Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Spring 2021 Guide
Graduation Details
Spring 2021 commencement ceremonies will be held on campus Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8. Additional information is provided on the Office of the Registrar's commencement website.
Orientation
First-year students enrolling for the fall 2021 semester are required to attend one of our two-day Lumberjack Orientation sessions.
Transfer students are encouraged to attend Transfer Lumberjack Orientation. Offered in online and in-person formats, these one-day sessions allow you to become familiar with campus, meet your faculty, and create your schedule.
Visit the Orientation and Transition Program website for dates and details.
For Families
Our usual Family Weekend events are not being scheduled at this time, so we've partnered with the City of Nacogdoches to for deals and discounts because every weekend can be Family Weekend! Don't forget to drop by the Baker Pattillo Student Center Information Desk for a parent goodie bag.
We hope to see you on campus soon!
In the meantime, we know how important it is for family members to stay updated on how SFA is supporting Lumberjacks. We will continue to share up-to-date information as it becomes available. In addition to supporting your students, we are here to support you as we work together through what has been a challenging year.
Spring Semester Overview
Delivery methods for spring classes will remain just as flexible as they were in the fall. Class will continue to be offered in face-to-face, online, livestream, hybrid or hyflex formats.
Spring classes start Friday, Jan. 8. We're beginning the spring semester earlier than normal to accommodate for our new and flexible eight-week semesters.
Final exams begin Monday, May 3, and end Friday, May 7.
Keep up with any potential calendar changes through our online university calendar.
Spring break at SFA is scheduled March 8 through 12. The university will be closed for the entire week and classes will not be held. Residence halls will remain open, but the dining facilities will be closed. Find other important dates on the university calendar.
Face-to-face: A traditional course in which you attend class with a faculty and fellow students on campus for each class meeting. Smaller class sizes will ensure social distancing.
Online: A course in which content and activities are delivered online. No on-campus attendance is required, and you can engage in the course at any time of day
Livestream: A course in which regularly scheduled class sessions are delivered via Zoom, with real-time interaction between you, the faculty, and fellow students. No on-campus attendance is required.
Hybrid: A course that is delivered as a blend of face-to-face and online, face-to-face and livestream, or online and livestream. Classes meet at regular, scheduled intervals. Your faculty will share the dates and times when on-campus or livestream attendance is required.
Hyflex: A course in which you decide whether to attend the class face-to-face, via livestream at scheduled times, online anytime, or any combination.
Life on Campus
Dining Services will continue to provide students with easy, fast and touchless service during the spring 2021 semester. Choose from all-you-care-to-eat options in the dining halls, or visit one of our numerous retail dining establishments for a meal, snack or coffee. Download the Grubhub app to place an order with your phone and skip the line!
SFA lifted the on-campus residency requirement for the entire 2020-21 academic year, so students attending SFA during the spring 2021 semester may choose to live on or off campus. While there is evidence that living on campus supports student success, we understand that students may feel more comfortable living off campus for the remainder of the academic year.
Currently, the university plans to reinstate the on-campus residency requirement for the fall 2021 semester, but only for new students. Current SFA students, regardless of earned credit hours, will remain exempt from the on-campus residency requirement.
You won’t have to abandon your wellness routine! The Student Recreation Center will resume normal operating hours for the spring 2021 semester. Visit the Campus Recreation Department's website for the most up-to-date facility hours.
Relieve stress and prioritize your wellness with individual workouts and fitness classes that adhere to current minimum standard health protocols. Read Campus Rec's COVID-19 response policies prior to visiting the facility.
During the spring 2021 semester, SFA will continue to offer a wide variety of opportunities for transformative student experiences through co-curricular programs and extracurricular activities. Guidelines are in place for the safer operation of student organizations and events, and all critical student services are accessible remotely.
Every member of our community is first and foremost personally responsible for their own health and well-being. To help keep our Lumberjack family safe, always use your best judgment in every activity you undertake.
Charter School Students and Parents
The SFA Charter School reopened in August 2020 with dozens of new safety measures in place to ensure both its young students and SFA student teachers would remain safe while still being able to learn.
Take a look at the overview of the Charter School’s reopening plan, which will continue to apply during the spring semester.
Additional CARES Act funding
NOTE: On Jan. 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education approved additional funding for institutions of higher education through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic. The application opened March 19, 2021 and is now closed. All HEERF II funds have been distributed to students as of March 31, 2021.