently facing significant financial challenges, including declining state revenues, increasing costs in almost every budget category, changing demographic trends and fierce competition from alternatives to the traditional university experience. SFA is not immune either to these demands or to the additional increased costs and reduced revenues resulting from the global pandemic.
During difficult times that require tough decisions, we are grateful you are on the Lumberjack team and part of the solution. The faculty and staff of SFA have always been loyal and resourceful. We are thankful for you, and we recognize that the enthusiasm and devotion our Lumberjack alumni hold for SFA is a direct result of how you invested in and cared for them when they were students.
Early next week, President Gordon will share with the SFA campus a comprehensive report outlining our current budget challenges with illustrations of how these issues developed over time. We encourage you to review this report.
We have full confidence in President Gordon, his administration and all who are in the university community to work together to meet these challenges. The higher education trends which led to our present circumstances have been decades in the making, and the disruptions of COVID-19 produced a tipping point. President Gordon, together with the Board of Regents, is committed to confronting these challenges and working creatively with you to convert them into opportunities that will not only preserve our university but also elevate SFA’s standing in our state and region. Your knowledge and collaboration are vital to this end.
Work will continue on these issues over the course of the coming academic year. We anticipate the Board of Regents will vote on recommendations at the July 2022 board meeting.
Stephen F. Austin State University has changed lives with our Lumberjack dedication and ingenuity for almost 100 years, and with your leadership and commitment it will continue to do so for the next 100 years and beyond.
On behalf of the SFA Board of Regents,
Karen G. Gantt
Chair