Stephen F. Austin State University

Faculty accomplishments, student retention and salaries were among the issues addressed by faculty senate chairman Dr. Marc Guidry during Monday’s meeting of the Stephen F. Austin State University board of regents.

Guidry, associate professor of English and Philosophy, thanked SFA regents for their service and commended each of them and SFA President Dr. Baker Pattillo for the recent progress they have made: Securing $13 million to build a new nursing facility through the only tuition revenue bond granted by the 80th legislature; securing tuition revenue bonds for the SFA East Texas Early Childhood Research and Development Center; constructing a new student center and residence halls; increasing scholarships funds, and approving a mid-year 2.5-percent merit pool for faculty pay raises last December.

Guidry said he also was pleased with the 3-percent salary pool proposed for the upcoming fiscal year, the fact that funding will be doubled for faculty development and that increased operation and maintenance funds will be used for faculty areas.

He also brought to light some of the faculty accomplishments during the past 12 months.

"This will give you an idea of how much the faculty does both inside and outside the classroom to maintain and develop quality educational programs, hone their research skill and promote SFA’s stature in the professional world," he said.

• Last year, chemistry faculty published two books and three papers and obtained nearly $200,000 in grants.
• Dr. Michael Tkacik, associate professor of Political Science, Geography and Public Administration, coauthored an article on democracy and arms control in Central Asia and has two articles forthcoming on nuclear proliferation and human rights.
• Music gained approval for a new opera track under the Master of Music in Performance degree program that includes an internship program for graduate voice majors with Opera East Texas.
• Computer science developed requirements for a new degree program--a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in information technology.
• Charles Jones, Regents Professor of Art, is being honored with exhibitions this summer in Paris, France and Russia.
• The Latin American Studies program received a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to enhance and build the LAS program at SFA.
• In kinesiology, Dr. Mel Finkenberg completed a term as president of the National Association of Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education, and the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences has been selected as the host of the 2008 Regional American College Dance Festival.
• In agriculture, Dr. Erin Brown just returned from India, where she visited several agricultural production sites; Dr. David Creech returned from a consultation visit in China, where he worked with Chinese scientists developing their blueberry industry; and Dr. Leon Young conducted a workshop in Tanzania designed to help local farmers increase their crop yields.
• Human sciences has created a new major, interior merchandising, and Sally Ann Swearingen has completed a trip to Thailand with several of her interior design students, where they have been invited by Mahidol University to partner in future exchanges. ● In history, Dr. Steve Taaffe won the Army Historical Foundation's 2006 Distinguished Writing Award for U.S. Army History, 1775-1898, for his book "Commanding the Army of the Potomac."
• The Creative Writing Program in the Department of English and Philosophy held a reading series last year that brought several cutting-edge fiction writers to campus, including acclaimed novelist and short-fiction writer Melanie Rae Thon.
• The philosophy program expanded to offer a major in philosophy and partnered with the English program to create a minor in classical literary studies.

Guidry said faculty members play an important role in student retention. Citing a spring 2006 Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey, completed by 905 students at SFA, Guidry said 11 of 18 “strengths” of the university were based directly on faculty involvement with students.

Among the university's strengths, according to students, are academic advising in students’ majors, the knowledge faculty possess in their respective fields, the quality of classroom instruction, the critical thinking skills developed by coursework, the level of academic challenges in the classroom, the variety of courses at SFA, and the intellectual growth students experience.

To attract and retain good students, Guidry said SFA needs to be able to attract and retain qualified faculty. He provided statistics about faculty salaries compared to other institutions, and urged regents to pursue a step-by-step plan to raise faculty salaries at SFA.

“There is an opportunity to undertake such an initiative through the Strategic Planning Committee that Dr. Pattillo has put together,” he said.

Pattillo reiterated his commitment to raising faculty salaries. Regent Richard Boyer, chairman of the Academic Affairs committee, thanked Guidry for the report and for the statistics he provided. He also said regents are dedicated to the academic mission of the university.