By Whitney Oliphant , Staff Reporter
Students who are taking Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) classes and need help can join STEM UP in some of their Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions.
The SI sessions are open to all CNM students, students do not have to be attending STEM courses in order to attend the SI sessions, said Melody Walker, STEM UP Tutor Coordinator.
“The goal of the SI sessions is to not just help you with the one class but to help you with all future classes,” said Shaka Preston, Supplemental Instructional Tutor.
SI sessions are setup to be supplementary to specific CNM courses, according to STEM.
What this means is that each SI session correlates with a specific instructor’s class, Walker said.
Students do not have to be a part of that specific instructor’s class to join in on the sessions, however, students should know that the sessions are specific to each instructor and their class subject, Walker said.
So if students who do not have that instructor want to join in on the SI session they should note that their class may be in a different area of instruction, he said.
STEM UP also offers individual tutoring, Walker said.
The individual tutoring is only offered to those that have a declared STEM major, she said.
Students who have a declared STEM major can also receive mentor services and special advisement from STEM UP, Walker said.
Student Education Leaders through STEM UP are the individuals that offer the mentor services to students.
What the Student Education Leaders do is they try to find scholarships and events that pertain to the student’s major and help the students get involved, Walker said.
STEM UP’s main goal is to increase enrollment, retention, and graduation in STEM fields. Specifically the STEM grant is for Hispanic serving institutes, as well as low income and first generation, Walker said.
The main goal is to increase the amount of STEM individuals out there and to help them succeed, she said.
“STEM UP has offered mock chemistry finals in the past and they are hoping to offer more mock finals in a variety of STEM courses in the future,” she said.
STEM UP also offers walkabouts at UNM for students.
STEM schedules a time and will tour CNM students around the UNM campus to help students feel more comfortable about the transfer.
During the walkabout the guide will take the students to all of the major Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math buildings, Walker said.
Hit the Ground Running is another event that STEM UP offers students.
The event is held right before the semester starts and will also be held this January and right before the summer semester, she said.
The event is there to make sure students are prepared for their upcoming class and to help students get a good grasp on certain topics, she said.
The mock finals, Hit the Ground Running, and the walkabouts at UNM are for all CNM students. Students do not have to be in a declared STEM major to take part in these events, she said.
STEM UP also has a free application (APP) available to students.
The APP can help students in determining what classes will count toward a STEM associate degree at CNM and what CNM classes will count toward a STEM bachelor degree at UNM.
To download the APP students can search for “STEM UP” in the Google Play or iTunes store.
For more information or questions about STEM UP and the variety of services that they provide call (505) 224-3241 or visit the STEM UP center at Main Campus in the SSC building room 102.
Students who are interested in the SI sessions can go online to the CNM webpage at (https://www.cnm.edu/depts/stemup/stem-tutoring) or they can contact STEM at (505) 224-3242 to find out when, where, and at what time the sessions are being held.
To set up an appointment for individual tutoring students must first make an appointment with their advisor.
Students can visit the STEM UP office on Main Campus in the SSC building room 102 and speak with Monique to schedule all of the necessary appointments, Walker said.
Students can also call (505) 224-3241 or send an email to stem_up@cnm.edu for further questions or information.
