New Mexico Highlands University

The Center for Teaching Excellence serves the New Mexico Highlands University community by providing programming, resources and support for quality teaching and advising, and for the assessment of effective student learning. The center works in collaboration with existing professional development opportunities such as ARMAS and the Learning Communities to maximize resources and expand reach to more faculty. The primary goal is to help teachers help students be more successful. Teachers receiving training include faculty, adjuncts, GTAs and staff who teach.

New Mexico Highlands University’s (NMHU) SomosSTEM (“We are STEM”) is an NSF (National Science Foundation) funded program. SomosSTEM engages students in more culturally informed, place and community-based undergraduate participation in STEM. The program involves students in life science community research pathways through the critical transition from lower to upper division coursework. Activities and experiences are used to support the development of a life science community that engages students, faculty, and community STEM partners. Grant activities include Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs); the SomosSTEM Summer Bridge Science Challenge Academy for college freshmen; a full summer internship program; and the Community Voices lecture series.