Under the leadership of Academic Support Specialist Alex Petrolia, the SAAS Excellence Center is a space where student-athletes can freely utilize and gather for a variety of academic purposes. Alex hopes the Excellence Center will allow student-athletes to build a sense of community as they engage and interact with those from athletic teams other than their own.
The Excellence Center also features a computer lab, tutoring and study hall spaces, as well as a textbook library and electronic equipment loan program. Various workshops will be offered throughout the school year and coordinated in conjunction with the Academic Success Center and the UNLV Athletics Department. A workshop on stress management, featuring UNLV Athletics Staff Psychologist Dr. Kacey Oiness-Thompson, has already been planned for finals week.
Additionally, for finals week, the SAAS staff is excited to bring back "Fuel For Finals" for all student-athletes as they prepare for upcoming final examinations. This semester’s event will take place in the Excellence Center, and will be the first time in almost two years that SAAS has been able to provide this service to student-athletes.
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Academic Success Coaching
SSC-A, Room 254
702-895-0975
asccoaching@unlv.edu
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General Subjects Tutoring
LLB, 2nd Floor
702-895-3199
tutoring@unlv.edu
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Engineering Tutoring Lab
TBE A309 & Virtual
702-895-2910
engtutoring@unlv.edu
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Supplemental Instruction
702-774-4625
si@unlv.edu
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ComLab
ASC 101, GUA 413, & Virtual
702-895-3177
comlab@unlv.edu
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Advising
Virtual Drop-in Advising: Fri. 9-4
Or Call for an Appointment
702-895-3177
ascadvising@unlv.edu
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Dr. Brandy Smith, Executive Director of Finance and Administration, with UNLV Biological Sciences senior Rebecca Smith, received the Best Poster Award at the National Symposium on Student Retention (NSSR) conference on November 2-5. Their poster was titled Implementation and Assessment of Two Strategic Outreach Campaigns on a Diverse Campus: Implications for Retention and Student Success.
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Elizabeth Johnson, Senior Academic Advisor, Nikki Bennett, Graduate Assistant, and Arianna Portillo, ASC Front & Center Lead Ambassador, published the following articles:
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Johnson, E. A., Portillo, A., Bennett, N. E., and Gray, P. B. (2021). Exploring women's oxytocin responses to interactions with their pet cats. PeerJ 9:e12393 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12393
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Bennett, N., & Johnson, E. (2021). The potential for a "Tiger King Effect': Analysis of public and media response to the Netflix series 'Tiger King", Networking Knowledge: Journal of the MeCCSA Postgraduate Network, 14(2), 124-146. https://doi.org/10.31165/nk.2021.142.642
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The 2021 Academic All-District Football and Volleyball Teams, selected by CoSIDA, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field or court and in the classroom. For the first time in program history, UNLV had three football student-athletes named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Football team:
- Charles Williams
- Eliel Ehimare
- Austin Ajiake
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Nikki Bennett
Graduate Assistant
Academic Transitions and Learning Support
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Why drew you to UNLV, both as a student and as an employee?
I attended a conference back in 2018 or 2019 and there was a poster that had UNLV credentials. I reached out to that person, Shelly Volsche, who was a Ph.D. student and part of the ASC. She put me in contact with the person who is now my current advisor, so it came full circle.
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In 2020, I started volunteering with the Anthropology department. I wasn't a student yet, but based on those interactions, which were really positive and welcoming, I decided to apply.
Tell us about your academic journey. What are you currently studying?
I received my Bachelor's of Science in Zoology at North Carolina State University and then I got my Master's of Science at Canisius College in Anthrozoology. Here, I am putting that Anthro piece together and now I am a Ph.D. student in Anthropology. Currently, for my research, I'm in the process of collaborating with a large corporation, although nothing's been signed on the dotted line yet. I'll be working with a pet genetics company and looking at how pet owners use genetic tests and whether that affects how they perceive their pet animal and if it has any impacts on the human-animal bond.
Describe your job duties as a graduate assistant in the ASC?
For the general subjects Tutoring program, my primary responsibility is to support the student workers, specifically tutors. I like to serve as a reference point; to make people happy. If the tutors are happy, then they are offering great services. A main aspect is coordinating the schedules, not for the tutors only, but also for the subject availability. We pay attention to whether there is a high-demand subject or if there is a specific time of day that is busier, and we try to coordinate to meet those needs. I've also worked on interdepartmental collaborations, for example, with the Department of Economics. Their GAs come and spend some of their hours with us in the LLB.
You started working for Tutoring just as Lied Library in-person tutoring opened after the pandemic. How was that experience?
Welcomed, very much welcomed. During my interview, it was prefaced that this job would be in person. I want to be there in person. I would be hesitant if they told me it would have to go all online. I was ready to get some human interaction again. The staff and the students, everyone is so nice. It's nice to have that social interaction instead of being at home behind a computer screen - that's for sure.
What is a common misconception about Tutoring that you would like to clarify?
For the most part, students understand how the service works because they are pretty proactive about using our website information or by calling before coming in to ask for information before they start using Tutoring. There are some common questions that we get. Students will ask about the cost - "how much will it cost for me to get a tutor?" There is no cost. It's free. It's part of the undergraduate tuition/fees. Some students have also asked if they can get support for activities outside of the classroom. In that case, we only offer support as it relates to coursework, not personal endeavors.
What advice would you give to students who haven't attended Tutoring yet and may have some apprehension?
The number one apprehension right now has to do with the pandemic, of course. We are following all the UNLV and CDC guidelines. The student workers are really good about disinfecting common areas or commonly used materials. Everyone is spaced out right now, so it's not overly crowded. Another concern is that some students perceive that they might not be able to use Tutoring because they don't have certain resources, like a laptop, calculator, or textbook. We have those, so if for some reason a student doesn't have a laptop, we can still work with them. We have calculators, we have some in-house textbooks, so we're here to help.
As you've mentioned, you're also a graduate student at UNLV. How do you balance your coursework and your other obligations?
Typically, I understand my limitations and my abilities to work, and based on those self-reflections, then I make my schedule and manage my time. I have a really good understanding of my boundaries as well, so that's really important to balance class, personal, and work obligations.
What are your plans after graduation?
I'm most likely to pursue a post-doc opportunity after graduation. I have intentions of going into academia, but as I mentioned earlier, I'm collaborating with a company right now, and they've indicated that it's a good private industry, so they may steer me to work for them. That would be great too.
Tutoring will be closed over the holiday break. Do you have any special plans?
I actually plan to visit my family in North Carolina. I have not been home for Christmas since 2015 when I move away, so this is a big deal. Aside from leisurely activity, believe it or not, I am on a conference hosting committee for the International Society of Anthropology conference in the summer. Since I won't be in class and I'll be off from work, I will be putting a lot of focus into getting ready for the spring.
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Johan Flores
UNLV Freshman
Engineering Pathways
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What is your year and major?
I'm a freshman and right now I'm exploring majors, but I've been considering going into Computer Science and maybe minoring in Entrepreneurship. I've been thinking of starting a business, but I've also been into programming, so I thought maybe I can combine the two.
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Why did you choose to come to UNLV?
I've lived here all my life, so I kind of wanted to stay here. In high school, we did a field trip to UNLV and I liked it. I liked the area. I liked the staff I met on the field trip. I guess I just decided to stay in my comfort zone by staying in Las Vegas.
As a first-year student at UNLV, what has surprised you the most about the college experience?
I think what surprised me the most was how easy it is to meet people. In high school, once you meet a certain group of people, you tend to stick to them for all four years. But in college, I think because we are all new to it, it's easier to talk to new people because we're all going through the same thing. I was surprised by how friendly everyone was. I think what surprised me even more was the size of the classes - the lectures. It's very different than what I was used to in high school.
You're in the COLA 100E First-Year Seminar. What is your favorite thing about that class?
My favorite thing would be how the class introduces you to all of the resources you have in college. I tend to call that class a "college studies" class. In high school, we had a freshman studies class and I consider it to be similar in how it introduces you to college. We get to learn more about our campus and what we can do with it. I guess another favorite thing would actually be my classmates. Because it's a small class you get to know everybody, so it's actually nice going to a class and getting to talk to everyone, knowing them already. The students are all at the same point (freshmen), so no matter what, we have something in common, we're all there for a reason.
What academic resources have you used since being at UNLV?
The first service I used was the online Writing Center. I had to do an essay for English and I wasn't really sure how I was doing on the paper. We weren't doing peer reviews in class, so I heard about the Writing Center and I emailed them my essay and the rubric. I liked it because they replied to me with all of the feedback and how the paper could be improved. They don't actually try to tell you how to change it, but they point you in a good direction on how you can improve it. I really like that a lot because they actually helped me get a good grade.
Another service I used is Advising. I've talked to my advisor, Sheetal, at least two or three times this semester. She's been helping me a lot because I wasn't sure about my classes or about my major direction. I wasn't sure if I was going to go into Business or Computer Science, but she introduced the idea of going into the Computer Science major and then the Entrepreneurship minor. Honestly, without her, I don't think I would have thought to do that. I'm pretty sure advisors are your go-to for questions about your future in college.
What is the best piece of advice you have been given so far at UNLV?
I think it would be to not be afraid to try something different or to ask questions. We have all of these services and a lot of people are nervous to try them. One of my friends told me, "just go to it, you won't regret it, you'll enjoy it." I think the same thing for events or meeting new people, just try to be outgoing. My friend also told me that making friends is important because later, in the future, you can create a good networking system. You can meet new people and new opportunities.
Who is a person in your life that has been extremely influential? Why?
I want to say both of my parents, but if I had to pick one, it would be my dad. He didn't finish his education. He only finished middle school in Mexico - and that's it. He's influential to me because of how hard he struggled. He still kept persisting and going, and well, here he is, successful having a family and not having to worry about financial issues or things like that. He's always guided me too, so if I've had issues, he's been there to tell me what I can do and not to stress too much. He's like a best friend to me too because we have a relationship where we can talk about anything. It's like talking to a dad, but at the same time, like a close friend you've had for a long time.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years, I hopefully see myself having my business started and it's going somewhere. It doesn't have to be extremely successful, but at the point to where everyone know its my business and it's going. In ten years, I'll be almost 30, so I'll be trying to start a family with a wife and kids, and a job hopefully related to my major.
What is something on your personal bucket list?
I think buying a car because I've been working to save money. I have a truck now, but I want to buy like a 2015 Mustang or something. I just hope, at some point, I can afford the car and buy.
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Hixson-Lied Success
Scholarship Program:
Applications Open Now!
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.
This program provides students:
- A scholarship in the amount of $1,250 per semester ($2,500 per year) for up to 8 semesters
- 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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Be sure to follow the ASC on Social Media! |
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