|
Background
The service district of theUniversity of New Mexico-Gallup (UNM-Gallup) covers an isolated area of Northwestern New Mexico larger than the state of Connecticut. It includes part of the Navajo Nation and the Pueblo of Zuni, and McKinley County, one of the poorest counties in the United States.
The college has the largest Native American student population of any public two-year college in the nation. Many students speak a Native American language as their primary language and English as a second language.
The college is not a stand-alone institution. The campus is shared with the University of New Mexico ’s Extended University , which offers bachelor and master degree programs.
With 97 percent of entering students placed in developmental math, and students’ low performance in English, college leaders decided to focus on student preparation and retention. The college’s priorities are to
- Improve students’ skills prior to enrollment so that fewer will need developmental courses;
- Increase students’ success in developmental and gatekeeper courses;
- Retain more first-year students;
- Raise graduation rates.
UNM-Gallup will develop a coherent K-14 curriculum with local school districts, revise orientation, require that students take a College Success course, add student advising to faculty responsibilities, develop “discipline cluster” transitional courses and establish learning communities. Student-centered policies and procedures will be implemented. A new Faculty Development Series will help faculty address students’ needs. Cultural programming for students and the community will be added.
Return to list of colleges
|