Whether they call her “the great communicator,” “Mrs. Kass” or “the best,” Kassondra Perry-Weaver, senior secretary in SFA’s DeWitt School of Nursing, is loved by SFA nursing students. That’s partly because she’s also a student.

Perry-Weaver earned her Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences with professional development areas in public safety and in human development and family studies in December. She completed her studies and graduated summa cum laude while working, battling an illness and flying back and forth to California to help her ailing father. She’s now earning a Master of Science in human development and family studies at SFA.

Pannell and Uriegas recently published a research article exploring computer-based formative assessment practices of core academics within a one-to-one computing environment with colleagues from Georgia Southern University.

The study examined these practices in the context of rural southern schools. The article is published in the open-source International Journal of Instruction.

Olson Beal recently published, "An investigation of teachers' perceptions of school competitiveness and organizational work environment in a rural area" in the Journal of School Choice.

Through rural teachers' original survey responses, this study uses the market culture within the competing values framework and finds substantial variation in how rural schoolteachers perceive competitive pressure and school climate. Findings, which suggest that higher levels of perceived competition are associated with somewhat higher morale and stronger organizational cultures, are important for school leaders and policymakers.

To mark SFA’s first 100 years, university students, faculty, staff and alumni are holding a friendly competition to see which group can complete the most service hours between now and SFA’s Founders Day, Sept. 18.

The goal is for all four groups to earn a total of 100,000 service hours by that date. If they don’t reach that goal, the competition will be extended to the end of the fall 2023 semester, said Dr. Hollie Smith, executive director of Student Life.

“We want to get all four groups involved in our centennial celebration, and the best way to do that is by giving back to the Nacogdoches community that has supported SFA for a century, as well as to the communities in which our alumni live now,” Smith said.

Registration for summer and fall 2023 classes will begin March 22. Note that registration will begin on the same date for both semesters to enable students to complete their registration with fewer steps and to enhance the overall registration process for students.

Advising

-Students must consult with their academic advisor and have their advising holds (and any other registration holds) cleared prior to registering for classes.

-Registration time tickets will be posted to student accounts on March 21. As a reminder, this is the earliest that time tickets can be posted since registration for Spring II is still underway.

Registration

-Students may register at any time after the date and time listed on their registration time ticket. Students can check their registration time ticket via mySFA. On the "Registration" tab, in the "Steps to Register" section, click "Check Registration Status/Time Ticket."

-Registration will open based on the standard priority schedule.

Schedule of classes

-The summer and fall 2023 schedule of classes is now available through mySFA. On the "Registration" tab, in the "Steps to Register" section, click "View Schedule of Classes."

-Departments may update their class schedule information, so refer to the online class schedule for up-to-date information.

View more information at sfasu.edu/registrar.

Have you encountered students of concern in your classroom or office and been unsure of how to assist them? Many barriers as well as symptoms of stress and anxiety can exacerbate these concerning behaviors.

Lumberjack Wellness Network staff members will offer two opportunities for faculty and staff to attend a crash course for working with this special population: tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and April 21 from 9 to 11 a.m.

To register, visit myTraining through mySFA and search for "Student of Concern 101."

SFA faculty members and professional advisors are invited to the Professional Academic Advising Council meeting from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 16, via Zoom.

To be included in the PAAC email list, contact Raquel Skidmore at skidmorerr@sfasu.edu.

The fiscal year 2024 Student Service Fee Allocation presentations are planned for 1 to 5 p.m. tomorrow; Monday, March 20; and Wednesday, March 22, in Rusk Building, Room 333.

The SSF Allocation committee recommendations meeting is planned for 1 to 5 p.m. March 29 in McGee Business Building, Room 133.

All presentations are open to the public.

Jamaican-American hip-hop artist Sean Kingston will be the featured performer at SFA’s SpringFest planned for 8 p.m. April 14 in Johnson Coliseum. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

The concert will be hosted by SFA’s Student Activities Association and will serve, in part, to make up for the last-minute cancellation of the fall Homecoming concert.

The event is open to the public, and admission is free for SFA students. Students will, however, need to “purchase” the free tickets through the ticketing portal as a form of event registration. Tickets for faculty and staff are $15 for concourse-level seating or $20 for pit-level seating.

SFA's Office of Multicultural Affairs is holding the university’s sixth annual Women’s Empowerment Summit from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, March 17, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Twilight Ballroom.

Students, professional staff, community members and faculty from various institutions across Texas will gather to discuss empowering women from various backgrounds through topics including professional development, education, etiquette, health and body image. The summit features a panel discussion during lunch.

“The Women's Empowerment Summit is an excellent opportunity for people of all genders to meet and learn about women's issues,” said Dr. Veronica Beavers, OMA director and deputy chief diversity officer. “We hope to provide an environment for relaxation, refueling and professional growth.”

A proclamation event was held March 1 at SFA’s School of Social Work to kick off Social Work Month, as well as a number of events the school will host to honor the social work profession.

Nacogdoches County Commissioner Robin Dawley delivered the proclamation to the School of Social Work’s faculty members, field instructors, students and others in attendance.

Nacogdoches community members and SFA faculty, staff and students are invited to the seventh annual International Women’s Day Teach-in from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow in the McGee Business Building, Room 133, and via Zoom.

The Organization for Women’s Leadership and Equity is hosting the event. Because the university was closed for spring break on the official International Women’s Day set for March 8, OWLE members are hosting the teach-in one week later.

The teach-in was established as a local alternative to the nationwide A Day Without a Woman strike in 2017, which was held on International Women’s Day. Akin to a sit-in, the teach-in allows a time to address anything about women and gender.

Join the Office of International Programs in celebrating SFA's international students as they share information about their home countries during Global Gateway presentations throughout the semester.

Presentations on countries will be held in the Ferguson Building, Room 377, at 3 p.m. for the following: Vietnam, Friday, March 17, and Colombia, March 30.

If you put your golf clubs away for the winter, it’s time to bring them back out.

The annual Bob Sitton Classic is scheduled for March 24 at Woodland Hills Golf Club at 359 CR 5021 in Nacogdoches. A fundraiser for SFA golf and the SFA Alumni Association, the event honors Sitton, who helped endow hundreds of scholarships during his time as association director from 1972 to 1998.

SFA’s The Big Event brings student volunteers together for one big day of service to express the university's gratitude for the support of the Nacogdoches community. Small teams of students will fan out across Nacogdoches County March 25 to complete projects for local residents and tell them, “Thank you.” Projects include painting, yardwork, cleaning, trash collecting, window washing and more.

Local residents are encouraged to request a service project for The Big Event each year. This event is for everyone — projects are not accepted based on need or socioeconomic status. Absolutely anyone in Nacogdoches County can apply for a project to be completed by student volunteers. The deadline for requests is Monday, March 20.

The Organization for Women's Leadership and Equity is seeking nominations for its third annual Advocate Award. The award recognizes one faculty member and one staff member who embody OWLE’s mission, specifically as advocates for women staff and/or faculty as showed by peer or self-nomination. 

The mission of OWLE is to empower women and support women’s professional advancement while balancing our professional, personal, physical and mental health demands and needs. OWLE advocates for policies that support women staff and faculty by utilizing the unique perspectives of women and our shared experiences. 

Individuals wishing to nominate a staff and/or faculty member for this award should send a one-page letter detailing how the nominated individual embodies OWLE's mission. Include in the letter if the individual is being nominated for the faculty or staff award.

Letters should be sent directly to Dr. Lauren Burrow, associate professor of education studies, at burrowle@sfasu.edu no later than March 31. Include “Nomination for OWLE Award” in the email subject line.

Members of OWLE's Achievement and Advancement Committee will review the nomination letters received. Those selected to receive the award will be notified by April 7.

Women’s Basketball

SFA - 64 vs. California Baptist University - 69

Beach Volleyball

SFA - 0 vs. Stetson University - 5

Tennis

SFA - 2 vs. McNeese State University - 5

Baseball

SFA - 6 vs. Abilene Christian University - 9

Softball

SFA - 5 vs. University of the Incarnate Word - 4

Men’s Basketball

SFA - 76 vs. Utah Tech University - 80

Men’s Golf

The Lumberjacks finished in eighth place at the Houston Christian University Colin Montgomerie Intercollegiate tournament.

Women's Golf

The Ladyjacks finished in 13th place at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Invitational tournament.

Men's and Women's Track and Field

The teams competed in the NCAA Indoor National Championships. Branson Ellis and Nissi Kabongo were named Western Athletic Conference athletes of the year.

Bowling

The Ladyjacks competed at the United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team Sectionals in Dallas.

To see more SFA Athletics scores, visit sfajacks.com.

The Nacogdoches Symphony Club will host a piano showcase to benefit scholarships for SFA music students and SFA Music Preparatory Division students at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 16, at First Baptist Church.

The concert will feature performances by Mario Ajero, Martha de Luna, James Faucett, Jina Jeong, Minhae Lee, Andrew Parr and Linda Parr. Admission is free with donations accepted.

International artist Yu Tamaki Hoso will present a guest trombone recital at 6 p.m. tomorrow in the Music Recital Hall, Wright Music Building.

A Japanese solo trombonist active worldwide, Tamaki Hoso is a chamber and orchestra musician, educator, entrepreneur, published author and producer.

Accompanying on this concert is Dr. Thomas Nixon, collaborative pianist at SFA. Dr. Deb Scott, professor of trombone, will also perform on “Ave Maria” and “Libertango” by Ástor Piazzolla, arranged by Karen Marston.

The School of Music will present “An Evening of Chamber Music for Voice, Viola and Piano” featuring guest artist musicians from the University of Florida performing at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in Cole Concert Hall.

“All three guest artists are faculty from the University of Florida, and they are currently traveling through Texas, visiting different universities with their concert program and giving master classes for students,” said Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, professor of violin.

The trio includes Lauren Hodges, viola; Evan Mitchell, piano; and Christopher Pfund, tenor. Among the works to be performed are Drei Romanzen Op. 22, for viola and piano by Clara Schumann; La Bonne Chanson by Gabriel Fauré; and Four Hymns for Tenor, Viola and Piano by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

International violinist Dr. Namjoo Oh will collaborate with Dr. Minhae Lee, assistant professor of piano at SFA, in a chamber music recital at 6 p.m. Friday, March 17, in the Music Recital Hall, Wright Music Building.

The concert program will feature Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 21 in E minor, K. 304 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 100 by Johannes Brahms; and Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano by César Franck.

Dr. James Vilseck, adjunct faculty and percussion instructor in the School of Music, will conclude a concert tour of multiple universities with a performance at 6 p.m. Friday, March 17, in Cole Concert Hall.

Vilseck will be joined by colleague Dr. Samantha Inman, flute, and coordinator of music theory, as they perform two movements of David Gillingham’s “Five Fantasies of Natural Origin” for Marimba and Flute. Other works to be performed include “Koolish Zein” by John Psathas; “Small” by Joan Tower; “Marriage of the Lamb” by Kevin Bobo; “Shred” by Caleb Pickering; “Amethyst” by Andy Akiho; and “An Hour of Change” by Shaun Tilburg.

Chicago-based ~Nois Saxophone Quartet will bring their signature concert experience combining contemporary chamber music and improvisation to Cole Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 17.

Their program features “Sun Thrower” by Darian Donovan Thomas; “they can finally breathe” by Kennedy Taylor Dixon; “When Babies Sleep” by Nathan Schram; “To Speak As One” by Bobby Ge; and “Thirteen Changes” by Pauline Oliveros.

Dr. Andrea Denis, assistant professor of horn, will present “New Beginnings,” a recital of works by Paul Basler, Verne Reynolds, Elizabeth Raum, Stephen Lias and John Dickson, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18, in Cole Concert Hall.

Denis will be accompanied by Dr. Thomas Nixon, collaborative pianist at SFA, with guest performances by Dr. Charles Gavin, retired SFA music faculty member and Denis’ former teacher; Dr. Brad Meyer, director of percussion studies; SFA alumnus John Dickson; and the SFA Horn Octet.

If you spent the first weekend of spring break in Key West, Florida, you probably attended the Conch Shell Blowing Contest.

This couple won the group division by performing Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" for conch shell and voice.

Read about the winners' techniques.