Month: February 2024

Categories
Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research Student Academic Engagement & Success

New Issue of SMU JoUR Out Now!

SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research logo

One of the greatest opportunities that SMU has to offer its students is undergraduate research. Through programs like Big iDeas, Engaged Learning Fellowship, and others, students are encouraged and supported in the exploration of their academic passions. The Office of Engaged Learning and SMU Libraries have collaborated in creating SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research (JoUR): an evolving double-blind, peer-reviewed journal that serves as a testament to the university’s commitment to undergraduate research. 

The Journal provides a platform for students to share the products of their diverse research topics to the SMU community and the academic world.  SMU JoUR emphasizes intra- and interdisciplinary partnerships and celebrates the accomplishments of undergraduate researchers and their faculty mentors. Joshua Ange, JoUR’s Editor-in-Chief, “hopes that JoUR is able to encourage those not currently pursuing research to explore this path, and those already involved in research to share their interesting work.” 

The latest release of the SMU JoUR is Issue 1 of Volume 8, and it is out now with a variety of topics including: 

Radon Plate-out and the Effects of Airflow and Electric Charge for Dark Matter Experiments by Faith Fang (Dr. Robert Calkins, faculty mentor)

Cognitive Reappraisal is Associated with Lower Dysphoria Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic by Nadia Armstrong, Diane Moon, and Dr. Holly Bowen

Identifying Barriers to Mental Health Services Utilization for Black Youth in the United States: A Qualitative Study by Emily Stein, Matthew Hutnyan, and Dr. Neely Myers

Thriving in College: International, First-Generation, and Transfer Students by Hannah Webb, Nikita Kulkarni, and Dr. Dustin Grabsch

For students that are interested in having their work included or want to pursue a research project, Joshua encourages them to reach out! As for anyone interested in reading and learning more, be sure to explore the SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research and immerse yourself in the significant work of these emerging scholars as they contribute to their respective fields! 

Categories
Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning - Entrepreneurship

Congratulations Big iDeas Business Plan Winners!

Students standing together, smiling, holding large checks

On Friday, February 12, The Office of Engaged Learning held its annual Big iDeas Business Plan Competition where twelve undergraduate entrepreneurship teams pitched their business plan in four minutes to a panel of business experts. Seven entrepreneurs were awarded funding up to $7,000. Please help us in congratulating the winners:

Ryder Mc Neal ’24, PREVO

Jude Lugo ’24, LectureLogger

Mason Morland ’24, SteadiSpoon

Anish Senthikumar ’25 and Vedang Uniyal ’24, The Active Mind Initiative

Joshua Baier, ’24, Timio News

Mason Dierkes ’27, Seed Innovate

Benjamin Omoregbe ’24, Internsurf

Special thanks to our judges Ayodele Aigbe (CEO of Hangio), Andrew Denton (Founder of Glia Health and Prosper AI), and Michael Kelly (Co-Founder of Resolute Future).

Categories
Academic Devleopment of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Student Academic Engagement & Success

January Mustang Champions Announced

jan SA champs

Champions of the month is a new initiative by SMU Athletics to recognize the achievements of various SMU student-athletes. Every month, 2 female and 2 male student- athletes will be nominated and selected for their embodiment of excellence in one or more of the following areas: Academic Achievement, Athletic Success, and Student-Athletes Success Initiatives. The goal of this is to honor and recognize the effort of our student-athletes to achieve their personal best in these areas; on and off the competition field. For the month of January, the four athletes selected are: Key’Shawn Smith, Chantae Embry, Martin Dominguez, and Gabby Ayiteyflo!

 Key’Shawn Smith (Football):
Key transferred to SMU in the Spring of 2023 and he has consistently worked hard athletically and academically. Over the last year, Key has made huge strides both on and off the field and his positive outlook impacts all those around him. Key took a January term class that took up his entire winter break; during this time, he stayed on task, communicated when he needed support, and took pride in getting a grade reflective of his hard work and dedication.

Chantae Embry (Women’s Basketball):
Chantae has been a steady presence at Black Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (BSAAC) and has even gotten involved in some SAAC meetings/opportunities as well. She has gone out of her way to seek out community engagement and career development opportunities; as well as sharing/motivating her teammates to attend and get involved too!

Martin Dominguez (Men’s Soccer):
Martin is someone who from day one has been a welcoming and warm personality. He takes the time to support other teammates, classmates, and even staff. He has been training relentlessly to prepare for the Goalkeeper competition that will be underway this season. He was a part of the Unity Video Campaign and has continuously searched for a way he could give back, especially to the South Dallas Community he came from. Lastly, he has been doing all of this while balancing school and work; all while having a smile on his face!

Gabriella Ayiteyflo (Track & Field) :
Gabby transferred to SMU in the Fall 2023 semester as a junior. She has persevered during her time as a Mustang, during this difficult transition. Gabby has demonstrated dedication all with a positive attitude, even when things don’t go her way. She has been able to find her stride this semester, and works extremely hard in both her academic and athletic commitments!

PONY UP!

Categories
Office of General Education Peer Academic Leaders Student Academic Engagement & Success University Advising Center

Peer Academic Leaders and University Advising Center prepare for Success Fest

Since Fall 2023, the Peer Academic Leaders (PALs) within the Office of General Education and the University Advising Center (UAC) have been planning a collaborative event titled “Success Fest” to promote the use of Degree Planner amongst SMU undergraduate students.

Success Fest will occur on February 28th from 2pm to 4pm in the Hughes-Trigg Varsity. The event will offer students incentives, such as food from Grilled Cheese Co. and the opportunity to enter a raffle to win Amazon gift cards.

To enter Success Fest, students must show proof of a completed Degree Planner. Academic Advisors from the UAC will review students’ Degree Planners to check for completion before entering Success Fest. There will also be PALs and advisors in the Hughes-Trigg Chamber to help students complete their Degree Planner on the day of the event.

Pre-major students will be required to fill out their Degree Planner leading up until major declaration, while declared students will be expected to complete their Degree Planner leading up until graduation. The deadline for students to complete their Degree Planner is March 1st, 2024.

Students can expect a To-Do task to be added to their student dashboard on my.SMU, in addition to receiving a message in their Message Center with more details about Degree Planner deadlines and Success Fest.

The UAC will host Degree Planner workshops on February 26th and 27th from 11:30am to 2:30pm in Hughes-Trigg room 130. During this same time, the PALs will be tabling across campus to distribute marketing materials for Success Fest.

The PALs will also host two Degree Planner workshops on February 8 and February 22. The details for both events can be found on SMU 360. Students are encouraged to book 1-1 appointments with the PALs if they prefer a more individualized tutorial on Degree Planner.

 

Categories
Office of General Education

Common Curriculum Course Search updated on February 1, 2024

Students in Cohort 27 of The Guildhall at SMU showcase their capstone games at an exhibition and celebrate commencement exercises on Friday, May 17, 2019 at The Guildhall at SMU in Plano, Texas. 19-204

The Office of General Education has updated the Common Curriculum course search with added breadth and graduation requirement tags.

The February 1, 2024, update reflects the following tag additions and removals:

Added:

ADV 3303- Quantitative Applications (QA) APSM 3360 – Community Engagement (CE) APSM 3360 – Civics & Individual Ethics (CIE)
ARHS 3315 – Creativity & Aesthetics (CA) ARHS 3355 – Creativity & Aesthetics (CA) ASIM 1300 – Technological Advances and Society (TAS)
BLI 1210- Oral Communication (OC) CCPA 1313 – Critical Reasoning (CR) ENGL 1363 – Literary Analysis & Interpretation (LAI)
ENGL 1363 – Human Diversity (HD) GEOL 1311- Exploring Science (ES) GERM 1601 – Global Perspectives (GPS)
GERM 1601 – Second Language Modern (SLM) GERM 3379 – Global Perspectives (GPS) JOUR 1313- Critical Reasoning (CR)
MUHI 1305 – Human Diversity (HD) PHYS 1337 – Technological Advances and Society (TAS) PSYC 3362 – Human Diversity (HD)
PSYC 3362 – Social & Behavioral Sciences (SBS) PSYC 3363 – Oral Communication (OC) PSYC 3363 – Social & Behavioral Sciences (SBS)
PSYC 4301- Quantitative Applications (QA) RELI 3331- Philosophical, Religious & Ethical Inquiry (PREI) RELI 3391- Philosophical, Religious & Ethical Inquiry (PREI)
SPAN 1601 – Global Perspectives (GPS) SPAN 1601 – Second Language Modern (SLM) UHP 3301- Oral Communication (OC)
UHP 3301- Writing (W) WL 3311 – Global Perspectives (GPS) WL 3379 – Global Perspectives (GPS)
WL 3388 – Literary Analysis & Interpretation (LAI)    

Removed:

ARHS 3315 – Historical Contexts (HC) ARHS 3338 – Writing (W) ENGL 1363 – Creativity & Aesthetics (CA)
FILM 3353 – Creativity & Aesthetics (CA) HIST 1321- Oral Communication (OC) SOCI 3312 – Writing (W)

 

Any questions or concerns about the Common Curriculum course search can be directed to the Office of General Education.

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Success & Retention

Success starts here: Secure your coaching appointment!

What is Success Coaching?

Achieving success in college requires more than just good study habits. It involves the development and alignment of your academic, social, and emotional selves to become a well-rounded individual. That’s why SMU provides one-on-one success coaching for students. This free service supports students academically as well as personally. Our experienced SSR team works individually with students to identify their goals, understand any obstacles they may face, and help them achieve academic and personal growth for a more enriching college experience.

Academic Counseling vs. Success Coaching

How can I schedule a session?

Please follow the steps below to schedule an appointment with our Success Coach:

  1. Go to our scheduling page by clicking the link provided.
  2. Choose a convenient time slot that works best for you. You can either select a virtual or in-person meeting based on your preference.
  3. Fill out a brief form to provide some information about your objectives and needs. This will enable our Success Coach to personalize the session to your unique requirements.
  4. Once you have scheduled your appointment, you will receive an email confirmation with all the details about the meeting.

During your meeting with our Success Coach, you can expect a judgment-free environment, personalized guidance tailored to your goals and challenges, as well as actionable insights and strategies to overcome any obstacles you may be facing.

If you have additional questions or concerns, Contact the Office of Student Success and Retention by emailing ssr@smu.edu or calling 214-768-1231.