Everything Nac

Trio Mélange, composed of music faculty members of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, will perform new music for soprano, horn and piano in a recital at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

The concert is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music. The guest artist recital features Claire Vangelisti, soprano, Richard Seiler, piano, and James Boldin, horn, performing works of Carl Gottlieb Reissiger, Auguste Panseron, Eurico Carrapatoso and Gina Gillie.

Vangelisti’s voice has graced both national and international concert and operatic stages, performing repertoire from Bach to Berg. She has performed as concert soloist with organizations such as The San Antonio Symphony, The Temple Philharmonic Orchestra, The Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Texas Chamber Consort and the Monroe Symphony Orchestra. Her stage career includes appearances with Austin Lyric Opera, Lyric Opera of San Antonio, Southwest Opera and The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin.

Boldin maintains a diverse career as an educator and performer. He has performed at the 44th, 45th and 47th International Horn Symposiums and at numerous regional horn workshops. An active orchestral musician, Boldin holds positions with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Rapides Symphony Orchestra and Monroe Symphony Orchestra.

Seiler has taught master classes and performed as a solo/collaborative pianist in the United States, Europe, Canada, Japan and China, has soloed with orchestras in North Carolina, Illinois and Louisiana, and has recorded for Centaur Records (twice) and MSR Classics. Seiler performs and tours frequently, and has performed at numerous international and national conventions.

Admission to the concert is free. For more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present Coleidoscope at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The faculty recital is part of the Cole Performing Arts Series and features chamber music for saxophone, strings and piano. The program explores a number of interesting chamber music combinations, according to Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, associate professor of violin and viola in the School of Music.

Among the selections to be performed is the Quintet for Saxophone and String Quartet by Adolf Busch.

“This is an interesting and substantial piece in the saxophone/strings chamber music repertoire,” Dalmas said, “and its compositional style is firmly rooted in the German Romantic tradition.” Although it was written in 1925, it was not published until the 1980s.

“Dash” by contemporary Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon is a one-movement piece originally written for flute, clarinet and piano.

“The version we will perform features saxophone, violin and piano,” Dalmas said. “This short piece is appropriately named, as all instruments race in scale patterns and repeated figures, creating a sense of urgency throughout.”

Also featured will be “Six Studies in English Folksongs” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Written in 1926, the work is “a charming set of pieces originally composed for cello and piano that has been transcribed effectively for saxophone and string quintet,” Dalmas said.

“The Coleidoscope concert, as always, is lovingly dedicated to Ed Cole, for whom the series is named,” she said. “A reception in Ed Cole’s honor will be held after the concert.”

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University is home to the SFA Charter School, a multifaceted institution serving both the public and university.

The charter school is located on the first floor of the Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center. This 120,000-square-foot facility brings under one roof the nationally accredited Early Childhood Laboratory, SFA Charter School and award-winning Department of Elementary Education.

“The Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center is unique in the state of Texas. This facility supports our theory to practice belief — learning to teach effectively occurs in settings of mutual respect, best practices and critical analysis,” said Dr. Judy Abbott, dean of the James I. Perkins College of Education. “Blending the work of a university with the practice of teaching early childhood and elementary children creates a rich environment for learning.”

The SFA Charter School is a free public school with the flexibility to adapt to the educational needs of individual students. Lysa Hagan, SFA Charter School principal, explained the school offers parents another educational choice for their children.

“Our curriculum is based on a constructivist learning environment, and it is different from a more traditional environment you see in other schools,” Hagan said. “We believe a child comes in to any learning opportunity with background knowledge, so our job is to find out what that child already knows related to the subject and then build on that in an individual way. It’s a very active and hands-on learning opportunity.”

It’s the school’s mission to create a learning environment through a constructivist approach utilizing learning centers and an inquiry-based method that supports the student’s development of self-responsibility, autonomy, openness, problem solving and integrity.

“We believe learning is a social activity,” Hagan said. “There is so much for the children to learn from one another, as well as from the teacher.”

Including the lighting, the charter school’s classrooms are different from traditional settings. Hagan explained the rooms do not use overhead lighting, but use indirect lighting and soft music to create a calm and homey atmosphere. Students also sit at tables always facing each other, so they can discuss what they are learning.

“We have really tried to set our classrooms up as a community or family,” Hagan said.

The school instructs children from kindergarten through fifth grade with two classes at each grade level. Students also can participate in physical education, music and art classes. The curriculum follows the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, which the Texas Education Agency mandates; however, much of the instruction is utilizing innovative research from educational professionals such as Cathy Fosnot, Lucy Calkins and Ellin Keene.

“Charter school teachers and leadership are committed to meeting state requirements while remaining committed to implementing instructional practices based on research focused on deep learning and child development,” Abbott said. “Additionally, the reciprocal professional development opportunities for SFA faculty members, educator preparation candidates, and charter teachers and students contribute to the unique learning opportunities found at the SFA Charter School.”

Currently, there are about 245 enrolled students. Each year, the school offers an application lottery. Pursuant to charter school law in Texas, the SFA Charter School offers an equal opportunity for any child to attend. Applicants are entered into a lottery where a third party, who is not connected to the school, selects the names. The application process for the 2016-17 school year is underway, and applications are available in the SFA Charter School Office. Applications must be returned by 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29.

The SFA Charter School and Early Childhood Lab also serve more than 2,000 SFA students each fall and spring semester. Students from various academic departments at SFA, including kinesiology, psychology, music education, human services and human sciences, utilize the charter school and lab for research and instruction.

SFA’s Department of Elementary Education in the James I. Perkins College of Education collaborates with the charter school. In fact, Hagan said the school’s classes reflect methods the SFA Department of Elementary Education is teaching its university students. SFA students enrolled in the Field Experience II course spend three hours a day, four days a week observing and working with students at the charter school. SFA students teach various lessons and work one-on-one with the children.

“We serve as an environment to support university students and serve as a laboratory setting,” Hagan said. “We feel the SFA students know how they learned in school and have a traditional idea of how to teach. We bring them to the charter school, and the students see an alternative method for educating children.”

Also, there are one to four student teachers assigned to the charter school each semester.

According to Hagan, the SFA Charter School has a track record of success and is a state-of-the-art facility for students and educators.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the university’s support,” Hagan said. “We would not be the school or have the success we have without SFA.”

Graphic design students at Stephen F. Austin State University participated in a creative hands-on project for ABT Medical Inc. to design interactive buttons for the company’s business-to-business website.

Students of Danny Anguiano, assistant professor of graphic design in the SFA School of Art, designed the buttons to serve as dynamic links to pages within ABT Medical’s website.

“The students’ work provides both function and beauty for the medical professionals who frequent the site,” Anguiano said. ABT Medical specializes in supplying secure medical records for health care, insurance and patient use.

Three students chosen as project finalists from the graphic design class included DeMarcus Tucker, Lauryn Ricks and Kiara Adair. The company chose Tucker’s design to be implemented on the live site.

SFA graphic design students are active with professional internships, hands-on projects and professional competitions. Additionally, the SFA School of Art graphic design area sponsors two professional campus organizations, including AIGA-SFA, the campus chapter of the American Institute for Graphic Arts, and AAF-SFA, the campus chapter of the American Advertising Federation.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of “What Happened, Miss Simone?” at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

Directed by Liz Garbus, “What Happened, Miss Simone?” is the 2015 biographical documentary about Nina Simone, a classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse and black power icon dubbed the “High Priestess of Soul,” according to information at ninasimone.com.

The documentary incorporates previously unreleased audio recordings by Simone spanning three decades, plus rare archival footage and the artist’s most famous songs. “What Happened, Miss Simone?” draws on more than 100 hours of recordings, telling her story largely in her own words, along with excerpts from her diaries and letters as well as interviews with Simone’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, friends and collaborators, according to the website.

This screening is part of the School of Art’s monthly First Friday Film Series and is sponsored in part by the Nacogdoches Film Festival, William Arscott, The Liberty Bell, Nacogdoches Junior Forum, Karon Gillespie, Mike Mollot, Main Street Nacogdoches, David Kulhavy, John and Kristen Heath, Brad Maule, Galleria Z, Jill Carrington, Jean Stephens and Jim and Mary Neal.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

Created with the combined goals of spreading an understanding of diversity and connecting university departments and programs, approximately 300 people have signed up to attend the free second annual Stephen F. Austin State University Office of Multicultural Affair’s Diversity Conference.

The brainchild of OMA director Dr. Osaro Airen, the upcoming conference will fittingly serve as Airen’s last program in his position. He recently accepted a job in Dallas.

“It’s been an honor to bring this to the East Texas community,” Airen said. “We had people attend from Dallas last year. This year, we have people coming from Lamar University in Beaumont. The goal of diversity and word of the conference is being spread and that lets me know the work I’ve done has really had an impact. And it’s a great way for me to end my time here at SFA.”

The conference’s theme is “Hidden Faces.” Its goal is to represent the many faces of diversity that should be acknowledged, valued and embraced but are often invisible, ignored and disregarded.

“We are so divided both as people and through our academic disciplines,” Airen said. “We have people doing diversity-related research on campus, but they’re in different colleges and rarely get the chance to connect.”

A separate but important perk is the opportunity for area social workers to receive six hours of continuing education credits free of charge, he added, saving front-line workers up to $200.

SFA faculty and staff members heavily comprise the 18 presentations. They are joined by professionals from across the region and will present in three conference blocks. Among the presenters are faculty members from SFA’s human services, psychology, elementary education, forestry and biology departments, among others, as well as representatives from the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit and a Tyler Junior College professor of philosophy and religion.

Additionally, SFA doctoral students will present their diversity-related research, and additional students will showcase their musical and oratory talents. Three performances will take place during lunch, including a piece by the SFA School of Music opera program, a poetry reading and a performance by the Latin Lumberjacks.

“When you talk about diversity, you want to bring people together from different disciplines, groups, cultures, races and ethnicities,” Airen said. “A conference with a focus on diversity-related work allows a broad representation of different worlds and allows those worlds to connect in one location.”

The second annual OMA Diversity Conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center. The conference is free and registration includes a three-course lunch, T-shirt for the first 75 SFA students with ID and six continuing education units for social workers. Same-day registration is available, however lunch will not be provided.

For information or to register, visit the OMA conference’s website, http://www.sfasu.edu/multicultural/190.asp.

Faculty and staff appointments and promotions were among the items approved by members of the Stephen F. Austin State University Regents during the board’s January meeting.

In the Nelson Rusche College of Business, Todd Brown was approved as the new associate dean for faculty and administration, and Shirley Ann Wilson was approved as associate dean for student services. Professor Mikhail Kouliavtse was approved as interim chair of the Department of Economics and Finance.

Regents approved the appointment of Donna Dean to clinical instructor of human services within the James I. Perkins College of Education. Other approvals included Lynsey Cortines, from academic adviser to clinical instructor of human sciences; Falynn Monk, from substitute teacher to teacher at the Early Childhood Lab; Margaret Patterson, from senior interpreter and coordinator of deaf and hard of hearing services to lecturer of human services; Elizabeth Vaughn, from professor and chair of elementary education to professor and interim chair of secondary education and educational leadership; and George Willey, from adjunct faculty member to assistant professor of secondary education and educational leadership.

In the College of Liberal and Applied Arts, Haskell Cooper, an associate professor of social work, was approved as director of Multidisciplinary Studies; and Joyce Johnston, professor of languages, culture and communication, was approved for additional duties in Multidisciplinary Studies.

In the Department of Athletics, Michael Walton was approved as assistant head football coach, as were assistant football coaches William Best, David Crowton, Jeremy Hammock, Thomas Howe, Terry Mills, Jeremy Moses, Demosesneeds Odems, Christopher Van Horn and Matt Williamson.

Derek Allen was approved by regents as development officer II in the Office of Development, and Jeffrey Thompson was approved as a senior safety officer, Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management. Other appointments included Brandon Stringfield, security specialist, Information Technology Services; Deborah Kay Johnson, director and HUB coordinator, Procurement and Property Services; and Asia Smith, assistant director, and Erica Smith, hall director, in the Department of Residence Life. Christine Broussard was approved as senior marketing communications specialist, University Marketing Communications.

Additional changes of status include:

Monica Gonzalez-Sanchez, from counselor to regional coordinator, Office of Admissions;

Travis Lankford, from coordinator to assistant director, Campus Recreation;

Elaine Lambright, from coordinator to English Language Institute coordinator, Office of International Programs;

Cassidy Owens, from buyer to contracting specialist, Procurement Services; and

Rachel Clark, from senior marketing communications specialist to student publications coordinator, Office of Student Publications.

The Board of Regents approved the retirements of faculty members with more than 130 years of combined service to the university. Retirements include: Deborah Fleming, Steen Library coordinator; Volker Gobel, professor of geology; James Griffith, senior safety officer; Beverly Kurys, senior human resources representative; Annette Leger, Academic Assistance and Resource Center program director; and Dale Spradling, assistant professor of accounting.

Members of the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents approved a new online Master of Science in nursing program within the Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing during their quarterly meeting Tuesday.

The university is seeking approval from agencies including the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Board of Nursing in preparation to offer the specialized program in spring 2017 to enable students to prepare to become family nurse practitioners.

“This program will help the whole community, as well as the School of Nursing,” said Dr. Sara Bishop, SFA nursing director. “We are already one of the best-known schools of nursing in Texas—our graduation rates are great and our students perform remarkably on their board exams. This program will put us up one more level, and we are so excited about it.”

In their report to the board, SFA nursing administrators said access to healthcare is a growing concern across the nation and in 2012, 132 Texas counties had a shortage of primary-care physicians. The leaders believe this program will connect SFA and Nacogdoches communities through learning opportunities.

“Many of the students will be working with area nurse practitioners, surgeons and radiologists and will be placed in clinical sites where they will receive assistance and training from preceptors,” said Dr. Janice Hensarling, associate professor of nursing, who will be the new MSN coordinator. “We have already received so much support for the community, and our program will focus on the needs of rural East Texas.”

This degree will be offered primarily online with a few on-campus clinical courses. The School of Nursing received a $750,000 grant from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation to create the program, and regents authorized utilizing $250,000 of those funds for a five-year contract that will provide consulting services during the development and implementation of the new degree.

“We could not have gained our momentum if it were not for the support of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. They gave us a great jump start, and we are most thankful,” Bishop said.

Regents also authorized the SFA administration to submit plans to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for a $46.4 million STEM facility. Dr. Danny Gallant, vice president for finance and administration, updated regents on the construction timeline, scheduled to begin Nov. 1, which includes a new planetarium, multi-purpose laboratories, and facilities for computer science, physics, engineering physics and astronomy.

Regents approved a recommendation from the administration to increase tuition from $185.50 to $192 per semester credit hour, as well as lab fees for certain courses, and a $50 fee for international students who take a placement exam to prove English proficiency.

“The university recently completed a strategic planning initiative, and one of the four major goals of the new strategic plan for the university is to recruit and retain high-quality faculty and staff,” Gallant said. “The College and University Professional Association provides data regarding the median salaries of public and private institutions across the country, and we have set a goal for the next fiscal year to bring all qualified employees to 80 percent of the median salary for their respective positions. The availability of funding for future salary increases will be based on budget reallocations, our ability to create efficiencies in areas across campus, and enrollment growth.”

A fixed-rate tuition plan is available to SFA students who choose to pay a set amount for tuition for up to four years of coursework. Regents approved a fixed rate of $196 for students in the fiscal year 2014 cohort, $204 for the fiscal year 2015 cohort, $213 for the fiscal year 2016 cohort, and $215 for the fiscal year 2017 cohort. The fixed rates apply from the point of initial enrollment at a public or private institution for up to 12 semesters, with summer enrollment counting as one semester.

Room and board rates for students living on SFA’s campus will not increase during the coming fiscal year, and regents approved a 2.7 percent increase for food services.

“Our contract uses the percentage increase in the Food and Beverage element of the Consumer Price Index as a benchmark for any rate increases,” said Dr. Steve Westbrook, vice president for university affairs. “Although the benchmark for this year was 3.1 percent, we were able to negotiate with Aramark to reduce the increase to 2.7 percent.”

In other business, regents approved a partnership with a firm that specializes in corporate sponsorships for higher education athletics. The university will pursue a contract with Learfield Sports to increase the number of sponsors advertising on new video boards approved during the regents’ July 2015 meeting.

The university partnered in 2014 with ESPN3 to produce telecasts of all home football, basketball, soccer and volleyball games, and more than 80 SFA students are currently enrolled in a course to participate as members of the camera crew for the productions, which are available for viewing worldwide. Regents approved a ratification of the project budget to fund costs for fiber installation requirements that exceeded project estimates.

Regents approved offering an SFA transition course for community college transfer students. The course will be similar to SFA’s freshman transition course, SFA 101, and will introduce transfer students to life at a four-year university. It will be offered at no cost to participants.

The board approved policy revisions, including a revision of the tobacco-use policy that designates SFA as a tobacco-free campus effective Aug. 22. The use of tobacco and vape products, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, vape pens and other products, is prohibited on all property owned, leased, occupied, or controlled by SFA. The policy applies to all employees, students, university affiliates, contractors and visitors.

Regents ratified $535,888 in additional grant awards allocable to the 2016 fiscal year; the funds are a portion of $6.6 million for the fiscal year. Regents approved the fiscal year 2014-15 annual financial report, acknowledged receipt of the audit report, and approved the SFA Charter School’s audited financial statements.

During the Tuesday meeting, the board approved:

· the ratification of SFA’s energy service performance contracts with Siemens Industry for three phases of an energy-savings project initiated in 2009;

· a contract for a content management system for the university website;

· a restoration and drainage project budget for the Austin and Rusk buildings; and

· the purchase of networking equipment.

Regents approved policy revisions and received updates regarding the university’s branding campaign and redesign of the SFA website. Regents heard reports from the Faculty Senate, the Student Government Association and from Dr. Baker Pattillo, SFA president.