Nepantla's Día de los Muertos Celebration!

I was honored to welcome an enthusiastic crowd of students, faculty, families, and friends to celebrate Día de los Muertos on Friday evening, November 1st, a time that we remember our loved ones and celebrate their life. The Nevada State community has also taken the opportunity to interpret this day as a celebration of social justice, social movements, and to bring awareness to causes. Student groups and organizations lovingly crafted over 30 altars for display and discussion in the ballroom and hallway. Through the Day of the Dead celebration, the Nepantla Program brings culture and tradition to our college campus as a way of teaching, learning, and building community. Because of celebrations like this, Nevada State families are starting to see campus as a place of bonding and fellowship. I would like to thank all the campus collaborators that aided the Nepantla organizers: Office of Arts and Culture, Marydean Martin Library, student clubs, the Office of Marketing and Events, Facilities, Dining, IT, Academic Success Center, CEDI, students from Environmental Science 101, TRiO, Mi Familia Vota, and the Office of the Provost.

The Great Haunt

The Provost’s Office would like to thank all fiendish and fabulous merry-makers for their fun participation in the Great Haunt 2019 on Hallows Eve Day. The costumes and ghoulish treats were very creative and delicious! The intestines cinnamon rolls were particularly delightful, winning “Best Presentation,” and the “Best Tasting” award went to the spider dip. For office costumes, IT won “Spookiest” for the theme We Are Steve; “Most Wicked” went to Marketing and Events for Classic Rock Stars; and “Most Spirited” went to the Library for Low-Cost Textbooks Super Heroes!” A Happy Halloween was had by all!

Unit Strategic Plans

Now that the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, Delivering on the Promise, is complete and the internal implementation plan for major initiatives and projects is almost finalized, it is time to begin work on Unit Strategic Plans. Each Unit Strategic Plan will cover the goals and action items of a unit for the next two years, beginning Fall 2019 to Spring 2021. The plans will be due annually each May and progress reports will be due each September. 

The first Unit Strategic Plans are due to the Provost Office by May 15, 2020, but early submissions are highly encouraged. The progress report will then be due on September 30, 2020, but for now, please focus on the plan and we will discuss the progress report as the time gets closer. The primary supervisors will decide which units will submit unit plans (smaller units may be combined or some may be exempt. It is up to the supervisor).

 

The Unit Strategic Plan instructions, templates, and supporting documents are all saved in \\nsc.local\NSC-Shares\Department Folders\Office of the Provost\- Shared Files -\Unit Strategic Plan. 

Long Night Against Procrastination

I’m excited to support the upcoming Long Night Against Procrastination (LNAP), which is taking place next Friday, Nov. 15th from 5pm- Midnight. The event has grown each year, so please encourage your students to drop by to join the activities. There will be a wide range of academic support services present as well as food and an open mic at 10pm. 

NSC Graduate Leslie Burns

Some of you had the chance to meet Leslie Burns when she was a student at NSC. She completed her degree in English Education a few years ago and took a teaching position at Foothill High School. Earlier this year, she was in a boating accident at Lake Mead and had a portion of her leg amputated. She’s been remarkably brave throughout the ordeal and is now walking again with the aid of a prosthetic. When she visited last week, she seemed in good spirits and reported that she had returned to teaching.  

Stefanie Coleman

CARE Team

Last month, 11 members of the NSC community completed 8-hours of Mental Health First-Aid training. The training covered a wide range of topics, including support for individuals experiencing problems with depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, and substance use disorders. Following this training was a presentation from All About You (AAU) Counseling on assisting students who may be having a mental breakdown. Over 70 members of the NSC community attended one of the two sessions. What was once a secret illness never to be discussed is now an illness that needs to be acknowledged and understood. As we learned in our training, there is no “perfect script” to memorize when working with individuals who have a mental illness. At times, you may have to step out of your comfort zone to help someone else. If you are confronted with a student having a mental breakdown, here are a few steps to follow to deescalate the situation and direct the student to resources available on campus. 

Crisis Response Team

Recognizing a potential gap in support for our evening faculty and students, volunteers have come forward to be a part of a Crisis Response Team (CRT). This group of individuals will be available via phone to speak with faculty/staff who may be working with a student in crisis. The phone number is strictly for NSC faculty and staff and should not be shared with students. During normal work hours, calling the CRT phone number should only occur if Laura Hinojosa and AAU are not available. This team is available to faculty and staff after 5:00 pm Monday-Friday.

NSC App

The Crisis Response Team phone number and other emergency phone numbers are all in one central location: THE NSC APP! If you have not downloaded the NSC App, please take the time to do so.

Campus Housing

The housing website should be up and available to view before Open House on November 7th. Shanice Noel, general manager of the property, will be on campus this week and once a week every month until the property is complete. Shanice will be located in the Raker Building.

Advising

Alicia LaMotte, Coordinator of New Student Orientation and Peer Mentorship, attended the annual National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) Conference and participated in the Orientation Professionals Institute (OPI). Highlights of the conference included using social media, crafting your orientation mission and vision, generational changes, and working with Generation Z - the 8-second generation (Yes, 8-seconds to grab their attention.) Exciting changes are coming to New Student Orientation!

Sandip Thanki

Conference weeks for IR

Mick and I presented at the Rocky Mountain Association for Institutional Research (RMAIR) annual conference in Midway, Utah last week. Mick discussed his robust Data Warehouse architecture under the title "The Student Touch Point Universe," and I presented a workshop titled "Hands-on Approaches to Using Data Blending, Level of Details and Parameters within Tableau," guiding the audience in constructing a comprehensive dashboard such as ours. Mick also presented at the Southwest Regional User Group Conference (SWHEUG) in Anaheim, California.

Key Dates