Everything Nac

Almost 12,000 students enrolled for fall classes at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Fall enrollment totaled 11,946, a decrease of 674 students, or 5%. While total undergraduate enrollment decreased 6%, or 688 students, enrollment of new first-year undergraduate students increased 4%, and transfer-student enrollment increased 2%.

“The increase in new first-year and new transfer students is encouraging,” said Erma Brecht, executive director of enrollment management. “It is exciting to welcome and serve students on campus and students who are learning from a distance. SFA stands committed to providing learning options that best fit our students’ needs.”

Overall graduate enrollment increased by almost 1%, from 1,633 to 1,647 students. This is the second consecutive increase in graduate enrollment from 2019, when 1,475 students were enrolled.

For more information about SFA enrollment, visit sfasu.edu/admissions.

Faculty members of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will be the featured performers during the annual Pi Kappa Lambda Music Faculty Showcase at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The concert highlights the talents of the diverse School of Music performing faculty, according to Dr. Jamie Weaver, associate professor of music history at SFA and president of Pi Kappa Lambda honors society. Proceeds from the concert fund scholarships for deserving SFA music majors selected by the honors society.

“This year’s Pi Kappa Lambda showcase features the artistry of more than 25 members of our School of Music faculty and will appeal to audiences of all ages or musical tastes,” Weaver said. “It includes performances by your favorite artists as well as by new faculty performers brimming with talent. The program features the Stone Fort Wind Quintet, the Pineywoods Brass Quintet, terrific trios, dazzling duets and sparkling solo performances.

“Faculty members look forward to this concert every year because we have the chance to perform for each other as well as for our students and friends,” she added.

This year’s program features performances by vocalists Debbie Berry, soprano; Richard Berry, tenor; Nita Hudson, mezzo soprano; Kimberly LaGraff, mezzo soprano; and Scott LaGraff, baritone.

Pianists include Mario Ajero, Mary Cooper, James Faucett, Ping-Ting Lan, Minhae Lee, Maria Lyapkova, Thomas Nixon, James Pitts and guest artist Antonio “Nio” Ajero.

Other featured instrumentalists include Christopher Ayer, clarinet; Jennifer Dalmas, violin; Andrea Denis, horn; Bob Eason, saxophone; Margaret Fay, bassoon; Christina Guenther, flute; Graham Mackenzie, oboe; Brad Meyer, percussion; Nathan Nabb, saxophone; Evgeni Raychev, cello; J. D. Salas, tuba; Deb Scott, trombone; Jake Walburn, trumpet; and Gary Wurtz, trumpet.

The recital is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Cole Concert Hall is located in the Wright Music Building at 2210 Alumni Drive.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

In an ongoing effort to help ensure student success and expand courses to encompass the diverse field of agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Agriculture now offers a specialized track in agricultural communications.

Agricultural communications combines core agriculture and communications proficiencies to help prepare students to become effective communicators for the agriculture industry. In addition to core agricultural courses, such as animal science, soil science and farm management, students develop skills in writing, photojournalism, public relations and media content development that relate to modern agricultural industries.

“People are becoming more and more aware of agriculture and our diverse practices,” said Dr. Joey Bray, chair of SFA’s Department of Agriculture. “While that’s good, we also have to contend with misconceptions and a lack of agriculture-related information made available to the public.”

Bray said this degree track provides students with the skills needed to promote the field and properly convey science-based information to the public.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects a 9% growth rate in jobs in the fields of agriculture and food sciences during the next decade — a promising outlook for students interested in the discipline.

Bray said agricultural communications open a number of career pathways, including employment in agricultural extension, governmental agencies, private industry, marketing, consulting and public relations.

To learn more about SFA’s agriculture program, visit ag.sfasu.edu.

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