Student Success Update
Classroom Pranks
In the past few months, several NSM/UH faculty have had pranks occur in their classrooms. The pranks typically happen at random times in large classroom settings and involve a single student or a group of students. The pranks cause short disruptions in the classroom and have included activities such as receiving food deliveries during the class.
If a prank occurs in your classroom, please remain calm and composed, ask the student(s) to leave the class immediately, and file a report with the Dean of Students as soon as possible. If necessary, you may also file a report with UH Police Department or call them. Feel free to contact Donna Stokes (dstokes@uh.edu) if you have any questions or concerns.
NSM Career Specialist on Board
Faculty and staff, please join us in welcoming the new career specialist for NSM, Dawnelle Prince. Dawnelle will serve as Assistant Director for the development of an NSM-based Career Center. As part of her role, Dawnelle will work to establish contacts with industry partners for garnering scholarship, internship, and career opportunities for NSM majors. She brings with her many years of experience in this arena. If you have suggestions, ideas, or contacts to share, please contact her at dsprince@central.uh.edu.
NSM Admissions
To date, over 2,700 students have been admitted to NSM for the 2022–23 academic year. The NSM Office of First Year Programs has been showcasing UH and NSM to these students as part of recruiting efforts to enroll as many of them as possible for Fall 2022. This has been done through in-person recruiting events. Historically, our first time in college (FTIC) Fall enroll is between 900-1,100.
The UH Office of Admissions is hosting Cougar Previews, which are large-scale, in-person events for FTIC students who have already been admitted to UH for Fall 2022. On Saturday, March 5, 49 prospective NSM students visited campus and met with NSM’s Office of First Year Programs team to learn more about our majors, requirements, and opportunities. The second recruiting event is scheduled for Saturday, April 16.
In addition, UH Office of Admissions is hosting Explore UH events on Fridays, which allow students to tour the campus and meet with NSM’s Office of First Year Programs to learn more about our programs and to ask questions. There are two remaining Explore UH sessions for the semester—April 29 and May 13. These events allow NSM Office of First Year Programs staff to have a touchpoint with students to encourage them to join the Cougar family.
NSM Student Leadership Program Updates
New NSM Student Leaders Selected
The Office of First Year Programs wrapped up the recruiting cycle for new Student Leaders and has selected 53 Student Leaders for the 2022–2023 academic year. The Student Leaders will work on recruiting, mentoring, and event programming for the College. We’re excited to have these new leaders on board!
NSM Cultural Fest
The NSM Student Leadership Programming Board hosted the first NSM Cultural Fest on March 24. The idea was born out of the desire for the students to celebrate UH’s diversity and create connections to different organizations on campus. Representatives from eight student organizations shared information about their group, its role on campus, and how students can become engaged. A fashion show was also a part of the event where students modeled fashions representing their unique cultures.
NSM Talks - Alumni Panel
The NSM Student Leadership’s Peer Mentor branch hosted a career panel on Thursday, April 7. The panel showcased seven NSM alumni who work in the Houston area. The panel included conversations about each panelists’ academic journey which allowed them to share their advice on obtaining professional skills for the workforce. The panelists worked in a variety of fields, including medicine, health, and technology.
Upcoming Events
- Faculty Research Presenters Needed for the NSM Research Night!
Want to showcase your group’s research and what your lab has to offer to NSM undergraduate students? NSM Student Leadership is hosting its annual Research Night on Wednesday, April 20, from 5:30–7 p.m., in Farish Hall, KIVA Room. Each faculty/research group will be provided a table to interact with students looking for opportunities in research. If you, your graduate students, or post-doctoral associates would like to participate, please email Matthew Burns at mdburns2@central.uh.edu. We thank you in advance for your support. - Capri Sun and Coloring Stress Relieving Activity
As students prepare for finals, the Student Leadership program will host an interactive activity of coloring coupled with a study event to allow students time to relax before final exams begin. The event will take place in the Science and Research Building 1 second floor lobby on Thursday, April 28.