Good morning.

It’s been an exciting political season and UNM has been privileged to have both Presidential candidates choose our campus for campaign appearances.  I want to take this opportunity to thank the UNM faculty and staff who have gone above and beyond in building the reputation of this University during what has also been a very long political season.

UNM political science professors have been quoted on their fields of expertise in more national and international media outlets over the past several weeks than I have space to list.  UNM staff worked hard during the McCain and Obama visits to overcome incredibly difficult logistical challenges and give the public coming to campus as good and fulfilling an experience as possible.

On behalf of the UNM community, I want to thank each and every one of you.  And thanks also to our students living on campus for their patience over the weekend.  You’ve learned that it is both exciting and challenging to have a major political event right on your front doorstep.

This coming Saturday night, November 1, Janet and I will be co-hosting the Family Weekend Lobo Tailgate in Tailgate 1, which is in conjunction with our annual Student Tailgate.  Join us at 5 p.m. for mini-burgers and green chile stew.  We’ll even play some horseshoes.

This is also the United Way game, so though the tailgate is free, we will be collecting money for United Way. For just a dollar, you can get your name on a Lobo Paw that recognizes your generosity.  These Lobo Paws will be displayed all over campus in the coming weeks.

Just a reminder that UNM’s first Family Weekend, this coming Saturday and Sunday, November 1-2, is free and open to all current students and their families.  Earlier this year, UNM students chose the theme: “Go Lobos! Go Green!” With that in mind, a UNM committee of volunteer parents, staff and students organized events designed to connect families in interesting, informative ways.  You can find out more about the Family Weekend at: http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003278.html.

Finally, we’ve been watching the state of the economy as closely as you no doubt have. And you are likely wondering how the University will fare.  The information we’re getting from Santa Fe is that state general fund numbers have declined significantly, so another round of belt-tightening is not out of the question.  It’s too soon to predict what may happen, but our finance folks will be preparing contingency plans for any and all scenarios. We’ll be sharing those plans with you as they are completed.

One week and one day to the November 4 election.  Please remember to vote.

Have a good week.

David J. Schmidly

Good morning and welcome back.

Let’s start off this week recognizing some outstanding individuals associated with the University of New Mexico who were recently awarded the 2008 Distinguished Public Service Award.  Dr. Viola Florez, our former interim Provost and Dean of the College of Education and Dr. Renee Ornelas, Director of Para Los Ninos in the UNM Department of Pediatrics, were both recognized as having served our community with great distinction.

Dr. Florez, in addition to her outstanding leadership at UNM, has served as a liaison with government leaders and with business, community and professional organizations interested in improving teacher education, development and education reform.

Dr. Ornelas is a premier advocate for improved diagnoses, treatment and care of children who have been sexually abused.  In addition, Dr. Ornelas is one of our highly valued professors at the UNM Health Sciences Center, contributing to our efforts to educate New Mexico’s health care workforce.

The New Mexico Distinguished Public Award program is designed to heighten awareness and appreciation of public service, achieving President John F. Kennedy’s legacy of drawing “the best and the brightest” to all levels of public service.  I am very proud of the work of both these outstanding individuals.  On behalf of all of us in the UNM community, we thank you for your service to UNM and to the state as a whole.

It was also announced last week that the UNM School of Medicine was awarded the prestigious Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service by the Association of American Medical Colleges.  The award honors institutions that have a longstanding institutional commitment to addressing community needs and which have developed exceptional programs that go beyond the traditional role of academic medicine to reach communities.

Since coming to UNM, I have been thoroughly impressed with the outstanding work of our School of Medicine and of the great work of our outstanding colleagues at the Health Sciences Center.  UNM has made a commitment to creating healthy New Mexico communities and to providing great service to all pockets of the state. Congratulations are in order for all of the dedicated members of the UNM community  who continue to work so hard to improve the lives of the people of this State.

There was more great news to celebrate this weekend at University stadium as our Lobos dominated every inch of the gridiron, culminating in a lopsided, 70-7 victory.  I’ve been able to interact with many of our student- athletes throughout my tenure here and it always amazes me how well they represent our university on the field, in the classroom and throughout the community.

Lastly, this weekend marked the beginning of early voting for the November election.  I’m told there was good turnout at the SUB location and I want to remind everybody that you can vote early in the Cochiti Room on the 2nd floor beginning again this Tuesday.  There are some important initiatives on the ballot that will go a long way toward ensuring we are able to keep up the good work of the Health Sciences Center and that will help us to continue to support the academic endeavors of all of our students.

Have a great week!

David J. Schmidly

Good morning.

I’d like to start this week with some good news that we can all celebrate.  We’ve talked a lot about the record freshman class.  Recent enrollment reports show that we also have historically high retention rates for freshmen coming back for their third semester. Of the 2,855 full-time beginning freshmen who enrolled at UNM in Fall 2007, 77.34 percent returned this Fall.  That’s up from 74.44 percent just two years ago and is a tribute to the efforts of faculty and staff who work with our students to insure their success.

We were delighted last week when Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio won the Nobel Prize for Literature.  He’s been a visiting professor here at UNM and has also lived part-time in Albuquerque over the years.  He finds this area conducive to his writing – another great reason why this region is so rich in the arts.

Absentee voting for the November 4 general election has begun and early voting begins this Saturday.  There will be an early voting location at the SUB, which is a great convenience for the UNM community.  I’d like to inform you about two more issues of importance to this university.  Bond B has $11 million in funding for public libraries around the state.  University Libraries’ share of that funding is necessary so that UNM can provide the books and materials that keep students up to date in their fields of study.

UNM Hospital also has a major issue on the November ballot.  Since 1954, the voters of Bernalillo County have supported UNM Hospital operations through a mil levy.  Every 8 years this ballot measure goes to the voters, including this year.  The voters of Bernalillo County will be asked to renew the ballot measure at its current assessment, which means there will be no tax increase to homeowners to support UNM Hospital.  And it is the support from the community that is vital for UNM Hospital to continue its mission.

Finally, there are some events this week that should be of interest to you. El Centro de la Raza hosts the two-day “Immigration Symposium: Dispelling Myths and Raising Awareness,” Tuesday and Wednesday, at the SUB. This symposium, which highlights the continual influence of immigration and culture, will present the controversy of immigration through several social, economic and political viewpoints.  It will be well worth your time.

I look forward to the Student Town Hall at noon Wednesday in the SUB Atrium.  We’ll be listening to our students and talking to them about a number of topics.

And for the golfers among you, the 7th annual UNM Golf Fiesta is set for this Friday at the Championship Course.  It’s open to all UNM students, faculty, staff and alumni.  You can call 277-4546 for more information and to register.  The deadline is 5 p.m. tomorrow and the event is limited to the first 30 teams that have reservations.  So pull a team together and have some fun.

Have a great week.

David J. Schmidly

Good morning.

Every time we turn on the news or pick up a paper, we hear and read about the financial crisis this country is experiencing.  In some way, it will touch someone you know.  Maybe a number of people.  So now, more than ever, it is time for us to pull together as a community and to help our brothers and sisters in need.  Now, more than ever, is the time to support United Way.

Because we believe now is the time to pull together, the UNM United Way campaign has set a bold goal of $1 million to help those in need in our community.  Every penny you contribute goes to the charitable organization you designate or to the Community Fund, which takes care of a number of worthwhile organizations.  All employees will be getting their packets with pledge form, return envelope and campaign information this week. Students can pick up pledge forms at the information desk at the SUB.  The first 1,000 contributors will receive two tickets to the UNM vs. Utah football game on November 1. So make your decision and return your pledge. We’ll be talking about this a lot in the coming weeks.

I’ve been informing you about the bond issues on the November 4 ballot that are of great importance to UNM. Bond C for Better Health is important to all New Mexicans, because better healthcare requires more than doctors, nurses and health care professionals.  New Mexicans also deserve access to modern state-of-the-art facilities where they can get quality care and where the next generation of health care professionals will be trained.

Bond C will provide $57.8 million for the construction and renovation of twelve healthcare delivery and training facilities in ten New Mexico communities. Bond C contains $28.5 million for UNM, including funds to complete the construction of the new UNM Cancer Research and Treatment facility, which is the official
Cancer Center for the State of New Mexico.  Additionally, there are funds for a neurosciences building and for dental facilities.  Please take the time to learn about this and the other general obligations bonds at http://www.unm.edu/gobond/.

The Great Campus Cleanup commences this week, courtesy of your Physical Plant Department, which will be sending crews out every Friday for the next few months.  This is your opportunity to get rid of stuff you don’t need, never use, or have forgotten to use.  Last year, PPD removed 114,924 pounds of junk, from electronics to shredded paper.  They also carted off prosthetic limbs, Super 8 videos and boxes of carbon paper.  Anyone remember carbon paper?  Buildings around campus are on a schedule, and departments will be notified of their cleanup dates via letter and email.   You’ll also get information about archiving items and records management. You can contact Adrienne Unfreed at 277-1324 for more details.   Time to start cleaning!

Finally, we just got word that Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain will be speaking at the SUB early this afternoon at a ticketed event.  Certain areas leading to the SUB will be blocked off and a number of media trucks are expected.  So be aware that there will be a lot of activity there today and you may have to find alternate routes to get where you’re going.

Have a good week.

David J. Schmidly