Austin College

Austin College is the oldest institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. Established in 1849, Austin Collect is just north of Dallas, sitting on a 100 acre environmentally green campus in Sherman Texas. Austin College is a recognized leader in higher education for innovative programs, a strong faculty, and dedicated students. Since it’s founding by the Brazos Presbytery, Austin College has been associated with the Presbyterian Church. The covenant relationship the College maintains today with the Presbyterian Church provides a distinctive flavor to the life of the College.

Observe the Fall Equinox at Austin College

BJ Kirkpatrick Austin College, News 09/17/201707/23/2025

The solar observatory in the IDEA Center at Austin College will highlight the arrival of the Autumnal Equinox on Friday, September 22. Weather and sunlight permitting, the public is invited to join students and faculty to watch the progress of the sun between 1:00 and 1:20 p.m. as it reaches its highest point in the sky. The IDEA Center is located on the Austin College campus at 1108 E. Richards Street in Sherman. The event is free.

The annual fall and spring equinoxes are the two days when the sun shines directly on the equator and provides nearly equal daylight and night hours. Sunlight pouring through the gnomon hole in the roof of the IDEA Center will cast an image on the atrium floor and align with the equinox marker at exactly “solar noon,” (1:18 p.m. CDT). A gnomon hole is an ancient device originally used to compute time.

Dr. David Baker, professor of physics, director of the Adams Observatory, and author of the award-winning book “The 50 Most Extreme Places in the Solar System” will provide comments and overview during the event. Watching the sunbeam march across the atrium floor and arrive at the equinox marker is magical,” said Baker. “It marks a significant moment in time, one that has been observed by many civilizations throughout history. The solar observatory at Austin College does it in a special way. It’s worth seeing.”

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Area Children Invited to Free Learning Program at Austin College

BJ Kirkpatrick Austin College, News 09/13/201707/23/2025

Area children are invited to participate in Austin College’s ’Roo Bound program Saturday, September 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free Saturday morning program is an opportunity for children in kindergarten through 5^th grade to spend fun, learning time with members of the Austin College community. This month’s program is titled, “Making a Racquet” and will be led by Austin College’s tennis team and Coach Ryan Dodd. Team members will offer a variety of activities to teach the children through games and mini-lessons. Students will have lunch in the Austin College dining hall in Wright Campus Center, courtesy of the Service Station and Aramark Food Service.

The day of the program, students should arrive between 10:45 and 11 a.m. at the Wright Campus Center entrance off Brockett Street.

Advance registration is requested so that sufficient volunteers and materials will be available and only 50 slots are available. To register or for more information, contact the Austin College Service Station at 903.813.2333 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.weekdays or email servicestation@austincollege.edu. To register by email, include the child’s name and grade level, along with the parents’ phone number.

In addition to the special learning opportunity for children, ’Roo Bound, coordinated by the Austin College Service Station but involving many students across campus, is designed to expose children to the idea of college in a safe, fun environment. The organizers hope that the program makes college attendance seem accessible to children, particularly those who might be the first in their families to consider college. The next events are scheduled for October 21 and November 11.

The Austin College Service Station is a student-run organization that connects Austin College students available for service with local agencies and groups needing volunteers. Many students do individual service projects in the community; campus organizations often do group projects; others take part in projects such as ’Roo Bound or the College’s annual Great Day of Service, when several hundred students volunteer at more than 40 agencies in the north Texas region.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Austin College Board Announces New President

BJ Kirkpatrick Austin College, News 08/20/201707/23/2025

SHERMAN, TEXAS—August 2017

The Austin College Board of Trustees announced today the appointment of Steven P. O’Day as the 16th president of Austin College, effective October 30, 2017. The announcement comes following a comprehensive national search. Interim president Michael Imhoff continues his role until October 30.

O’Day has more than 20 years of leadership experience in wide-ranging higher education administration.

He describes his career in higher education as “driven by a deeply held belief that we are called upon to personally educate and support the whole student—mind, body, and spirit—in the classroom and lab, on the athletics field, on the stage, in the studio, in the workplace, in the residence hall, throughout the global community, and in every facet of the student experience. This belief is grounded in a blending of the liberal arts and specialized training necessary for lives of significance, leadership, service, and integrity.”

He comes to Austin College from Lebanon Valley College (LVC) in Annville, Pennsylvania, where he serves as vice president of strategic initiatives and secretary of the college. During his four years at the private college with a student body of approximately 1,600 undergraduates and 200 graduate students, he also has served as interim vice president of advancement and special assistant to the president. He has held leadership roles at the college in institutional strategic planning and campus master planning and has overseen several major capital improvement projects, including the construction of a $20.8 million facility designed to house several of the college’s health professions academic programs. O’Day also has been instrumental in record-setting fundraising efforts, government and community relations, and has served as a member of the LVC senior leadership team. Prior to his work at LVC, O’Day spent 15 years at Franklin & Marshall College in a number of senior administration leadership roles.

Austin College Board of Trustees member Scott Austin, a 1983 graduate of the College, led the Search Committee for the 16th President of Austin College. “The committee worked very hard and very well together,” said Austin, “and it was clear all along the way that each of the eleven members was serving out of a deep felt love for Austin College. In addition to the committee, many members of the Austin College community, including faculty, staff, students, alumni and community leaders made significant contributions to the process. This search was about the Austin College community as a whole.”

O’Day’s professional career began in the field of law. Having received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Millersville University in Pennsylvania and a law degree from Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia, he spent 10 years as a practicing attorney. His background relates to a page from the Austin College history books: John D. Moseley, considered one of the most successful presidents (1953-1978) in Austin College’s history, also came to the presidency with a law degree.

Leaving the courtroom for the athletics field in 1997, O’Day took on the role of women’s soccer head coach at Franklin & Marshall College. Over the next 10 years, his teams amassed the most wins in the program’s history, and O’Day meanwhile made a permanent transition to higher education. While coaching, he also served as an adjunct professor of business law and as pre-law advisor, and was appointed associate dean for advisement, then associate dean for student academic affairs. Upon leaving coaching in 2007, he was appointed senior associate dean of the college, a position he held until 2013 when he left Franklin & Marshall to become special assistant to the president for innovative programs at LVC.

Mr. O’Day’s wife, Cecelia “Cece,” has been a high school English teacher and swimming coach for more than 20 years. The couple has one son, Ryan, who lives and works in the greater Boston area.

“As my wife, Cece, and I have gotten to know the Austin College community, we have met people who are truly committed to preparing students for rewarding careers and for full, engaged, and meaningful lives,” Mr. O’Day said. “We share this commitment and look forward to our work together to ensure Austin College’s place among the nation’s treasured liberal arts institutions for generations to come. “

Asked about family and faith, O’Day said that spirituality, faith, and service are important aspects of his life. He describes his own faith history as quite ecumenical, with family involvement in Catholic, Lutheran, United Church of Christ, and Presbyterian traditions. Lebanon Valley College is affiliated with the United Methodist Church; his parents were Catholic; his wife is a lifelong member of the Church of the Brethren. “I am very comfortable living and working in an environment that welcomes people of different faiths. I know Austin College shares this same ethos, and I deeply value the covenant between the College and the Presbyterian Church,” O’Day said.

Members of the Austin College faculty and staff served on the Search Committee for the 16th President. “Steven brings a wealth of valuable experience—strategic planning, fund raising, enrollment, student life—and a deep understanding of the role of liberal arts in today’s changing world,” said David Baker, professor of physics. “But what impressed me the most are his personal and professional qualities: collaboration, humility, and a genuine interest in students. Steven O’Day is a great fit for Austin College.”

“His diversified skill set and demonstrated success at small, private liberal arts schools make him uniquely qualified for our campus leadership,” said Michelle Filander, women’s basketball coach and staff representative to the selection committee. “We are confident and enthusiastic about his ability to lead Austin College as we face challenges both specific to our institution and those facing higher education at large.”