Editor,
In response to the editorial in Tuesday's Daily Lobo, I would like to emphasize a few key issues.
It is important to remember that many nonprofit organizations, of which the University is one, run like businesses but with specific civic or philanthropic goals. I venture to assume that the business efforts of the Board of Regents are aimed at increasing cash flow into the University for the purposes of improvement and quality. No one in this group is benefiting financially from its decisions, so I have to believe its members have the interest of the school at heart.
Having graduated from UNM, first as an undergraduate then as a student in the MBA program, it would be an understatement to say I have a vested personal interest in the future image of this University. Creating an ongoing brand or image for the University aims to establish ongoing support for UNM and preference for future high school seniors when deciding what college to attend. Boosting the long-term image of the University through advertising and other efforts could generate sustainable funds for the salary increases, campus expansion and other more immediate improvements the editorial advocated.
Many of our regents are savvy business people; that is why I believe they see the advantage of long-term, sustainable revenues brought in by the University itself, instead of relying more heavily on the goodwill of the many donors to UNM. While I firmly believe that the supporters of this University are of extreme value, I can also see the potential improvement of UNM if that revenue were coupled with the revenue produced by business-like efforts.
What is best for UNM: immediate internal improvements that may not be noticeable for several years, all at the expense of the University, or efforts to bring in ongoing revenues that will fund continual improvements in the long-term life of the University?
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The regents can make all of the quality improvements to the University that they want, but without some kind of advertising or promotional outreach effort, no one will know about them. Word of mouth will not be an effective advertising method for an entity of this size in a state where education is seen as third-rate. Besides, to be effective in branding and creating a positive image, the regents must also ensure a quality product, which gives them extra incentive to improve UNM.
As I compare what the Board of Regents is doing in terms of branding and advertisement to what many other top-tier Universities are doing, I have to think that the staff of the Daily Lobo has simply not done its homework.
This paper fails to understand that nothing promotes itself. Also, I feel the Lobo needs to be reminded that it takes money to make money. Just as in business, if the University doesn't make money, it can't spend it.
I suggest rather than wasting your time bashing the regents for their efforts to bring additional money to the University, you spend your time suggesting ways to spend the extra money instead.
Christina Hutchinson
UNM alumna
