Thursday, September 29, 2011

Advising Transfer Day

The size of the UNM-Albuquerque campus is vast and the large number of students on campus can be overwhelming. Who do you turn to? Can you ask questions without any stigmas? If so, where do you go and who do you ask? As freshmen, you are introduced to all of the nuances and instruments needed to be successful at the UNM-Albuquerque Campus. As Branch Campus Transfer students, it may feel as though you are left to weather the storm alone.

The goal of Advising Transfer Day is to demystify the transfer process. This way when you do venture onto Main Campus, you have a contact and a safe place to ask questions and someone to turn to for information and resources.

The University of New Mexico-Taos is proud to host Advising Transfer Day this Thursday October 6th 2011 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. in the lobby of Padre Martinez Hall.

For this event, University of New Mexico Admissions Officers and Academic Advisors will visit the UNM-Taos Klauer Campus to answer your questions about transferring from UNM-Taos to UNM-Albuquerque. You will be provided with information about transition to Main Campus and the application of college credits toward a four-year baccalaureate degree.

Julie Bustamante and Cameron Langner from the College of Arts and Sciences will be on campus to help start the transfer process. They will look at your degree audit, talk about necessary curriculum, give you a brief overview of what resources are available to you, and help alleviate any unnecessary anxiety…all essential components of a successful transfer and tenure at UNM! Julie has 42 years of UNM experience and loves working with Branch students. Her energy and attention to detail make her the most knowledgeable resource on campus. Cameron has an extensive knowledge of admissions, financial aid regulations, and the struggles that transfer students face. As a UNM alum, she can give you the inside scoop on classes and the best places to study.

Mark Cramer will also be attending this event from the Admissions and Recruitment Offices of Main Campus will advise on how to apply and be admitted to Main Campus for the Spring 2012 semester. He will also waive the $20.00 application fee.

Michael Green, Transition Advisor from the Anderson School of Management will answer questions regarding pre-admission requirements for the Bachelors in Business Administrative Program. He will also be able to talk about the different concentrations available at the Anderson School.

Kyle Beenhouwer will be on site to represent University College. University College is a holding place for students who have not yet completed their prerequisites to get admitted into their degree college. Before students transfer to Main Campus, they should meet with Kyle in order to map out future course-work. Kyle will assist you in making the best curriculum decisions towards completing your academic goals.

Students interested in attending the event should bring transcripts from all post-secondary institutions they have attended in order to maximize their experience. If you are not ready to apply at this time, you are welcome to come and talk with an Academic Advisor, and explore how you may be able to build upon the college work you have already completed. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, October 6th!

Old Forest Service Building

Known locally as the “Old Forest Service Building,” the UNM-Taos administrative offices at 115 Civic Plaza Drive were built in the WPA era and served as the US Forest Service, Carson National Forest Supervisor’s office until the current Forest Service building was erected on Cruz Alta Street in the early seventies. Now owned by the Town of Taos and leased to UNM-Taos, the solid adobe structure houses the Executive Director and Operations Manager offices as well as the Graphics, Design and Web Manager, the Public Relations Coordinator, Development Director and Grants Manager.

Toward the rear of the complex, former garages have been converted to house the UNM-Taos Library, The Literacy Center serving GED, Adult Education and English as a Second Language students, the Water Institute, the Southwest Research Center, a student lounge, several computer labs and a video production studio.

Monday, September 26, 2011

College and Career Prep Starts Now

As published in the Taos News 09-22-11
By Bill Knief

From Left, College and Career Prep coaches Mayra Gutierrez,

Mireya Rodriguez, Nicole Romero, Andrew E. Gonzales and Julian Suazo will

be on Taos Plaza at 2 p.m. September 24 to support the Walk For

Nonviolence and talk with high school students.

UNM-Taos is already a month into the fall semester, and students are settling into a routine of class work and homework in addition to their family, personal and professional responsibilities. They have adjusted to having more online and hybrid courses this semester, and overall, the transition to an online bookstore has gone smoothly.

At the same time the UNM-Taos College and Career Prep Program has already launched into their mission to increase the number of area high school graduates attending colleges and universities. Over the past four years the Title V-supported program has served 1,262 high school seniors with an overall higher education attendance rate of 74 percent, compared to a statewide rate of only 35 percent. Currently in the fifth year of a federal, five year Title V Hispanic Serving Institution grant through the Department of Education, funding is tenuous but program director Juan Montes and five work studies continue to assist high school students in moving forward with their lives.

“It’s really about reviving kids’ dreams and affirming them,” Montes said, “and then grounding students in the reality that if they are serious, they are going to have to develop what we call ‘achievement ideology’. That means attendance in school, doing the work, preparing for exams, taking exams and finishing successfully. We stress that their GPA is critical. Now you have to have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA to qualify for the New Mexico Lottery Scholarship, and the only way they are going to do that is to show up, prepare for tests and succeed in their courses. It’s all about how much you are willing to invest, and how serious you are.

“We also think parental involvement is key. We want the seniors and their parents to know where they are going and how they are going to pay for it. If the parents know their accessibility and their affordability, they are more likely to support their student.”

“What the work studies do is go into the schools---Taos, Penasco, Questa, Vista Grande, Chrysalis---and do a presentation on the importance of college,” explained Nicole Romero, Training Coordinator. “We individualize it. We work with them one on one to gain that relationship with them. If they need career exploration we put them on a computer-based program to look into various occupations. If they need help finding different colleges, we work with them on that; we are not biased toward UNM. We give them information on scholarships, financial aid, admissions applications, whatever they need. It’s custom-made for each individual because all of them have different needs. That’s what makes it work.”

According to Montez, “If we can get kids to identify with our coaches, see them as role models, the students begin to understand that we are on their side, and that if the coaches can do it, they can too. That’s a big ingredient in our success, and we can replicate this program anywhere. Title V doesn’t just benefit Hispanic students. It has been responsible for a lot of the UNM-Taos infrastructure throughout the ten years it has helped build the college.”

“It’s hard work. Sometimes it’s frustrating.” Romero explained. “But when you work with a student all semester and they keep telling you they’re not going to college, it isn’t for them, and they walk away with a scholarship and end up going to college, that’s what makes our job worthwhile. We teach life skills---tenacity, focus, the ability to work hard and hold on to your dream---not just college prep.”

September 24 at 2 p.m. the College and Career Prep staff will be on Taos Plaza supporting the Walk for Nonviolence and this year’s focus on youth. They would be glad to visit with you.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011