Tag: Volume 21

Stop the Stress

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Edgar Gonzalez, Staff Reporter

The clinical therapists for CNM Main Campus gets many students dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression, said Merry Guild, CNM clinical therapist.

Anxiety and depression are like the basic colds of mental health, she said.

They see a lot of students that are dealing with the pressures of school but when something else happens the whole house of cards threatens to come down, Guild said.

Learning how to manage your stress is a good thing, she said.

Exercise is super important and it does not have to be fancy gym workouts, she said.

“CNM has fitness classes and those are great,” she said.

There is also a gym that is free for students between 8 am and 5 pm, but even getting a 30-35 minute walk every day at a fast enough pace to get your heart going is enough, she said.

It is also necessary to have good sleep hygiene, which means going to sleep at a regular time, waking up at a regular time, not drinking a lot of caffeine late in the day, and not having a lot of electronics going in the bedroom, Guild said.

“Dealing with the deadlines from school, GPA, and a personal crisis can be real tough,” she said.

Stress breaks people down and it weakens the immune system so a person is more likely to get sick, Guild said.

“It is a vicious cycle where stress hurts your performance which stresses you out more, plus it takes a toll on your self-esteem, sleep, and it just spirals downward,” Guild said.

Stress can also lead to self-harm through violent acts or substance abuse, she said.

There are about 22 achievement coaches that send people in for counseling, they suggest and encourage the students to try it, Guild said.

If there is an academic issue she will send them to an advisor, she said.

She also sends students to the achievement coaches at the Connect office to get food bank and shelter information or to get health care information, she said.

Some of the coaches are like social workers and they have lots of resources in the community, Guild said.

What is available at the school is eight free counseling sessions a year and all students have to do is be enrolled in one class, she said.

There are also two master level interns that are working with Guild to provide counseling but the only counseling that is available in CNM is at Main Campus, she said.

They do some substance abuse counseling but cannot do any court ordered substance abuse counseling, Guild said.

If it is intense substance abuse they are connected with resources that will also do mandate counseling and court reports, she said.

If students need more counseling they will be referred to places that are sliding scale or take Medicare or affordable care so that is easier for students to get long term counseling, Guild said.

UNM psychology training clinic will also see students for individual counseling for $5 a session, she said.

It is pretty rare when someone does not benefit from counseling and when it does not it is because they drop out after one or two sessions, Guild said.

“You know what they say, it is not the counselor but the client or patient and if someone comes in and is looking and willing to do something different they are going to get better,” she said.

Everything is confidential, they do not talk to anybody unless the student signs a release of information, Guild said.

The Vet Success center has moved into the counseling health clinic so that veterans can get counseling as well, she said.

MORE INFORMATION:

For More Help Please Contact

Merry Guild CNM clinical therapist

(505)-224-3271

Student Services Center

Room SSC 207

900 University SE

Call for more information

Get Fit and Win

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Edgar Gonzalez, Staff Reporter

HealthyWage is a program where people can compete for prices while losing weight at the same time in order to improve their long term decision making skills, said David Roddenberry co-founder of HealthyWage.

The program is set up to make weight loss fun and easy for staff and their families, he said.

All staff members and families are welcome to join this event, he said.

This includes staff from UNM, CNM, and APS, he said.

“Our goal is to help people with their long term healthy living”, Roddenberry said.

Daniel Tena, Chemistry major, said the price is $20 every month for a total of $60, but they ask for $75 during sign up, but people usually get much more than they initially invest.

The rules are that people must lose six percent of their bodyweight and form a team of three to five people in order to win, he said.

It is possible for each member with in a team to win a part of the prize, he said.

The prize is whatever money is put in by the participants after HealthyWise takes a 20 percent cut, he said.

The first step of the program is to weigh in and there are multiple options for that, said Tena.

One way is to make a thirty second video in your house and submit it in or you can make other arrangements, said Tena.

Roddenberry said, different resources are provided for those who choose to join the program,.

These include a nutritionists and a coach to help people on their progress to a healthier life, said Roddenberry.

The atmosphere is child friendly and people are welcome to bring their children, said Roddenberry.

The company is in its seventh year and has worked with more than 600 clients, said Roddenberry.

About 40 percent of clients have succeed the six percent weight loss goal, said Roddenberry.

The 12 week program consists of four weeks of nutrition, four weeks of physical activity, and four weeks of more focused weight loss, said Roddenberry.

Another resource that can be used are videos online that clients can watch in order to help them with their weight loss program, said Roddenberry.

There are other programs that assist with weight loss for individuals that do not qualify for this specific program, said Roddenberry.

“People who attend this program usually continue their weight loss journey thanks to the competition, the friendships established, and their pride”, said Roddenberry.

The team is the most important component to this program, said Roddenberry.

This is the same program for everyone and all weight classes have the same chance of achieving their goals, said Roddenberry.

The overall goal is to help people make better decisions and help people live healthier lives, said Roddenberry.

Tena said, after a team wins the price gets split up between the participants.

“There are a lot of fun workouts to do and everyone is so nice”, said Tena

If a person does not have a group to join with the program will provide you with a team to join, it is a very nice way to meet new people, said Tena.

 

MORE INFORMATION

Email   info@healthywage.com

Email us for the fastest response!

Use our Support system and log a request here.

Phone  (888) 636-3832

Wait times may apply – email is best!

Fax      (651) 964-3499

Call for more information

Health Center now Counseling Services

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Guadalupe Santos-Sanchez, Managing Editor

The CNM Health Center is now called Counseling Services because medical services will no longer be available, said Brad Moore, director of communications and media relations.

The number of students accessing the services was declining and due to challenging budget conditions the school decided to remove the Student Health Services Center, he said.

“It is uncommon for community colleges to offer such services and we were the only school in the state who did,” he said.

The Health Center originally was designed for students who did not have any health care but now that everyone should have it with the Affordable Care Act, they decided that they should be helping students get to their own doctors and their own health care, said Phillip Bustos, vice president of student services.

The office will continue to provide information on outside medical services and on the Affordable Care Act, Moore said.

The Affordable Care Act should be available to everyone because it depends on a person’s income, Bustos said.

Students who used the medical services and want to get their medical records can email the contact center at contactcenter@cnm.edu or call at 505-224-3000.

The mental health services will be enhanced, Bustos said.

The Samaritan Counseling is on staff along with CNM employees to continue to provide up to eight counseling sessions per student, he said.

Students will be seen on a free basis for things such as mental health issues, counseling, and test anxiety, he said.

If students need more than eight sessions, counselors help students make arrangements for long term care that they can get through the Affordable Care Act or other insurance, he said.

Bustos said that they will be looking at the number of students using the services every month and make changes in accordance, so they might increase the number of visits per student.

The Wellness Center, or the gym, will still be open, he said.

It will be in part monitored by the Vet Success Center, which they are hoping will be set up in that same space, he said.

The Vet Success Center is in partnership with the New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System and it provides support services for veterans along with achievement coaching and advising but specifically for veterans, Bustos said.

The Vet Success Center helps veterans get readjusted to civilian and college life, he said.

The main thing that makes them different is that it is Vets helping Vets, and so all of the individuals that are employed there are veterans, he said.

“We intend to really continue to serve students, we’ll help them find any needs that they have with community resources as well as private doctors, so if they have any questions they’re welcome to still come to the old health center and ask any questions, we’ll try and help them however we can,” Bustos said.

The health center closed for intake walk-in services on October 31, 2015 and both of the health center employees retired, he said.

They had two student employees that they were hoping to keep employed in the new center, he said.

Finals week no more

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Edgar Gonzalez, Staff Reporter

Finals week has been where all instructors would present the finals that students must take.

The change of this policy has had some effects on a few students, state the students of CNM.

No longer having a finals week might harm students in a variety of ways, said Liberal Arts major Jessica Morales.

Some students might already have things planned for the way it usually was and it might hurt them by preparing the wrong way, she said.

“Some negative sides to this is that some students might have conflicting schedules to the final exams,” said Architecture major Orlando Sparsa.

Some students might not be ready for some exams depending on when the instructors have them scheduled, he said.

On the other side, this would make it fairer for students, since people who do not show up to class will have a harder time passing, said Criminology major Soraida Soto.

“This could affect the way some students look at CNM and might make them go somewhere else for school,” she said.

This will actually harm students by contributing to test anxiety and stress making them have lower test scores than they would regularly have, said Biology major Daniel Morales.

Although it might affect the students, the school itself will not have a big change on its part, he said.

This is still an excellent decision by CNM because it might be less pressure on the student since there could be less problems, Morales said.

This would give more leniency toward everybody, Sparsa said.                                                            Other than this I believe that everything else will stay the same, he said.

“I believe this change is better, I remember last semester I had a conflicting schedule with another class at the Montoya campus and this change could help students that face the same situation that I had,” said Integrated Studies major Tatianna Perlinsky.

Other than affecting the students who do not study there is no way that this change can affect anyone else; the instructors still have to do everything the same way so there really is no change on their part, she said.

If students are prepared this change should cause little to no problems, she said.

It can be very helpful but maybe more confusing depending on the class and the instructor, said Jessica Morales.

“I only see this change making it easier on instructor so they can maintain their regular schedule and that is it,” said Morales.

As for the rest of the CNM staff there are not many things that will change for them with no more finals week, he said.

Working Together | How instructor office hours are viewed on campus

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Edgar Gonzalez, Staff Reporter

Instructors can help students during offices hours, not only with school problems, but with other kinds of problems a student may face on a daily basis, said English major Todd Rodie.

The first time a student goes to get help from an instructor the process can be a little awkward but it gets easier as the student meets with the instructor more often, he said

“Once you are there they may talk about other random things, instructors are pretty cool,” he said.

All students would benefit from going to office hours which are offered by CNM instructors for students if they need extra help, said Nursing major Carlos Corona.

That is exactly why I think people should go to office hours, just to build a better relationship with their instructors, he said.

Although it can be very helpful to visit instructors it is also very intimidating, Rodie said.

People mostly go and do their own work and try to do things themselves, said Welding major Robert Quesada.

“There are a lot of reasons why students do not come, they are shy, or the office hours come in conflict with their schedules, said John Rogers, full-time instructor.

At first students seem a little shy but they tend to relax after a while, he said.

Some students do not attend office hours because they do not need the extra help, or they have other resources they can use to find what they are looking for, said Criminology major Danielle Romero.

“My instructors have told me about office hours but I think most instructors help people in the class better,” Quesada said.

Most of the material is covered in class, but most students would benefit from attending office hours for a little extra help, Rogers said.

Some students might email their instructors when they have questions, Romero said.

Rogers gets some emails from students but they are mostly for makeup exams not really for help on any particular subject, he said.

“There is another reason why I do not receive many students at office hours, most of the time it is because they catch me and ask questions before or after class,” he said.

Some students are just too lazy to go out of their way and go to the instructors’ office hours, Corona said.

Some students might be too scared to visit office hours as well and some instructors might even discourage students from getting help, he said.

Since office hours might interfere with some of the students’ schedules, they probably look for other help, like their friends, Quesada said.

Students do not take full advantage of office hours, Rogers said.

There are some things that can be changed in order to increase student attendance in office hours but it is still up to the student to go, Romero said.

Most students who decide to attend office hours will gain something from the experience, Rodie said.

Let’s study abroad

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Whitney Oliphant, Staff Reporter

CNM is partnering with UNM and the Global Education Office to bring study abroad to students, said Dr. Paula Smith-Hawkins, associate dean for administration.

“Global Education is coming,” Hawkins said.

The first trip will take place in July 2016, and will be held in Limerick, Ireland, she said.

Smith-Hawkins said that students will actually be staying in the dorms at the Mary Immaculate University in Limerick while they do their studies.

During the Limerick trip students will earn 6 transferable credits in history and service learning, Smith-Hawkins said.

Smith-Hawkins said that it will be a month’s worth of work put into two weeks but that it will be a great experience for those involved.

There will also be a week of prep work that students will do on Blackboard the week before they leave for the Limerick trip, she said.

“Students may not be aware that they can use their financial aid to help cover the cost of the trip,” Smith-Hawkins said.

Students think that they cannot afford to do study abroad because of financial reasons but there are scholarships, savings plans, and financial aid to help students with the costs, she said.

She said that even though students may be able to use their financial aid toward the trip it is important that students plan in advance so that they can get their financial aid set up for studying abroad.

For more information on getting financial aid for studying abroad contact the financial aid office at (505) 224-3000 prompt (2,0).

Students should start the planning process at least two semesters in advance, Smith-Hawkins said.

The fall semester should be the time that students make the decision about studying abroad, then spend the spring planning while getting their financial aid in order and ultimately leaving over the summer, Smith-Hawkins said.

Smith-Hawkins said that although studying abroad is brand new to CNM, it is actually much more common in community colleges than most think.

CNM opening the door to studying abroad also allows foreign students to come and attend CNM as well as CNM students to attend various schools overseas, she said.

The Limerick trip is sort of like a test run for CNM because this will be the very first study abroad trip, she said.

CNM hopes to eventually narrow their focus on Latin America for their study abroad experiences, she said.

Places such as Cuba and Colombia could be in the works as soon as 2017, she said.

“CNM is joining the rest of the world,” she said.

Latin America studies

https://www.cnm.edu/programs-of-study/all-programs-a-z/latin-american-studies

UNM Global Education Office

http://geo.unm.edu/

SNAP to it! | Food benefits for students

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

 

By Whitney Oliphant, Staff Reporter

“Students who are enrolled in a Career Technical program do not have to be working in order to qualify for SNAP benefits now,” said Sally Moore Achievement Coach at CNM.

For a list of the Career Technical Programs that qualify students for benefits please visit: http://www.cnm.edu/programs-of-study/career-technical-education/cte-programs-a-to-z

Students who are looking to apply for SNAP benefits can go into any local Income Support Division office (ISD) or go online at https://www.yes.state.nm.us/yesnm/home/index , Moore said.

There is a form that students will need to complete that is called an FSP 420 form and they can get this form from Financial Aid, CNM Connect, or an achievement coach, she said.

Students will need to fill out the top part of the form and then they will need to drop off the form with Financial Aid for them to complete, she said.

They will usually have the form ready for students to pick back up within 48 hours, she said.

If there are any issues with the application or if students are denied benefits, students should contact 505-255-2840 and get help, Moore said.

There are between 4 and 5 thousand students at CNM who qualify for SNAP benefits now that those who are enrolled in a Career Technical program do not need to be working, Moore said.

Those who are not enrolled in a Career Technical Program and need help with food may still qualify for benefits.

It only needs to be one of the qualifications to qualify for SNAP benefits, Moore said.

She said that if students have less than 150 dollars in cash then they have to receive snap benefits within 7 days.

Moore said that if students go into the ISD office to apply then someone has to meet with them that same day.

ISD has to process the application within 30 days and if that doesn’t happen then students should call as ISD is required to get it done right away, Moore said.

She said that there is no guaranteed eligibility and that students need to refer to the ISD office for issues or questions that come up with their benefits after they have submitted their application.

For any questions regarding SNAP benefits please visit the CNM Connect office or call CNM Connect at (505) 224-3186.

There are many different options available for students who need food such as Vets for Success who is teaming up with RoadRunner food bank to offer food boxes to students, Moore said.

For more options on how to get food please visit https://www.cnm.edu/cnm-community/community-resources/food

For questions please call (505) 224-3186.

 

 

Places that those who need help with food can receive help:

http://www.cnm.edu/cnm-community/community-resources/food

 

Career Technical Programs that qualify students for benefits:

http://www.cnm.edu/programs-of-study/career-technical-education/cte-programs-a-to-z

 

Qualifications include any one of the following, Moore said:

  • Students who are enrolled in a career technical education program (See the Career Technical Link)

 

  • Students that have a temporary or permanent physical or mental impairment

 

  • Students who just turned 50 or who are over 50 years of age

 

  • Students who are working at least 20 hours a week on average

 

  • Students who are enrolled less than half time

 

  • Students who are approved for and anticipating participation in a Work Study program

 

  • Students who receive TANF benefits;

 

  • Students who are responsible for a child under 6 years of age, OR are responsible for a child between the ages of 6 and 12 and cannot obtain childcare;

 

  • Students who are a full time student and a single parent with a child under 12

 

  • Students who are enrolled in a GED, ESL, or remedial program

SAFETY FIRST | CNM ADDRESSES SAFETY ON CAMPUS

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Stephanie Stuckey, Staff Reporter

CNM is assigning more security officers to bike and foot patrols to increase the security presence on all parts of CNM campuses, said Brad Moore, director of C & M Relations.

“Keeping students and employees safe on all campuses is CNM’s highest priority at all times, and our biggest concern,” he said.

CNM security and the Dean of Students office are planning to develop new safety and security trainings based on the feedback received during the recent security forums that were held for students, faculty, and staff, Moore said.

Currently in development, there are a few different 2-3 minute training videos that individuals can watch that pertain to campus safety protocols.

CNM is also developing College Emergency Response Teams (CERT) that will be trained on safety protocol, assist with situations when necessary and share safety information with students, faculty, and staff on their respective campuses, he said.

Individuals can also visit the website at https://www.cnm.edu/depts/security/Emergency-Procedurs.html and https://www.cnm.edu/depts/security/crime-prevention.

The emergency procedures website provides individuals information on what to do in case of an active shooter being present, what to expect from responding officers, how to keep updated during an emergency, lockdown procedures, what to do during a lockdown, and training for CNM faculty and staff.

There is also information on what to do if a student is the victim of a crime, personal safety, and increasing personal safety.

Safety procedures and protocol are typically reviewed annually, Moore said.

There was a transition from a previous security chief to the current security chief about a year ago – the pages were last updated under the previous chief and the information has been reviewed in the last year and there has been no need for changes, he said.

As of September, CNM has remote building lockdown capabilities for thirteen buildings; they are at Main Campus: JS, KC, LSA, MS, RPM, SRC, and SSC; at Montoya: G, H, and TW; at the Westside Campus: MJG and WSI; and Rio Rancho Campus.

CNM security can lock down any of these buildings from its headquarters at Main Campus, and plans to have all of the branch campus buildings completed by December 2016 and the remaining Main Campus buildings by December 2017, Moore said.

According to Moore, there is also a safety workshop for students currently in development.

CNM is expecting to start offering the workshop after Thanksgiving week; it will be communicated to students in the Suncat Times, social media, and other venues, he said.

When students go on new student orientation tours, the orientation leaders (who are students) inform them about the presence of security officers, they encourage new students to sign-up for emergency text alerts and to be aware of their surroundings at all times, he said.

The tour leaders also inform new students that they can call security at any time if they feel the need for an escort to their vehicle especially at night, he said.

Leslie Katel, a CNM student for about two years, said that she does not recall being informed of safety procedures on campus and suggests that the information be made available to students in other ways besides through the myCNM website.

“I don’t feel safe in the evening.  I feel okay during the day, but I have evening classes and have to park farther away – if there is someone suspicious looking around, I become hyperaware.  I also think there should be more visible security in the evening especially now that it is getting darker earlier,” said Anna Fedele, a student employee.

CNM employees are also trained in safety and security at CNM, Moore said.

In addition to the exposure received in the first day, all new employees are required to take six core mandatory online courses, which include safety and security, he said.

Some of the points covered are weapons and firearms, fire alarms, CNM emergency alerts, security and safety.

CNM also works closely in partnership with the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), which does regular patrols of CNM campuses, Moore said.

APD is the official law enforcement agency at CNM, since CNM does not have a police force, only a security force, he said.

According to Moore, another point worth noting in addition to CNM’s emergency text alert and email system, is that CNM has recently installed public-address systems inside all of the CNM buildings to provide important communications in the case of emergencies.

CNM has adjusted the schedules of the parking ambassadors so they are available in the evening to help monitor activity in parking lots and to help students in need.

CNM is also in the process of scheduling mental health first aid trainings and self-defense trainings, Moore said.

“For the size of CNM, it has a relatively low level of crime incidents compared with other urban colleges,” Moore said.

World Cat Local | Navigating CNM’s new library system

cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Stephanie Stuckey, Staff Reporter

CNM’s new library system called World Cat Local is more of a “behind the scenes” operating system, said Renée Goodvin, Reference and Interlibrary Loan Librarian for the Jeannette Stromberg Library on Main Campus.

Transferring books from one campus library to another, placing books on hold, and renewing books are some of the behind the scenes, she said.

Renewing the library materials was a feature added during the upgrade, Goodvin said.

In order to be able to renew books or other materials, students will have to set-up an external account with World Cat Local, she said.

Students seem to get confused when logging into their World Cat Local accounts, the student needs to use their CNM student identification (ID) number rather than their email user names or log on names to CNM computers, she said.

She also said that World Cat Local would generate its own password after entering the CNM student ID number.

The easiest way to access the CNM library system is through the library’s webpage at CNM.edu and then click libraries under the Student Resources tab, she said.

Something important to remember, is that students can search for materials all they want; it is when an action is required such as placing a book on hold or renewing materials that logging into the World Cat Local account is required, Goodvin said.

Once students are logged in however, they can place holds, renew material, and see what materials they have checked-out stated Goodvin.

One of the upgrades made was to a service that through the old system was called Book Media Pick-Up and is now called Placing a Hold, and it is when a book is delivered from one campus to another, she said.

The name changed and the steps to use this function have changed as well, she said.

This new library system is the same system being used by the University of New Mexico (UNM) and allows CNM to work with UNM as well as other schools across the state because they all use the World Cat Local system, she said.

Goodvin stated that one minor downside to the new system is that because it is fairly new, there are many upgrades that have to be made in order to maintain the latest versions of the system, she said.

She has heard students saying that navigating the new system can be a little complicated, she said.

Goodvin has noticed that “students tend to be shy when it comes to asking about library materials” she said.

Goodvin encourages students who have questions regarding the new online library system to call the library, email the library staff, or just stop on by.

“We are happy to help,” she said.

If further help is needed, students can make an appointment with Goodvin by contacting the library and can get one-on-one help with the new system or other library related issues.

“It is actually my job to help people, it is what I get paid to do,” she said.