The following is a letter circulated among and signed by 159 UNM faculty members.
The present crisis at UNM affects everyone in New Mexico because it is about the education of our students and the use of our tax money. We, the faculty, are committed to helping all students become responsible citizens and successful in the career of their choice. We are not only educating them so they can enter the work force; we are also educating them to become the future researchers who may find the cure for cancer or diabetes, the future writers who may win a Nobel Prize, the future politicians who may become local, state, national and international leaders. But recent changes have made it much harder to achieve our educational goals. We want to inform you about the problems and ask for your support.
What are the problems at UNM?
1. For the last six years, UNM education money (from tax dollars, tuition and federal funds) has been shifting away from the classroom to upper-level administration salaries and perks. Last year UNM "spent $4.1 million more on executive salaries than it did in 2002, a 71 percent increase. The increase amounts to $9.8 million UNM is spending on salaries for its president, two executive vice presidents, nine vice presidents, 13 associate vice presidents, 44 directors of major divisions and others with similar titles" (Albuquerque Journal, Feb. 22). President David Schmidly earns about $587,000 a year in salary and other perks (Albuquerque Journal, Jan. 27). Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer David Harris, "under a contract signed by Schmidly, has a $428,000 package for the current year" that includes a $10,000 raise and an extra $50,000 in deferred compensation (Albuquerque Journal, Jan. 14 and Jan. 31). And last September, Schmidly, after discussions with Regents Jamie Koch and Mel Eaves, approved a $66,516 pay raise and a $25,000-per-year increase in deferred compensation for Athletics Vice President Paul Krebs (Albuquerque Journal, March 7). The raises for Harris and Krebs took effect shortly before a raise and hiring pause was announced.
2. Between 1998 and 2008, the student-faculty ratio increased from 14-to-1 to 20-to-1. The student-adviser ratio in University College, which by 2006 had reached 600-to-1 (twice the national average), now stands at 1,000-to-1.
Since 2002, undergraduate tuition has gone up 51 percent, but the instructional budget has gone up only 19 percent. The departments of math and chemistry have lost so many faculty members that their ability to provide critical training for students in all the sciences and engineering disciplines is threatened. Several departments have not been allowed to replace key staff, leading to disruptions in teaching, research and departmental services.
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3. For the last six years, some contracts for services have gone to firms without following proper bidding and cost-effective procedures. For example, UNM "is spending $1.9 million a year for energy conservation advice from a Dallas consulting company selected without a competitive process. The four-year contract was awarded in August 2007 through Lobo Energy Inc., an arm of UNM not required to adhere to state procurement laws" (Albuquerque Journal, Feb. 21). These projects are financed with taxpayer and tuition money.
4. For the last six years, the Board of Regents has marginalized the faculty's role and ignored the principle of shared governance, which is at the core of the University's structure and the Faculty Constitution. In a faculty meeting Feb. 25, the faculty voted overwhelmingly for no-confidence motions against Schmidly, Harris and Koch. In Koch's case, the vote was 482-7 in favor of the no-confidence motion, with three abstaining. For the sake of our students, we need major changes in the selection of the Board of Regents, so that all regents are fully invested in our University's welfare and success. On March 10, Gov. Bill Richardson engaged in a productive discussion with UNM faculty representing the Main Campus. We are encouraged by the governor's interest in our concerns and his promise to work with us toward solutions. But setting UNM back on the path to being a great university requires hard decisions. As a first step, we request Richardson to withdraw his nomination of Koch to a new term on the Board of Regents.
