Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Dear Lumberjacks,
I'd like to start my first letter to you by saying how honored Kristi and I both are to join your vibrant SFA family. I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude and commitment to continuing the legacy of excellence that defines our institution, which has an incredible 100-year history we are excited to help build upon. We look forward to meeting you, our dedicated alumni, whose contributions and achievements have shaped the dynamic history and promising future of our university.
It's already been an active summer. Since officially taking office in May, we have traveled across the state to meet many of you at events like SFA Ballpark Days, visiting with alumni and students along the way. And we loved being able to attend our summer Showcase Saturday, which saw a 40% increase in attendees! It blew us away to see so much excitement for SFA, both at Showcase and our summer Orientation. We anticipate another strong incoming first-year undergraduate cohort, which we will continue to build on as we grow enrollment.
There are many exciting things going on around campus that I want to make you aware of. Construction of our new dining facility is making great progress, and we look forward to opening it in 2025. Early next year, we will break ground on a new $80 million building to house the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.
This spring, two SFA faculty members received the prestigious honor of being named Fulbright Scholars for the 2024-25 academic year — congratulations to Dr. Roslyn Fraser, associate professor of sociology, and Candace Hicks, associate professor of art! SFA's Nelson Rusche College of Business successfully achieved the extension of its accreditation by AACSB International, one of only 6% of business colleges globally to receive the accreditation, placing SFA in an elite category of business colleges worldwide.
Our nursing program continues to be one of the best in the state: our Master of Science in Nursing, family nurse practitioner program had a 100% pass rate for their national certification exam while our Bachelor of Science in Nursing has the highest pass rate for first-time test takers of the NCLEX-RN exam among all Texas four-year public universities with more than 100 graduates. Soaring into the future of aviation sciences, SFA became the first institution in the nation to fly the Tecnam P-Mentor two-seat trainer airplane, equipping Lumberjacks with the most advanced training platform available in the country.
Effective July 1, we joined the Southland Conference for all sports, with the exception of bowling, to restore our regional rivalries and give so many of you the opportunity to watch more games that feature our student-athletes, spirit team members and the Lumberjack Marching Band. SFA's return to the Southland Conference will dramatically decrease the amount of travel for student-athletes; the number of class days student-athletes will miss; and travel expenses, which will be reinvested in the student-athlete experience and provide a greater economic impact for Nacogdoches and East Texas. The move will allow us to strengthen our position in Division I athletics and prepare us for the future.
This fall, we will begin work on three key initiatives to chart the course for SFA's future:
- Strategic Plan
- Campus Master Plan
- Long-Range Financial Plan
In addition to the work of setting our vision for this institution, we will continue our work for the 89th Legislative Session.
We have an exciting semester ahead, and I hope you will take the time to make a trip back to Nacogdoches — there is no better time to get involved with SFA than now as we enter boldly into our new future. We need your support and input as we chart the course for the next 100 years. Our alma mater says, “Oh future bright, 'neath the Purple and White,” and there is no doubt that the future for SFA is indeed bright.
Axe 'em!
Dr. Neal Weaver
President
Stephen F. Austin State University