MAVS Newsletter | August 2023

 Welcome to the fall semester! 

Over 15,000 students have chosen to attend UNO. Some are new to campus, but a substantial number are returning students. Thanks to the efforts of many, UNO’s retention rates are trending up. New or returning, each student has a dream. In addition to sharing subject-area expertise, the many small gestures and actions taken by our faculty will help keep these students enrolled and moving closer to their dreams. 

Once a month, you’ll receive a MAVS email that will include tips to help you support our students. The suggestions will include: 

Monthly reminders

- timely information to share with your students

Active engagement tips

- ideas to increase student engagement in your classes

Vital Supports

- academic and other student-centered resources available to students

As always, please reach out to the Center for Faculty Excellence with your ideas and feedback. 

Now is the ideal time to remind students about UNO’s academic support centers. Visiting the centers early in the semester can help students do well on initial assignments and build confidence so they can tackle upcoming course content. Students who are encouraged by faculty to seek support are more likely to do so. You can also normalize seeking help by sharing your own story of how you sought support during your academic journey or how a past student benefitted from accessing the support centers. Check out these related resources on early action.

Faculty are also encouraged to remind students of important dates on the academic calendar such as when applications for the Maverick Payment Plan open (August 28) and when they can withdraw from a class and receive a “W” with a partial tuition refund.

The Center for Faculty Excellence has many resources available to help you enhance student engagement. The following are particularly relevant to the beginning of the semester.

• Getting to Know Your Students – Access resources that will help you establish strong instructor-student relationships.

• Managing Cognitive Load – Learn how you can mitigate distractions and direct students’ cognitive resources toward learning your course content in this 3-minute video.

• Connecting Students – A series of short videos on strategies to connect students to other students in your class.

• Join other instructors in a Community of Practice that focuses on student engagement.

Supporting Students at UNO is a one-stop source of information on the various support services for students. As with academic support, we know students are more likely to take advantage of these services if a faculty member refers them and if seeking assistance is presented as a normal part of the college experience.