Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Dr. Archie Holmes, the executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at The University of Texas System, will give the commencement addresses during Stephen F. Austin State University’s four graduation ceremonies May 10-11.
Holmes provides oversight and guidance for the nine UT System academic institutions, which enroll more than 228,000 students, produce nearly 60,000 graduates a year, and have an aggregate annual operating budget of more than $7.7 billion.
Prior to joining the UT System in October 2020, Holmes was the vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Virginia and was a faculty member at both the University of Virginia and The University of Texas at Austin.
Holmes received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees, both in electrical engineering, from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Santa Barbara, respectively.
To attend commencement, attendees 5 years and older must have a ticket to enter Johnson Coliseum. Tickets are free and will help university officials ensure the venue is not overcrowded. A limited number of tickets per each graduate candidate is available. These tickets are reserved in advance by the candidate. All commencements will take place in Johnson Coliseum.
The public also is invited to attend, and community tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis at the coliseum ticket office one hour before the ceremony begins.
Candidates from the Nelson Rusche College of Business and Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture will participate in a ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, May 10.
Candidates from the James I. Perkins College of Education will participate in a ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 11.
Candidates from the College of Liberal and Applied Arts are slated for the 1 p.m. ceremony Saturday, followed by the College of Sciences and Mathematics and the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts ceremony at 4:30 p.m.
Degrees to be awarded include 1,039 bachelor’s degrees, 266 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. Nearly 500 students will graduate with honors, including 119 cum laude, 153 magna cum laude and 217 summa cum laude. Twenty-eight students will graduate with the university scholar designation.
For more info, visit the SFA commencement webpage.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at the SFA website.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
The University of Texas System has enhanced the lives of Texans and individuals worldwide through its commitment to education, research and health care for 140 years. With 14 institutions collectively enrolling over 254,000 students, the UT System stands as one of the largest public university systems in the United States. UT institutions annually produce over 66,000 graduates and award more than one-third of the undergraduate degrees in Texas, as well as over 60% of the state's medical degrees. The combined efforts of UT-owned and affiliated hospitals and clinics resulted in over 10.7 million outpatient visits and more than 2 million hospital days last year. The UT System’s $3.8 billion research enterprise is one of the nation’s most innovative and ranks No. 1 in Texas and No. 2 in the nation for federal research expenditures. The UT System has an operating budget of $29.1 billion for fiscal year 2024 and employs more than 116,000 faculty, health care professionals, support staff and student workers.