The Department of Human Services and Educational Leadership is accepting applications for the Doctor of Education in educational leadership and Master of Arts in student affairs and higher education programs.

Doctor of Education in educational leadership: This program is a 60-hour terminal degree offered online in a cohort setting. Students can choose a concentration in higher education leadership or K-12. The application deadline is March 15. Visit the program's webpage to learn how to apply. For more information, contact Dr. Barbara Qualls at edd@sfasu.edu.

Master of Arts in student affairs and higher education: This online program prepares graduates to work in employment settings such as academic advising, accessibility services, admissions, student activities and leadership programs, fraternity and sorority life, campus recreation programs, career services, academic advising, orientation and transition programs, student conduct and residence life and housing. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Visit the program's webpage to learn how to apply. For more information, contact Drs. Hollie Smith and Marigold Hudock at SAHEGrad@sfasu.edu.

Applications are being accepted for the Lumberjack Entrepreneurship Competition. Open to all SFA students, this competition provides an opportunity to pitch business ideas, gain valuable experience and compete for a share of $20,000 in cash and scholarships.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to inform students to apply and take advantage of this opportunity to turn their ideas into reality. For more information, visit the Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship website. To apply, complete the competition's application form.

Student Development and Access Services is hiring students to serve as Jack Pack Leaders — mentors and guides for first-year students during Aspire's four-day Summer Bridge Program Aug. 17-20. Faculty and staff are encouraged to inform students about this opportunity.

Jack Pack Leaders will help incoming students transition from high school to SFA by leading a small group, introducing them to key student success resources, and providing mentorship throughout the program. Following the summer program, leaders will transition to Aspire mentors for the fall and spring semesters to continue supporting students throughout their first year in college.

For more information and to apply, visit the information form.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to inform incoming students that registration for AXEcepted Day sessions is open. Students can reserve a spot for themselves and a family member to attend orientation by visiting the orientation page in mySFA. For more information and to view available dates, visit the AXEcepted Days webpage.

The Center for Teaching and Learning invites you to its March sessions:

1 to 2 p.m. Thursday, March 6: Dr. Cynthia Kilpatrick will host "Making Your Rubrics Work for You" which discusses how to create rubrics that are easy to use, informative for students and targeted to your learning objectives. Attendees will create a rubric for an assignment of your choice as part of the session. The session will be held in Steen Library, Room 219, or via livestream.

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. March 21: Emily Dodson and Theunis Oliphant will host "Coffee and Conversation on Gen AI," an informal discussion related to generative AI in Steen Library, Room 220a. Coffee and Conversations will take place once a month. To RSVP, fill out the survey.

2 to 3 p.m. March 27: Laura Osborne will host "Tools for Formative Assessment in Brightspace." This livestreamed session will explore ideas and recommended practices for incorporating formative/low-stakes activities into your Brightspace courses, including ways to utilize the various tools. This workshop counts toward fulfillment of the Advanced Topics in Brightspace certificate.

The Center for Career and Professional Development is hosting several events and workshops this month. Faculty and staff are encouraged to inform their students about the free events. If you would like your students to attend an event or workshop for a course, email ccpd@sfasu.edu to receive an attendance record.

• Résumé Workshop: 5:30 p.m., March 18, location to be determined

• Career Wellness Check (Lumberjacks GROW): 5 p.m., March 19, McKibben Education Building, Room 131

For more information, visit the CCPD's upcoming events page.

The Department of Biology will host the J.H. Burr Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series at 4 p.m. March 24 in the Cole STEM Building Planetarium.

Dr. David Taylor, associate professor of molecular biosciences at the University of Texas at Austin, will present “Reengineering CRISPR-Cas Effectors." Taylor’s research focuses on macromolecular machines, the understanding of the structural basis for CRISPR RNA-guided adaptive immunity in prokaryotes and genomes and double-stranded DNA break repair in eukaryotes.

The speaker series is endowed in honor of J.H. Burr who taught at SFA from 1951 to 1986, and hosts speakers who discuss topics relating to biological research. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Department of Biology at ext. 3601.

The SFA Faculty Senate will hold a meeting at 2:30 p.m. April 9 in McGee Business Building, Room 133, or Zoom with meeting ID 943 1607 9106 and passcode "SENATE."

Members of the SFA community are welcome to attend the public portion of the session; however, per senate rules, only faculty senators are permitted to participate in the discussions during the meeting. Therefore, forward your questions in advance to your faculty senator for potential consideration.

Save the date for the Staff Service Awards ceremony, scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. April 23 in the Cole STEM Building atrium. Staff Council will honor staff member years of service, retirees and President’s Achievement Award recipients. For the full list of award recipients, visit the Staff Council website.

SFA Today will pause after the Thursday, March 6, edition for spring break and will resume its regular schedule March 18. Those wishing to share announcements are asked to plan accordingly and submit them for inclusion in relevant editions before or after the break.

We wish everyone a restful and enjoyable spring break.

International Women's Day Teach-in: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 5, McGee Business Building, Room 133, and Zoom

OIP Global Gateway event: Grenada: 3 p.m. March 5, Steen Library, Room 103

Spring Plant Sale Preview: 7 to 8:30 p.m. March 13, Pineywoods Native Plant Center

Stone Fort Museum's St. Patrick’s Day concert: 2 to 4 p.m. March 15, Stone Fort Museum