Editor,
UNM faculty contributions are often overlooked. I just can’t let this go unmentioned. I have had the honor of working with UNM’s great minds, faculty, staff and teaching assistants: the instructors in UNM’s freshman academic choice seminars. Their direct impact on student retention is well-documented, starting at 71.5 percent in 1997 and growing to 79 percent and 78 percent in 2008 and 2009. 2010 was a tough year for all involved in freshman instruction. Now we celebrate the fact that our collaborative efforts have resulted in a significant bounce back in freshman retention success.
University College is the “place for freshmen.” UNM’s deans of University College have been and continue to be dedicated to leading the University in the effort to bring all persons and groups into the student retention initiative. University College has come full circle. It was modeled after the National First Year Experience Foundations of Excellence, nationally recognized for freshman programming excellence and now, with the support of President Frank, is engaging Foundations of Excellence leaders to help UNM construct the next decade of third-term freshman retention success.
I want to take a moment to share recognition for freshman retention success with UNM’s best, the freshman-level instructors, University College’s freshman seminar instructors, the graduate teaching assistants, the advisers and student service staff who meet multiple times each week in the classroom with our freshmen, mentoring and guiding them as they teach foundation, 100-level courses.
I would like to take this one step further. I have observed a deep dedication from the provost’s Office of Support for Teaching, and Gary Smith, our guide and mentor in classroom success, including best practices in university-level collaborative teaching and learning studio techniques.
I concur with Provost Abdallah, who said “No one person or group can move the student retention mountain.” University College is the place where freshmen begin their academic journey. Faculty and staff across campus in each UNM college and school welcome, inspire and prepare each UNM freshman for academic success.
Please join me as I celebrate and recognize our freshmen, faculty and instructors along with enrollment management, student services and each participant in the student success initiative.
Mary Thomas
University College Freshman Academic Choice program manager
