CHASS Student Academic Affairs

Announcement: Alesha Jaennette

kelvin — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 18:08:26 +0000

Announcement: Alesha Jaennette kelvin Wed, 07/24/2024 - 11:08 More Messages & Announcements July 24, 2024

Colleagues,

As I expand my role in graduate studies, I am also building a team. Today, I’m delighted to announce that Alesha Jaennette has accepted a position as the Graduate Student Services Lead for CHASS, effective July 15, 2024. In her new role, Alesha will work closely with me to establish long-term organizational goals for graduate student services and enrollment management to meet the College's long-range plans.

As the CHASS Graduate Student Services Lead, Alesha will work closely with CHASS departments, Graduate Division, The Registrar's Office, Graduate Council, Financial Aid, Career Services, International Affairs, the Harvest Shared Services Center, and many other units on campus, to create positive organizational impact in the areas of graduate student recruitment, enrolled student support, enrollment management, retention, graduate student funding, employment, personnel, graduate course approvals, and graduate program approvals.

Alesha has worked at UC Riverside for more than 16 years, advising graduate students and managing graduate programs in Art, Art History, Psychology, and History. She has also served as an Enrollment Verification Assistant in UCR’s Office of the Registrar and as an Information Specialist and Supervisor for the Highlander One Stop Shop.

Alesha is not only a dedicated professional but also a proud UCR graduate. In 2014, she earned a bachelor of arts degree in English with highest honors while serving as a graduate advisor. This academic achievement underscores her commitment to education and a deep understanding of the CHASS student experience.

Alesha enjoys cooking and gardening and is also “the proud mother of an amazing son with a huge heart and an incredible talent for making music.”

Please join me in congratulating Alesha on this new and important opportunity. We are truly grateful that she has chosen to join us and look forward to her contributions.

Sincerely,

Covadonga Lamar Prieto
Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

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CHASS elevates student support with expanded peer advising program

kelvin — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 23:11:36 +0000

CHASS elevates student support with expanded peer advising program kelvin Tue, 01/09/2024 - 15:11 More Press Releases Alejandra Prado, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications January 09, 2024

With support from the Office of the Dean, CHASS is expanding its student advising landscape and team by enlisting the expertise of undergraduate students who now take on the crucial role of peer advisors. CHASS Peer Academic Advisors help their fellow students with academic concerns, and questions, and connect them with academic advisors for further support and advising services.

“In urgent times, peer advisors are available to meet students where they are, which is an important aspect of the program,” said Sara Cuny, Peer Academic Advisor supervisor, academic advisor in psychology, and a UCR CHASS alumna.

Spearheaded by Cuny, peer advising originated as an initiative in June 2021 as an internship opportunity for undergraduate psychology majors to work closely with psychology advisors to provide assistance and guidance to students with questions. In the 2022-2023 academic year, Cuny and the advising team worked to expand peer advising to all CHASS students by providing additional training and hiring more student employees.

“We receive ongoing trainings in various areas, ensuring that we stay well-informed and equipped to assist students effectively,” said Samantha Dominguez, peer academic advisor and a fourth-year sociology and media and cultural studies student. “This continuous training helps us address a wide range of academic concerns and stay up-to-date with any changes in university policies or procedures.”

According to Cuny, peer advising roles are a great opportunity to gain career and developmental experience for students interested in academic advising and related professions.

In year-long appointments, peer advisors are trained not only to assist with general registration questions but also to troubleshoot, offer referrals to campus resources, aid with enrollment adjustment forms, assist at events and orientation, and provide essential peer mentorship through virtual office-hour walk-ins accessed via the CHASS Student Advising Appointment System.

“Offering reassurance to students, letting them know they're not alone, and bringing joy by answering their questions are the most fulfilling aspects of my day,” said Dominguez, who has been serving as a peer advisor since February 2023. “It's exciting to see that students are comfortable in asking us for help and getting their questions answered.”

“Peer advisors provide a unique perspective by helping their fellow students navigate the university and provide integral feedback to our advising team on the student experience ,” Cuny said. “We have a dedicated team of peer academic advisors that are readily accessible and excited to help.”

In the future, the peer advising program will expand to hire additional students for the upcoming academic year. Applications for peer advisors will open for eligible CHASS students in winter 2024 in UCR Handshake.

“As the population of CHASS students continues to grow, we’re hopeful that we can expand our team to meet the needs of our students,” Cuny said.

“Utilizing CHASS Peer Advisors as a resource is something I highly recommend for all students,” Dominguez said. “I’m excited to witness the growth and expansion of this program in the years ahead!”

To learn more about Peer Academic Advising and access their online walk-in hours, please visit chassstudentaffairs.ucr.edu/meet-our-staff/peer-advisors.

To stay connected with CHASS Peer Academic Advising on Instagram, please follow them at instagram.com/ucrchass_peeradvising/.

To learn more about CHASS Academic Advising, please visit chassstudentaffairs.ucr.edu/advising.

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CHASS champions inclusivity and student success through collaborations with UCR Ethnic & Gender Programs

kelvin — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:37:59 +0000

CHASS champions inclusivity and student success through collaborations with UCR Ethnic & Gender Programs kelvin Wed, 12/13/2023 - 16:37 More Press Releases Alejandra Prado, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications December 13, 2023

Across UCR and within CHASS, advisors and staff members are forging connections that enhance the student experience and promote a sense of belonging. To foster a more inclusive and supportive campus environment at UC Riverside, CHASS is embracing a collaborative approach by collaborating with Ethnic and Gender Programs (E&G).

As part of Student Affairs, the Ethnic and Gender Programs promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at UCR. According to the Ethnic and Gender Center’s website, E&G Programs aim to foster a sense of belonging, support, relaxed learning, and diverse leadership skills, preparing students for success in a multicultural world. E&G Programs at UCR include the African Student Programs (ASP), Chicano Student Programs (CSP), and the LGBT Resource Center (LGBTRC), among others.

CHASS advisors and the E&G Programs are collaborating to provide extra registration, counseling, and guidance to students who utilize programs such as ASP, CSP, or the LGBTRC services, aiming to support, retain, and graduate those who have historically encountered distinctive challenges.

“We focus on creating an inclusive campus climate, addressing non-academic influences such as access to resources, and fostering a sense of community,” said Suzy A. Sharweed, Ed.D., an Academic Advisor Supervisor within CHASS. “Through these efforts, we aim to ensure the well-being and success of our students.”

Sharweed also serves as the chair of the CHASS Student Success and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (CHASS SS&DEI). As the chair, both Sharweed and the committee work closely with E&G Programs across campus.

This academic year, the CHASS SS&DEI committee launched an on-site advising model based on data analysis of student advising experiences, benefiting over 70 students across majors during peak registration times. Collaborative efforts with the E&G programs facilitated this approach, resulting in subsequent advisor engagement through appointments and email, campus resource guidance, and further continued support.

In commitment to working with E&G groups, the CHASS SS&DEI committee collaborated with Dr. Jamal J. Myrick, Director of ASP on the advising model to facilitate the accessibility of advising resources.

“The mission of African Student Programs is to transform the lives of undergraduate and graduate Black scholars from the Pan African Diaspora (including Black American, Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, and African continent) and cultivate a safe, inclusive community where their Black identity is affirmed,” Myrick said. “Our Black scholars will be able to develop academically, culturally, and holistically on their journey at UCR and beyond.”

ASP provides various opportunities and resources at UCR, spanning research support, networking, assisting students in job searches, and student leadership development opportunities, alongside working with advisors and the committee.

“The CHASS SS&DEI committee advocates for initiatives and opportunities for campus-wide advising conversations on how we can ensure that the unique needs and experiences of our diverse student populations are recognized,” Sharweed said.

Advisors and the committee are focused on areas where students are in identified safe spaces to assist outside of normal appointment times. Based on feedback from both CSP and ASP, the group prioritized making advising services available and accessible to students.

To do so, Sharweed and advisors are present at the offices of the E&G programs at least two to three weeks out of every quarter to provide academic advising and registration help during the most important times of course enrollment each quarter.

“We’re helping them get registered early and we’re building relationships with them,” she said. “Instead of managing their academic journeys on their own, they now have someone that they have connected with and will be more willing to utilize those resources again.”

Sharweed and the CHASS SS&DEI committee are also participating in workshops and presentations to discuss advising services and train peer mentors from programs such as CSP. Advisors offer training to peer mentors during their orientation at the E&G programs to work with first-year students and acclimate and connect them with academic advising services, according to Sharweed.

“We foster a sense of community in a variety of different ways,” Myrick said.

Looking ahead, Myrick aims to achieve significant goals for ASP outside of collaboration with advisors. These include a 2% increase in enrolled Black students and a 5% rise in graduating Black scholars. According to UCR’s Institutional Research, Black students account for 3.3% of UCR’s enrolled student population, a slight increase from fall 2022’s rate of 3.02%. Black students also accounted for approximately 5.48% of the total number of undergraduate degrees awarded at UCR in 2022-2023, according to the University of California’s website.

Sharweed and the CHASS SS&DEI committee plan on increasing the number of engagements, such as check-ins between advisors and students, providing and connecting students to multiple resources on campus, and continuing to build training for members of E&G groups.

“We understand it is essential to engage with students from Ethnic and Gender Programs to provide them with tailored resources and guidance and work with them in their safe spaces and communities of practice,” Sharweed said.

To learn more about the Ethnic and Gender Programs at UCR, please visit inclusion.ucr.edu/

To learn more about CHASS advising and advising resources please visit chassstudentaffairs.ucr.edu/

FEATURED PHOTO. Advisors at E&G Programs - Credits to Matt Mejia, photographer.

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A time of transition: CHASS Advising guides students in a new, academic environment

kelvin — Tue, 23 May 2023 01:30:19 +0000

A time of transition: CHASS Advising guides students in a new, academic environment kelvin Mon, 05/22/2023 - 18:30 More Press Releases Alejandra Prado, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications May 23, 2023

First-year and transfer students may have difficulty navigating the new world of UCR. However, the advising staff at CHASS Student Academic Affairs are here to help provide resources, from advising appointments to course planning.

Located near their respective departments, CHASS Student Academic Affairs offers help and services from academic advisors, assigned to students based on their department, major, and last name, and in the last year, peer academic advisors, who are students that work on the Academic Affairs team.

“My goal is to facilitate students’ ability to graduate with a degree in CHASS in a normative amount of time,” said Ryan Lipinski, director of CHASS Majors Advising. “I do this by working to understand our students’ experience and by providing the necessary support to our team of academic advisors and enrollment managers that allows for the realization of that goal.”

Academic advisors assist with course planning, understanding degree requirements and academic policies, and offering advice and support. Students can meet with advisors one-on-one, in-person or virtually, by scheduling appointments online with the student advising appointment system. For quick questions, students can also meet with advisors during “drop-in” hours or reach out through email.

“As advisors, we aim to be your go-to resource here at UCR,” said Sean Lee Davis, academic advisor for the Department of Economics. “Not only do we want to answer your questions and help you through your UCR journey, we are [also] here to celebrate your achievements.”

“Most importantly, we are here to listen,” Lee said. “Even if a student isn’t sure what to ask their advisor or doesn’t know how to, just come say ‘Hi!’ We’d love to chat and figure things out together.”

Peer advisors can help students by providing resources, assisting with registration and course planning and answering general questions. Recently, peer advisors have started working with all students in CHASS. Students can reach out to peer advisors through email (chasspeers@ucr.edu) or join their Zoom walk-in office hours.

“Being a first-year or transfer student can be stressful and overwhelming, so being able to provide them with my own student perspective and share resources at UCR hopefully helps them feel like they have a friend here that they can talk to and who will always point them in the right direction,” Natalie Jarabanda said, a CHASS peer academic advisor.

“The world of UCR is large and complex – advising is here to help students navigate this new, and often intimidating landscape,” Lipinski said. “Advisors can help students understand how to adapt to life at UCR, thus making advising an important resource for first-year and transfer students.”

To learn more about advising services and support for CHASS students, please visit https://chassstudentaffairs.ucr.edu/.

Connect with UCR CHASS Peer Advising on Instagram.

FEATURED PHOTO. (From left to right) Ryan Lipinksi, Natalie Jarabanda, and Sean Lee Davis.

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69th Commencement Student Speaker Application

kelvin — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 22:03:07 +0000

69th Commencement Student Speaker Application kelvin Tue, 03/07/2023 - 14:03 More Messages & Announcements March 07, 2023

Every year, CHASS invites students to speak to their fellow graduates. This year, the College invites students to speak on the following topic:

We in CHASS say that “At Home in the World” is more than just a saying or a slogan. It really represents what it means to be a student of the humanities, arts, and social sciences at UC Riverside. Students are gaining knowledge and developing skills that prepare them for the increasing globalization of the world. How have CHASS and UCR prepared you to be “At Home in the World?”

We are accepting applications for student speakers for the ceremonies on Wednesday, June 21st, at 8:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 6 pm. Each of these students will represent their fellow graduates and present a 3-minute speech.

To be considered the applicant must:

Be a degree candidate approved to walk at the 2023 Commencement
Have achieved a record of academic excellence while at UCR
Demonstrate exceptional public speaking ability
Demonstrate a high level of involvement in the campus and the community at large

A committee of faculty will review the applications. Those applicants who are selected for an interview will be asked to present a draft of their 2-minute commencement speech to the committee.

Download Application

Deadline for Applications: Monday, April 3, 2023

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