Everything Nac

Teacher candidates in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Community Responsiveness and Engaged Advocacy in Teacher Education program, or C.R.E.A.T.E., have partnered with the Nacogdoches Public Library to provide free real-time drop-in homework help for local students.

“We know there is a lot of need in the community right now, with so many parents, grandparents and caregivers working to help their children learn from home,” said Dr. Heather Olson Beal, professor in SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education. “We also hope this service is helpful to teachers, who can recommend that their students join the homework help sessions.”

The library is hosting free virtual drop-in sessions for teacher candidates to answer quick homework questions from 9 to 11 a.m. on Mondays and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays throughout September on the Discord meeting platform.

The homework sessions are open to all local students, but students age 13 and younger will need a caregiver or guardian to register for them. To participate, visit sfasu.edu/create-hwhelp.

The library also is hosting a continuation of the free virtual activity lessons teacher candidates in C.R.E.A.T.E. began last spring when schools were shut down because of COVID-19. While providing a fun break during the day for children and their families and caregivers, these activities help teacher candidates give back to the community while gaining valuable online teaching experience.

Students can participate in these activities from 1 to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 10 to 11 a.m. on Fridays throughout September. The lessons include art activities and science experiments designed for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Caregivers and guardians can register students for these activities at

sfasu.edu/create-activity.

“We think this is a great way to promote community while helping both local families navigating virtual learning and SFA teacher candidates working to gain real-world experience during the pandemic,” said Crystal Hicks, librarian at the Nacogdoches Public Library.

Depending on response, the sessions may continue beyond September, said Dr. Lauren Burrow, an associate professor in the Perkins College of Education.

“C.R.E.A.T.E. always tries to prioritize community needs and respond, creatively, so as the school year progresses, we’ll assess interest in these sessions and continue them as needed,” Burrow said.

To learn more, email Burrow at burrowle@sfasu.edu.

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

Stephen F. Austin State University business students recently assisted an agency in developing a strategic vision to better serve the needs of residents in Nacogdoches, Shelby and San Augustine counties.

For the second year in a row, seniors in business policy and strategy, the capstone strategic management class at the Rusche College of Business, worked with the Nacogdoches Area United Way to analyze the nonprofit’s operations and find areas for improvement.

The summer course was taught by Dr. Marcus Cox, associate professor of management. He organized the United Way review with Gary Lee Ashcraft, NAUW president and CEO, Caroline Garner, NAUW executive vice president, board members Wendy Buchanan and Sherry Morgan, and Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the college of business.

“I’m especially proud of the work done by our students in support of this important cause,” Bisping said. “We also look to support the Nacogdoches Area United Way further during our State Employees Charitable Campaign on campus this fall.”

Implemented as a case competition with four teams, the review encompassed the organization, the three-county region it serves – Nacogdoches, Shelby and San Augustine – and resulted in recommendations on a new strategic vision that included additional sources of funding, critical analysis of the organization’s online presence and usage of various social media platforms, and additional ways to tap into the students and resources at SFA.

The first and second place team in the case competition received a $500 and $300 scholarship, respectively. Presentations were delivered via Zoom.

“It’s very fulfilling for me personally to see our students end their college experiences on a strong note and I am excited for them as they now launch their careers,” Cox said.

By Richard Massey, Senior Marketing Communications Specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University

Melissa DeVine came to Stephen F. Austin State University to pursue a degree in business. More than 30 years later, she’s still happily here.

“And I plan to stay as long as they’ll let me,” she said.

DeVine is one of this year’s President’s Award recipients, an honor announced recently by Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA President.

The administrative assistant to Dr. Gary Wurtz, director of the SFA School of Music, Devine’s “official” nomination by her peers and colleagues described her as “effective, upbeat and enthusiastic.” An unofficial extenuation of that description could easily include witty, entertaining, fun-loving and a bit of jokester.

“Her knowledge of policy and procedures, coupled with her institutional memory, allow her to find effective solutions to almost any issue that might arise,” Wurtz said in his nomination. “She embraces students as stakeholders, offering them solutions to problems encountered while registering, scheduling and navigating the processes involved in completing their education.”

DeVine came to Texas while she was in junior high by way of Minnesota, Wisconsin and New Jersey. “My father was in finance and ended up in Dallas,” she said. “I graduated from Lake Highlands High School in Dallas.”

DeVine began her association with the then-Department of Music at SFA as a student assistant while she was earning her B.B.A in general business. When the secretarial position opened a year later, she applied and was hired. During her time at SFA, she’s watched enrollment in the Department of Music climb from 160 in the early 1980s to the School of Music’s current enrollment of 480. During this time, she’s worked as an assistant to music leaders including Robert Miller, Ron Anderson and John Roberts. She watched the music building’s size double during a massive renovation in 1985. As the music program has grown, so has the realm of her job.

“Yet she always finds a way to get everything done,” Wurtz said.

“The scope of the job is ever-changing as the educational climate changes,” DeVine said. “The current challenge is COVID – working around new teaching modalities and locations and making sure we have all of the equipment and supplies to make the changes. We’re constantly adapting.”

And adapting in the COVID era for fine arts instruction is very different than adapting teaching modalities in subjects like history, math or English.

“Currently the music ensembles are having rehearsals outside for safety concerns, which is fun to watch,” DeVine said. “It shows how different our needs are from many other disciplines.”

Long-lasting friendships that also evolve into professional relationships is a common occurrence among SFA student musicians. DeVine enjoys watching students grow into accomplished musicians who develop successful careers.

“Many graduates procure teaching positions in the area, and it’s always nice to see them come back and work for us during our summer camps,” she said. “I have a staff of student assistants who help with the general office duties, and I build close relationships with them and watch them mature both in their course studies, office skills and personal lives.”

When she’s not in the music office, DeVine can often be found playing the piano, traveling or rehearsing for a production at Lamp-Lite Theatre, Nacogdoches’ community playhouse.

“I have been taking piano lessons for many years,” she said. “I don’t perform; I just like to play. I also bought a small accordion and can play a few songs.”

She’s traveled with the SFA A Cappella Choir, the Lumberjack Marching Band and the Lumberjack basketball team. Some of those trips have taken her to England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy.

“The Lamp-Lite Theatre has been my artistic outlet for 20 years,” she said, “and I do it mostly because it’s fun. I’ve built up many great friendships from my time at the theatre, and it is rewarding to collaborate with others to bring something to the community. It also helps me understand musicians and what they get from performing, as well.”