NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin State University's online master's degree program in educational leadership was named the third best and among the most affordable online programs in the nation, according to a recent ranking by Educational Leadership Degree Programs, a website dedicated to helping students select the degree program that best suits their needs.

The Ladyjack mascot, a female counterpart to SFA's Lumberjack mascot, is returning to SFA athletic events after a two-year hiatus.

Elizabeth Simoneaux, a senior dance major from League City, will perform at football games and at Ladyjack basketball and volleyball games. She also will participate in the national cheer competitions in Daytona, Florida, this spring.

"I am so excited to be this year's Ladyjack," Simoneaux said on her Facebook page. "This journey has been exciting and has introduced me to some fabulous people."

As the Stephen F. Austin State University Lumberjack football team prepares for the Battle of the Piney Woods Saturday, Oct. 1, at NRG Stadium in Houston, it is important that fans also take preparatory steps to ensure they are in compliance with new rules governing the types of purses and bags that may be brought into the stadium.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - An artist's reception for the exhibition "Christopher Troutman: Drawing and Narrative" is slated for 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, in Griffith Gallery on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

The exhibition, which features Troutman's beautifully rendered drawings portraying scenes from urban daily life, will continue showing through Oct. 14.

John Handley, director of galleries at SFA, describes Troutman as "a master draftsman, able to create visually compelling imagery that touches on the real and the imaginary."

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Playwright Michael Roderick's "Props" will open the fall semester of Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre's student-directed plays.

Directed by San Antonio senior Jade Bishoppetty, "Props" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, in the Downstage Theatre on the SFA campus.

The play is about a prop artist who immerses himself in his work after a difficult breakup. The project involves a prop woman, and the women in his life become concerned with his obsession, Bishoppetty said.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin State University's Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture is pairing with Nacogdoches Parks and Recreation to host NacogdoTREES, a free, community-wide contest celebrating the natural beauty of Nacogdoches, from Sept. 19 through Nov. 18.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Again this fall, Stephen F. Austin State University alumni and friends will have the opportunity to ride in style to select Lumberjack football games. Riding on buses provided by the SFA Alumni Association, passengers can elect to ride the bus for $50 on Oct. 1, to see the Jacks play against Sam Houston State University in Houston for the Battle of the Piney Woods and $40 on Nov. 12, when the Lumberjacks play Houston Baptist University in Houston. The price includes round-trip transportation, snacks and drinks.

Stephen F. Austin State University is reporting an increase in enrollment for the fall semester, as well as several other indicators of positive performance at the institution.

Enrollment increased from 12,606 in the fall of 2015 to 12,742 this fall. The largest growth was among freshman students, whose numbers increased 3.5 percent, from 3,251 in the fall of 2015 to 3,364 this fall.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - Faculty members of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will be the featured performers during the annual Pi Kappa Lambda Music Faculty Showcase at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

"This concert is a showcase featuring the talents of our diverse performing faculty," said Deborah Dalton, SFA associate professor of voice and president of the local chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, the national music honor society.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Five presentations by Stephen F. Austin State University faculty and staff members will take place during the fall and early spring semesters as part of the SFA Office of Multicultural Affairs' ongoing Consciousness Speaker Series.