By Naomi Yee
“Student success—that’s what it’s all about.”
The slogan is widely proclaimed on the Eastern New Mexico University campus. Everyone knows the slogan, but what is student success? Do administers know what it’s all about? Do faculty? Do students?
Here’s what some of our own had to say about the slogan.
President Steven Gamble: “Students come with their own goal; we help them reach it—whether that goal is a college degree, a few years and then a transfer, or anything else they want to do. The only way I know how to judge a university is how well students think they helped them reach their goal.”
Jamie Laurenz, vice president for Academic Affairs: “When we look at student success, not just students showing up and then five-to-six years later giving them a piece of paper, [we look at]…providing quality programs with outcomes that allow students to compete in the world. Knowledge, skill set, expertise and getting a job…that is success.”
Janelle Zamie, Math Field Specialist: “In some ways we are living up to our slogan, and in some ways we aren’t. I just finished reading an article talking about how students succeed when there is more expected of them. Setting the bar beyond reach isn’t fair, and we need to give them a fair chance. We need to meet students where they are, but we also need to give them a kick in the rear and not baby them too much. We need to give them the skills to succeed, without setting the bar too high and without taking little baby steps.”
Robert Zamora, student: “It’s pretty straight forward; it’s very literal. It means the school’s main focus is student success. For me, ENMU has lived up to its slogan. There have been a lot of criticism by other students, but I can’t relate. With what I want to go into, I’ve always had access to the things that will help me succeed.”
Zac Self, student: “I would define our slogan as sort of a comfort to students so that we feel as if the school will help us succeed. However, I don’t know that we are living up to our somewhat comforting slogan. I feel as though teachers take it seriously, but the school as a whole may not. There are a lot of options for students as far as tutoring programs, [but] these are not very well known throughout the student body.”
Jeffery Richeson, student: “It means the school cares about us moving forward and getting careers. I think it’s just a slogan, and it is there, but I don’t see it too much in the university. Students still come out of ENMU successfully but not compared to other schools. I have a friend to who goes to Texas Tech, and he had a class where you had to apply to a certain company, talk with them, and interview with them. ENMU doesn’t really have good networking. I don’t think ENMU is living up to its slogan. We are more contemporary, and I would like to see this school be more traditional.”