Acclaimed actor and Texas native Dennis Quaid will bring star power and business policy insight to SFA this spring as the speaker for the fifth installment of the Nelson Rusche Distinguished Lecture Series. Best known for iconic film roles in “The Rookie,” “The Parent Trap” 1998 remake and “A Dog’s Purpose,” Quaid will speak at 7:30 p.m. April 9 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom.

Faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to the Office of International Programs’ global gateway presentation on Italy at 3 p.m. today in Steen Library, Room 103. The event will include a presentation led by an SFA international student from Italy, who will introduce attendees to their country, traditions and lifestyle.

For more information, contact Enrique Venegas at enrique.venegas@sfasu.edu or ext. 6604.

UT Select members are invited to join a webinar with BlueCross BlueShield of Texas to learn about their virtual care options from noon to 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, April 8.

To register and join, visit the webinar link.

Meeting number: 661 484 2230

Password: UTS2026

To join anonymously, call (650) 479-3208 and enter 266 148 42230 ##.

SFA's ROTC will host the Kile G. West Memorial 5K April 11 beginning at the Intramural Fields. The annual memorial run is in honor of SFA alumnus and U.S. Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West, who was killed in combat while serving in Iraq in 2007.

Check-in will begin at 7 a.m. and the race will start at 9 a.m. Those who can't run are encouraged to make a donation to the Military Science Excellence Fund, a scholarship program founded in West's honor. For more information about donations and to sign up, visit the race website.

National Student Employee Appreciation Week, a time to recognize the hard work, dedication and positive impact student employees bring to campus every day, will be held from April 13 to 17.

Human Resources encourages each department to celebrate their student employees in special ways during this time. Visit the Human Resources website for fun and easy ideas to show your appreciation.

SFA’s Health and Wellness Hub is sponsoring free HIV and syphilis testing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 14 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center, Regents’ Suite A.

Available to all faculty, staff and students, the testing will be provided by the Brown Family Health Center.

For more information, contact The Hub at ext. 4482 or thehub@sfasu.edu.

The Department of Allied Health Studies is hosting a fall-prevention workshop from 9:30 a.m. to noon April 20 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Twilight Ballroom.

The free workshop is for adults 65 years and older and is limited to 50 participants. Those who apply by April 10 and are selected for the workshop will be notified by April 14.

SFA’s Career Center will facilitate Career Champions, a program to equip faculty and staff to enhance students' professional development. Through the series of workshops, faculty and staff will be empowered to provide career support to students, gain knowledge about the Career Center’s programming, teach professional skills and help students be successful beyond graduation.

Workshops include:

· Introduction to Career Champions

· Career Coaching and Exploration

· What Recruiters Are Telling Us: Incorporate More Professional Skills

· Résumé Guidebook

· The Job Hunt

Employees may attend all workshops or select individual sessions in any order; however, beginning with the introduction workshop is recommended. For more information about workshop details, times, dates, locations and to register, visit the upcoming calendar, or contact April Place at april.place@sfasu.edu.

The Center for Teaching and Learning invites faculty and staff to the April workshops. Registration for all sessions is through NEOED in mySFA.

1 to 2 p.m. April 9: Laura Osborne will present “Advanced Brightspace Grades” to discuss advanced tips, techniques and best practices for more efficient, effective use of the grades tool. Topics will include time-saving tips for cleaning up an existing gradebook; understanding hiding, dates and conditions; previewing a student’s view of grades; and more. This session will be livestreamed.

1 to 2 p.m. April 17: Cindy Kilpatrick will host “Small Changes, Big Impact: Universal Design for Learning and Accessible Course Design” to discuss implementing manageable UDL-informed strategies that help instructors proactively support all learners, improve course usability and create accessible learning experiences for all. This session will be livestreamed.

1 to 2 p.m. April 23: Hollie Beauchamp and Kelsey Wigand will host “AI in Teaching and Learning: Reflection, Reality, and What’s Next.” Faculty members will reflect on AI integration in their courses this academic year, including what they implemented and challenges they faced. Attendees will share wins, brainstorm solutions and shape plans for AI support in future semesters.

The Office of International Programs is accepting proposals for faculty-led study abroad programs for the 2026-27 academic year. This is also the opportunity to propose a program for the new wintermester in January 2027. Initial planning proposals are due April 30.

These programs expand access to study abroad through short-term, high-impact experiences that combine strong academics with immersive, place-based learning. They also give faculty the opportunity to bring their curriculum to life in a global context and engage with students in an experiential setting. Faculty play a central role in shaping both the academic and experiential aspects of the program, working closely with OIP throughout development and delivery.

To submit the initial planning proposal, visit the study abroad webpage. For more information, contact Inés Maxit at maxitie@sfasu.edu.

McAninch serves as president of the Texas Association of College and University Auditors, a role that will culminate in presiding at the 2026 Annual TACUA Conference in April in Arlington.

This leadership position represents a significant professional achievement and highlights McAninch’s dedication to strengthening the higher education auditing community across Texas. His commitment and leadership bring positive visibility to the institution and reflect the high standards we strive to uphold.

Heather Catton, director of the Office of International Programs, was selected to present on a staff development initiative at the Texas State NAFSA meeting held at Sam Houston State University. The initiative was codeveloped and led with Inés Maxit, study abroad coordinator, and funded partially by the Texas International Education Consortium.

The initiative involved a series of educational presentations and workshops for staff to help develop understanding of the study abroad process, leading them to be effective and informed communicators with students seeking international opportunities. The staff cohort also participated in a mini study abroad program to Riga, Latvia, enabling them to see the potential such experiences have on students. The initiative was well-received and showed significant impact, so a second iteration of the program is currently being implemented.