Agnes Haynes' previous history with education runs long. As a Rebel alumni herself, Haynes earned her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in secondary education in 2011. From there, she worked in the Clark County School District as a secondary teacher and later advanced to a postsecondary teacher at the College of Southern Nevada. During that time, Haynes also wrote for Vegas Eater.
When asked, Haynes will tell you that her favorite part about working at UNLV is the opportunity to serve students. She also enjoys working together with other UNLV alumni who share her feelings of Rebel pride. Haynes loves being a Rebel and being back at UNLV everyday!
Tell us about your professional background and what led you to work at UNLV.
I earned my bachelor's degree from UNLV and my master's from Gonzaga University. I was also an advisor for one of the Greek registered student organizations at UNLV for a few years. During the pandemic, I wanted to explore new opportunities on how to help students, and I found this job!
What does your job entail as the senior coordinator of Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring?
My job entails running the ASC Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction (SI) programs. We have two tutoring labs, one for general subjects and one for engineering courses. We have tutoring partnerships with the communications department and the School of Nursing. We have over 10 course pairings with Supplemental Instruction. Our faculty partners are a huge part of our success, and we couldn’t do it without them. There are roughly 70 student workers on my team, consisting of various tutors, SI Leaders who hold Supplemental Instruction peer sessions, and front desk workers who manage the tutoring labs. All of these student workers want to help other students achieve their academic goals and, therefore, achieve personal success.
What is a common misconception about Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction that you would like to clarify?
There are a few that come to mind. First, that it is available as a support service to students and second, that it is free of additional charge. These are programs put in place to help students and we wish more students took advantage of the opportunity to use the support services. Next, I would say that tutoring is not only for students who are behind or struggling in a class. It can also be used by students who are doing well in a class and only want clarification on a concept or have a quick question on their homework.
What would campus look like without you (or your department in general)?
The Academic Success Center is the result of campus-wide support for student learning resources. Without this center and all of its units, we would be less able to assist students in their academic goals. The ASC provides so many opportunities to help students, from our Academic Transitions and Learning Support programs like Tutoring and Academic Success Coaching, to our advisors helping Exploring students, and the Student-Athlete Academic Services. Without the ASC, students would have to find help on their own and would not have a trusted venue with documented success to rely upon.
We know our faculty and staff can have a profound effect on their students. Tell us about a lesson you learned from a student.
One of the greatest lessons I learned from a student would be the power of resilience. A former student of mine (who recently graduated from UNLV with their master's degree) had the cards stacked against them. They took control of their own life even when they had a terrible start, by no fault of their own, and despite lacking familial and financial support, they earned bachelor’s and master's degrees. They have used their success to help others and to give back to the world. We still chat every once in a while, and I am inspired by them and their perseverance.
Tell us about an object in your office and what it represents to you.
I have a picture of some potted cacti in my office and above them is the phrase, “Grow positive thoughts." I am an eternal optimist and there are many symbols of optimism in my office, but this picture gets complimented the most often.
You just won Megabucks and want to give back to the university. What would you support and why?
This is a tough one! It would be easy to say something frivolous like a 24-hour Taco Bell, but I would have to choose continuing former UNLV President Carol Harter’s vision of growing and expanding UNLV.
What is your motto in life?
I have two: “Fortune favors the bold” and “Figure it out.”
My ideal summer vacation is:
I am very fortunate in that I have been to Italy a few times. My ideal summer vacation would be returning there and sitting by the beach, reading, with a cold glass of a carbonated beverage.
