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Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs will launch its annual Diversity Week beginning at 11 a.m. Monday, April 2. The week will feature social and educational programs that celebrate various aspects of diversity and multiculturalism through meaningful dialogue within the SFA community.

The Diversity Week kickoff event will feature activities that promote cultural awareness. It will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 2 at the Baker Pattillo Student Center Plaza.

Veronica Beavers, director of OMA, hopes Diversity Week encourages students to celebrate diversity, multiculturalism and social justice throughout the year.

“The reason we celebrate diversity week is to educate students on the different aspects of diversity at SFA. We host a variety of programs to help make students aware of the different resources and events that the Office of Multicultural Affairs offers and to give students a specific week to celebrate their own personal culture.”

OMA has several other events planned.

Lumberjack Cultural Association Festival

The Lumberjack Cultural Association Festival will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, April 2, at the Baker Pattillo Student Center Plaza. The festival will feature food, games and prizes. In addition, representatives from organizations endorsed by OMA will be present to discuss their offerings.

OMA Peace Meal

OMA’s annual Peace Meal will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, at the Yellow House Christian Student Center, located at 201 E. College St. Individuals will have the opportunity to dine together while discussing issues that pertain to their diverse communities.

During the meal, Olmeca, a prolific writer and producer who has been featured on BBC London, Huffington Post, CNN Latino and more, will speak. Olmeca has toured Canada, Latin America and Europe, and he has helped spawn a new trend of bilingual hip-hop music. His work focuses on social commentary and community efforts that intersect various identities and demographics.

Pieces of SFA

Students will have the opportunity to paint their own canvas in order to demonstrate how each person’s diversity helps create the larger Lumberjack story.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Spirit Lounge.

Diversity Poetry Slam

Sha’condria “iCON” Sibley, a nationally acclaimed championship poet and spoken word artist, will perform a piece during OMA’s Diversity Poetry Slam, which begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center theater. Along with Sibley, students, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to perform poetry, music and spoken word. This competition includes a cash prize for the winner.

Cultural Scavenger Hunt

OMA’s Cultural Scavenger Hunt will conclude Diversity Week at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 5, in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Teams will compete against one another to discover various cultures through an Amazing Race-Esque Scavenger Hunt for cash prizes and more. To compete, register at https://sfasu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_78mb9jwd8TBqS6V by March 30.

“Diversity week helps to support and enhance SFA’s mission to engage our students in a learner-centered environment and offer opportunities to prepare for the challenges of living in the global community,” Griselda Flores, assistant director of OMA, said. “By offering a week of events for students to interact and share their diverse perspectives, they can appreciate and celebrate each other’s cultures and values as a campus.”

For more information about Diversity Week, visit sfasu.edu/oma, or email OMA@sfasu.edu.

By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University ranks as one of the top 50 universities in the nation for its Bachelor of Business Administration in economics, according to Best College Reviews.

An organization dedicated to helping students discover the best college for them, Best College Reviews utilizes college rankings, reviews, blogs and informational graphics to educate potential students.

Best College Reviews considered more than 250 accredited schools to discover the best bachelor’s degree programs in business economics. SFA was in the top five Texas institutions listed and 29 in the nation. Best College Reviews considered tuition, data from the U.S. News & World Report, and program information in determining the rankings.

SFA students can receive either a Bachelor of Business Administration in economics, which is a business degree and shares foundational courses with other business majors in the Rusche College of Business, or a Bachelor of Arts in economics, which is a liberal arts degree better suited for those not pursuing business.

“Our business economics program provides students with a solid foundation of a business curriculum and challenging coursework in economics,” said Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, chair of the Rusche College of Business’ Department of Economics and Finance. “Students graduating with this major are equally well prepared for careers in industry or the public sector, as well as advanced study in economics, business, data analytics or law.”

Recent SFA economics graduates have been successful in the workplace, securing employment at companies such as Alliantgroup, Fidelity Investments, TD Ameritrade and Lockheed Martin, and many have been accepted into prestigious graduate programs across the nation.

Kouliavtsev credits much of the program’s success to the faculty members in the Department of Economics and Finance.

“Our economics majors benefit from having faculty members who are involved in their students’ education beyond the classroom,” Kouliavtsev said. “Faculty members work on undergraduate research projects, supervise internship experiences, organize field trips to conferences and actively participate in student-run organizations.”

To learn more about this program, visit sfasu.edu/ecofin.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.