- I highly encourage your participation in the upcoming presentations and open forum with the candidates for the Dean of the School of Education position. (Keep an eye out for an invitation email with times and candidate materials that will be sent out shortly!)
- I will be starting a new monthly Provost office hour as a time for Nevada State team members to come share ideas, hopes, and concerns and celebrate successes. (Again, keep an eye out for an upcoming invitation email with times and locations.)
- During this season of thanksgiving, I want to say how thankful I am for all of my outstanding new colleagues at Nevada State University and for the kindness folks have shown in welcoming me to campus and helping me learn about the impactful academic work of the institution.
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The math for the long holiday break is not good:
- Feel like I gained about 7 pounds (per day)
- Lost roughly 7 billion brain cells (trying to assemble a modular couch)
- Replaced approximately half of my Christmas lights from last year (I’ve seen birthday candles that stay lit longer)
Taken as a whole, it was worth it, but I hit the ground running on Monday and now I’m well behind on my newsletter update, so this will be my short and (not necessarily) sweet edition:
- Continued to work on a new transfer MoU with CSN that should help strengthen our partnership and bolster our enrollment pipeline
- Worked on potential solutions regarding how we’ll register first-year students for courses in the fall semester
- Provided a bevy of updates to executive team, including those tied to Workforce Development, dual credit, enrollment management, admissions yields, and the Student Success Equity Intensive (our project with AASCU)
- Met with CCSD leadership to discuss our partnership with the District, particularly in the area of dual enrollment
- Developed a gameplan with the Director of Admissions & Recruitment to increase our application numbers, particularly from traditionally strong feeder high schools that are behind normal levels.
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Publications, Grants, & Awards
- Erika Abad (Communication) had an art review, "Better than Words," published by Double Scoop.
- Elizabeth Gunn (Dean of LASB) completed an executive summary and findings for the unit strategic plan.
If you have a publication or award, send it to me for inclusion!
Podcasts on Teaching and Learning in Higher Ed
I've been listening to a couple of podcasts lately that I thought I'd pass along. The Student Success Podcast covers a range of issues related to student success, organizational change, and equity, and I've really liked the episodes I've heard so far. And Qué Pasa, HSIs? covers topics relevant for Hispanic Serving Institutions.
You can find both on most podcast apps.
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Dr. Morgan Iommi Selected as CTLE Director
I am pleased to announce that Morgan will step into the role of Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Morgan currently serves as the Interim Director of the CTLE, and has been an instructional designer at Nevada State since 2021.
Morgan has a PhD in Communication from the Ohio State University. She previously served as the associate director of the Center for Teaching at New Mexico State University and as a teaching and learning specialist at the University of Iowa.
I am very excited about the skills, knowledge, and vision Morgan brings to the role, including her dedication to promoting excellent instruction and to advancing equity issues for both students and faculty.
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Student Satisfaction Survey
This fall, we partnered with Hanover to survey our current students about their experience at Nevada State. After we cleaned the data, we received a total of 537 responses. We’ll distribute the entire survey with the results a little later, but I wanted to share the three primary recommendations:
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Expand course selection and align the in-person course times with student preferences. While respondents generally express satisfaction with the majority of services offered at NS, they have indicated less contentment with the academic offerings. This dissatisfaction primarily pertains to the timing, selection, and quantity of courses available. In particular, respondents are least satisfied with the times when in-person courses are offered.
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Enhance the visibility of various student services among the current student body. Generally, the usage rates of student services are low. However, those who have used these services tend to express satisfaction with their experience, with at least 80% of students indicating they were satisfied or very satisfied with any of the profiled services. NS should ensure that all students who wish to avail themselves of these services are fully aware of their availability.
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Highlight the affordability of NS in marketing materials. The affordable cost of NS is the primary reason students choose to enroll, with over 70% of participants indicating this. It's crucial for NS to leverage this strength in its marketing efforts to attract prospective students.
Poems While You Wait
I hope you had the chance to drop by the RSC on Tuesday to visit our first Poems While You Wait event. Participants brought our writers a short list of three things they like and left with an original poem, created on an analog typewriter. So amazing! If you didn’t get to stop by today, you can participate in the Poems While You Wait table at the upcoming CCA conference. Thank you to Laura Decker for all her work organizing the event, Angela Brommel for securing the typewriters, and (of course) our fantastic Nevada State poets: Asa Baker, Trinity Kirkland, Liz Galvez, Jalees Tamayo, and Ruby Burch.
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Please join me in welcoming the Office for the Arts' first Teaching Artist, Myranda Bair! Myranda is an artist, educator, avid rock climber, natural space advocate, animal lover, and suburban farmer. Her work focuses on conservation and how community education can lead to a richer outdoor experience for all while simultaneously reflecting the importance of preserving natural areas. Currently, she is a faculty member at the College of Southern Nevada.
During her term with the Office for the Arts, Myranda is creating an installation, art activation sites, and new artwork in the Nevada State Gallery located on the third floor of RSC as part of Who Will Love the Earth: inspired by the words and works of Marydean Martin, a forthcoming exhibition of poetry, prose, and art that celebrates acts of kindness toward each other and the earth. The exhibition opens in March, but you are welcome to visit the space to see how the installation progresses. You can learn more about Myranda and her work here. Additional information about the exhibition and engagement opportunities will be available in the spring.
If you see work that is damaged or in need of maintenance, please don’t attempt to fix it. You can send an email to TheArts@nevadastate.edu or call us at 702-992-2380.
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12.14.23. Final day of fall classes. | |
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NSC Office of the Provost | 702-992-2663 | http://nsc.edu/provost
Be Bold | Be Great | Be State
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