grades?" or "Should I take that class in a content area in which I struggle?" At the Academic Success Center (ASC), our programs always strive to bridge students towards a successful college experience. Our mission of empowering students has not shifted during the pandemic, and programs such as our ASC Tutoring program have found new ways to connect students to our knowledgeable and dedicated staff of peer leaders.
Our primary tutoring locations on campus have moved to a fully-online delivery model to protect the health and safety of our students and staff. However, student users can still expect to receive the same high quality tutoring experience that they had received in our physical locations at Lied Library and the Thomas T. Beam (TBE) Building. Even during these challenging times, virtual tutoring is able to serve a robust number of UNLV students. Through our Zoom video conferencing platform, students can meet with tutors using our drop-in model and receive live peer-to-peer assistance towards empowerment in historically difficult course content.
When logging onto Zoom after using the access code from the ASC Tutoring website, students are greeted by one of our front desk leaders and placed into a break out room, where they are connected to a tutor right away. Tutoring is available for historically difficult courses Monday through Friday, as well as Sunday. We are proud to offer tutoring courses supported by both LLB Tutoring Lab and our EGR Tutoring Center. Students who need support in content areas that are not currently listed on our subject availability need not fret, but simply reach out to us through email (either through tutoring@unlv.edu or engtutoring@unlv.edu) and we will provide our best efforts to find a tutor that covers that course. The ASC works diligently to ensure that the commitment to our UNLV students remains unfazed by the coronavirus pandemic. With that, we commit to continue supporting our students with a comprehensive tutoring experience. We may be observing social distancing, but we are never distant as a resource connected to student success.
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Welcome President Whitfield |
The ASC sends a very warm and heartfelt welcome to UNLV President, Dr. Keith E. Whitfield. We are so excited to work with you on advancing student success!! |
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Attend a Virtual Academic Success Coaching Workshop
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With the October Rising Toward Success Series:
- Taking Tests (10/5, 10/6, 10/7)
- Taking Care of Yourself (10/12, 10/13, 10/14)
- Staying Motivated (10/19, 10/20, 10/21)
- Bouncing Back from Failure (10/26, 10/27, 10/28)
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First-Generation Celebration Week: November 6 - 13 |
ASC First-Gen Connect
11/10/2020
SAVE THE DATE!
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Awards:
- Sheetal Survase, Academic Advisor, was awarded the NACADA Region 9 Excellence in Advising - New Advisor Award.
- Nicole Stella, Assistant Director of Advising and Retention, Progression, and Completion was awarded the NACADA Region 9 Excellence in Advising - Advising Innovation Certificate of Merit.
Appointments:
- Dr. Joe Ervin, Assistant Professor-in-Residence, has been selected as one of the 2020-2021 Faculty Center Fellows.
Publications:
- Hartley, K., Bendixen, L. D., Gianoutsos, D., & Shreve, E. (In Press). The Smartphone in self-regulated learning and student success: Clarifying relationships and testing an intervention. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education.
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STUDENT & STAFF SPOTLIGHTS |
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Nate Neal
Class of 2021
B.S. Psychology
UNLV Football Defensive Lineman
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Why did you choose to come to UNLV?
I wanted to be a part of a success story - UNLV had a vision that I could see for myself. When I visited Las Vegas, I could tell the people were invested in UNLV and were serious in wanting to be pioneers.
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What role has the ASC played in your success at UNLV?
The ASC has always been a safe space to go - the people are my family away from home. People like David Wedley, Noah Johanson, Kim Marano, Kim Drew, and Dr. Joe Ervin have been very influential, helpful, and supportive. If I need direction, I know I can always reach out to them and they can point me in the right direction.
What are your plans after graduating?
I want to continue with my education. First, I want to get a masters and then a doctorate - a Psy.D. degree. I hope to someday have a role in leadership in the workplace and education.
What is one piece of advice you would give to new UNLV students?
Talk to people, go to meetings, go to clubs - even if you’re unsure - even if you feel you don’t belong! That’s how you create meaningful relationships. Create mentorships or friendships with the people you admire.
What’s one good thing that you’ve learned or discovered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Patience and how to communicate better! Communicating with people, reaching out to people and relating from different backgrounds. It’s good to find one common thing, speaking in terms of communication, it helps you have a better experience in life.
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Tiffany Schmier
Senior Academic Advisor
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According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (2020), an employee stays in a job for an average of 4.2 years.
Twenty-year UNLV employee and Senior Academic Advisor for the Academic Success Center (ASC), Tiffany Schmier, might argue that the statistic doesn’t include people who love their job.
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Tiffany started working at UNLV in 2000 as a student-employee selling ad space for the student newspaper, later moving into student government. She noticed she really enjoyed working with faculty and staff, one of whom mentioned that she might be a good advisor. When Tiffany enjoyed a Masters in Higher Education class and worked as a graduate assistant for the College of Education Advising Center, her decision to stay in higher ed was solidified. She accepted her first professional role at UNLV as an Advisor in the College of Education. She then moved to advising in the Honors College, where she remained for almost ten years. Tiffany transitioned to the ASC three years ago, where she is now a Senior Academic Advisor.
Tiffany describes her role in the ASC as a “little bit of everything.” In the Honors College, she focused on a very specific subset of students, while the ASC allows her the opportunity to “see the whole picture.” Tiffany finds her background in School Psychology, where she learned to work in distinct ways to meet different students’ needs, has become particularly helpful in serving the ASC’s diverse student population. Without hesitation, Tiffany describes her favorite part of the job as “getting to know” her students and “getting caught up in their enthusiasm.”
Although a major part of being an academic advisor is listening, Tiffany describes that this duty has really increased and become critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s found that students are “more eager to talk,” especially with “people other than in their house.” Tiffany also highlights that, during this time, students have been much more adaptable and forward-thinking, which aligns perfectly with her favorite piece of advice for UNLV students: “Be proactive, not reactive (especially with financial aid - don’t wait)!”
When asked what is on Tiffany’s wish list for UNLV in the next ten years, Tiffany mentioned that she would love to see the campus continue to find new ways to support students. She specifically mentions that a cohesive, wrap-around services center, similar to some model institutions around the country, would enable faculty and staff to help students even more. Tiffany is also passionate about the UNLV Food Pantry, which she would love to see grow to help even more students, staff, and faculty.
For her personal bucket list, Tiffany hopes to one day soon publish a children’s book about her neighborhood cat, Mr. Wiggles. The book is already written and a caricature of the leading character has been secured, with additional illustrations and the publication process in the works. As a member of the UNLV Faculty Senate, Tiffany also hopes to move into a Senior Senator position. She doesn’t exclude returning to school, as she has been mulling over a certificate program (possibly in Public Health). One thing is certain - Tiffany’s future plans definitely include UNLV!
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Start the Semester Strong!
Some of the ASC's COLA 100E First-Year Seminar instructors participated in a back-to-school social media campaign with tips on "Starting the Semester Strong." Here are some images and excerpts from their important student success advice!
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Be sure to follow the ASC on Social Media! |
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Hixson-Lied Success Scholarship Program:
Applications Open 10/1
Thousands of students across Nevada may never have the opportunity to earn a college degree primarily because of economic and academic challenges, and there are very few programs in place to help these students. The UNLV Hixson-Lied Success Scholars Program helps make a difference in the lives of these students by providing both financial and academic support through the ASC.
The program provides students:
- A scholarship in the amount of $1,250 per semester ($2,500 per year) for up to eight semesters.
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Academic Success Coaching sessions.
- The ability to make a difference through serving peers and giving back to UNLV.
- Access to the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars Newsletter, a monthly newsletter created by the scholars.
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