University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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This year, the ASC will offer sixty sections of our First-Year Seminar, COLA 100E, which had a retention rate of over 90% last year. There is an important level of connective energy that this course creates for first year students. Embedded in the curriculum are course assignments that create opportunities for students to connect with their academic advisors, academic success coaches, Involvement and the UNLV Libraries, among other areas.
The synergy of working with other first-year students, while connecting with a number of campus units and professionals generates a powerful sense of motivation in these students to keep moving forward in a campus that supports them. The First-Year Seminar also creates the opportunity for students to help each other, which adds to the power of this course to generate a progressive momentum and that helps to retain this important groups of students. The First-Year Seminar can hold the key to jump starting a trajectory to completion!
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The Hixson-Lied Success Scholars Program is a scholarship program that is built on the foundation of service. Typically, the scholars provide their service to the UNLV community in the form of outreach and peer mentorship. However, for the second year in a row, the ASC Hixson-Lied Success Scholars have also participated in UNLV Service Day. This past September’s UNLV Service Day helped foster a sense of community among scholars, while learning the impact this nonprofit has on the Las Vegas community. Our scholars and leadership team volunteered their Friday morning at Spread the Word Nevada, which is considered a children’s literacy nonprofit “dedicated to advancing early childhood literacy by placing books into the hands and homes of children within Nevada’s at-risk, low income communities” (Spread the Word Nevada Website, 2019). Currently, the nonprofit has distributed 5.1 million books and served 554,000 students since 2001.
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While volunteering at Spread the Word Nevada, the Hixson-Lied team was able to help prepare books for distribution. This involved cleaning the books and removing any markings and stickers, sorting the books by grade level, and boxing books for shipment. While the team was able to make a contribution to the distribution process, they were also able to take a moment to reflect on the impact and importance of service.
If you are interested in becoming a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar for the 2020-2021 academic year, please visit
unlv.edu/asc
for more information! For more information on Spread the Word Nevada, please visit
https://spreadthewordnevada.org/
.
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First-Gen Connect (formerly known as UNLV PRIDE) is a free conference for first-generation college students and their guardians. While definitions vary, first-generation students are generally defined as undergraduate students whose parental guardians do not possess a four-year college degree. First-generation students have a harder transition into college for various reasons. First-Gen Connect helps first-generation students transition into UNLV by discussing potential barriers to success and equipping students with the knowledge and resources necessary for a successful first year and beyond. Since guardians can attend this conference, they have the ability to understand and ask questions about what their students will be going through in college. They will learn the resources on campus that support students and be able to understand the resources and how they can help their students. The First-Gen Connect conference has workshops, panels, discussions, and networking opportunities for students to prepare for their first year of college. The overall benefit of this conference is to help first-generation students prepare for college, connect with campus resources, peer network, learn information about UNLV, and engage with faculty/staff.
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First-Gen Connect took place this past August. Twenty-five students and thirteen guardians enjoyed the day of workshops and networking. The students started off their day with a first-generation student panel. The panel consisted of three first-generation students that talked about their experiences here at UNLV. They then proceeded to learn about note-taking, time management, researching, and first-year writing. All of these skills are needed to be a successful college student. One of the most popular workshops was the Rebel Connect workshop where students were able to connect with other first-generation students through games and activities. One participant explained, “The well-planned activities helped me to be more comfortable with the other people.” This comment links to the ASC’s goal to be able to connect students with each other, which helps them become more comfortable
before
school starts.
The guardians launched their day with the first-generation panel as well. “The information that current students provided to us was very helpful,” explained one guardian. The guardians proceeded to learn about what their students will be going through in college, different resources on campus, and campus safety. They even had the opportunity to hear a panel of faculty and staff talk about what they can do to help their students and get them involved on campus. At the end of the day, the students and guardians grouped back together and participated in a prize drawing activity. The overall First-Gen Connect experience was vibrant and informative, and the ASC is confident these students have acquired skills and information to help them succeed at UNLV.
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We are very pleased to announce that our team is growing. Starting November 4
th
, 2019, Adriana Batiz, Izzy Fernandez Cordero, Valerie Lujan, Raisa Kabir, Angel Mosquera, Simran Sodhi, Michael Spencer, Meron Teffera, Greta Valdes and Marlee Witt will be joining us as our 2019-2020 First-Year Peer Mentors! The ASC received funding from the university to start a program aimed at connecting first-year students with high achieving peers. Our academic advising team jumped right in to start building a new resource for students. We have selected ten UNLV students, sophomores through seniors, in majors ranging from Music to Business to Kinesiology. The peer mentors are currently going through training modeled after the College Reading & Learning Association's recommendations for peer mentors and will begin contacting students in mid-November. Students will be able to chat one-on-one or in small groups and attend select campus events with peer mentors.
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“I am super excited to move through the peer mentor program, learn more about the Academic Success Center and how to be a resource to new students!” – Greta Valdes
“I’m excited to meet with the students and get them excited about being at UNLV! As First-year Exploring Major, finding a sense of belonging is extremely difficult and I am eager to make the students feel as comfortable as they can throughout the process. “-- Izzy Fernandez Cordero
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Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction (SI) programs are part of the successful college experience. They are not simply places a student goes after they fail, but rather places a student can go to
learn how to learn course content
. These environments would not be possible without the work done by our peer leaders (Tutors, SI Leaders and Front Desk Managers) as well as those that work behind the scenes collecting data and providing staff mentorship, such as our Graduate Program Leaders.
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Cristina Alfrey is a Graduate Program Leader for SI currently pursuing a M.Ed. in School Counseling. When asked
how tutoring and supplemental instruction supports student success at UNLV
, she noted through her weekly observations of SI Leaders that “the peer-to-peer learning model…is beneficial to students, in that they are able to work with their fellow peers to gain a greater understanding of the course and have a firmer grasp of content as a result.”
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Ashley Lamb, a Master’s student in the Graduate Mechanical Engineering Program and Graduate Program Leader for the College of Engineering Tutoring Lab, mentioned, ”our knowledgeable tutors promote group discussion and engage the students in the course material beyond just re-lecturing. [A benefit] of working in groups in our Lab is that it builds comradery and friendships...these new-found relationships can better serve them when they reach their Senior Design capstone project.”
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Haylie Joseph, Graduate Program Leader for Supplemental Instruction and M.S. student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, also recognized that Tutoring and SI can, “provide [students] with that 'sense of direction' in course content, study habits, and even something as simple as a little peer-to-peer moral support... And that all students are welcome to utilize these services... throughout the week, and even on weekends!”
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Management Information System (MIS) Masters Student and Graduate Program Leader for LLB Tutoring Lab, Guolin “Ted” Zhang, remarked on how peer leaders go through an extensive training process throughout the semester: “we [provide] abundant workshops and online training modules… Graduate assistants also give feedback regularly to peer leaders through a structured observation process each week.”
Student Success is recognized as a shared success by all Graduate Program Leaders within Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring. Through the shared efforts of our team members, ASC Tutoring Labs and SI Sessions are places where students can get the most out of group study, with opportunities to develop confidence in their ability to navigate course content. To learn more about these programs, visit our website at
unlv.edu/asc.
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The time immediately before finals can be stressful for UNLV students. So in partnership with UNLV Campus Life, the Writing Center and Aramark Dining Services, the Academic Success Center (ASC) is providing tutoring services in the Dining Commons location during Study Week (December 2-6, from 6pm-9pm) at no additional cost to students! This is an opportunity to receive additional tutoring support for lower division science and math courses while also enjoying a free meal.
Similar to our other ASC Tutoring Locations, the Dining Commons tutoring lab will provide a structured, drop-in study area to review subject material and learning strategies in supported courses; ASC tutors at this location are current UNLV students who have completed the supported courses with a grade of “B” or better, and are recommended by partnering academic faculty.
The easiest way to utilize these services is by registering in advance so that our partners can best prepare appropriate space, as well as free food and drinks for the Dining Commons initiative. This can be done through the registration link found here
http://bit.ly/Fall2019-DCTutoring-StudyWeek
. When a student is ready to use tutoring, they simply present their Rebel Card to the front desk staff to access the Dining Commons Tutoring Lab. The lab will also accept walk-ins for any UNLV student enrolled and actively attending the UNLV course supported by the tutoring lab. For a full listing of available subjects supported by the Dining Commons Location during study week, visit our website at unlv.edu/asc.
Want to learn about our other ASC resources? Academic Success Coaches will also be available at this location to help students develop strategies for successfully navigating college.
For general questions regarding the Dining Commons Tutoring Location during study week, please contact Dr. Daniel Asera, UNLV Campus Life Professor-in-Residence, at 702-882-7666 or
daniel.asera@unlv.edu
. For questions regarding ASC tutoring services, please contact Michael J. Ramirez, Senior Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring, at 702-774-4625 or
michael.ramirez@unlv.edu
.
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Dual enrollment programs are increasing in popularity at all types of higher education institutions, as we continue to learn the many benefits of participation. Here at UNLV, thanks in part to grant funding obtained by local high schools, we have seen a dramatic increase of nearly 150% in dual enrollment participation over the past two years. In southern Nevada, there are approximately seven programs that offer dual enrollment opportunities, two of which are housed under the UNLV Academic Success Center.
The ASC Dual Enrollment Program attracts some of the most high-achieving local students and helps create a more seamless transition for these students, as they move from high school to postsecondary education. The ASC Dual Enrollment Program is the only local program that will accept students to begin earning college credit as early as freshman year of high school. The growing research suggests that dual enrollment participants are more likely to attend college, earn a higher first-year GPA, take less time to complete a degree, and have less likelihood of needing remedial Math and English.
Dual Enrollment students enter UNLV under non-degree seeking status and have an opportunity to complete up to 30 university credits prior to high school graduation. These students typically complete 100- to 200-level coursework, but are eligible to enroll in any university course at UNLV, as long as the students meet the prerequisites. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only about 17% of dual enrollment programs take place on a college campus, as does the ASC Dual Enrollment Program.
Through the program, students also have the opportunity to earn dual credit at their respective high school for the completed UNLV courses. Some local high schools even provide Honors credit for the completed college-level courses. For UNLV staff that may have children in high school, who are interested in dual enrollment courses, please keep in mind that our university’s Grant-In-Aid will extend to children who enroll as non-degree seeking students at UNLV.
Through both quantitative and qualitative analysis, we are able to examine the perceived benefits and positive outcomes of dual enrollment participation. Our data shows that approximately 55% of students who participate at UNLV in dual enrollment end up attending UNLV as a full-time freshman student following high school graduation. This is very significant for UNLV as we continue to work toward our Top Tier goal of Student Achievement by attracting high-achieving students to pursue their undergraduate degrees at UNLV.
Following a recent survey of a small group of dual enrollment students, 92% of students felt better prepared for the transition to college, and 92% believe they now have a better understanding of college expectations. One student commented that dual enrollment participation “eases us into college classes by limiting the number of courses we take; allowing us to adapt to the culture of college and its requirements.” Another dual enrollment student said, “I like being able to experience the college campus lifestyle. It really opened my eyes to how college works and the habits you need to develop in order to succeed.”
When recently asked about her experience in our dual enrollment program, a student from one of our first cohorts, Valerie Lawdensky, said “For me, starting my undergraduate degree never felt like a jarring experience. The program helps students emotionally and mentally by allowing us to go slowly, understand the best study habits, and build friendships on the college campus. When I started undergrad I was almost a junior, then I was able to switch majors without losing any time. I am now on pace to receive my Ph.D. by the age of 26.” Valerie’s commitment to dual enrollment demonstrates the continuing influence that early college participation can have on academic success.
We hope to continue to provide an avenue for students to begin earning college credits early, and provide students the necessary resources that will help elevate their levels of college readiness. If you know anyone who may be interested in participating in dual enrollment courses, please reach out to the ASC Dual Enrollment program at
dualenrollment@unlv.com
or (702) 895-0442.
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The fall semester has been busy for Student-Athlete Academics Services staff as they were all active in campus and community outreach.
In September, David Wedley, Alan Hott, and Rebecca Pugh were honored to be able to present at Academic Council l with Cabinet. This opportunity allowed SAAS to showcase some of their academic successes with student-athletes over the past few semesters. The presentation focused on retention and graduation rates, as well as effective methods used for first-year student success. The presentation and initiatives discussed received praise from UNLV President Dr. Marta Meana.
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Jen Villalobos educated future Rebels on NCAA rules as she represented SAAS at Rebel Preview, a UNLV Admissions fall semester open house event. At this event future students and their families were able to drop-in on Jen’s presentation on how to pursue collegiate athletics and what standards they must meet with the NCAA in order to do so.
In October, both David Wedley and Kim Marano spoke to high schools across the valley. David attended Silverado High School and educated 45 high school student-athletes on the NCAA Eligibility Center, the recruiting process, and the academic expectations of a Division I program. Kim was invited to SLAM Academy in Henderson where she gave a similar presentation to a group of high school students hoping for a future career in Division I athletics. These face-to-face interactions with the SAAS staff give high school students the opportunity to be thinking about their athletic career after high school graduation, and the presentations provide clarity on what can often be viewed as an intimidating process.
Whether it be with current, incoming, or potential future Rebels, SAAS continues to be an important resource in helping to navigate the NCAA eligibility waters.
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The ASC’s first-year seminar, COLA 100E, is designed to help students explore themselves and how they want to contribute to UNLV, Las Vegas, and the world. To support this process, we often advise students either to reflect on service work they have done in the past or look for opportunities to volunteer now. As our textbook reminds students, “Volunteer service not only gives you the opportunity to serve your community, it also gives you the opportunity to explore different work environments and gain work experience in career fields relating to your area of service” (Cuseo, Thompson, Campagna, & Fecas, 2016, p. 312). While we encourage service, we have not always had opportunities to incorporate service-learning into the class curriculum.
Happily, this Fall 2019, a group of COLA 100E students were able to explore the learning opportunities possible through service. We partnered with Opportunity Village, a local non-profit that supports adults with disabilities. First, a community liaison and OV ambassador came to class to discuss the organization: its mission, history, and programs. Next, we invited UNLV’s Service Learning & Leadership team to speak with us about good citizenship and ethics in the context of working with community partners. With that preparation under our belts, the whole group met at Opportunity Village for a few hours of exploring the campus, meeting the clients, and supporting the work Opportunity Village was accomplishing that day. On their own, students are now gaining at least three additional hours in support of Opportunity Village’s programs, such as their retail store and the Magical Forest.
As a group, we are still thinking through this experience. Our final group discussion and reflection on our work with Opportunity Village will take place in the last week of the semester. Even so, I can confidently say that the impact on the class has been positive. For many Las Vegas natives, it was exciting to see the inner workings of an organization that they only knew as the source of the Magical Forest. As a class, we discussed how welcomed we felt at Opportunity Village and how hospitable everyone was; it truly seemed to be a “village,” a small community that feels like home for so many people. We considered how we can create welcoming environments of our own, in the classroom, at our workplace, among our friends. We shared how service strengthens our interpersonal skills, as meeting and working with so many strangers demands a capacity to start and continue conversations, remember names quickly, and project a warm and welcoming attitude. In mid-semester presentations, students again and again mentioned their excitement for and anticipation of the challenges of their selected college major--an embrace of challenge rooted in the experience of having gone so far out of their comfort zone to complete this service project.
Opportunity Village’s motto is “Pride. Purpose. And A Paycheck.” As this group of COLA 100E students considers what careers will provide them with paychecks in the future, they are also discovering their larger purpose and taking pride in their COLA 100E and UNLV experience. Wes Moore, the author of this year’s COLA 100E common reader,
The Work: Searching for a Life that Matters
, believes that “Success and service are increasingly intertwined. . . . Service simply means we embrace the possibility of living for more than ourselves” (2015, pp. xx-xxi). In COLA 100E this semester, these are the questions we are asking: what successes come from our service to others, and how might service lead us to unexpected successes--academic, professional, and personal? It has been an amazing opportunity.
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Thank you for your support!
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STAY CONNECTED WITH US
@UNLV_ASC
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