Leaders in Student Success

The University’s strategic framework, UNM 2040: Opportunity Defined, prioritizes student success. The faculty and staff in the College of Arts & Sciences are deeply committed to the success of the students in our courses. Our students come to us with tremendous strengths. Their experience and knowledge contribute to the intellectual vibrancy of our campus. At the same time, we know that the pandemic and other social challenges mean that some of our students have not gotten the high school education they deserve. Mental health challenges and other obstacles outside the classroom can also impede their learning and progress toward their degree.

Significant research exists on teaching and learning, student engagement and belonging, and other practices and activities that support students’ goal of earning a degree. The College includes many people with deep knowledge of this research. Faculty and staff gain this knowledge through a variety of pathways. For example, the Provost’s office has offered the Student Experience Project (SEP) as one pathway to learning evidence-based practices that support students’ learning. An impressive 75 faculty in the College have participated in this program, along with graduate teaching assistants in several programs.

This call asks those with expertise—through SEP or other experience—to develop activities that expand the conversation and spark further action in their unit or the College. We seek leaders who will advance student success in A&S courses by addressing the practices that present barriers to our students. We are open to a wide range of activities that engage with a group of faculty or staff to advance their ability to better support students in A&S courses. Possible activities include—but are not limited to—discipline-specific workshops, a symposium featuring lessons from instructors who have revised their courses, an initiative to engage with instructors who teach a particular course sequence, adding resources attached to a course, revision of department policies, curriculum or schedules, and/or strengthening graduate teaching assistant training across a course with multiple sections.

Successful applicants will have an opportunity to consult with Associate Provost Cheek and Associate Deans Nepstad and Gibbs on coordination of resources to support the project. Available resources include the following: 1) Center for Teaching and Learning expertise, 2) course designers to support Canvas shell design, 3) peer learning facilitators or supplementary instruction, 4) Student Experience Project training, 5) GTA instructional development, 6) co-requisite or alternative academic recovery/supplementation, and/or 7) development of a collaborative student support and outreach relationship with an advising unit.

The College can facilitate proposed activities with organizational support and/or data.

Criteria

Proposals that meet the following criteria will be more favorably evaluated: 

Applications that are based on research on student success.
Applications that include faculty who have participated in the Student Experience Project or who demonstrate expertise in student success from another source.
Applications that include activity likely to reduce the DFW rate in courses with a rate higher than 25%.
Applications that include activity likely to increase students’ success in courses that serve many students, are General Education courses, and/or are key gateway courses.
Applications that include evidence-based activity likely to raise the retention and graduation rate of students from demographic groups with lower average rates of graduation.

The below guidelines must be followed: 

Proposals are due February 2, 2024. 
Full-time faculty and staff in the College of Arts and Sciences are eligible to apply. (Part-time instructors are prevented from receiving professional development funds by the CBA. However, proposals that invite part-time instructors to participate voluntarily in activities are welcome.)
The proposed activities should not duplicate activities occurring elsewhere in the University, unless proposed in partnership. 
The proposed activity must occur by the end of Spring semester 2025. 
At the conclusion of the proposed activities, or period during which the activities were proposed to occur, applicants must submit a report that summarizes the activities and their outcomes.
Funds may not be used for UNM salary, graduate stipends, or non-standard payment to UNM employees, unless significant activity must occur during the summer. If significant activity will occur during a semester, funds may be requested toward a course release ($5000 should be included in the budget for these requests).

Application Info

Applications will be submitted through InfoReady. The following information will be requested: 

A narrative of no more than three pages that describes the problem the proposal addresses, the proposed activity, its intended audience, the timeline for activities, a plan to assess the effectiveness of the activity, and the role of each of the applicants. Describe expectations for support from the Dean’s office.
A brief letter of support from your unit chair or director.
A list of the applicants and their current CVs (full or abbreviated). 
A budget and budget justification, which itemizes the costs and their rationale, as well as an explanation of support available from other sources. 
If needed, appendices with other relevant details.

Up to $20K will be awarded through this call. The number of awards will depend on the nature of the proposals.

Inquiries can be directed to Dean Jennifer Malat or Associate Provost Pamela Cheek.