Everything Nac

A new program offered by Stephen F. Austin State University’s Nelson Rusche College of Business is attracting students who desire a degree more focused on communication, leadership, technology and employee development in organizational settings.

The Department of Business Communication and Legal Studies launched the new major in business communication and corporate education in fall 2013, and students already are enrolling in the first-of-its-kind program.

“The growing demand in the corporate world for individuals with extensive knowledge in communication and employee-related training and development helped influence us to develop this program,” said Dr. Ann Wilson, SFA professor and chair of the Department of Business Communication and Legal Studies. “No other college or university offers this precise combination.”

Students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business communication and corporate education will be prepared to enter the growing fields of training and development/human resources development, business communication, digital and social media, and events management, to name a few.

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that the public relations, management and human resources specialist fields will grow 21 percent faster than average between 2010 and 2020. Overall, the outlook for business communication-related careers is expected to see above-average growth, making this newly created degree program attractive to college students.

“The foundation of the program is in the College of Business,” said Dr. Gail Weatherly, SFA assistant professor of business communication. “In addition to the business foundation courses students will take, the department has developed a new cornerstone course, GBU 330 – Principles of Employee Development, that will support the degree and better prepare students for careers in an organizational setting.”

The new degree entails 41 hours in general curriculum, 42 hours of foundation courses in business and 27 hours specifically in business communication and corporate education courses. The student also selects 10 hours of electives.

100-percent online degree program is being offered through Stephen F. Austin State University’s Nelson Rusche College of Business to help students complete a general business degree. The online Bachelor of Business Administration Completion Program launched in fall 2011 and currently has 76 students working toward degrees.

According to Dr. Ann Wilson, SFA professor and chair of the Department of Business Communication and Legal Studies, the completer program typically enrolls students who began college and finished their core and lower-level business foundation courses but, due to various life circumstances, have not yet completed their upper-level business foundation and general business major requirements.

“Today, many college students find themselves unable to complete their education in a traditional classroom setting,” Wilson said. “Obligations to family, work and other time restraints have made it impossible to travel to campus and finish their degree. This program allows the student to receive the same quality education while still being able to meet other responsibilities.”

Courses are offered on a rotating schedule each semester, and, depending on the student’s schedule, he or she can select to enroll in as few as three credit hours or as many as 15.

“The majority of students in this program are already in the workforce,” Dr. Susan Jennings, SFA professor of business communication and B.B.A. online completion program coordinator, said. “They are completing their degree because of a personal goal, in hopes of a promotion, or to move to a new career focus. Because of the flexibility of this program, each student can personalize his or her degree to help in moving toward the student’s extended career goals.”

Jennings points out that the program’s main advantages include: the degree is fully online, allowing fulltime workers to continue their employment while reaching their education goals; students receive the same degree taught by the same faculty members as face-to-face SFA business classes; and the program prepares students for a wide range of business-related careers and promotion opportunities.

“This program is fully customizable to the student’s schedule and focus of his or her career goals,” Wilson said. “With the ever-increasing use of technology to support higher education, this program helps make it possible for students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to spend hours commuting and sitting in a traditional classroom to still achieve their dream of receiving a college diploma.”

Three SFA senior art students spent a few weeks this summer helping to beautify Nacogdoches. Daniel Baugh of Austin, Nacogdoches native Levi Smith and Santiago Escobedo of Carthage teamed up to paint a mural depicting the history of Nacogdoches on a brick wall at the Russian River apartment complex on Austin Street.

Titled “Winds of Change,” the project was commissioned by the building’s owners and illustrates the progression of Nacogdoches starting with Chief Caddo to the city’s current day. The mural is a linear timeline, transitioning from left to right, past to present.

“The owners gave us lots of artistic license,” said Smith. “They are in the process of renovating the complex and wanted the mural to help brighten up and call attention to the building and attract tenants. They wanted SFA art students to conceptualize and paint it to show a younger look.”

The mural is the group’s first commissioned project. However, Baugh painted a smaller mural in the summer at another apartment complex. “I have some friends who live at The Californian,” Baugh said. “The lifeguard there also is an art student. He told me the owners were interested in having a mural painted, so I gave him my business card to pass along. One of the owners contacted me a few days later.”

The trio said they enjoy working together. In the summer of 2012, they organized a gallery showing at the Burning House in Leggett, Texas. “On the way to Houston, I noticed this really cool structure off U.S. Highway 59,” Baugh said. “We learned it was a small art gallery owned by the brother of SFA alumnus and artist Clint Alexander. We contacted Clint about using it, and his brother generously agreed.”

The group spent several days preparing the property, and the community showed its support, as well. “People would stop by and help us, and they even brought food and water,” Escobedo said. “We had more than 100 people attend the show and sold several pieces of our art.”

The Winds of Change project pooled each of the young artist’s strengths. According to Smith, Santiago is most talented at drawing people and figures, while Baugh’s strength lies in spray painting and what Smith calls ‘can control.’

“His lines are impeccable. The artist doing the spray painting must complete the outlines. If those are off, the whole mural is off,” Smith said. “It’s kind of like starting with a skeleton and adding in the meat.” Baugh said that Smith is the “building artist” of the trio. “Anything that involves architecture, Levi can draw it.”

Although the project was fun for the most part, it did present challenges. Painting a project of this scale involves lots of prep and cleanup time. Escobedo points out that a two-hour block of painting time is quickly consumed with erecting scaffolding and preparing the paint, brushes and rollers. You also have to figure in the same block of time to put everything away.

Another problem the group encountered was grout lines. “The inset of the grout was very deep on this structure,” Baugh said. “It took much more paint than I had estimated and a lot more time to fill them in. They had to be done with a brush.”

The three artists are quick to point out that, although the project had its obstacles to overcome, the reward in completing a project like this is the positive relationship formed with the community.

“When we first started on the mural, we’d have people stop by, and they were unsure about what we were doing and how this was going to affect their neighborhood,” Escobedo said. “As we progressed, those same people would come by, and as they watched and interacted with us, they began to feel part of it.”

Another positive outcome of the mural is it is artwork all people can enjoy. “Not everyone will go to an art gallery,” Smith said. “An outside mural is a way to take you to a different place and let you enjoy art without having to buy a ticket. You don’t have to dress up or make a several-hour commitment to view it. People embrace it, and it becomes part of the neighborhood.”

The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents approved faculty and staff changes during its quarterly meeting Monday.

The following faculty appointments were approved for the James I. Perkins College of Education: Jane Grayson, assistant professor of kinesiology; James Rowe, instructor of kinesiology and health science; Susan Reily and Vicki Thomas, assistant professors of elementary education; and Nancy Shepherd, assistant professor of human sciences.

Appointments within the College of Fine Arts include: Richard Ellis, visiting assistant professor of theatre; Staci Spring, lecturer of music; and Tod Fish and Bradley Meyer, visiting assistant professors of music. The College of Sciences and Mathematics appointed the following in the Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing: Candace Carter, Melissa Huggins, Celina Serna and Veronica Sjolander, clinical instructors of nursing.

Other faculty appointments approved Monday include: Erica Chapman and Marlinda Karo, librarians I; Corrie Marsh, associate director of library information services; Vance Imhoff, lab biology coordinator; and Stacia Prince, lecturer of mathematics and statistics.

Staff appointments within the Department of Athletics include the following: Ted Smith, director of athletic development; Casey Finnell, athletic academic services assistant; Shane Carlisle, Brent Gallagher and Maureen McReynolds, coordinators of athletic marketing; James Hoefer, assistant football coach; Erik Pastrana, assistant men’s basketball coach; Jamila Ganter, assistant women’s basketball coach; and Josh Lammert, athletic trainer.

Appointments within three academic colleges were approved, including Sarah Lammert and Eileen Meyers, charter school teachers; and Stephanie Strahl, academic adviser in the Perkins College of Education; Hannah Berlund and John Sperry, academic advisers in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture; and Mallory Maisel, assistant lab coordinator of nursing in the DeWitt School of Nursing, and Julie Sandifer, coordinator of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics STEM outreach in the College of Sciences and Mathematics.

The following staff appointments also were approved: Steven Whitman, coordinator of outdoor pursuits, and Jessica Varlack, coordinator of aquatics and safety, in Campus Recreation; Matthew Romig, safety officer for environmental health, safety and risk management; and Courtney Douglas, residence life program coordinator; and Hannah Ko and Jessica Stout, hall directors for the Department of Residence Life.

Other staff appointments include: Kerron Joseph, director of the Academic Assistance and Resource Center program; Clayton Harrington, director of parking and traffic; Derek Snyder, coordinator of alumni marketing communications; Justin McAninch, risk and compliance auditor; Jeffrey Schulz, counselor; Daniel Davis, programmer/analyst I in information technology services; Jamie Peno, compliance officer in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs; Jessica DeWitt, project coordinator for the physical plant; and Anita McGee, early intervention coordinator.

Regents also approved changes of status within the Nelson Rusche College of Business, including Jack Ethridge, from professor of accounting to professor and director of the MBA program; George Hunt, from associate professor of business to associate professor and interim director of the School of Accountancy; and Mikhail Kouliavtsev, from associate professor of economics and finance to associate professor and director of the MBA program.

Staff changes of status within the Perkins College of Education include: Deborah Buswell, from associate professor of kinesiology to associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science; Cyndra Krogen-Morton, from visiting lecturer of kinesiology to visiting instructor of kinesiology; Patrick Jenlink, from professor of secondary education to professor and doctoral program coordinator; and Louann Williams, from lead teacher to master teacher in the Early Childhood Lab.

The following changes in status also were approved for the College of Sciences and Mathematics: Mary Elizabeth Lockhart, from research associate for the STEM Center to coordinator of STEM academics; John Moore, from professor of biology to professor and interim chair of the Department of Biology; Jana Redfield, from project coordinator of the STEM Center to assistant director of the STEM Center; and Horace Strong, from project coordinator to academic adviser in the DeWitt School of Nursing.

Other changes of status at SFA include:

Academic Advising – Brandy Bishop, from administrative assistant to academic adviser;

Athletics – Kenneth Bybee, from athletics media relations assistant to assistant director of athletics media relations;

Controller – Jacob Seamans, from plant operations specialist for the physical plant to accountant II;

Development – April Smith, from assistant director to associate director of development; Craig Turnage, from major gift officer to development officer; and Trey Turner, from major gift officer to executive director of development;

Information Technology Services – Travis Killen, from tech support specialist III to systems programmer I;

Student Affairs – Whitney Koltonski, from coordinator of early intervention to counselor; and Michael Walker, from associate professor of psychology to assistant dean of student affairs for support services;

Student Services – Gary Wallace, from postal clerk III to assistant manager of the post office;

The Board of Regents also approved the following retirements: Billy Duren, office of the controller; Richard Kennedy, information technology services; Benjamin Koerth, research associate; and James Kroll, professor of forestry in the Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture; Madalene Miller, Rusche College of Business; Joseph Ormsby, professor in the Department of Management, Marketing and International Business; and Bernice Wright, Steen Library. Manny Brand, music, was granted tenure by the board.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents approved proposed changes to the institution’s core curriculum at its quarterly meeting Monday.

As directed by the Texas Legislature, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board issued rules requiring a complete overhaul of core curriculum in all Texas public institutions of higher education. The core curriculum includes 42 semester credit hours of coursework that students can transfer to any higher education institution.

Dr. Richard Berry, provost and vice president for academic affairs, appointed a committee to study and recommend the new core curriculum requirements, which now includes six core objectives: Critical thinking skills, communication skills, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, social responsibility, and personal responsibility.

“Each department and college reviewed each core course that it offered, deleting some courses and revising others. New courses will be created, and existing courses may be revised,” Berry explained. “The core objectives differ by component area, and faculty members who teach courses designated as fulfilling a component area will be responsible for assessing the objectives for that component area.”

Pending THECB approval, SFA’s proposed core curriculum will become effective in fall 2014.

A vote on increasing the university’s admission standards was tabled after SFA President Baker Pattillo explained the need for additional time to study the issue as a result of House Bill 5. The new legislation will significantly impact high school graduation requirements, as well as the public school assessment system.

“There will be some people who say that we are not increasing the academic standards because we are down 227 students this fall, but that has nothing to do with it,” Pattillo said. “We would like to see what happens with House Bill 5 before we make our recommendations.

“We are dedicated to further increasing our academic standards, and we are still interested in recommending to (the regents) that the new standards be implemented in fall 2015.”

The regents approved a slate of architectural and engineering firms that the university is authorized to use for various design and engineering services. The following firms were included: Omniplan of Dallas; Sutton Mitchell Beebe & Babin Architects of Lufkin; WHR Architects of Houston; Scott and Strong of Lufkin; FAI Engineers of Fort Worth; Sparks Engineering of Round Rock; BarWin Consultants of Nacogdoches; and Terracon Consultants of Lufkin.

In addition, the university was authorized by the board to work with two concrete service providers for projects that require concrete for site repair, new construction and other associated minor alterations. The approved companies are Cox Contractors of Nacogdoches and Trinity Bay Construction & Development of Sugar Land.

In other business, the Board of Regents approved:

· Additional grant awards allocable to Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014 totaling $100,256 and $5,985,912, respectively;

· A resolution authorizing the administration to sell portions of SFA-owned property along Starr Avenue to the Texas Department of Transportation for a road-widening project;

· A bond refunding resolution that allows the university to issue one or more series of bonds to refinance outstanding bonds or to use cash on hand to redeem outstanding bonds for a one-year period; and

· Various university policy revisions.