Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Members of Stephen F. Austin State University’s Board of Regents met to discuss various campus initiatives, approving policy revisions and hearing reports during their recent quarterly meeting.
Regents approved an initiative to enhance enrollment with the addition of a STUNT program for female athletes beginning fall 2023. The fast-growing sport, which is derived from traditional cheerleading, features a head-to-head game between two teams that present routines in such categories as partner stunts, jumps and tumbling, and pyramids and tosses.
The program will be separate from SFA’s Spirit Teams program to help grow first-year and undergraduate enrollment at SFA. It’s projected to increase enrollment by 35 first-year students in 2023; first-year students on average generate 14.5 credit hours per semester.
Public institutions, including Texas Woman’s University and The University of Texas at Tyler, have incorporated STUNT into their varsity programs, while Texas Tech University and The University of Texas at Austin have generated interest in the sport through their STUNT clubs. The number of STUNT clubs and programs at Texas high schools also is growing.
Regents heard reports from Dr. Steve Westbrook, interim SFA president; Dr. Brian Uriegas, chair of the Faculty Senate; Megan Weatherly, Staff Council chair; and Madison Gartman, Student Government Association president. Regents also approved:
- on-campus residential wireless service and upgrades not to exceed $3.2 million
- issuance of a request for qualifications to select a firm for developing a comprehensive athletic facilities master plan
- continuation of the policy to waive the college entrance exam (ACT/SAT) requirement for 2023 due to ongoing test administration disruptions during the pandemic
- establishment of an aviation minor in the James I. Perkins College of Education, a musical theatre minor in the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts, and a data analytics minor in the College of Sciences and Mathematics
- grant awards totaling $196,198 for fiscal year 2022 to date
- policy revisions and meeting minutes.
To view recorded meetings of the SFA Board of Regents, visit sfasu.edu/about-sfa/board-of-regents/meeting-information.