There has been some good conversation recently about our transfer relationships with NSHE community college partners. One of the defining – and encouraging – characteristics of these conversations is that they involve a variety of the most critical stakeholders in this relationship, from the advisors and transfer specialists who provide direct support to students, to the institutional leaders who oversee the academic operations of the entire campus. Another defining characteristic is that we are building more clearly defined degree pathways from the community college to Nevada State, and ensuring that there is close collaboration at each step in the student journey. Our recent discussions have been with Western Nevada College and CSN, but the topics of discussion (e.g., co-admissions, co-advising, CSN-to-NSC degree maps) can extend to any of our partnerships within the System.

 

I recently participated in the NWCCU annual meeting, this time virtually as opposed to under the slate skies of Seattle (I have only been to that city once when it was NOT gray and rainy). There is no groundbreaking news to report, but I once again want to reiterate that the NWCCU is integrating equity concerns into its standards and expectations like never before. It is a welcome addition, of course, and a challenge that I think we can rise to as an institution.

 

With the holiday break landing squarely in this newsletter period, most of my other work involved project “nudges” in areas that include: 1) spring scheduling and enrollment considerations; 2) team budgeting for FY22; 3) gateway math initiatives; and 4) getting the wheels turning on the search for a Director of Workforce Development. In all of these areas there is positive movement, but no closure (yet).