By Kim W. Jarigese

Many individuals are faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to leave the hometown they have known their whole life to move to the “big city” to get their degree. The community of Taos is fortunate to have a UNM branch campus that offers lower division, upper division, and graduate programs.

While working full‐time and taking a full‐time course load, Kim Covington recently graduated with her Bachelor of University Studies (BUS) degree through the UNM Taos Bachelor and Graduate Programs.

What encouraged Covington to return to college was a parent orientation session she attended for one of her sons, who was enrolling at the UNM Taos Campus. As a single mom of two sons, she was motivated by the words of Tracy Skipp, associate dean for undergraduate studies and director of the BUS degree program at UNM’s main campus in Albuquerque. At the orientation session, Skipp told parents to be a good role model for their children and earn their degree. Greatly inspired, Covington enrolled her son, and also herself.

“As a single mom working full‐time, I couldn’t relocate to Albuquerque to complete a degree,” Covington said. “Having classes available in Taos provided an incredible opportunity for me to achieve my dreams. UNM is great for our community. I’m a big fan!” 

Another student of the UNM Taos Bachelor and Graduate Programs is Jennifer McCabe. McCabe felt she never had enough resources to “make a great leap” and go back to school. On the job, McCabe became interested in water rights and law. She took the leap and enrolled at the UNM Taos campus.

Because of several great faculty and classes, McCabe was determined to work toward her bachelor’s degree. Through the BUS program, McCabe was able to customize her classes to suit her interests.

“I am working on four major concentration areas through the BUS degree program. They are earth and planetary sciences, Native American studies, geography, and community and regional planning,” McCabe said.

“I received great support from the advisement team to help me achieve my goals,” she added.

Jennifer McCabe is in her last semester of classes and will graduate in May 2009. She plans to apply to the UNM Law School and continue her educational process.

The Bachelor and Graduate Programs in Taos started in the spring of 1993. Since that time, the course offerings have continued to expand providing students with a wider range of opportunities.

“UNM is very fortunate to be able to invest in upper division and graduate programs in Taos,” said Jerónimo Domínguez, vice provost for UNM Extended University Distance Education Programs. “This allows students wanting to finish a degree close to home the opportunity to do so. This start‐to‐finish model is critical for those students who want to graduate from UNM, but for many reasons cannot relocate to attend the main campus in Albuquerque.”

“Our working relationship with UNM main campus in Albuquerque is what affords us the opportunities to bring comprehensive programs to Taos,” explained Mary Lutz, operations manager for the bachelor and graduate programs.

In every small community there is a shortage of teachers. Bachelor of Science degrees in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Multicultural Education are offered in partnership with the UNM College of Education. A master’s degree and administrative licensure programs are also available.

In Taos, a UNM student can earn a Master of Public Administration. The MPA program is designed for public sector and non‐profit agency employees and includes several concentration areas. A much needed degree that is offered in Taos is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This program allows students to advance from an RN into a BSN program. In partnership with the UNM College of Nursing, UNM Taos is continuing to offer courses via online delivery method to bring course content to nursing students.

Through the UNM Anderson School of Management, a Bachelor of Business Administration is now available in Taos. 

In order to provide the range of programs necessary for degree completion opportunities in Taos, students may need to take classes through a variety of delivery methods.

With instructors who primarily live in the Taos community, many courses are offered face‐to‐face in traditional classroom settings.

Through online courses, learners access primary content and instruction using a variety of tools from WebCt. Some courses have scheduled activities, such as chats, face‐to‐face meetings, and proctored exams.

Interactive Television (ITV) is two‐way videoconferencing technology that is utilized to provide educational access to students at distant locations. Main campus courses are videoconferenced to receive sites throughout the state. Through this technology, classes are now being broadcast from Taos back to main campus or to other receive sites around the state.

Correspondence courses are also available if students need a class to round out their schedules.

The UNM Taos Branch and the Bachelor & Graduate Programs provide a seamless transition from associate to bachelor to graduate levels. Students receive their associate degree through the branch and have the opportunity to continue with upper division and graduate programs through the Taos Bachelor and Graduate programs. This seamless process requires the coordination of many services, such as admission and registration, financial aid, and academic advisement.

From the perspective of the student, University of New Mexico in Taos offers a full array of services and opportunities.

To learn more about programs and services through the UNM Taos Bachelor & Graduate Programs, stop by their new educational center located at 246‐B Ledoux Street, call 575 – 758-2828, or visit the website at http://distance.unm.edu and click on the Taos link. 

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