Student Success Update
Office of First Year Program Updates
Please join us in welcoming Sophia Lesperance, the new Program Manager for the Office of First Year Programs (OFYP). Sophia, a Boston native, has years of experience working in college success advising with undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Boston College through the nonprofit Bottom Line. She has also supported graduate psychology research through her administrative work at Boston University. Sophia earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Amherst College. She is thrilled to be working with NSM Student Leadership and first-year students. She loves tennis, animals, and hopes to travel to every continent soon. Her office is in the Academic Affairs Suite, Room 204-A, in Science and Research Building 1.
Admissions and Recruitment
- According to UH by the Numbers, 3,043 out of 3,363 first-year students have been admitted to the College for Fall 2024 (90.5% admit rate). The OFYP will focus efforts on outreach to encourage students to attend UH.
- The OFYP and college partners met with the Office of Admissions to discuss strategies for streamlining the auto-admission process for first-year students.
- The OFYP participated in Admissions Winter Training on Friday, January 19, where they provided an overview of the NSM academic offerings and to ~20 recruiters. This has allowed them to establish a partnership for future opportunities for recruiting students.
- The OFYP is partnering with the Office of Admissions to facilitate recruiting events including Academic Sessions, Cougar Preview, and Admitted Student Day scheduled February through May 2024. These events will include a presentation with information about the College for prospective and admitted students. Upcoming recruiting activities include:
- Friday, February 16: Academic Session
- Thursday, February 22: Campus Visit—San Marcos High School
- Friday, February 23: Academic Session
Student Leadership Program
The OFYP is beginning to recruit students to participate in NSM Student Leadership for the next academic year. As part of these efforts, current NSM Student Leaders hosted a Pop-Up Tabling Event on Wednesday, January 31, in the SR1 Lobby. These Pop-Up Tabling Events will continue throughout February and March as they provide an opportunity to invite current students to apply for open leadership positions and to share the benefits of serving as an NSM Student Leader. If you know students who would make great college leaders, please encourage them to complete the NSM Student Leadership Interest Form. Applications will open on Wednesday, February 21, and will close on Monday, March 25.
Student Leadership Events
Calculus II and Fundamentals of Chemistry II Study Nights
- Tuesday, February 13, 5:45-7:30 p.m. in SR1 116 (Calculus 2)
- Thursday, February 15, 5:45-7:30 p.m. in SR1 116 (Chemistry 2)
Scholar Enrichment Program Update: Workshop Enrollment
The Scholar Enrichment Program (SEP) continues to serve the UH community with academic excellence workshops and tutoring. Enrollment in SEP workshops for Spring 2024 is 1,171 students, up 197 from Spring 2023. Forty-two, one-credit hour workshops are offered to support 15 STEM courses. Eighty-four undergraduate peer facilitators lead the workshops while 74 undergraduates serve as peer tutors for the tutoring center which offers support for over 25 freshman/sophomore level STEM courses. SEP supports 213 undergraduate students as tutors, aides, mentors, and peer facilitators through scholarships awarded for their high academic achievement, dedication to their STEM discipline, and contribution to the UH/SEP community.
NSM Career Center Update: Student Outreach Squad
The NSM Career Center held a full-day training event for the first cohort of the Center Outreach Squad (COS). Five COS undergraduate and graduate liaisons will support the NSM Career Center and its activities. The NSMCC Director, Career Counselor, and four Student Directors provided training sessions on FERPA, resume review processes, administrative tasks, and employer partner events. COS members began their work through a phone campaign making connections with employers for the Computer Science Career Fair. The COS’s first employer event will be assisting with a Pop-Up event on February 18 for Fugro, a geotechnical/geosciences service company. The squad also will assist NSM partners with events, such as the upcoming NSM Advancement Office “We Love Our Faculty and Staff Day” led by Jennifer Knobloch on February 14. The COS will be instrumental for hosting employers and events to provide career opportunities for NSM majors.