A new report, “Wasting the Best and Brightest,” by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse challenges the notion that college drinking is an inevitable “rite of passage” and calls on educators, alumni and parents to take a bolder stand against underage drinking and substance abuse.

Jill Anne Yeagley, manager of the UNM Campus Office of Substance Abuse Prevention sees similar issues and trends among UNM students, noting that the behaviors reflect a culture that socializes youths to medicate every discomfort and to regard substance abuse as harmless and deserved.

National researchers warn that college students’ substance use has become more extreme and dangerous over the past decade. Frequent binge drinking increased 16 percent* and abuse of controlled prescription drugs skyrocketed between 93 and 343 percent, depending on the drug. In turn, this increased intensity led to a significant escalation in negative consequences. From 1993 to 2001, the proportion of students injured as a result of their own drinking rose by 38 percent and student deaths from unintentional alcohol‐related injuries rose by six percent to 1,717 between 1998 and 2001. (more…)

High school juniors with an eye toward higher education are eligible to apply for UNM’s College Readiness Program.

A one‐week residential component is offered June 17 – 23 on the main campus. The program includes classes, room and board, activities, and transportation. In addition, one‐day workshops will be held beginning in July and through March 2008. 

Applications for the program must be postmarked no later than April 14. 

For more information on income requirements and a full application, call the UNM College Prep Programs, 277‑0401.

Students interested in setting up a payment plan can do so online through LoboWeb from my.unm.edu. By clicking on the “Make Payments, View Bill, Setup eRefunds, Installment Plans, etc.” link, students will be directed to the UNM Account Suite.

The student can also use this suite to setup “authorized users” to view statements and make payments on their behalf.

Every semester students must pay a “disenrollment balance” by the due date posted on the Bursar’s Office Web site to prevent disenrollment.

Students can locate their disenrollment balance by going to LoboWeb. Disenrollment balances are available for online review after the July 2007 billing statement has been processed.

A disenrollment balance includes all current and past‐due charges on the July statement as well as any additional tuition and fees incurred after the billing statement has been issued. A balance is reduced when financial aid (grants, scholarships and loans) are awarded. Because the balance adjusts whenever a student changes his or her course schedule, it is important to review the balance on LoboWeb after each change.

The Bursar’s Office offers all students in good standing the option of paying tuition, fees and housing costs over the course of the semester in three to five installments. There is a $10 per payment fee to setup the installment plan.

UNM students with a payment arrangement are required to pay the first installment and setup fee online at the time the plan is established to prevent disenrollment. All subsequent payments will be automatically withdrawn from the account specified. Payments can be made using VISA, MasterCard or a savings/checking account.

Incoming students come to UNM with enthusiasm, high hopes and the will to succeed, but the environment of the university is vastly different from that of high school. Quickly connecting students to instructors and peers — and engaging them with the surrounding community — helps students better adapt.

For the past seven years incoming freshmen at UNM having been succeeding in greater numbers by joining small academic communities known as Freshman Academic Choices.

FAC offerings include:

- Freshman Learning Communities (FLCs). FLCs offer students a team‐taught, collaborative learning experience in which 23 or 25 freshmen enroll in two courses integrated around a theme. Students will explore ideas in depth in an intimate seminar environment.

Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs). The 25 freshmen enrolling in a FIG take two or three classes together. The heart of the concept is a two‐credit seminar where students discuss their common courses and concerns. In Fall 2007 UNM is introducing one‐credit stand‐alone FIGs that focus on essential skills and strategies.

- Living & Learning Communities (LLCs). 18 – 20 freshmen attend common classes, explore their interests in special seminars, and live together in the Student Residence Center (SRC) and Redondo Village Apartments (RVA). Important: Students must apply to the program early; the deadline is July 18.

Introductory Studies (IS). UNM is dedicated to providing access to higher education for as many New Mexicans as possible — including students whose ACT or SAT scores are low. Our IS program helps freshmen build skills they need so they can get the most out of their coursework and realize their academic potential. Many FLCs, FIGs, and LLCs are open to IS students. There are IS courses for English, Reading, and Mathematics.

University Honors Program (UHP). In addition to our FLCs, LLCs, and FIGs, many freshmen may also qualify for the UHP.

Freshmen are also invited to participate in the Research Service Learning Program (RSLP) — originally established in Fall 2006 for sophomores, juniors and seniors, the RSLP has opened up to freshmen. RSLP will get students out of the classroom and into the community where they will investigate issues and solve problems identified by members of the community. They also learn valuable research skills, provide needed services, and grow intellectually, personally, and socially.

Beginning March 31, 2007, UNM student employees paid less than $6.25 per hour will be raised to that minimum, according to UNM Student Financial Aid Director Ron Martinez.

Student’s wages will further increase when Gov. Bill Richardson signs a new statewide minimum wage bill into law. UNM’s new wage scale is expected to affect all grades and stages in the student system in 2008 and 2009.

More than 30 percent of freshmen hold off‐campus jobs and by senior year that number jumps to nearly half the student class.

Staying competitive will help UNM promote on‐campus employment, a goal cited in the recently released Graduation Task Force Report. Data shows that those with campus jobs and/or receiving grants are more likely to persist.

Chester, PA (PRWeb) March 14, 2007 — High school students shopping for colleges will visit an average of 3.5 schools as part of their search, and according to a just‐released survey of their parents, Mom and Dad will likely be strolling the campuses right along with them.

Two in three parents (66 percent) of soon‐to‐be college students say they are “extremely” (28 percent) or “very” (38 percent) involved in their child’s college search, with almost half (45 percent) insisting that they visit the campuses themselves before they would allow their child to attend.

The survey was commissioned by StudentProspector, www.studentprospector.com, a leading Internet resource for college planning.

The top priority of the campus visit? Half of the parents surveyed think it’s the admissions office interview, presumably something they will let their children handle alone. Touring the grounds was deemed the second most important part of the visit at 21 percent.

“The parents ask most of the questions on our tours,” says Celia O’Brien, who works undergraduate admissions at the University of Arizona. “Students, make sure your voices are heard as well. This will be your experience – and ultimately should be your decision. Don’t be so self‐conscious as to miss out on an opportunity to inquire about
information that will be very useful to have in your college‐decision process.”

According to the survey, the Internet has become the primary source of information throughout the search process. Almost one‐third (32 percent) of parents say they turn to a college’s official Web site for information, followed next by calling/emailing the college directly (27 percent). Another 21 percent say they count on Web sites with a collection of college‐related information.
Link

UNM students in the Mechanical Engineering Department’s Formula Society of Automotive Engineers race car design class are showing fifth graders at Monte Vista Elementary how to build balloon‐powered toy cars. The goal is to use an engineering problem‐solving process to respond to a request from a fictitious toy company.

Students will create an appealing toy that travels far, carries weight or goes fast. Fifth‐graders will demonstrate their working model, present test data, and explain why they designed the car the way they did during their final class, Tuesday, March 20, at 12:45 p.m. at Monte Vista Elementary in building P‐6.

The class used a process employed by engineers in design teams and taught at many engineering schools. Student teams explored the principles of jet propulsion, friction and air resistance, and experimented with different chassis designs and nozzle sizes to determine their effect on the balloon‐car performance. Certificates of achievement will be given to those teams who most closely meet requirements.

Last week, Monte Vista students visited the mechanical engineering laboratories, where they learned how UNM students develop, design, test, analyze and then drive a formula‐style race car. UNM participates in an international competition every year and students have finished as high as 14^th in a field of 140.

It’s tax season. According to the Internal Revenue Service, millions of people file Federal Income Tax returns each year even though they are not required to. Students, especially, may find their income falls below the filing requirement.

A section of the IRS Web site is devoted to Taxable Income for Students to provide an understanding about the types of taxable income typically received by students.

A parent tab offers detailed information about Education Credits, Child and Dependent Care Information, Child Tax Credits, and more. 

Students interested in a liberal arts education should not focus too much on whether a university will professionally prepare them for a career, said Sheila Curran, executive director of Duke University’s Career Center. Curan is featured today on Duke’s news site.

Before choosing a school, students should evaluate the quality of education, the social environment and - – increasingly — the career center’s ability to link education with career opportunity,” Curan advised.

Curran offered other pointers for “career‐minded, college‐bound seniors.”

· For most jobs, a high grade‐point average may be less important than what you can prove you’ve accomplished.
· Study abroad can provide a significant advantage if you immerse yourself in the international experience, not just “an American experience abroad.”
· Use internships and extracurricular activities to explore career opportunities and gain skills employers are seeking.
· Careers don’t happen overnight, so partner with the career center and others from your first year on. Advisors, faculty and staff can be your allies; build relationships with them.
· Graduate or professional schools are great options, but only if they are necessary for what you truly want to do.

Water is so important in the Southwest environment that dozens of UNM faculty, students and staff are working on a range of research and other creative activities relating to water and its use.

On Friday, March 23, they will gather for the second annual UNM Student Water Symposium, held in Lobo rooms A&B in the Student Union building.

The daylong event features oral and poster presentations about water‐related research in New Mexico and the Southwest.

The symposium is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research & Economic Development, the Water Resources Program, the student Association of Water Professionals, and WERC: A Consortium for Environmental Education and Technology Development.