ABQ Times

The University of New Mexico (UNM) has become a member of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), joining a consortium aimed at improving student success across large public universities. UNM President Garnett Stokes is on the UIA Board, contributing insights from UNM's experience as a minority-serving and Hispanic-serving institution.

At a recent summit in Tempe, Arizona, Jessica Hitzman, a UIA fellow at UNM, presented alongside Chelsea Noble from UIA. The alliance focuses on increasing graduation rates by broadening participation in higher education.

The UIA has secured $2.9 million in funding to support its mission and expand its membership, which now includes seven new universities since 2021. The funds were provided by several foundations including ECMC Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Pamela Cheek, UNM's vice provost for student success, emphasized the importance of using data to support students' paths to graduation. As part of its involvement with UIA, UNM has received grants like one from Axim Collaborative to redesign math and computer science courses. Joseph Haugh from the Department of Computer Science is implementing changes such as simplified grading scales and increased access to course materials.

Additionally, UNM participates in Ubuntu, an initiative funded by the UIA Black Student Success/Student Centered Design Initiative that supports Black students preparing for advanced studies. Brandi Stone leads this project at UNM.

Hitzman noted the summit's role in fostering collaboration among over 75 institutions working on similar challenges in student success. Alongside UNM, other members include Arizona State University and Georgia State University among others. Collectively, these institutions serve nearly 630,000 undergraduates.