CSN Campus Child Care

It is with genuine excitement that we transition under the umbrella of Student Affairs. We believe this is a perfect union and are excited about the many new collaborations and resources this unification will yield as we maintain our shared focus surrounding successful student outcomes. Campus Child Care is dedicated to serving the needs of CSN student families through high quality programming, thus empowering the success of student parents in their pursuit of higher education. Through this empowerment, we serve as a model in leadership and excellence for the early childhood profession by providing a nurturing, secure, stable, and responsive environment that supports the growth and development of each individual child. More than child care, Campus Child Care is a full service, comprehensive early childhood and family amenity program.

Campus Child Care implements a balance of two curriculum approaches, blending the internationally, well-respected and research-validated strategies of High/Scope, accompanied by the widely adopted, dynamic processes of Emergent Curriculum. Both curriculum approaches align perfectly with Campus Child Care’s philosophy, where play is at the center of our curriculum, allowing for natural links to occur between play, development and learning! These child-centered curriculum approaches operate on the basic idea that organic, whole learning evolves from the interactions between children, adults and their environments.

Children between the ages of birth to five do not learn because they are taught. They learn as a result of their own doing…through actions, relationships, inquiries, opportunities and repetition. Our teachers become research partners with the children, seeking answers to questions and supporting investigations, discoveries and developmentally appropriate experiences. Our school is their laboratory, offering materials and tools to inspire each child’s growth, development and learning. Within all of this fun and interactive learning, children are assessed across 58 key developmental indicators – observable early childhood milestones that guide teachers as they plan experiences for and interact with children. These key indicators link directly with the State of Nevada’s Pre-Kindergarten Standards as well.

Parents/Families are not assessed within our program; however, each family/parent is individually supported and provided resources based on their individual needs surrounding parenting, community-based resource/support connections (in and out of our CSN community), flexible scheduling options for their child’s attendance, and so much more. As mentioned previously, we are more than just a child care program…we are an extension of your family!

.
Ron Barakat
Site Manager – Cheyenne Campus Child Care

The Student Ambassadors Program: High Achieving and Outgoing CSN Students Help Peers Connect and Succeed at CSN

Student AmbassadorsAs CSN engages in all-around efforts to increase the success rates of our students by course and degree attainment, the college’s Student Ambassador Program is doing its part to move forward the completion agenda. After undergoing a rigorous selection process this past spring, six high achieving outgoing students became the first Student Ambassador Program cohort. Their primary task is to provide prospective and incoming students with direction, support, and motivation throughout the matriculation process, all while engaging in leadership development opportunities to further their own college experience.
You may have already spotted the college’s first team of Student Ambassadors working face-to-face orientations, assisting during the ninety-six advising workshops held this summer, walking registration and financial aid lines, and manning the First-Steps Desk in the Department of Advising and Coaching Services. Student Ambassadors Aide Hernandez and Isaura “Vanessa” Gutierrez serve mostly on the Cheyenne Campus, as does Ambassador Barbara Gordon who also works alongside Ambassadors Grant Estes and LaQuianette “Queen” Williams on the Charleston Campus. Ambassador Raymundo “Ray” Zuñiga is a most welcome addition to the Henderson Campus. Under the supervision of Interim Student Recruitment Coordinator, Chuck Masoka, these high performing and dedicated student leaders inform prospective and new students of necessary steps for successful registration, enrollment, and access to CSN’s numerous resources for success. Student Ambassadors are not only highly visible on the CSN campuses, but also in the community as they represent the College to high school students, parents, teachers, administrators and civic organizations.
In addition to developing leadership, mentoring, and public speaking skills, Student Ambassadors attain valuable work experience, earn above-average hourly wages, and receive a $1,000 Ambassador Scholarship for tuition, fees and book expenses during fall and spring terms. Most rewarding of all, Student Ambassadors are proud of the positive impact they have on the early college experience of new students and have confidence that their interactions will have a lasting effect on the educational journey of those they helped. When asked, Student Ambassador Barbara Ayarza Gordon probably said it best – “Being a Student Ambassador is a great way to inspire other students to persevere when reaching their own academic goals. If I can do it successfully, anyone can!” Ambassador Grant Estes expressed a similar sentiment – “As a Student Ambassador I get to help my fellow students, interface with the community, and be a part of fun, educational events throughout the school year. This program has been uniquely rewarding and has greatly contributed to the rich tapestry that is my college experience.”
To qualify for the Student Ambassador Program applicants must have completed their first term at CSN, have earned a minimum of 12 credits with a 3.5 cumulative grade point average or higher, and have enrolled in no less than 12 credit hours for fall or spring. Preferred qualifications include bilingual Spanish, possession of a valid Nevada driver’s license, and demonstrated previous public speaking experience. For more information or to apply for the Student Ambassador Program, please contact Mr. Chuck Masoka at 651-4717 or chuck.masoka@csn.edu.

by Laura Latimer, Assistant Vice-President of Community Engagement Services

Implementing Best Practices: CSN Transitions to a Shared-Split Model of Advising

In June of this year, CSN’s academic Counseling unit experienced extensive re-structuring, as did the Academic Coachingformer Retention operation which no longer goes by that name. Former advisors and retention specialists cross-trained over the summer and became Advisors/Success Coaches operating under the Advising and Coaching Services Department umbrella. Also notable is the fact that faculty counselors moved to the academic schools in the Division of Academic Affairs.
Advisor/Success Coaches assist first-time college students and students without a declared major in the selection of appropriate coursework, schedule building, and choosing of a suitable academic program based on skills and interests. They also reach out to students referred by the Faculty Early Alert System to help them assess academic strengths and limitations, learn academic success strategies, explore careers, navigate the educational system, access campus and community resources, and connect to campus life. Advisors/Success Coaches help students start on strong, organized, and better prepared to reach their academic goal. From that point forward, the student will meet with the faculty Counselor assigned to the academic school containing his/her major.
The core principles in this shared-split model of developmental advising include: 1) Early engagement of students; 2) Strong collaboration between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs as students confirm or declare a major and transition to a faculty counselor; and 3) Front-loading of critical academic and career information with tailored support services for new to college and undeclared students. Under the new model, all new students who come in contact with the Advising and Coaching Services Department – either from visiting the First Steps Desk for service assessment, meeting one-on-one with an Advisor/Success Coach, or from participating in orientation and/or an advising workshop – receive a Welcome Packet containing CSN’s:

• 15-step Intake Process for new students
• Placement test review and testing procedures information
• Orientation & Advising Workshop schedule
• Degree listing by year
• FAFSA application Roadmap
• MyCSN User Guide
• Math Course Sequence with Course Fundamentals
• English & ESL Course Sequences
• Career Exploration assessment and appointment directions
• Top Habits of a Successful Student
• 4-page Resources for Student Success
• The name and contact information for the Counselor(s) in the student’s academic school based on declared major.

In conclusion, CSN’s new operational model of advising incorporates steps from intake to goal completion, including practices and activities shared by Advisors/Success Coaches and Counselors that impact the student from application through degree completion

by Laura Latimer, Assistant Vice-President of Community Engagement Services

Coyotes Update!!

The College of Southern Nevada baseball team wrapped up the 2013 regular season at home last weekend, sweeping a four-game series against Colorado Northwestern Community College. The first win of the series clinched the Scenic West Athletic Conference championship for the Coyotes, giving them the No. 1 seed and the hosting rights of this week’s Region XVIII Baseball Tournament, being held at Morse Stadium on the CSN Henderson campus.

Presently, the Coyotes have won five games in a row and boast a 38-15 season record. CSN won the SWAC championship with a conference record of 26-10, finishing a full three games ahead of both in-state rival Western Nevada College and Salt Lake Community College. For head coach Nick Garritano, this is his first SWAC title – the school’s seventh – and it is quite an achievement for a team that has 10 less scholarships to offer than any other team in the nation.

The Coyotes are also ranked No. 8 in the nation in the most recent NJCAA Top 20 National Baseball Poll. CSN’s first game of the tournament is Thursday, May 9 at 12:00 PM against the winner of Wednesday’s game between fourth-seeded College of Southern Idaho and fifth-seeded Colorado Northwestern Community College.

The winner of this week’s Region XVIII Tournament advances to the Western District Tournament, which this year will be hosted by the Region IX champion (either Northeastern Junior College or Lamar Community College) in Colorado.  The winner of the district tournament will advance to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.  CSN has been to JUCO only twice before, most recently in 2010. The first time the Coyotes went in 2003, they won the national championship.

The CSN women’s softball team also wrapped up the regular season with a series sweep last weekend against in-state rival Western Nevada, improving their record to 33-25 overall, 26-21 in the SWAC.  The ladies are on a 9-game winning streak, and hope to carry that momentum into this week’s Region XVIII Softball Tournament being held at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho.  The consecutive victories helped vault CSN up to the No. 3 seed after spending much of the season in 4th place.

The Coyotes’ first game is today (Wednesday) at 5 p.m. MDT against sixth-seeded Western Nevada College.  You can follow the game live by clicking on the live box score link below:

http://www.sidearmstats.com/sidaho/softball/scoreboard.aspx

The winner of the Region XVIII Softball Tournament will advance to the Women’s Junior College World Series in St. George, Utah.