Project Puertas Abiertas

 Funded in full by a Title V Grant from the U.S. Department of Education

Sul Ross MBA Student Attends National Coference

Sul Ross State University student Babajide “BB” Babatunde, Nigeria, attended the National Black MBA Conference in Atlanta, Ga.

Sul Ross State University graduate student Babajide “BB” Babatunde, Nigeria, attended the National Black MBA Conference in Atlanta, Ga. The conference was held Oct. 4-8 and consisted of guest speakers, workshops, on-site interviews, along with leadership and
entrepreneurial sessions.

Babatunde is the first Sul Ross student to attend the conference, and joined over 3,000 other students.

Babatunde researched the conference and found funds for the trip. He received assistance for his airfare and conference registration fees from various places including Title V and the Graduate Center.

“I appreciate Mrs. Will for supporting the idea.  Dr. Marett and Dr. Green for understanding and allowing me to miss class for those days,” he said.  “Also, Rhonda Austin from the Title V Postbaccalaureate for partial help with registration and airfare.”

September 2011 Workshops 

The center hosted a variety of workshops throughout the month of September.

September 6, 2011, 4pm-5pm: "Financing Graduate School: Tips and Tools"         

If you need more money for graduate school, this workshop will provide you with tips on how to maximize your financial aid package and information about online tools available to help you search for scholarships, fellowships, and grants.

                September 13, 2011, 3 pm – 4 pm: “Resume Writing and Creating an Electronic Career Portfolio with      OrgSync

 Career Services Director Susan Fox-Forrester will conduct this workshop on resume writing and how to create an electronic portfolio using OrgSync, a new service available to all Sul Ross students.

          September 22, 2011, 5 pm – 6 pm: “Library Resources for Graduate Students”   

 Librarians Renée Goodvin and Linda Epps will introduce graduate students to specific library resources and services that will help them conduct graduate research in all its forms.

This session will focus on the following advanced topics:

• Databases – Which databases are best suited to which field
• An introduction to Sul Ross Library's expansive electronic journal collection
• Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery – What it is and how to properly use it
• TexShare – What it is and how to sign up
• The library's role in the thesis process

          September 27, 2011, 3 pm – 4 pm: “Time Management”

 Eleazar Cano will present this valuable workshop on how to effectively manage your time

 

Whenever possible, workshops will be recorded for posting to the Graduate Student Center website. Check the workshop page at http://www.sulross.edu/pages/7033.asp for a workshop schedule and links to available recorded workshops.

 


Fellowships Awarded to Six Graduate Students 

Group shot of fellowship recipientsFellowships of $8,000 to $10,000 each were recently awarded to six promising Sul Ross State University graduate students with unmet financial need for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Recipients Dauna Hodnett, Fort Davis: Rafaela Guillen, El Paso; Monio Mark II, Houston; Andrew Ross, Garland; Lauren Royter, San Antonio; and Maria Terrazas, Chihuahua City, Mexico, were selected from a pool of qualified applicants by a committee comprised of Sul Ross State University faculty and staff.

As part of the process, applicants each submitted transcripts, letters of recommendation from teachers and mentors, and essays outlining how the fellowship would be used to support the student’s efforts to attain a graduate degree and enhance future opportunities in his or her chosen field. As a fellow, each student will contribute to the success of the Graduate Student Center by providing assistance such as mentoring other students, helping develop resources that can be shared with others, or assisting graduate faculty as needed. Each student’s responsibilities will be aligned to his or her area of expertise. These students represent several majors in the university and have a variety of skills.

Dauna Hodnett received a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management from Sul Ross and is currently working toward a Master of Science degree in Range and Wildlife Management.

Rafaela Guillen received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Sul Ross and is currently working toward a Master of Education degree in Counseling.

Monio Mark II received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sul Ross and is currently working toward a Master of Business Administration degree.

Lauren Royter received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Geography from Texas State University in San Marcos and is currently working on a Master of Science degree in Geology.

Andrew Ross received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Sul Ross and is currently working toward his Master of Arts degree in English.

Maria Terrazas received a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the Autonomous University of Chihuahua and is currently working toward a Master of Arts degree in Political Science and Public Administration.

Currently in its second year, the Fellowship Program is the first of its kind for Sul Ross and is funded in full by a United States Department of Education Title V Hispanic Serving Institution grant, awarded to Sul Ross State University in October 2009, for a period of five years. In addition to providing direct support to graduate students through fellowships, Sul Ross’grant, entitled “Puertas Abiertas” (Open Doors), is designed to increase attainment of graduate degrees at Sul Ross and provide new pathways to these degrees for students in our vast region through distance education.

For more information regarding future fellowship opportunities or other questions regarding the Puertas Abiertas grant, contact: Rhonda Austin, Puertas Abiertas Project Director, (432) 837-8511 or raustin@sulross.edu; Pamela Pipes, Puertas Abiertas Graduate Center Developer, 837-8247 or ppipes@sulross.edu.

Photo: Pictured from top to bottom: Pamela Pipes (Graduate Student Center Program Developer and Chair of the Fellowship Committee) with fellows Dauna Hodnett, Andrew Ross, Monio Mark II, Lauren Royter, and Maria Terrazas. Not pictured is Rafaela Guillen. Photo by Jason Hennington.


Graduate Orientation

Are you new to Sul Ross? Perhaps you aren't new but are still feeling lost in this new graduate school world. View the orientation videos on our Graduate Student Center webpage, to learn all about getting started, academic regulations you need to know, and about how not to just survive as a graduate student, but thrive!

August 10, 2011 - A Guide to Video Communication for Online Instructors 

As our online enrollment continues to rise dramatically, so do student expectations. For online educators, creating online video is no longer  optional. It's a virtual requirement in today's online environment, where students expect our curriculum to keep pace with new technologies.

The Post Bacc grant sponsored an online seminar titled A Guide to Video Communication for Online Instructors. Offered to both faculty and technical support staff,  the seminar provided a comprehensive overview of how to identify content appropriate for video creation and how to generate online video content from inception to viewing. Other topics discussed related to understanding the types of video available, including screen captures and narrated text. While learning to incorporate these techniques into their individual courses will take more training, the seminar provided faculty with additional resources and offered them an opportunity to ask questions and begin to plan for future course development using video technology.

This seminar was facilitated by Sandy Bogus, the grant's Instructional Designer who provides technical and design support to graduate faculty. For faculty who missed the seminar, the CD is available for checkout from the Graduate Student Center.

Faculty and technical support staff watching the Guide to Video Communication online  seminar. 

July 12, 2011 - Library Resources for Graduate Students

The Graduate Student Center was proud to sponsor the first-ever library resource workshop for graduate students! Librarians Renee Goodvin and Linda Epps introduced graduate students to specific library resources and services that will help students conduct graduate research in all its forms.

Sul Ross Librarian Renee Goodvin explaining to students which databases are best suited for a specific field. 

May 2011 - Sul Ross Employee Recognized

The Graduate Student Center congratulates Linda Coleman for exemplary service to graduate students at Sul Ross State University. Linda handles all graduate student applications and offices with the Graduate Student Center. 

www.alpineavalanche.com
April 28, 2011 - Financial Literacy Workshops

Even though Sul Ross offers the best value in higher education with low tuition costs, graduate school is still an expensive proposition. The Graduate Student Center offered several free workshops to learn about free aid for graduate students, how to better manage the financial resources you already have, and everything you need to know about credit.

The Graduate Student Center on Facebook

The Graduate Student Center now has a Facebook page!  The page will be used to keep fans apprised of Center services and events, as well as to pass on tips and tools students may find useful in their graduate studies.  Check out the page at www.facebook.com/sulrossgradcenter.  If you have a Facebook profile, become a fan to receive updates from the Center.

March 30, 2011 - Graduate Research Showcase

The Graduate Student Center was proud to co-sponsor the first ever School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Research Showcase on Wednesday, March 30, 2011. Presentations were made by graduate students representing a variety of disciplines in the humanities and the natural sciences. All students that presented were congratulated by Pamela Pipes for a job well done and presented with a flash drive.


Dr. Jimmy Case introducing the Graduate Research Showcase. 

Graduate Student Center Open House

The Graduate Student Center hosted an open house on February 15, 2011 from 2 – 4 pm.  Faculty, students, and staff stopped by to enjoy refreshments and to discuss available graduate student services.  Faculty members were also informed of tools and services available for the development of online courses.

 

 Faculty, staff, and students getting familiar with the Graduate Student Center and  new equipment.

December 11, 2010 - Graduate Center Developer volunteers at The Nature Conservancy’s 11th Annual Christmas Tree Hunt & Food Drive for the Food Pantry of Jeff Davis County

Members of the public were invited to bring handsaws, gloves and rope to join The Nature Conservancy on Saturday, December 4th, and Saturday, December 11th, for the 11th Annual Christmas Tree Hunt at the Davis Mountains Preserve. There was no charge for this popular cut-your-own Christmas tree event, which ran from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days. Canned goods and donations were accepted for the Food Pantry of Jeff Davis County.

                                              Graduate Center Developer Pamela Pipes volunteered at The Nature Conservancy's Annual Christmas Tree Hunt & Food Drive 

October 27, 2010 - Graduate Student Developer Attends McNair-Tafoya Symposium

Graduate Student Developer Pamela Pipes attended the McNair-Tafoya Symposium, which highlights the research accomplishments of undergraduates participating in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Sul Ross State University (McNair Scholars Program  The McNair Scholars Program assists low-income, first generation and under-represented students with the academic skills needed to succeed in earning a doctoral degree.  Pamela visited with many of the students, encouraged them to pursue a post-baccalaureate education, and reminded them that if their educational plan included a Master's degree from Sul Ross State University, the Graduate Student Center was available to assist them in their endeavors.


Graduate Center Developer Pamela Pipes and McNair Scholar Joel Natividad discuss his research, Health Club Hygiene in Regards to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Are You Picking Up More Than Weights?

September 20, 2010 - Graduate Student Center Now Open!

The new Graduate Student Center, funded in full through Project Puertas Abiertas, is now open and ready to provide graduate students a place to study, work in the computer lab (on one of our computers or their own laptops), get guidance from one of our friendly staff, or to just hang out!  We have desktop and laptop PCs available for student use, wireless internet, a conference room for group study or meetings, satellite phone and personal locator beacon available for check-out to students doing field work in remote locations, and a projector and screen for rehearsing presentations.  We will also have (in the very near future) a networked printer/copier/scanner for student use.  Graduate student services will also be provided through the Center as they are developed, including orientation, mentoring, and workshops/direct assistance in financial literacy, academic research, writing, thesis preparation, how to prepare requests for external funding, and career/educational planning.

The Center will be open Monday through Saturday from 8 am until 8 pm (closed on Sunday).  Graduate Student Fellowship recipients (Fellows) will staff the Center weekdays after 5 pm and on Saturdays.  The Fellows' primary responsibility will be to supervise the computer lab, but will provide assistance to students as their individual skill sets will allow.

The Center is located in BAB104 (where Financial Aid  used to be).  Stop by and check out the new Graduate Student Center!


Graduate Student Center Developer Pamela Pipes and Fellow Elmer Castro check out one of the new laptops.


September 16, 2010 - Teaching Online vs. F2F: 15 Differences That Affect Learning

 Dr. Ike Shibley of Penn State Berks offered thought-provoking insights on the best ways to structure online courses to promote deeper levels of student understanding. The video online seminar covered, 15 important differences between online and face-to-face instruction, the advantages of online teaching compared to traditional methods, and effective teaching practices that align with online instruction.  Ways to apply learner-centered teaching to online courses, how online courses can improve assessment, productive aspects of online instruction to help guide course design, and writing the first draft for an online course syllabus were also discussed.

 

August 2010 - Grant Staff Present at Conference on Outdoor Teaching and Learning


Sandy Bogus, Integration Analyst for Project Puertas Abiertas and Rhonda Austin, Grant Director each made presentations for the SRSU Conference on Outdoor Teaching and Learning held in Alpine on August 5 and 6.

The topic for Bogus's presentation was “Capturing the Outdoors and Bringing It In!” – Using a small digital video or voice recorder, the outdoor experience can be captured and used in a classroom or online course. This presentation covered the basics of using these tools and explored ideas for recording projects and how they can be used in class.

Austin's presentation was titled  “Virtual Field Trips: The next best thing to being there.” Sometimes, a student simply cannot be there to smell the flowers or feel the water rushing against the boat, but technology offers many ways to re-create the outdoor experience or make it accessible to those who cannot attend. Resources and websites such as YouTube, TeacherTube, and Science Online provide access to free lessons plans, videos, and “virtual” field trips. For those who wish to include user-generated content, a cell phone camera is all that is needed. The presentation provided participants a list of resources for use either in the classroom or online.



August 2010 - Graduate Student Center Remodel Update

Work continues on the BAB104 renovations.  The walls are painted, the carpet is laid, the window has become a door, and all the office furniture has been returned to it's rightful place!  Project Director Rhonda Austin has already moved into her new office.  The rest of the staff will follow as soon as the new door is secure.  Check back here for "Grand Opening" details!



 July 2010 - CashCourse Now Available to Sul Ross Students

With help from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), financial literacy information is now available for Sul Ross students.  The Sul Ross CashCourse website will provide you with the information and resources you need to make informed financial decisions throughout your graduate career and into your professional life. Visit www.sulross.edu/graduates and follow the link to the “Financial Resources” page for more information on financial literacy.


May 2010 - Graduate Student Center Location Set

In our last newsletter, we reported that the Graduate Student Center would be located in BAB202.  Upon learning that this location would not be available, the search was on for a new suitable location.  We reviewed all possibilities and identified BAB104 as the ideal location for the Center.  Once vacated by Financial Aid, the BAB104 suite will undergo minor renovations to become the new Graduate Student Center – a one-stop shop for graduate students.



 

The Graduate Student Center will include a graduate student computer lab equipped with laptops and desktop PCs, digital projector and screen, networked printer, scanner, and a photocopier.  The Center will also have a faculty training room, office space for Graduate Admissions, project staff, and fellows. 

The Center will provide centralized services designed to ensure graduate student success – including admissions, orientation, mentoring, and academic, financial, and career services.


May 2010 - Financial Resources for Graduate Students

Graduate Student Center staff will be developing a financial literacy program in the coming months, as well as a directory of available financial aid for graduate students, including sources of external funding.  Visit www.sulross.edu/graduates  and follow the link to the “Financial Resources” page for more information and useful links.

 

April 2010 - Fellowships Awarded to Five Sul Ross State University Graduate Students

Fellowships of $8,000 to $10,000 each were awarded in May to five promising Sul Ross State University graduate students with unmet financial need for the 2010-2011 academic year.  Recipients Elmer Castro, Jennifer Denton, Rose Enos, Victoria Mancha, and Sally Street were selected from a pool of qualified applicants by a committee comprised of Sul Ross State University faculty and staff.  According to Pamela Pipes, Graduate Center Developer and chair of the selection committee, “The choice was difficult since many deserving students applied.  We congratulate this year’s Fellowship awardees and hope to have an equally qualified and deserving pool to select from next year.”

As part of the process, applicants each submitted transcripts, letters of recommendation from teachers and mentors, and essays outlining how the fellowship would be used to support the student’s efforts to attain a graduate degree and enhance future opportunities in his or her chosen field. As part of the fellowship, each student will contribute to the success of the Graduate Center currently being developed at Sul Ross by providing assistance such as mentoring other students, helping develop resources that can be shared with others, or assisting graduate faculty as needed. Each student’s responsibilities will be aligned to his or her area of expertise. These students represent several majors in the university and have a variety of skills. 

Elmer Castro received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Sul Ross State University and is currently working toward a Master of Arts degree in History and post-baccalaureate teacher certification.  Elmer states, “I want to become an outstanding teacher, and to be a positive role model to young adults, who like me, are faced with challenges and difficult obstacles.”

Jennifer Denton received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Sul Ross State University and is currently working toward a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration.  Jennifer states, “My career goal is to work for a non-governmental organization or non-profit organization that brings aid to the hungry, the ill, and that section of the population that is unable to advocate for themselves.”

Rose Enos received a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Sul Ross State University and is currently working toward a Master of Science degree in Animal Science.  Rose, a non-traditional student, would like a career with the United States Department of Agriculture upon completion of her education.  She states, “I have made the change in my life to educate myself and to show that anyone can achieve their goals no matter what their race, age or sex.”

Victoria Mancha received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and will begin work on a Master of Science degree in Biology in the fall.  Victoria states, “I have learned to value the opportunities that I am presented with and to make the most of them; this has influenced my decision to continue my educational career by pursuing a Master’s degree.”

Sally Street received a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management from Sul Ross State University and is currently working toward her Master of Science degree in Natural Resource Management.  Sally states, “Environmental education has always been a passion of mine, and I hope that I can continue to share what I have and will learn at this university in all of my future endeavors.”




May 19, 2010 - First meeting with Fellows. 
Pictured left to right are Graduate Center Developer and Fellowship Committee Chair Pamela Pipes, Victoria Mancha, Rose Enos, Jennifer Denton, Elmer Castro, and Sally Street.


Faculty making use of equipment purchased through grant

Through the Title V Post-Baccalaureate grant, equipment and software was purchased to help create media-rich online courses. Dr. Sharon Hileman borrowed the Flip-video camcorder bought with Title V funds to add a video introduction to her online Graphic Novel course.


 




Dr. Sharon Hileman borrowed the Flip-video camcorder bought with Title V funds to add a video introduction to her summer 2010 online Graphic Novel course.



Dr. Rebecca Schlosser also used the Flip Video camcorder to recorder a welcome message for her students in her summer 2010 online course. She used the video time to go through a detailed explanation of the syllabus and what to expect from the course. 


Dr. Pat Seawell borrowed the digital voice recorder purchased with Title V Post-Baccalaureate funds to record an audio introduction for her fall 2010 course.  She also is using the Flip Video camcorder to present an example portfolio to students in her online practicum course.  The portfolio is a collection of all the work the student has done during the practicum course. It is a huge detailed project. Being able to use a video to show the students an example of a well done portfolio is invaluable. The students are able to see the example portfolio and hear from Dr. Seawell what elements are required.

The grant has purchased digital cameras, digital voice recorders, a Flip video camcorder and high-end laptops for faculty developing online courses. In addition, Sandy Bogus is available for support. If you have an idea you would like to try out for your online course, contact Sandy at sbogus@sulross.edu.

 
 
 

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