UNM will start the fall semester young, relatively inexperienced and with potential for either greatness or drastic failure.
Too soon to start speaking about Lobo basketball? Probably yes, but the statement made is about UNM administrators, not the UNM hoopsters.
Board of Regents President Larry Willard stepped down on Tuesday to accept Gov. Bill Richardson's appointment as chairman of the New Mexico Economic Development Corporation. With Willard's resignation, Richardson will have to appoint a fifth new member to UNM's governing body in seven months.
Former Regs. Richard Toliver, David Archuleta and Eric Anaya, terms expired in December, Judith Herrera resigned and Donald Salazar died unexpectedly. Willard's resignation leaves James Koch, Mel Eaves, Maria Griego-Raby, Andrea Cook, Jack Fortner and Sandra Begay-Campbell as the six remaining regents, with only Begay-Campbell and Fortner having more than six month's experience.
Add brand new University President Louis Caldera to the mix and you have the potential for disaster - or possible greatness.
It is obvious that Gov. Richardson has assembled a team of regents that will bring in a ton of money to UNM. And the selection of Caldera as president by the regents is in line with Richardson's plan of making the University one of economic opportunity for the state. But will the lack of experienced regents and the non-existent classroom experience of the president pay big dividends for the UNM students - who by all counts and measures are the bottom line? That remains to be seen.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
If the new regents and new president can work together and bring in dynamic new programs, recruit and retain more students - especially native New Mexicans - and as expected bring in more money to the University, then the relative inexperience can be seen as a tremendous opportunity.
The first step toward that goal is the replacement of Willard as regents' president and a solid working foundation with Caldera.
