Student Success Update
Office of First Year Programs to Host Annual NSMeet and Explore UH Events
The NSMeet Spring Open House will be held on March 5 from 10 am-2 pm. The event invites high-achieving students who have been accepted to NSM to engage with faculty from the six departments, connect with current and other accepted NSM students, learn about student organizations, and tour the UH campus with our NSM Student Leaders. This year, 100 high school students admitted to UH for Fall 2022 were invited. The goal of the program is to roll out the red carpet for the students to show them all the amazing opportunities NSM has to offer in terms of research, community diversity, and career potential. Faculty are welcome to participate in the event, for example by offering lab tours or brief presentations about their research or to just meet and mingle with the students.
Explore UH campus tours, sponsored by UH Admissions, are returning to an in-person format. The tours offer students the opportunity to meet with NSM staff and learn more about the major programs. Six in-person tours have been scheduled for students throughout the spring semester. Additionally, Cougar Preview, the UH Open House, is returning in both virtual and in person formats on the following dates:
- Feb 19 (virtual)
- Mar 26 (in-person)
- Apr 16 (in-person)
Faculty Assistance Needed for NSMeet and Explore UH Events
Faculty volunteers are needed for lab tours for both events. Please keep an eye out for emails with more details on how you can get involved. If you would like to participate in either event, please contact Michelle Nodskov (mknodsko@central.uh.edu). Note that graduate students and/or post-doc researchers in your group can provide the lab tours for the events.
NSM Student Leadership Program
Recruiting New Student Leaders
Do you know an NSM student who would be an excellent leader within the College? The NSM Student Leadership Program is recruiting new, talented, and dedicated student leaders for the 2022-23 academic year. Information sessions about the program will be held in February and March. The application deadline is March 21.
NSM Student Leadership Activity Schedule
Several events are scheduled to assist with building community within NSM for students, faculty, and staff.
Upcoming events:
- Feb 16: Chemistry II Study Night
- Feb 17: NSM Trivia Night
- Feb 23: Calculus II Study Night
- Mar 8: NSM Workshop: Internship and Research Opportunities
- Mar 24: NSM Culture Fest
- Apr 7: NSM Alumni Panel – Career Focus
- Apr 19: Calculus II Study Night
- Apr 20: Research Fair
- Apr 21: Chemistry II Study Night
- Apr 28: Capri-Sun & Coloring Finals Event
Scholar Enrichment Program Workshop Updates
Spring 2022 Workshop Enrollment - A Special Thanks to NSM Faculty
SEP Workshop enrollments for the Spring 2022 semester reached 997 students, surpassing the Spring 2021 number of ~950. This growth is attributed to increased recruitment efforts of NSM faculty members teaching the associated lecture courses. Faculty have become more informed on the data outcomes for students who engage in this supplemental instruction opportunity, and they are actively discussing this option with their students and encouraging them to enroll in the workshops to improve student success.
Calculus Rescue Workshop
In Fall 2021, a “rescue” workshop was offered to students in all sections of the Calculus 1 course who scored below a 70% on the 2nd midterm exam for Calculus 1. Of the 667 students invited to participate, only 15 students chose to enroll plus two additional students who asked to participate even though they did not meet the criteria. While participation was low, the successful course completion rate (defined as a grade of C- or higher) was 31.8% higher for the rescue workshop students, indicating that the program was helpful for those who engaged. Students who enrolled in the SEP workshop at the start of the semester outperformed the class as a whole.
TC Energy Summer Scholars 2021 Cohort Update
The 2021 TC Energy Summer Scholars Academy provided a pathway for students who listed NSM or engineering as their first choice major but did not meet the admissions requirements for those colleges. The 2021 cohort completed their first regular semester at UH in the Fall 2021. In gateway courses, data shows that they outperformed students automatically admitted to NSM. This will put them on the pathway for successful completion of their degree. Applications for the 2022 summer program opened on February 1.