UNM-Gallup-Building Bridges to Student Success

Lobo Academy students gather for a photo during their summer session at UNM-Gallup

Building Bridges to Student Success

The U.S. Department of Education administers a series of student assistance initiatives that all fall under the overarching title of “Federal TRIO programs.” Of the eight grant-funded programs available, UNM-Gallup operates two: Student Support Services (SSS) and Upward Bound (UB). All TRIO services are designed to provide educational support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Generally, they are available to students who are first in their families to attend college, those who qualify as low-income, or who have documented disabilities. Participants fall along a pipeline that ranges from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. The TRIO competitive grants are predominantly awarded to institutions of higher education.

The goal of the SSS program is to assist college students with academic development and basic success strategies to encourage completion and graduation. This is done through a combination of personalized advising, academic tutoring, financial literacy training, career and transfer counseling, and exposure to cultural events.

Kimmila Simms is the Student Program Specialist for the SSS program at UNM-Gallup. In that role, she also operates the very successful Lobo Academy, which is a summer bridge program available to newly-admitted freshmen and non-traditional returning students. Now in its 7th year, Lobo Academy is an intensive 6-week boot camp that works to ease the transition into college. Participants receive instruction in English and math, as well as a University 101 course where the strongly-committed students are coached in college success strategies such as study skills, time management, and campus navigation techniques.

Students are pre- and post-tested to monitor gains, and most advance at least one grade level in one or both core subjects. All Lobo Academy graduates automatically transfer into the SSS program. According to Simms, “Lobo Academy provides summer support to incoming freshmen, then Student Support Services continues that assistance throughout their time at UNM-Gallup. We want to plant the seed and establish the goal of graduating, transferring, and continuing education. We believe continuing on for a bachelor’s degree is our biggest goal.”

The intensive oversight provided by SSS does work. The UNM-Gallup program exceeded every federal objective as set

UNM GALLUP

A campus tour is part of the summer bridge programs at UNM-Gallup.

by the U.S. Department of Education in their most recent annual assessment. As documented by Simms, the federally approved goal for participants persisting from one academic year to the next year was set at 67%. The actual rate achieved for the 2016-2017 academic year was 80%. The approved rate for good academic standing was 75%, and the achieved rate was 91%. UNMGallup had a projected rate of 15% for participants to complete their associate’s degree within 4 years and achieved a rate of 23%. Simms attributes much of this success to the personalized services, as well as the preparation work of Lobo Academy. “Academy participants engage in workshops, panel discussions with TRIO alumni, campus and transfer trips, cultural enrichment, as well as introductions to procedures necessary to navigate postsecondary systems.”

The second TRIO program at UNMGallup is the newly implemented Upward Bound. UB provides free college and career readiness instruction to 9th – 11th graders. The UB program is in its first year at UNM-Gallup and supports participants as they prepare to enter college. The goal is to increase the rate at which students graduate from high school and matriculate to college, by providing supplemental instruction in core subjects. Brittany Tabor, UB Program Director, is currently coordinating the summer component of the program which is a 6-week crash course in English, math, and humanities. By working closely with her students’ home high school, Tabor tailors the program to meet the expectation of the next school year for all participants.

Each week of the summer, UB program concentrates on a different academic area, and most of the sessions are highly interactive and try to touch on different learning styles. College campus visits, public speaking workshops, technology training, and a leadership conference will round out the summer portion of UB. Tabor spoke about a special science and math initiative that UB presented to students as part of the summer program. “We were able to partner with the Washington, D.C.-based LAB 29, which is a program aimed at providing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum to areas with high Native American populations. This was a very exciting project that was aimed at generating interest and enthusiasm in the STEM fields, especially in areas of technology.”

Once participants return to school in the fall, the UB program will stay with them to provide advisement, tutoring, and workshops for students and their parents. The UB grant is funded for five years and includes a strong data collection component to assess successful completion of Department of Education objectives. Tabor loves the work she is doing and how it is helping students become confident in their abilities. “My heart is really in the TRIO programs. We want students to know they have options and choices, so we expose them to different types of institutions and degree and certificate programs, while providing tools for success.”

For more information contact: Marilee Petranovich mpetrano@unm.edu (505) 863-7770