Dear Student Affairs Colleagues,

Lights, Camera, Action! At our Division All-Staff Gathering on September 19, we officially unveiled our new Innovating the Student Experience video which is featured on the homepage of our reimagined division website and will be highlighted in future presentations of our new strategic plan.

In lieu of a longer message this week, I invite you to watch and see your colleagues from across the division as they share their motivations, practices, and values for supporting all Lobos.

With appreciation,

Eric

The From Passion to Profession: Your Journey in Student Affairs student employee professional development day has been postponed.

Our primary goal is to ensure that each professional development opportunity provides the most engaging, valuable, and dynamic experience possible for all participants. Based on the expected attendance, we felt it would be better to regroup to provide other opportunities rather than proceed with a scaled down event that may not meet your expectations. We will plan to host this event in the spring.

Keep an eye out for upcoming events and celebrations involving student employees and Careers in Student Affairs Month.

UNM Silent Lights Returns

Following the Rio Grande Rivalry football game, University Stadium is ready to switch from a screaming, sold-out student section to silence—well, a silent disco. The new location will have students “running back” to Silent Lights this year.

Now in its 8th year, Silent Lights will be held on the University Stadium North Concourse on Thursday, Oct. 2, from 7 to 10 p.m. Free parking will be available in the South lot, as well as shuttles from Main Campus to the stadium. Parking and shuttle maps will be posted prior to the event.

Join other UNM Students in this Homecoming Week Campus Cleanup! We'll be raking leaves, planting flowers, laying mulch, planting trees, and generally beautifying campus!

Next Professional Development Committee First Friday Event October 3

Please join the DSA Professional Development committee for their next First Fridays event, at Student Publications this Friday, Oct. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bring your lunch and connect with fellow Student Affairs staff.

Join Career Services for the UNM Graduate & Professional School Fair Thursday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the UNM Student Union Building Ballrooms!

Participants can explore graduate, law, medical, business, and professional school programs from across New Mexico and beyond — all in one place, all in one afternoon. The fair is a great chance to chat with admissions representatives face-to-face, learn about program options, application tips, and deadlines, and compare schools and discover what’s right for them.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Board of Regents' recognition of The University of New Mexico’s LGBTQ+ Resource Center as an official University center serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community.

However, the presence of the LGBTQ community on the UNM campus dates back to 1971, when it was called the Juniper Club. Over the years, the name has evolved as the community grew. It later became the Gay, Lesbian Student Union, followed by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Student Union, which was the name when students began working on opening up a dedicated center for the LGBTQ community.

As part of the 15-year anniversary of the LGBTQ Resource Center, a flag-raising ceremony will be held on Oct. 1 at 11:30 a.m. Several speakers will participate, including Flores, Vice President of the Division for Change and Empowerment (DiCE), Assata Zerai, and a student. Once the flag is raised, they’ll march from Scholes Hall to the SUB Plaza and hold their Pride Howl from 12 to 1 p.m. Additional festivities will include music, a drag show, and light refreshments, including a lemonade bar and cookies.

Parenting students make up nearly one in five college students nationwide—and UNM is taking bold steps to ensure they feel seen, supported, and included. As part of Parenting Student Awareness Month, the UNM Children's Campus hosted several events throughout September.

They kicked off the month by hosting President Stokes' Traveling Office Hours in the new Parenting Student Space in the SUB, where we discussed ways to support Parenting Students. Additionally they officially opened their new Parenting Student Space located in the Student Union Building, Room 1034.

The new hub is conveniently located near a lactation space and offers parenting students a welcoming place to connect, access resources, study, and build community, all while balancing family and academic life.

In a time of significant stress, some members of the UNM community might not be feeling the sense of belonging on our campus that we strive for. To reiterate to our Lobos that we're in this together and here for each other, departments from across campus are uniting again for another The Pack's Got Your Back initiative, on Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Duck Pond Alumni Clock.

The Mentoring Institute is hosting the 18th Annual Mentoring Conference, Developmental Networks for Wellbeing: The Impact of Mentoring on Individual and Organizational Performance and Growth, October 20-24 in the UNM Student Union Building.

Faculty, staff, students, researchers, K–12 educators, community leaders, administrators, nonprofit collaborators, government representatives, and other interested professionals are invited to attend. The conference will feature three facilitated learning sessions, two pre-conference workshops, nine plenary sessions, and more than 150 individual and panel presentations —each designed to foster meaningful connections and shared learning.

2025 Hispanic Heritage Month Events Continue

There is still time to participate in the remaining events! Everybody is welcome to learn and celebrate, please join us for our following events or stop by El Centro to view exhibit.