Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s undergraduate criminal justice program was recently ranked No. 2 in the nation by UniversityHQ, an online independent educational organization.

SFA’s program was one of only two Texas programs listed in the top 40, outranking the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, which ranked No. 7.

“It is very exciting to receive this ranking,” said Dr. Kwame Antwi-Boasiako, professor and chair of the Department of Government. “Our faculty members work hard to create an engaging and memorable learning experience for every student in our classes.”

SFA offers a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice. Both the criminal justice major and minor are offered online and in person.

Additionally, students can select an overlap program that allows them to graduate with both a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a Master of Public Administration in just five years.

UniversityHQ gathers information about collegiate programs from data provided by government sources. Programs are then ranked according to a variety of factors, such as retention rate, graduation rate, admission rate, cost of tuition, graduating salary, number of programs offered, online programs offered, loan default rate, diplomas awarded and the number of students receiving financial aid.

In addition to the criminal justice degree, SFA’s Department of Government offers a bachelor’s degree in political science, undergraduate and graduate public administration degrees, a Master of Arts in national security, and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management.

To learn more about SFA’s Department of Government, visit sfasu.edu/government.

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

While many people consider math a subject that transcends languages, math students still need to solve word problems and justify their answers. Thus, their teachers need to develop language as well as teach math concepts.

To help teachers do just that, Dr. Jim Ewing, associate professor in the Department of Education Studies at Stephen F. Austin State University, has self-published two new books on English-language learners. Both build on his highly regarded primer, “Math for ELLs: As Easy as Uno, Dos, Tres.”

Ewing released the primer in February to help teachers who work with the three quarters of ELLs who speak Spanish at home. The book describes developing a positive math mindset in ELLs, providing access to content and engaging them in productive struggle, among other topics.

Choice magazine called the book “invaluable to both pre-service and in-service teachers, as well as those studying bilingual education and English for speakers of other languages.”

Building on “Math for ELLs,” Ewing recently released two more books that apply the theories from his first to help teachers working with ELLs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Math for Hispanic ELs: A Teacher’s Guide for the Classroom and Distance Learning (K-2)” features lesson plans and word problems for students in kindergarten through second grade, while “Math for Hispanic ELs: A Teacher’s Guide for the Classroom and Distance Learning (3 to 5)” focuses on students in third through fifth grade.

“I guide the teachers in meeting the math needs of emergent bilingual students in the classroom, online and without Wi-Fi,” Ewing said. “I specifically focus on Latinx students.”

All three books are available on amazon.com.

For more information, email Ewing at ewingjs@sfasu.edu.

By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Music Preparatory Division in the School of Music at Stephen F. Austin State University is once again offering the popular Kindermusik classes for young children starting at birth through 3 years of age.

Kindermusik is the world’s leading provider of music-based education for children. The program uses the power and joy of music-making to help children learn and grow during the years most critical to brain development. Since 1978, Kindermusik has helped millions of children around the world build a strong foundation for a lifetime love of learning.

“Every Kindermusik class is designed to help your children learn and develop physically, emotionally, cognitively, socially and musically,” according to Emily Ferrell, Kindermusik instructor. “You will be welcomed into a fun and nurturing environment where your child will experience music of varying genres and cultures while interacting with other children and engaging in movement, rhythm and vocal activities.

“Kindermusik’s approach to early childhood education and award-winning, research-based curricula prime children for success both in school and in life,” she added.

Kindermusik is based on the belief that every child is musical, every parent is the child’s most important teacher, and the home is the most important place for learning, according to information about the program at sfamusicprep.com/kindermusik/.

Visit sfamusicprep.com and kindermusik.com/studio/57695 to view class schedules and payment options.

For more information about programs offered by the SFA Music Preparatory Division, contact Director Alba Madrid at (936) 468-1291. The Music Prep House is located at 3028 Raguet St.

The Stephen F. Austin State University rodeo team has gained a competitive advantage in the arena thanks to a spur board and mechanical bucking machine donated by a group of 31 SFA Rodeo Club alumni and past coaches.

“We’re just grateful and blessed that we now have the support we’ve longed for in regard to making sure our program continues to excel,” said Rachel Clark, SFA coordinator of student publications and Rodeo Club advisor and team coach.

Clark explained that the spur board is an A-frame structure that allows competitors who ride bareback, saddle bronc or bulls, known as roughstock riders, to practice their form and spurring technique without the use of livestock. The mechanical bucking machine provides the same experience while also mimicking the movement of a bucking bull or horse.

The donors, comprising alumni from across Texas, independently launched the donation campaign and raised $4,000 to purchase the equipment without the knowledge of Clark or Rodeo Club members.

“These pieces of equipment are just more pieces of the puzzle that help us recruit top-notch students to come to SFA for the academics and the rodeo program,” Clark said.

The equipment is housed at the Equine Center located at SFA’s Todd Agricultural Research Center.

“We are getting interest from roughstock riders to come, so the fact that we have these pieces of equipment makes it a lot easier for them to actually commit to SFA because they have the means and the equipment to practice on and be prepared,” Clark said.

To learn more about the SFA rodeo team, contact Rachel Clark at clarkr1@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-468-3770.

Story by Sarah Fuller, outreach coordinator for SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. Contact information: fullersa@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-1185.