Welcome to the Division of Student Affairs!

UNM Mentoring Institute Hosts 2008 Mentoring Conference

The UNM Mentoring Institute invites you to participate in its inaugural conference on mentoring best practices in higher education, October 22-24, 2008 on the main campus of The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The conference theme is Fostering a Mentoring Culture in the 21st Century: Bringing Best Practices and Research to Higher Education. The intent of the conference is to provide a professional development opportunity to researchers and professionals involved in mentoring in higher education. Attendees will share ideas in scholarly, practice-oriented sessions. For more information on the conference visit: http://mentor.unm.edu/conference.html

For the latest edition of the Student Affairs Update Newsletter, click here.

Don’t Miss Out!  

The Outdoor/Bike shop will participate in the Fall 2008 Alternative Transportation Fair on Tues. Oct. 7 from 10am to 2 pm on the Cornell Mall. Stop by for information on the shop and upcoming bike clinics. 

RED Rally Tonight!

Get your “blaze” on at the annual RED RALLY tonight at 8 pm on Johnson Field!  Watch as the 20ft. Aggie goes up in flames and cheer on the Lobos as they try to burn up the Aggies on the field on Saturday night in Las Cruces.

 

Soar to New Heights with Ronald E. McNair Program Research Conference

The UNM Ronald E. McNair Program is excited to welcome the 2008 Southwest Rocky Mountain Ronald E. McNair Research Conference and Graduate and Professional School Fair on Oct. 1-4 at the Student Union Building on the UNM campus.

With over 25 graduate schools, UNM faculty participants, and students from 20 institutions throughout the country presenting research, UNM and Colorado State University are collaborating to make this conference an invaluable venue for students to explore their graduate school options. 

In the spirit of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, conference coordinators aim to echo his hope and encouragement for those wishing to pursue their dreams of higher education through a graduate and professional school fair, poster presentations, a faculty/student engagement luncheon and more.

The $125 registration fee also includes Salsa lessons and transportation to and from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.  For more information on the conference, or to register online, please visit http://www.unm.edu/~mcnair/conference/index.html.

OSA Celebrates Student Leaders

UNM student leaders were honored with food, fun and fanfare last week at the Annual Student Leaders Dinner at the SUB.  UNM Provost, Dr. Suzanne Ortega and UNM VP for Enrollment Management, Dr. Carmen Brown, joined UNM VP for Student Affairs, Dr. Eliseo Torres to thank these influential leaders for their dedication to the students of UNM.

The event was another installment in what has been a long-standing tradition at the University.  “The goal of the dinner is to celebrate the accomplishments of the student leaders,” says, Debbie Morris, Director of the UNM Student Activities Center.

“We are extremely proud of you,” Torres said while addressing the group. “You give so much to the University and the students.” 

Shortly after Torres spoke, each student leader was asked to come up and get a handshake and a UNM tote bag as a symbol of appreciation.  The Student Leaders Dinner is an annual event sponsored by the UNM Division of Student Affairs and the UNM Student Activities Center.

Hispanic Heritage Month Kicks Off with Postal Pomp and Circumstance 

Complete with mariachis and oversized replicas, the newest U.S. postal stamp, “Latin Jazz” was unveiled today at the UNM SUB as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.  

The unveiling was sponsored by the UNM Division of Student Affairs, the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee, De Colores, Inc. and the U.S. Postal Service.

Photo: Veronica Mendez-Cruz and Margaret Romero Unveil "Latin Jazz"

The occasion marked the beginning of a series of events that these groups have planned focusing on Hispanic heritage.  “This month focuses on the strengths and talents the Hispanic community has to offer including, arts, music, dance, poetry and much more,” says Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, President of De Colores, Inc. and director of the UNM Title V Program.

“Hispanic Heritage Month is about bringing the community together to celebrate as one,” she continues.  “We have many different perspectives and priorities and the celebration is a venue to come together to truly celebrate our heritage and culture.”

Among the scheduled events is the “De Colores Annual Leadership Banquet” at 6 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Albuquerque Grand Hotel.  The banquet is a way to honor community and student leaders and members who have made significant contributions to the Hispanic Community. 

This year, Sparx and Lorenzo Antonio will be presented with the humanitarian award for their contributions to NM students through their annual scholarship concert. 

“We are proud to honor them this year.”  Gomez-Chavez says.  “Every year, they give so much to the students of New Mexico and we excited to be able to give something back to them.”  Tables are still available for purchase and can be obtained by contacting Jennifer at 505-277-7763.

Also scheduled between now and Oct. 8, are plenty of noon-time campus events aimed at strengthening knowledge about Hispanic heritage.  “The campus events are geared toward educating students, faculty and staff about diverse populations,” Gomez-Chavez says. 

“We are using this venue to create cultural awareness and respect not only for Hispanics, but for our entire diverse population.”  For a complete listing of events visit the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce at http://www.ahcnm.org.

Click on Student Life Master Plan Link on left-hand side to read about all the plans our Division is working on to enhance students' life on campus.

The plan focuses on:

• Opportunity to enhance and improve current facilities that are old and outdated and provide students of today the ability to enjoy fully integrated services, activities and facilities.

•  Student recruitment, retention and graduation rates will increase through an enhanced overall campus experience

Looking for even more useful Student Affairs information? Click on the New Faculty Orientation link on the left-hand side for useful information for students, faculty and staff alike!