NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Saville Harris meets a lot of students.

In his role as assistant director of student engagement and Greek life, and in the years leading up to his current position, Harris has befriended, inspired and even consoled hundreds of Stephen F. Austin State University undergrads.

The names and faces might change each year, but Harris’ go-to mantra remains the same: “A few simple words can make someone’s day.”

There is a positive outlook among administrators at Stephen F. Austin State University, as fall 2020 enrollment numbers were much better than many educational forecasts had predicted, based on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Fall enrollment totaled 12,620 students, a decrease of 349 students, or 2.7%. However, there was a 10.7% increase in SFA’s graduate enrollment, from 1,475 students in fall 2019 to 1,633 students in fall 2020.
 

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Zola Emile Avery is kind of like a founding father. He was part of the inaugural 1923 class at what was then Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College, played for the university’s first football team, and was a charter member of a campus literary society. Known as Zoomie for his skill on the gridiron and the basketball court, he graduated in 1927 with a degree in agriculture.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — As National Family Day, Sept. 26, approaches, the School of Human Sciences at Stephen F. Austin State University wants to remind you about a bachelor’s degree that you can earn online to serve families at all stages of life.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — 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.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — 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.

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.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Sciences and Mathematics has rescheduled an appearance of Camille Schrier, crowned Miss America 2020, at the Women in STEM Luncheon. The noon event will be held Tuesday, March 23, 2021, at The Fredonia Hotel.
 

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will present the SFA Symphony Orchestra performing works by German composers in a live-streamed, virtual-only performance at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22.

The program will feature performances of Richard Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s  Symphony No. 36, according to Dr. Gregory Grabowski, director of orchestral activities at SFA and the Symphony Orchestra conductor.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens is introducing a modified version of its popular fall plant sale known as the Fabulous Fall Festival.

Plant sale patrons will have the opportunity to reserve a two-hour window to shop in the SFA Gardens plant nursery throughout the month of October. Up to six plant sale patrons may shop during the same two-hour window, and all physical distancing measures must be observed.