UNM Interim Provost Chaouki Abdallah fielded student questions about tuition costs and University expenses on Monday by citing dwindling funding from the state.
Abdallah said the state funds only 14 percent of UNM’s total costs.
“We only get $160 million (per year) from state funding, and it takes about $2 billion (per year) to run this University,” he said. “Someone told me we used to be state funded universities, then we were stated supported, then we were stated tolerated, and now we are state located.”
Michael Dougher, vice provost for Academic Affairs, said the state’s tuition credit is to blame.
“The amount of state support is dwindling nationally, to the point where you really don’t have state funded universities,” he said.
“So tuition has to increase, but where the real problem is, is that where the tuition goes up, the state charges the tuition credit so you are getting less in proportion to what you are paying and that is a huge problem.”
Students had the opportunity to quiz Abdallah and his office staff during the town hall meeting hosted by GPSA and ASUNM.
Christopher Ramirez, a graduate student and vice president for Equity and Inclusion, asked how UNM is working to increase minority graduation rates.
Abdallah said he isn’t happy with UNM’s graduation rates.
“We are concerned about the graduation rate being 45 percent over six years.” he said, “And the way we are addressing it is by specifically creating grants for those minority groups whose graduation rates are suffering, and support programs for them.”
Abdallah also addressed student concerns about tuition and fees.
He said it costs UNM about $16,000 per year to fund one student’s academics, and UNM’s tuition is lower than many of its peer institutions.
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Greg Hielman, associate provost for curriculum, answered student concerns on the complicated UNM advising process. He said UNM is looking at ways to create a more efficient system with the help of off-campus consultants, and new web-based advising systems.
“One of the difficulties is that students are advised in multiple places on campus,” he said. “Trying to make that all work together is difficult but necessary.”
GPSA representatives expressed concerns about how much of a student’s tuition goes to auxiliary services like athletics and Popejoy Hall, but Abdallah said those services create a positive college experience.
“Students want athletics, dorms, Popejoy … and they don’t want what is most efficient, which would be one lecturer in front of 200 students with a lot of TAs.” he said.
