Can Spring be Far Behind?

The days are getting shorter and the fall semester at UNM-Taos is once again coming to a close. The winter holidays are already upon us, the new schedule of classes is on the streets and posted at http://taos.unm.edu. It’s time to start thinking about what courses you want to take for spring semester. But don’t wait till 2009---the registration office staff at 115 Civic Plaza Drive is ready to help you enroll right now. Advisors are easy to get in to see. Not a single class has filled. Isn’t this the perfect time to make some decisions about your future? Friday, December 5 the UNM-Taos International Exchange Programs will be hosting a Multicultural Day at the Klauer campus. According to project coordinator Pearl Huang the purpose of the open house is to create an event where students who have studied abroad can share their experiences, tell their stories and show images of their travels. If you have ever thought about participating in the international program, this is a great opportunity to ask questions and see what the program has done for others. It’s all free, and it is open to students, faculty and the general public alike. Starting at 2 p.m. and running through 6:30, some featured events of the open house will include a pot luck table with international foods and a showing of a program on the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies, along with power point and slide show presentations by students which illustrate the great learning experience that international travel provides. Dr. Bogenschild, Director of International Programs at main campus, will be on hand to talk about the new Rome Center in Italy which is now offering a full semester of learning in Rome for UNM students. Student Government has once again provided its support in the form of a cheerful bonfire outdoors complete with hot cider that will take the chill off a wintry day. If you haven’t been out to the campus south of town recently it will be a good opportunity to take a look around. UNM-Taos students can take full advantage of the opportunity to live and study in a foreign country by signing up for course credit for trips to Peru, China, Mexico, Spain, Bali and Italy. This can be a tremendous learning experience, as UNM-Taos student Samuel Favero can attest---he was recently named the top foreign student at Northwest University at Xi’An, China. “Xi’An University Northwest has one of the highest reputations in China,” Huang explained. “Like our Princeton, Cornell or Stanford, and their standards are very high. It is a great honor for our student to be recognized in this manner. Sam is pursuing a degree in International Studies, and he was concerned about his language capability at first, but when a student is willing and focused, he can achieve great things.” To learn more about Samuel H. B. Favero and the International Programs, go to http://taos.unm.edu and click on international programs. MONTES, VINCENT AND NIEMEYER The sign outside the new office at 201 Cruz Alta Road, just across from Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, announces, “UNM-Taos Academy of Sciences and Environmental Studies”. It’s not only the new home of the Sciences Academy; it doubles as home base for Title V---the federal program for Hispanic serving institutions. Juan Montes, along with Dean of Instruction Jim Gilroy, put together the grant proposal that brought the Title V money to Taos. He is now shepherding the whole Title V project along with Dr. Larry Vincent and Rich Niemeyer. According to Vincent, it’s a three part program. “We call it the UNM-Taos Student Diversity Project, and it is made up of three parts. First, we have established a water information clearing house called the UNM-Taos Water Information Institute. Second---and this is what Juan Montes has been coordinating---is a recruitment program for 9th grade students through high school. We work at getting them prepared for college, getting them enrolled and keeping them in college. Then, hopefully, we move them on to four year universities. The third part, which runs hand in hand with the other two, is the intern program, and Rich Niemeyer handles that. He is getting kids involved in field work with the help of federal and state agencies.” “Actually there are two parallel internship programs,” Niemeyer explained. “In the Park Service program, we recruit students to work for the summer in national parks. They’re paid salaries from 10-14 dollars per hour, depending on experience. Typically, we find they stay as long as they can, because once they get there they really love it. “The other part of the program is new, and part of the Title V grant. These interns are focused on local agencies---Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Soil Conservation Service---any natural resource institution interested in working with an intern. The intent is for the students to gain STEM experience; that’s science, technology, engineering and math.” Although Title V is set up to support Hispanic serving institutions, Niemeyer and Vincent were both adamant about welcoming a diverse clientele. “Only Hispanics can apply? Absolutely not,” Niemeyer said. “The program is targeted toward diversity populations, but that does not preclude anybody from applying and participating in the internships. The emphasis is in trying to recruit students with diversity backgrounds. Any student who hears about this program is encouraged to apply.” “The grant proposal itself says Hispanic and Native American,” Vincent added. “Diversity means everybody. It’s inclusive; we don’t want anybody to be left out. “The Water Institute is the same way. Our purpose is to gather information, organize it and get it out to the public. We’re not involved in any sort of policy making, any sort of water planning. We’re not getting involved in any litigation that goes on. We’re simply providing information to any and all users in our target area: North Central New Mexico. And we operate this office with the help of Juan’s great team of students. They’ll greet you and direct you to who you need to talk to.” Call 758-1581 if you are interested in learning more. Sign-up for these intern programs is happening now.

UNM Taos International Programs Open House Event

As our Fall Semester is drawing closer to the holiday season, UNM Taos International Programs will host an Open House on December 5th, 2008, Friday at the Klauer Campus from 2:00 to 6:30 p.m. This is a day to share study abroad experiences, see wonderful films and images from our student's travels and learning, and to learn more about our study abroad and exchange courses. It is our way to say "THANK YOU“ for supporting our international and exchange programs. The event will feature a film on the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Extravaganza. Our guest speaker is Dr. Bogenschild, Director of UNM International Programs who will give a presentation on the new Rome Center in Italy. There will also be presentations and slide shows presented by UNM Taos faculty who will be leading a study abroad courses in 2009. We will have refreshments, music, and an international pot luck table (you can bring your own favorite food to share), a bonfire, hot cider and popcorn. So come join us and be part of our multicultural learning community. For more information contact coordinator at：575/737-6528, 575/776-5126, huang@unm.edu

Post Script to a Road Trip

By the time this column comes out major events in this country will have played themselves out, and we will be looking at a whole new set of cards in the hand that we as a society have been dealt. In fact, to push the metaphor farther, it appears that not only the cards but the very rules of the game we’re playing will have changed by then. But in the time warp caused by the confluence of an historic two year political campaign, an economy continuing to worsen on a daily basis, and undeniable signs that the physical health of our planet is deteriorating at an ever increasing rate, perhaps we should look back to that age of innocence we enjoyed just a few short days ago.

My wife Linda and I spent a good part of the month of October driving in a gigantic 3,000 mile loop around the midsection of the country, tracking down relatives we had not seen in too many years. We worried about the cost of such an undertaking, but couldn’t say when,if ever, we might have the resources to take the trip in the uncertain future.

The late autumn weather was predictably varied but always beautiful. Fall was slowly and gracefully giving way to winter, and that endless sea of rolling grassland known as the prairie states was once again settling into the last phase of harvest time.

People went about their business as if oblivious to the monumental forces at work around them. Yard signs and the occasional political bumper sticker turned up, but not in anywhere near the numbers one might have expected, and with none of the viciousness expressed by some of the candidates and their supporters; there appeared to be a sense of restraint on the local level that simply doesn’t exist on the national scene.

Neighbors posted their preferences alongside one another without apparent rancor, sometimes even with a sense of humor despite the weariness one feels at the end of a hard fought and traumatic political campaign. Outside Madison, Wisconsin, on a street lined with an impressive number of local and national political signs, one homeowner in the middle of the block summed up the campaign in a handwritten sign that said, “Vote for Jack Daniels! No negative ads! Over 100 years of making people happy! I’m Jack Daniels and I approve this message!” It felt good to know that people hadn’t completely lost their capacity for humor and self parody.

Then on a strip of Interstate 80 somewhere between Lincoln and Omaha, with the radio spitting out reports of the alarming freefall of the Dow, there appeared another positive sign of the times in the form of a billboard with the simple, three word statement in huge letters, “Invest in yourself.” I brushed it off as just another marketing slogan for one investment firm or another, but then in smaller type at the bottom of the sign, I noticed the advertiser responsible for the message: the University of Nebraska.

The simple wisdom of the message caught me by surprise; in times of economic distress, education is truly the only equity guaranteed to increase over the long haul—and no one can take it from you.

This fall semester UNM-Taos saw a major upswing in enrollment in part, perhaps, because the self reliant citizens of northern New Mexico know that workforce development, basic academic skills, and certificates and degrees across the academic broadband are absolutely essential to a satisfying and productive life. The high school student taking dual credit courses, the young adult planning for his or her future and the senior citizen channeling the wisdom of a lifetime all know that this is a good time to make a strong commitment to education.

Like the sign says: invest in yourself. Find out what your community college can do for you.

The UNM-Taos Report

BY THE NUMBERS
In the last UNM-Taos Report I talked about the enthusiasm expressed for the enrollment numbers that were rolling in, and how important it is for our college to keep those numbers up. Last fall they dropped slightly and our funding took a drop also, so there was some concern and a lot of commitment to ensuring that we were on the right side of the equation this time around.

At the end of the article I said, “Final numbers for regular enrollment and dual credit will not be in until after September 15, the census date used as the official count for the semester. We will see then how well everyone’s predictions have held up.” Well, the numbers are in, and here’s the score:

We knocked it out of the park.

According to Anne Landgraf, Information Resource Manager, on September 15 we had 1,416 registered students, compared to last fall’s figure of 1,194. That’s an increase of 222 students in a single year, and a comfortable 91 more than the next highest figure if 1,325 recorded in 2006. More students are taking more classes, as well. Last fall we recorded 8,281 credit hours. This year the figure was 10,194; an increase of 1,913 credit hours.

Executive Director Dr. Kate O’Neill felels that this is exactly where we want to be. “Too much growth too fast could hurt us,” she said. “But, clearly, these numbers are telling us we are meeting the needs of the community.”

Another positive sign: dual credit enrollment was way up this semester. The popular program where area high school students take classes for both high school and college credit was up to almost 400 students.

That’s the current status of the community’s use of their college. Now, a quick look at what Bob Arellano, head of the Literacy and Cultural Studies Academy, calls, “bringing the college to the community.”

BRINGING THE COLLEGE TO THE COMMUNITY
Saturday, September 27 marks the beginning of the first annual Fall Harvest Festival of Education and the Arts at UNM-Taos (see our ad in this week’s edition of Tempo Magazine). In cooperation with student government, it’s a week of events at the Klauer campus south of town and at locations all around the community that is designed to give back a small portion of the enthusiasm and support this community has shown us in the past five years.

It will include two evening events—the Saturday, September 27 opening night gala reception and art opening, “Ten Years of Printmaking at UNM-Taos,” and a full blown open house extravaganza Thursday, October 2nd with walkthroughs of major new buildings, a bonfire, music, a poetry circle and even a star gazing telescope event. Indoors at 7 p.m. we will show the beautifully crafted and inspiring hour long film, “Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey” hosted by Gary Guller; Everest summiteer, internationally known speaker, champion of the rights of persons with disabilities and our own local Taoseno.

Sunday September 28th our library on Civic Plaza Drive opens its doors to library and CASA tutoring events. Monday, September 29th at 7 p.m. author and UNM-Taos instructor Sean Murphy will host a reading at Cafe Tazza entitled, “John Nichols, Sean Murphy and Friends” at Caffe Tazza, 122 Kit Carson Rd.

This is just a small sample of what’s in store. Study the full list of events, and try to attend as many as you can with the entire family. They’re all free, and it is essential that every citizen gets to know their community college, and takes part in its growth and improvement. Take special note of the tours of our newest additions: the Career Tech and Early Childhood Development Center buildings. They are going to have a major positive impact on how people perceive higher education in northern New Mexico in the years to come.

A smaller, yet no less important innovation to take note of will be a free coloring book for children created by longtime local resident and artist Amy Cordova and produced by Student Success Director Amy Chavez-Aguilar. Cordova’s beautifully simple and gently evocative drawings of scenes around the UNM-Taos campus will give children a first glimpse of life at their own community college. Be sure to take some home for the kids.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Carolyn Thompson, UNM President Schmidly’s Consultant for Planning, met with around seventeen UNM-Taos faculty and administrators September 12 for a two hour session on strategic planning. The results should be quite interesting to the Taos community, because although the purpose of the work session was not to implement strategy, some of the outcomes were quite revealing as to the current in-house thinking about the future of our uniquely Taos-style community college. Here are a few highlights:

In response to the question, “Where is UNM-Taos in the best position to grow,” participants gave the highest marks to sustainability, in terms of green building and facility operations such as the highly anticipated solar array, along with water research, science and cultural issues. Next came transportation, particularly in the much needed ability to efficiently transport students to and from the Klauer campus. Other responses included student support, engagement and advising; vocational programs; state-of-the-art language/learning labs; and the Library and Learning Resource Center.

On the topic of how UNM-Taos can best differentiate, or leverage its uniqueness, respondents again put green building and sustainable energy first, followed by faculty excellence, health sciences, arts programs and regional culture, diversity and history.

UNM-Taos strengths ranged from the powerful commitment and caring manner of faculty, staff and our executive director to manageable class size, overall affordability, cultural diversity, our student base and extraordinary community support.

ANOTHER EXTRAORDINARY EVENT
There will be a performance/fundraising event for the new Creativity and Consciousness Program at UNM-Taos, featuring internationally acclaimed pianist and current Wurlitzer Foundation Fellow Azima Melita Kolin, performing with Taos’s own Mirabai Starr and Nancy Laupheimer for an evening of classical music and readings from the Sufi poet Rumi on Thursday, September 25. “Lovers of Rumi” will begin at the Angladas Building at 8 pm.

CREDENTIALS CORRECTION
In the article on our new Student Success Associate from Taos Pueblo Mildred Young, who is currently working with advisors Damon Montclare and Mario Suazo, I said that she was working on her Bachelor of University Studies. In fact, the seemingly inexhaustible Ms Young has already completed that degree.