Everything Nac

It all started with a simple purple paperclip. Now, it has evolved into a charitable silent auction.

This semester, Stephen F. Austin State University students involved in an honors project in the Rusche College of Business have enhanced their business communication skills in a unique way.

Based on a childhood barter game and the One Red Paperclip project by Kyle MacDonald, SFA students traded a purple paperclip for items of increasing value.

After six trades, each student secured an item to include in a silent auction, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, May 6, in the McGee Business Building, Room 133. Items up for auction include a Keurig coffee maker, Mother’s Day gift basket, Tory Burch bag and SFA wall decor. The auction is open to the public.

Event proceeds will benefit The Helping House, an organization that helps children with autism and developmental delays. Proceeds will help provide supplies and offset the cost of tuition for its students.

“Working both individually and collaboratively, SFA students learned to use a variety of communication methods and to adapt messages to different audiences,” said Dr. Carol Wright, associate professor of business communication and legal studies.

As part of the project, students created social media accounts to promote their activities during the semester. This experience helped students practice critical-thinking skills as they made decisions as the project developed.

To learn more about the project, visit @SFAPurpleClip on Twitter and SFA Purple Paperclip on Facebook and Instagram.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

In recognition of Better Hearing and Speech Month, Stephen F. Austin State University’s Stanley Center for Speech and Language Disorders is offering guidance on how to recognize communication disorders and ways to treat them.

“Development of strong communication skills is extremely important,” said Deena Petersen, center director. “Yet common misconceptions remain. One misconception is children generally outgrow speech or language difficulties. Unfortunately, this often delays treatment.”

With speech and language disorders ranking among the most common disabilities in children, parents and caregivers are encouraged to learn the signs and seek an evaluation if they have concerns about their child’s ability to communicate, Petersen explained.

“Some children are indeed late bloomers, yet treatment is frequently necessary,” Petersen said. “Good communication skills are critical, helping with behavior, learning, reading, social skills and friendships. It is much easier, more effective and less costly to treat speech and language disorders early.”

SFA graduate students studying speech-language pathology work with and observe clients in the center to practice their skills and offer services to the community.

Petersen said parents with young children should watch for these warning signs: does not babble, only makes a few sounds or gestures, doesn’t understand what others say, produces speech that is unclear. For parents with children in school, the warning signs include trouble following directions, problems reading and writing, doesn’t understand others, is not understood by others, and trouble talking about thoughts or feelings. More warning signs are detailed at identifythesigns.org and asha.org/public.

SFA’s Stanley Center for Speech and Language Disorders offers these tips to encourage a child’s communication development: talking, reading and playing with your child, using many different words, using longer sentences as your child gets older, having your child retell stories, talking with your child about your daily activities, and giving him/her opportunities to write.

Nacogdoches residents who want to schedule an assessment with SFA’s Stanley Center for Speech and Language Disorders should call (936) 468-7109.

To learn more about SFA’s speech-language pathology program, visit sfasu.edu/humanservices/69.asp. For more information about the center, visit sfasu.edu/humanservices/145.asp.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Only a few more opportunities remain to see the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre’s presentation of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” The show runs nightly at 7:30 through Saturday, May 4, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus. Pictured are Frisco senior Aubrey Moore as Maggie and Waxahachie freshman Adam Lamb as Brick. Single tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for youth. Tickets for SFA students are $5. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.theatre.sfasu.edu.

Members of Stephen F. Austin State University’s American Marketing Association’s student chapter won second place in best communication of chapter events at the recent International AMA Conference in New Orleans.

The conference brought together more than 1,700 students to compete and network. Attendees enhanced their professional development skills and gained inspiration through marketing and sales practices.

Pictured from left are SFA Rusche College of Business students and award winners Brianna Baird, Jared Upham, Clayton Howard, Edward Salinas, Reece Albert and Francia Olivares.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University economics students in the Rusche College of Business presented research at the 13th Economics Scholars Program Conference for Undergraduate Research. Pictured from left are Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, chair of SFA’s Department of Economics and Finance; Dr. Rebecca Davis, assistant professor; economics students Seraiah Scamardo; Madalyn Kirk; Miguel Silva; and David Ajiga; and Dr. Stephen Kosovich, associate professor.

“The event provided SFA students with the opportunity to experience a real-life academic conference,” said Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, professor and chair of SFA’s Department of Economics and Finance. “Students were taken out of their comfort zones and challenged to present their work in an unfamiliar environment as well as interact with others working on research projects.”

Miguel Silva and Seraiah Scamardo, both senior economics majors, presented their research in a poster session, while junior Madalyn Kirk and senior David Ajiga served as discussants, providing commentary on research presented by others.

Silva’s presentation focused on movie box office revenues. It examined the degree to which receiving an Oscar nomination or winning an Academy Award affects the film’s gross box office revenues. Scamardo’s research discussed whether firearm purchases increase following news of mass shootings.

Kouliavtsev attended the conference with colleagues Dr. Stephen Kosovich, associate professor, and Dr. Rebecca Davis, assistant professor.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Undergraduate and graduate students at Stephen F. Austin State University will have a variety of new degree program, concentration and certification options beginning fall 2019 in areas such as construction management, social media, medical humanities, and private security and asset protection, based on action taken in Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Regents.

In the James I. Perkins College of Education, a new Bachelor of Science in construction management is planned, which will provide students with broad-based knowledge of the construction industry. Students will initially take general education courses and advance to in-depth study in planning, design, regulations, theory and methods used in the construction field.

A dance team coaching minor also was added to the college’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Science to prepare students to coach dance and spirit teams in high school and college.

The College of Liberal and Applied Arts received board approval to offer a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in medical humanities. The program will cater to students seeking to enter public heath professions, medical and patent law, health care policy, patient advocacy, pharmaceutical sales and management, and health care counseling.

The college’s Department of Mass Communication was approved to begin offering a new concentration in social media. The program will offer both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science options.

“Social media has become a prevalent communication tool,” said Dr. Steve Bullard, SFA provost and vice president for academic affairs. “It incorporates the use of video, photography, writing and marketing skills. It is important that mass communication students effectively understand how to use these applications to successfully generate content that will appeal to a wide range of audiences and help them in their careers.”

In the Department of Psychology, students taking courses in the existing psychology major will be able to do so online this fall via Zoom, a video-conferencing software program.

Three undergraduate certificate programs also were approved within the college: private security and asset protection, applied ethics, and women’s gender studies. Minors in private security and asset protection and legal studies also were added to the curriculum.

In the College of Sciences and Mathematics, the board voted to update the geoscience concentration in geology to incorporate more mentored undergraduate research.

At the graduate level, a new Master of Arts in national security within the Department of Government was approved by regents. This program will help fill an urgent need for more experts in national intelligence and security. This degree will comprise two stackable certificates, one in intelligence studies and the other in homeland security and will be delivered entirely online.

Additionally, four graduate certificate programs also were approved: advanced English pedagogy, nonprofit management, digital humanities and teaching college psychology.

In other business, regents approved a new project in the north end zone of Homer Bryce Stadium that will offer fans an exciting end zone experience. Repurposed shipping containers — complete with indoor and outdoor rooftop seating, a TV and grill — will provide a way for fans to enjoy sporting events in a relaxed, spirited atmosphere.

“We believe in creating a robust fan experience to engage the community and foster a unique culture among fans,” said Ryan Ivey, SFA director of athletics. “We plan to purchase up to five units, and fans and donors will have the opportunity to lease the units by the season.”

As the university prepares to move forward with the construction of a new basketball practice facility, the board approved utility easement agreements with Oncor Electric and Centerpoint Energy to reroute electrical and gas lines near the intersection of University Drive and East College Street.

The construction of two student parking lots on the south side of campus also was approved. Two existing houses will be demolished to accommodate the new lots, and construction will begin this summer.

SFA began a pilot printing program in fall 2018 by offering Wēpa printing kiosks in select locations on campus to provide convenient printing options for students. Regents voted Tuesday to extend the program across campus by adding 15 kiosks to the 10 already in use. The board also approved the purchase of a new climate-controlled transportation truck for marching band equipment.

A contract with Watermark Insight, a LiveText hosting service, was approved for three years. Thousands of students use LiveText to complete assignments, and the James I. Perkins College of Education’s Office of Assessment and Accountability extensively utilizes this service for data collection, creating reports and program assessments to maintain 67 program accreditations.

During the Tuesday meeting, the board also approved:

· renewal of its contract with Barnes & Noble College Booksellers for five years

· the 2019-20 marketing campaign contract

· a summer budget of about $3.4 million for fiscal year 2018-19

· policy revisions, curriculum changes, and minutes from the January, February and April meetings

· changes in course fees that resulted in the deletion of $110 of summer course fees in secondary education and educational leadership, and business communication and legal studies

· and ratifying $366,604 in additional grant awards allocable to fiscal year 2019.

Regents acknowledged the receipt of the audit services report and heard reports from the Nacogdoches-SFA Joint Economic Development Committee and from Erma Brecht-Nieto, SFA’s executive director of enrollment management.

The board also heard updates from Interim President Dr. Steve Westbrook, the Faculty Senate and Student Government Association.