Education Briefs | NTU breaks ground for new academic building

CROWNPOINT

Navajo Technical University officials broke ground on Monday for a new home for classrooms and offices.

The planned 27,000 square-foot facility will house 13 classrooms, two vocational classrooms for computer-based programs, and 14 faculty offices.

Funded through the New Mexico Higher Education Department and NTU, the new building will also include tech spaces for students, Wi-Fi access, and charging stations for laptops.

NTU President Elmer Guy said, “The building will serve as the center of teaching and learning for our NTU students and faculty and will foster advancements that are critical to NTU program development.”

At the ceremony, President Jonathan Nez joined NTU Board of Regents members Tom Platero, Delores Greyeyes and Roselyn John.

Construction is expected to be completed by December 2023.

Diné College supports students with spring grants

TSAILE, Ariz. – Diné College’s spring 2022 enrollment is now open. Take advantage of grants offered to all current and new students. Classes start Jan. 10, 2022.

The college offers 106 in-person classes and 244 online classes. Also offered is a 50% tuition grant and residential grant for student and family housing.

A fee grant will also be applied to technology, student activity and admission application fees for students who enroll for the spring semester.

The “Fall 2021 Challenge” was offered to all students who enrolled full-time during the fall 2021 semester and received a 2.0 GPA or better. They would be eligible for a full-tuition grant for the spring semester.

A total of 627 students are currently enrolled full-time and will be considered for the fall challenge and are eligible to have their spring tuition covered as long as they are enrolled in a degree program.

Currently, there is about a 22% increase in spring enrollment from the previous year. The college aims to exceed pre-COVID-19 enrollment numbers.

Priscilla Leonard, director of enrollment management, said, “Now is the best time to attend Diné College, considering the national rising cost of attending a college or university.
‘Word of mouth’ is our best recruitment strategy and it’s a proven fact that Diné College is affordable, accessible, and accredited.”

The full-time tuition with fees average $725 per semester. Spring semester grants will reduce the cost to $330.

The Diné College campus remains closed to the public and a mask and vaccine mandate is enforced for all students, staff and faculty.

Annual Luminaria Stargaze

FARMINGTON – The San Juan College Planetarium will present “AstroSaturday: Luminaria Stargaze” on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For this first event since the pandemic began in 2020, the date is the weekend of the luminaria lighting for the campus, and a three-hour stargaze will be held with all lights off on the campus. This will take place between the planetarium and the little theater.

This year will be a dark stargaze with no moon in the sky. Stargazers will view the planets Saturn and Jupiter. With good weather, there is a good chance of spotting the Andromeda Galaxy, E.T. Cluster, the Great Nebula in Orion, the Double Cluster in Perseus, the Pleiades or Seven Sisters, and the double star systems Gamma Andromedae and Albireo.

If it is cloudy, rainy, or snowy, the stargaze will be canceled.

Information: David Mayeux, 505-566-3361, or www.sanjuancollege.edu/planetarium.

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