Everything Nac

November is Native American Heritage Month, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Stephen F. Austin State University will celebrate by hosting Mitotiliztli Yaoyollohtli, an Aztec dance group that will perform an interactive presentation offering tribal dancing, drumming and a brief look at the Mexica-Nahuati philosophy.

The celebration will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Baker Pattillo Student Center Plaza located on the SFA campus. The event is free and open to the public.

“During the presentation, the audience will learn some of the background history and origins of the dances,” Veronica Beavers, director of the OMA, said. “The idea for the event came from the need to represent all racial and ethnic groups, as well as host an event that acknowledges and applauds the roots, culture, existence and contributions of the Native American people,” Beavers added.

Former. U.S. President George H. Bush established the commemorative month in 1990. The month-long celebration gives Native American people the opportunity to express to their communities their concerns and solutions for building bridges of understanding and friendship in their local areas.

“Attendees should expect to be educated and entertained about aspects of Native American culture, as well as participate in live dancing,” Beavers said.

The performance is sponsored, in part, by the Texas Commission on the Arts. For more information, visit the OMA website at www.sfasu.edu/oma.

Ashley Wickramaratine, sales manager for Lutron Electronics Co. Inc., recently presented to two Stephen F. Austin State University interior design classes to discuss lighting controls and technological advancements in the field.

During the presentation, students in courses taught by Dr. Mitzi Perritt, professor, and Sally Ann Swearingen, associate professor, learned about light sources, control zones, lighting groups, how light affects design, and new wireless and smart technologies.

OPEN MEETING NOTICE
Stephen F. Austin State University
Board of Regents
Board Meeting and Finance and Audit Committee Meeting
Nacogdoches, Texas
Oct. 20, 2017
Meeting 312
Austin Building 307

The Board of Regents of Stephen F. Austin State University will convene a Board Meeting and Finance and Audit Committee Meeting according to the following agenda:

FRIDAY, OCT. 20
1 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER IN OPEN SESSION

MEETING OF THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE

Presentation and Committee Action on Agenda Items 14 – 22:

14. Selection of a Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign Consultant Firm

15. Acknowledge Receipt of Audit Services Report

16. Approval of Annual Audit Report

17. Agreement for Information Technology Audit Services

18. Learning Management System Upgrade

19. Human Resources Applicant Tracking and Onboarding System Service and Contract Amendment

20. Course and Lab Fee Deletions FY2017-18

21. Approval of the 2017-2018 Marketing Campaign Contract

22. Grant Awards

Report: Texas Government Code Contract Reporting Presentation and Committee Action on Agenda Item 23:

23. Approval of Financial Affairs Policy Revisions

Check Cashing 3.7
Environmental Management 13.26
Gift Reporting 3.16

Gifts, Prizes and Awards 3.18

Travel Card 3.30

Expected Adjournment at 5 p.m.

The agenda for the Sunday, Oct. 22, and Monday, Oct. 23, Board of Regents meeting will be posted online soon.

Where appropriate and permitted by law, Executive Sessions may be held for the above listed subjects (Section 551.071). Possible action may be taken in Open Session on matters considered in Executive Session. Further details regarding the posted agenda are available for public review in the Office of the Board of Regents, Austin Building 308, Telephone (936) 468-4048.

Stephen F. Austin State University art history graduate Kendrick Perkins is working toward earning a master’s degree through the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Perkins is an Urban Scholar Fellow enrolled in the school’s Technology, Innovation and Education master’s program where his studies focus on learning design, entrepreneurship and emerging technology in K-12 urban education.

“I chose Harvard because of the intellectual and demographic diversity of the faculty and students,” he said. “I was drawn to my particular program because it is one of the few educational technology programs in the country with an interdisciplinary approach to education that spans several industries including the K-12 educational sector. The flexibility was particularly interesting because it allows me to combine my interest in the business of education technology and K-12 urban education innovation through classes across the various schools at Harvard, as well as MIT.”

Perkins, a 2014 graduate, has spent the past several years working in San Antonio as a math and English language arts teacher at KIPP Un Mundo Dual Language Academy through Teach For America and as a Data Analyst Fellow at the P16Plus Council of Greater Bexar County.

He has also volunteered with Amnesty International USA as a recruiter for the AIUSA board of directors and with San Antonio RISE, an educational organization focused on equity in urban public schools, where he participated in the Diversity in Public Leadership Series in Los Angeles, California, and the National Organizing Workshop in Chicago, Illinois.

Perkins believes his time at SFA played an integral role in his development as a scholar and a leader.

“At SFA, I majored in art history with a second major in Spanish,” he said. “Since graduation, I have come to fully realize and appreciate the benefits of the liberal arts education I received at SFA.”

For example, through Dr. David Lewis’ and Dr. Jill Carrington’s art history courses at SFA, Perkins said he developed writing and critical analysis skills that have proved beneficial at Harvard. Through Dr. Court Carney’s African American history course in the Department of History, he developed a keen awareness of the history of racism in the U.S., and the subsequent fight for racial equality that inspired him to apply for Teach For America after graduation.

“In conjunction with my academics, I was also involved in many student organizations, such as Omicron Delta Kappa, Alpha Phi Omega, Amnesty International and Pride Nac, to name a few,” he said. “In these organizations, I had the opportunity to practice my leadership abilities, as well contribute to the broader Nacogdoches community through community service. These experiences were essential in the development of who I am today and still bring back fond memories.”

After graduation, Perkins plans to stay in the Greater Boston Area and take advantage of the growing technology landscape to pursue opportunities in learning design in the education technology sector. Specifically, he hopes to work within companies such as Google, Pearson or Khan Academy to design and implement organizational learning opportunities through blended learning environments.

“Long-term, I hope to start my own 503(c) non-profit organization that focuses on teaching underprivileged children 21st century skills such as programming, as well as creating mentorship programs with major industry leaders in the technology sector,” he said. “Above all else, I want to provide children with the opportunity to be their very best selves regardless of what communities they come from.”