Good morning.

One week to go until the Winter Holiday! I first want to acknowledge the many folks who will be working over the break, on everything from the Banner HR implementation to collecting end-of-year donations to many of the other jobs that keep this university going. On behalf of everyone at UNM, thank you for your service.

Janet and I want to show our appreciation to everyone for all that you do throughout the year. So please join us at our Holiday Brunch this Wednesday, December 19, from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. in the SUB atrium. Drop by for the food and music, and stay awhile if you can share some time with us.

Looking back on the past six and a half months, I am pleased with the work done and the progress we’ve made. Yet there is still much more to do. As our activity in Rio Rancho accelerates, we will need someone to be responsible not only for our interests there but also for the academic affairs at all of our branch campuses and education centers. So we have commenced a regional search for a Vice President for Rio Rancho Operations and Branch Academic Affairs. Senior Faculty Advisor to the President, Dr. Breda Bova, is chairing this search. Our intent is to have someone chosen by mid-February. We’ve also begun a national search for the Chief Information Officer – the individual in charge of all technology on campus.

I hope you’ve made plans to cheer on our Lobos at the New Mexico Bowl on December 22. Remember that students can take advantage of half-price tickets. The Alumni Association and Lobo Club have a big tailgate party planned under the tent northwest of the stadium, starting at noon. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m.

You still have time to contribute to United Way and help your community. It’s a great way to kick off the holiday. Also, United Way is looking for volunteers to serve on the Community Fund panel. These are the folks who decide where the money donated to United Way goes to support Central New Mexico’s most vulnerable. If you are interested, you can contact United Way directly at 247-3671.

Finally, it’s a time for reflection. Losing our great friend and colleague Terry Yates this past week made me think about all of the other members of our UNM community who will not join us in 2008. Just since I’ve been here, we’ve tragically lost a dozen students. Terry, Tim Moy, Kris Galicki and Art Guenther are among the faculty we’ve lost along with a number of emeriti. Many of our beloved staff members are also gone. So please, take a moment to remember your friends and colleagues who are now with us only in spirit. Be thankful for having known them.

Have a happy and safe holiday.
David J. Schmidly

Good morning.

I know this will be a hectic week of final papers, final tests and for many students, your final days before graduation. Good luck on whatever the week has in store for you. I look forward to seeing UNM’s new graduates and your families this Friday night at Commencement.

As you’ve heard by now, the Lobos did get invited to the New Mexico Bowl and will face the Nevada Wolves. This is a great opportunity not only for our 8-4 team and our university, but also for the city and state. The game is Saturday, December 22, and I would like to see those of you who are in town for the holidays at the game and wearing your Lobo red.

I know the team would greatly appreciate having as many students as possible cheering them on at the game. Thanks to VP Paul Krebs and UNM Athletics, 400 tickets have been set aside to be offered at half-price to our students. If you’re taking at least six hours, you can go to the Lobo ticket office, show your student ID and purchase up to two $15 tickets. So get your bowl tickets before they are all gone.

Thanks also to the UNM Alumni Association and the Lobo Club, there will be a grand tailgate party to attend before the game. There will be food, fun and entertainment under the big tent northwest of the stadium. The tailgate is noon to 2 p.m. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m.

We’ll be on the road again this week, this time heading south to our campus in Valencia County. I look forward to meeting with the faculty, staff and students at UNM-Valencia. We’ll also hope to visit the tribal leadership of Isleta Pueblo as we continue strengthening our relationships with the pueblos and tribes around the state.

CNM President Kathie Winograd and I will be honored tomorrow by Special Olympics of New Mexico with their “Olympic Spirit of Collaboration” Award. The award recognizes the extraordinary partnership UNM and CNM have forged that will impact higher education and influence our communities in central New Mexico. This is an honor to be shared by both of our institutions and I am pleased to accept it on behalf of UNM.

You still have a couple of weeks to submit your United Way pledge. In this season of giving, think about how much good your gift to your community will accomplish. Find out more about our UNM campaign at http://unitedway.unm.edu.

Good luck on your finals.

Have a good week.
David J. Schmidly

Good morning.
We start the week with a task that will help ensure your paychecks will be timely and correct. The Banner HR/Payroll project is presenting the second and final sneak preview of LoboWeb this week. If you are on UNM’s payroll, I encourage you to log on to view your paystub, benefit and deduction information, leave balances and more. It is an excellent opportunity to review your information and familiarize yourself with the features of Banner before we go live with the new
HR/Payroll system in January. Please visit the HR website at http://hr.unm.edu for more information.

Congratulations to Lobo seniors Cody Kase and Vince Natali who’ve been named to ESPN: The Magazine’s Academic All-America first and second teams, respectively. It’s the first time two UNM players have earned the honor in the same season. Kase is also only the third two-time Academic All-American in program history. Good job! We’re proud of both of you.

Governor Richardson’s Higher Education Summit is this week at the Embassy Suites Hotel, west of UNM on Lomas at 1000 Woodward Place NE. The opening session is tomorrow morning, followed by a number of sessions through Wednesday at noon. Several of our UNM colleagues are presenting on issues ranging from campus safety to digital media. So please visit the NM Higher Education website at http://hed.state.nm.gov for the latest on this conference.

I’m joining Executive VP for Health Sciences Dr. Paul Roth and UNM Cancer Center Director Dr. Cheryl Willman at a signing ceremony today with the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center that will create a powerful research alliance to combat inflammatory breast cancer. This is a significant partnership and signals the UNM Cancer Center’s rightful place among the best in the nation.

The UNM Board of Regents will meet this Thursday, and the main item on the agenda is approval of the 2007/08 Institutional Bond Issue. I keep talking about the importance of this bond issue because its major focus is classroom renovation and improvement as well as renovations to University Stadium and the Pit. With Regents approval, the projects can go forward. Watch UNM Today for stories detailing the projects.

Also during this busy week, higher education will have a hearing before the Legislative Finance Committee in Santa Fe. This is when the Council of University Presidents will advocate for our agreed-upon general priorities like a 5% compensation increase, doubling of funding for state work study and a zero tuition credit. In the weeks to come, we’ll be telling you more about UNM’s specific legislative priorities.

It is already the beginning of December and high time for you to turn in your United Way pledge. We say Giving Makes Life Better and that’s what United Way is all about – building a stronger community by making it easier for us to help each other. You can designate your gift to any non-profit human service organization, including faith-based organizations and a number of programs at UNM. Another way to help is through your annual gift to the United Way Community Fund, which makes it possible to fund over 70 programs providing numerous services to the community. Also, an important thing to remember is that 100% of what you give goes to the programs you designate. There’s a lot more you can learn about UNM and United Way at http://unitedway.unm.edu/.

Just heard the Lobos will be going to the New Mexico Bowl against the Nevada Wolves. You’ll be hearing more in the days to come.

Have a great week.
David J. Schmidly