Dr. Scott in the Innovating the Student Experience video.

Dear Student Affairs Colleagues,

This is an exciting week in the Division of Student Affairs. Following the formal launch of our new Innovating the Student Experience strategic plan earlier this year, our teams have been working diligently to ensure that our implementation is backed by a strong support system, clear messaging, and a continued grounding in our sense of place at The University of New Mexico.

In a few weeks, we will be formally naming the drivers for each of the 31 objectives laid out under six goals we collectively advanced as a division. To match this next phase in our development, we have also created a new video that will be featured prominently on the division website homepage redesign. This video, which features voices from across our units speaking to how and why they advance our work to innovate the student experience, will officially premiere this Friday at the division All Staff Gathering.

I sincerely hope you will join us for our regular coffee hour beginning at 8 a.m. on the SUB Plaza South Patio and then transition with us after our group picture around 9 a.m. for our regular all staff in the SUB Theater where we will watch the new video together. It truly is a dynamic moment to be in Student Affairs at UNM, and I am grateful for the continued opportunities to advance our campus, culture, and community, together. 

With appreciation,

Eric

Lobos y Lowriders

Stop by the SUB/Cornell Mall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see lowriders from local car clubs, and enjoy music and a food truck to kick off the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.

This event is sponsored by Chicana/o Studies and the Student Activities Center.

Fall All Staff Gathering and Innovating the Student Experience Video Premiere this Friday!

Please join us for the Fall All Staff Gathering where we will premiere the Innovating the Student Experience Student Affairs video. To celebrate this special debut, we’re moving the event to the SUB Theater—because every great film deserves the big screen.

Join us at 8 a.m. on the SUB Plaza South Patio to take advantage of the beautiful fall morning for coffee and networking. At 9 a.m. we’ll head into the SUB Theater for the gathering and the video premiere.

Red Rally Bonfire and Pep Rally

Please join the football team, spirit squads and Spirit Marching Band and over 3,000 students, who will be on hand for the annual Red Rally on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. on Johnson Field. The event features the burning of a 25' tall Aggie at the stake to get pumped up for the game vs NMSU!

Leadership Workshop

Join the Student Activities Center for a Leadershiip Workshop on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the SUB Ballrooms.

Save the Date: CSAM DSA Student Employee Professional Development Day

This professional development day is designed for student employees working in the Division of Student Affairs to explore career opportunities in the field, connect with professionals, and develop skills for future success. 

Sessions include:

• Plugged In: Getting Connected with NASPA, NUFP & Dungy Leadership Institute
• Level Up! Grad School Prep & Personal Branding That Pops 
• Adulting 101: Mastering Your Post-Grad Financial Journey 
• Finding your why: identity and Purpose in Student Affairs 
• Thriving in the Field: Mental Health and Well-Being in Student Affairs
• Investing in Yourself: Funding Your Professional Development 

All DSA student employees will receive a calendar invite which will serve as their RSVP.

Digital accessibility is no new practice for The University of New Mexico, and now a federal ruling is bringing positive change to public universities nationwide.

On April 24, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a new rule on digital accessibility under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This rule requires that all web materials and mobile apps used by public entities at federal and state levels, including colleges and universities, be accessible beginning April 24, 2026.

This rule largely works to codify values that UNM has endeavored to represent as part of its mission. Phrases like “Everyone’s a Lobo” and “Each of Us Defines All of Us” are core to our community. Those phrases will now echo into UNM's digital touch points, from publishing accessible course materials, to blogs, to videos and images on social media to all other digital interactions with the University. UNM will continue to prioritize individuals with accessibility needs as a key aspect of its digital discourse and services.