Good morning.

There is cause for celebration here this summer.  After carefully checking and re-checking the numbers, we are confident that UNM has broken out of the enrollment band for the first time since 2003.

Ultimately, this should mean more state funds coming to the university.  This is how it works.  Higher education institutions receive state dollars from a funding formula known as a “base plus” model.  UNM has an enrollment base number, and when we increase that by three percent, we receive additional money for the extra enrollment.  The numbers are calculated by adding the total unrestricted credit hours for summer, fall and spring. Thanks to new students, higher student course loads and improved retention, we have broken the enrollment band.

We’ve achieved this success thanks to a team effort that involved all of the schools and colleges, as well as the faculty and staff.  Special recognition goes to Enrollment Management for its success in new student recruitment, focused messaging to students on increasing their course loads and more efficient processing that has helped retention.

New Mexico’s senior senator Jeff Bingaman has good news for UNM’s Nanoscience and Microsystems (NSMS) Graduate Program, announcing it has been awarded the highly competitive grant to provide fellowships for Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN).  Nine academic programs take part in NSMS.

These U.S. Department of Education GAANN fellowships provide stipends of up to $30,000 per year for up to six UNM Ph.D. students. The grant program goes into effect next month and lasts three years.

UNM will be represented in Washington D.C. the early part of this week at the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities summer meeting. Among the many issues that challenge large urban institutions such as ours is their role in health workforce development. That will be discussed along with the ways we can cross-fertilize these efforts with our efforts in strengthening the overall education pipeline. We’ll also see how this all fits into the overall health reform agenda being discussed nationally. It promises to be a lively debate.

Have a good week.

David J. Schmidly

Good morning.

Sirens Sounding

The University will test its Campus Warning Siren System just after 11 a.m. this morning. Since this is a test, go about your business. In a real emergency, seek immediate shelter and then wait for additional instructions. The sirens will sound for a minute or so, followed by a pause. The “all clear” siren will then sound. Listen for the differences.

With the sirens, we’ll also test the TextMe system as well as other communication vehicles. If you haven’t signed on for the text alerts, now would be a good time to do it.  Go to TextMe on the My UNM portal and follow directions.  With a number of new faces on campus each semester, these systems are tested each semester. 

Taos Declares Energy Independence

While we anticipated the Fourth of July holiday, UNM-Taos launched a celebration by declaring Energy Independence Day on July 1.  The largest solar generation plant in New Mexico is being constructed at our Taos campus. When completed this month, the 500-kilowatt facility will provide 100 percent of the power needs on the Klauer campus, making UNM-Taos the first community college of its kind nationally to be powered completely by solar energy.

U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan led the dignitaries on hand for the event, which observes a strong partnership between UNM-Taos and the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative. We supplied the land, while the electric co-op supplies the construction, hardware and maintenance.  Senator Bingaman contributed greatly by pushing a $5 million bond through Congress for several generation plants in northern New Mexico.

Flourishing Arts

It was a grand week for UNM in Taos. Along with the solar plant, we celebrated the Harwood Museum of Art groundbreaking inaugurating a 10,000 square foot expansion, the culmination of several years of fundraising and planning that will result in improved art preservation and more resources for students and the community.

Closer to home, the Tamarind Institute began construction on its new home, previously UNM’s Architecture & Planning Annex. This location will increase Tamarind’s visibility to the community, provide more space for educational programming, and improve health and safety standards. The new 14,000 square foot building is scheduled for completion in spring 2010, in time for Tamarind’s 50th anniversary.

Congressional Visit

New Mexico’s Second Congressional District Congressman Harry Teague visited the UNM campus last week to announce legislation intended to set aside funds for training and fellowships in accredited biofuels engineering programs. Teague said his bill will allow for a one-time grant to study appropriate standards for the accreditation of undergraduate and graduate biofuels engineering programs. It also provides funding for biofuels engineering programs and training centers.

Another Milestone in Athletic Academics

It was a great spring semester for the Lobo’s 21 athletic programs, which combined for a 3.12 GPA, the highest ever for any spring since UNM began tracking grades in 1988. It was also the second-highest GPA overall, with the record 3.14 GPA being set last fall.

Have a good week.

David J. Schmidly