A college student said her 87-mile commute from Española to the University of New Mexico’s main campus was too much to handle, and she planned to work full time instead of going back to school.
But she changed her mind after talking to Weston Mathis, a UNM junior who had called over the summer to check on why she hadn’t registered for her sophomore year. Mathis suggested she try online classes, and she is now signed up for a several classes and intends to become a full time student again.
The availability of options at UNM for Distance Education students in New Mexico makes it possible for students to achieve a degree who thought it was out of reach. These distance education options are one of the solutions that UNM Strategic Support Manager Corine Gonzales and student support specialists like Weston Mathis and Desiree Desvigne could offer to students who may have a problem that is threatening to push them out of college.
Terry Babbitt, UNM associate vice-president for enrollment management, said the university pays close attention to students entering their third semester because that is a time when students are most likely to drop out.