Everything Nac

The School of Theatre at Stephen F. Austin State University will present “Clybourne Park” by Bruce Norris at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 23 through 27, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

Winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for drama, “Clybourne Park” was written in response to the classic “A Raisin In the Sun.” Passionate, balanced, funny and as timely as today’s headlines, “Clybourne Park” is a play for every American to see and to ponder, according to Zach Hanks, assistant professor of theatre at SFA and the play’s director.

“I saw ‘Clybourne Park’ at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis a few years ago, and the experience was everything I go to the theatre to do – I laughed, I ached, and I thought deeply about myself, my attitudes and my culture,” Hanks said. “The themes around racism, discrimination and privilege are as timely now as they ever were. We’re in a post-Civil Rights Movement era, but grappling with the new versions of the same old injustices and conflicts.

“This play shows us that the more things change – from ‘the Greatest Generation’ in Act I to the ‘Generation X’ characters in Act II – the more things stay the same,” he said.

The School of Theatre produced the classic “A Raisin in the Sun” to enthusiastic audience response in 2010. In “Raisin,” an African American family in 1959 Chicago is moving to a white neighborhood, Clybourne Park. The first act of the newer play is set on the same day as one scene in “Raisin,” in the house that the family is buying. The second act is set in the same house 50 years later, with the tables turned – a white family now seeks to buy the house from a black family.

“But many painful issues are still unresolved,” Hanks said.

“Clybourne Park” features mature themes, suggestive dialogue, and very coarse language, including some profanity, which may not be suitable for younger audiences. Cigarette smoking is simulated in the production. In other media, this show might be rated “R” or “TV-MA.”

“The strong language and mature themes make this a play for mature audiences, surely, but the social issues addressed are certainly ones we hope adult theatergoers may be inspired to discuss with their children the following day,” Hanks said.

Single tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students/youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

The Master of Business Administration program at Stephen F. Austin State University is ranked in the top 50 most affordable M.B.A. programs in the nation, according to Top Management Degrees, an online business education career guide.

“The M.B.A. program at SFA is very affordable, especially compared to many of our competitors around Texas and the U.S.,” said Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, Master of Business Administration program director. “We aim to serve business professionals in the East Texas region, providing them with the tools, knowledge and credentials to either jumpstart or advance their careers.”

Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the Nelson Rusche College of Business, agrees the program is not only affordable, but also has great value for students.

“I am happy to see that our M.B.A. program has received this important recognition,” Bisping said. “The excellent curriculum, combined with top faculty members and affordable tuition, certainly makes our program an excellent value.”

Top Management Degrees analyzed more than 500 schools accredited in the U.S. by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, according to PR Newswire.

Kouliavtsev explained this accreditation is the most prestigious international accreditation organization and it is a distinction shared by about 700 universities worldwide. In order to receive the accreditation, faculty members, curriculum and other academic aspects of the business programs must maintain a high standard.

Currently, there are approximately 40 students enrolled in SFA’s Master of Business Administration program in the Nelson Rusche College of Business. While many of the courses are offered online, the majority of the program is delivered in the traditional classroom format, Kouliavtsev said.

“We find our current students prefer the in-class interaction with classmates and faculty members to the strictly online format, but online delivery of our program is something we continue to explore for the future,” Kouliavtsev said.

Most of the M.B.A. classes are offered in the evening, allowing professionals to continue to work while pursuing their education. The degree is flexible, meaning students can choose the pace at which they want to complete their degree. Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree and meet admission standards are accepted into the program regardless of their undergraduate major.

Also, each student’s degree plan is customized to his or her background. Students are required to take 30 semester hours of core courses. Electives can be tailored to meet the student’s interests or career. Kouliavtsev said many students have opted for a study abroad experience to fulfill elective requirements. Students also can branch out and enroll in courses outside of the Rusche College of Business that will complement their skillset.

“Our M.B.A. program reflects the Rusche College of Business’ student-centered mission with the program’s flexible course offerings and customized degree plans,” Bisping said. “Our goal is to equip students to become leaders in their chosen careers, and this program is one of the tools we are utilizing to help our students be successful.”

For more information on SFA’s Master of Business Administration program, visit http://www.sfasu.edu/cob/mba.asp.

Students and faculty members in Stephen F. Austin State University’s hospitality administration program have partnered with the Texas Forest Trail Region organization for a semester-long project.

SFA students in instructor Brittany Fish’s destination management course are developing family-friendly itineraries with the Texas Forest Trail Region organization to help promote tourism in the area, while Drs. Chay Runnels, Lisa Mize and Jennifer Newquist, SFA professors of human sciences, are examining family travel itineraries in the research portion of the collaborative venture.

Last summer, Runnels and Newquist learned that family travel in the U.S. was on an upswing, which encouraged them to investigate travel and tourism agencies in East Texas.

“Research shows families use vacations to help improve communication and create opportunities for improved connectedness. Families who vacation regularly or engage in leisure activities also report having an increase in their satisfaction with family life,” Newquist said.

Therefore, many of the learning objectives in Fish’s destination management course are geared toward developing students’ abilities in understanding the role of convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce and other destination marketing organizations in promoting tourism to families.

“This project will allow students to relate course content to real-life objectives within the hospitality industry,” Fish said. “By evaluating a destination marketing organization’s current marketing strategies and outreach programs, students will be able to utilize their findings in designing multigenerational itineraries to hopefully increase tourism to chosen destinations.”

Additionally, students will create one-day trip itineraries with photos for use in a brochure and on social media. They also will develop marketing initiatives and promotional ideas to endorse these itineraries to capitalize on tourism.

“While the students are conducting in-depth research, they also are building relationships with current employers in the hospitality industry,” Fish said. “This allows students the opportunity to not only network for their futures, but to truly develop a realistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities the tourism industry faces.”

Recently, Runnels, Mize and Newquist conducted a focus group to begin their research portion of the project. The focus group involved partners from the Texas Forest Trail Region who represent destination marketing organizations from 35 East Texas counties.

“The focus group went great. We had good participation from group members,” Runnels said. “It is exciting to bridge the gap between academia and industry professionals.”

The next step in the research process is conducting follow-up interviews with focus group members to determine the marketing efforts being utilized to target multigenerational families, Runnels said.

Marty Prince, executive director for Texas Forest Trail Region, said she is excited to be partnering with SFA again and to be working with Fish.

“The two organizations have worked closely on projects that have had a positive economic impact on East Texas,” Prince said. “These projects have brought statewide praise and attention to SFA’s hospitality program, provided needed assistance to Forest Region communities and given SFA students hands-on learning opportunities directly related to their field of study.”