NSM Faculty/Staff Newsletter

Student Success & Undergraduate Affairs Update

REMINDER: Fall 2026 Course Syllabus Information

All faculty are required to use SimpleSyllabus for undergraduate and graduate courses, excluding independent study, thesis, dissertation, internships, field trips, practicums, seminars, rotations, etc. The SimpleSyllabus (1) replaces the requirement for you to upload syllabi to PeopleSoft, (2) uses a template that includes all university-required syllabus language and (3) meets the state law requirements under HB2504. To create your SimpleSyllabus, use the icon located in Access UH. If you need assistance with getting started with creating a simple syllabus for your course, see the list of resources below.

General Training and Getting Started: Faculty are encouraged to participate in the FDIS Simple Syllabus weekly sessions, which will continue through September 2025. These sessions are very beneficial for getting everyone up to speed.

Online Tutorials: Useful tutorials on using SimpleSyllabus at UH.

NSM-IT One-on-One Assistance: Faculty can reach out to Andrea Arias-Rodriguez of NSM-IT at any time via email, phone, Teams or schedule an appointment for personalized support.

Office of First Year Programs (OFYP) Updates

Recruitment, Transition, Retention

• The OFYP part-icipated in the Admissions open house event held on Thursday, July 3.
• Recruitment m-aterials are being updated and restocked for the upcoming recruitment season, which will kick off in September.
• Recruiting Ev-ents - The OFYP has registered to participate in several recruitment events this fall including TACRAO Fairs, Admissions’ Cougar Preview and Destination UH events, and collaborative college events (e.g., OneGoal College Preview Day, Cougar Takeover). See the OFYP’s event calendar HERE for a schedule of all events.
• Orientation W-rap-up - Outreach continues to encourage students who have attended orientation but have not enrolled to get enrolled for the fall 2026 semester.
• Enrollment Se-rvices Communication and Marketing - Admissions-related email campaigns are being reviewed/updated to ensure effective streamlined communication to prospective and new students for the 2027-2028 admissions cycle.
• Get Involved -Paths - The OFYP will be implementing the Paths platform in Get Involved for tracking student engagement in college events.

Student Leadership Team (SLT) Program

Student leaders are currently completing an online training module in preparation for the upcoming SLT Retreat.

teachHOUSTON Updates

• Staffing: Congratulations to Dr. Karen Graham, who is now the assistant director of the teachHOUSTON program. She will support the strategic direction, coordination, and long-term sustainability of a nationally recognized secondary STEM teacher preparation program. Working in close collaboration with the co-directors, the assistant director will provide leadership across recruitment, program implementation, district partnerships, and grant and foundation coordination.
• Drs. Paige Evans, Karen Graham, and Karla Garza traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Summit. Along with Ramona Mateer, they presented on teachHOUSTON’s teacher induction program and New Teacher Academy+, a three-day STEM educator conference. Student representatives from teachHOUSTON also attended the summit and presented posters highlighting the progress and impact of each of the program’s active National Science Foundation-funded grants. In addition, a STEM-Lead Master Teacher Fellow represented the program and presented on the progress and outcomes of the STEM-Lead grant. The summit provided an important opportunity to showcase teachHOUSTON’s work in teacher preparation, induction, and STEM educator development on a national stage. Another grant initiative with a cross-institutional focus, iTREKS also presented a poster at the summit. This partnership includes nine institutions around the nation.
• Teaching Assignments: 100% of spring teachHOUSTON graduates who sought teaching positions have secured their first teaching assignments. Graduates have accepted positions in more than a dozen school districts across the Greater Houston area and beyond, demonstrating the program’s strong track record of preparing highly qualified STEM teacher candidates for successful entry into the STEM teaching profession.
• The teachHOUSTON University Supervisor Kickoff Meeting was held on Aug. 5, 2026, to prepare university supervisors for the upcoming student teaching semester. The meeting provided an overview of the supervision and coaching process and facilitated the assignment of supervisors to the teacher candidates they will support throughout their student teaching experience. The meeting also included state-required observations, documentation, and reporting requirement training. In addition, university supervisors participated in professional development focused on coaching practices, community building, developing consistency and alignment across a variety of campuses and STEM content areas, and effectively managing interactions among mentor teachers, teacher candidates, and university supervisors to ensure a high-quality and supportive clinical experience.
• teachHOUSTON and Physics Department Award: PhysTEC Local Impact Award! This national award recognizes programs that have made significant contributions to physics teacher preparation and support within their local communities. This award reflects the collaborative efforts of teachHOUSTON, the Department of Physics, our students, alumni and district partners who work every day to strengthen physics teacher preparation and the broader STEM teacher workforce.

NSM Career Center Updates

Inspiring the Next Generation: Yokogawa STEMPowerment Camp

• On July 14 and 15, NSM leadership and student leaders represented UH at the Yokogawa STEMPowerment Camp, inspiring over 30 middle and high school students exploring STEM pathways. Dr. Donna Stokes, NSM associate dean, joined as a guest speaker to present the dynamic STEM degree options available on the UH main campus.
• Daniela Salas Castro and Fatima Nabi, NSMCC student directors, served as student panelists alongside industry professionals. The panel tackled critical topics including college readiness, academic strategy, mental health and career exploration — helping to ease the transition anxiety for future university students.
• The NSMCC looks forward to deepening our collaboration with Yokogawa as they expand their presence in the Sugar Land community.

“Being able to see students feel more at ease knowing they have advice and past experiences to look up to was truly a rewarding experience. It was a reminder that we are setting an example and leading the way for our future in the making!”
– Fatima Nabi, NSMCC Student Director

• Behind the Scenes: Prepping for fall 2026 - While students were away, July was a powerhouse prep month for the NSM Career Center team. Here is what we’ve been building for the upcoming semester.
• Updated NSMCC Website: Launching soon with a user-friendly design and enhanced resource hub for students, employers, alumni and faculty.
• Pathways Certification Expansion: Launching Module 5: Interviewing and Salary Negotiation within the Pathways Career Readiness Certification Program.
• Fall 2026 Career Events and Corporate Sponsors: The NSM Career Center team, alongside our student directors and Career Fair Committee, is hard at work securing top industry partners for our fall recruitment lineup. We are thrilled to welcome NOV, Sysco, and Capco as official corporate sponsors for this year’s NSM + Computer Science Career Fair on Sept. 15! Be sure to encourage students to mark their calendars for our upcoming preparation events: Resume Review on Sept. 1 and Prepare4TheFair on Sept. 10.