Cutting program would be detrimental to New Mexico

Editor,

In a recent review by the Academic Affairs Administrative and Support Unit Review Panel, the Latin American and Iberian Institute was recommended for significant cuts in University-provided funding.

The following is a copy of a letter sent to President Schmidly and Provost Ortega regarding these proposed budget cuts to the Latin American and Iberian Institute at UNM:

We, a group of concerned graduate students, are writing to urge you to reconsider your decision to reduce or eliminate I&G funding for the Latin American and Iberian Institute. As former and current recipients of research funding from the LAII, we must stress the importance of the institute to the academic life of this University.

As graduate students, much of our research generates international and cross-cultural dialogues that benefit not only the University but enrich communities throughout New Mexico. The LAII’s existence is particularly important to New Mexico, as a border state, because it fosters these exchanges. Without the funding and support that the institute and its staff provide, many graduate students at UNM would not be able to perform their in-country research prior to applying for Department of State (Fulbright), Department of Education (Fulbright Hays), and other national-level doctoral research funding.

Without seed grants, we would cease to be competitive on the national market, a consequence that would directly affect this University’s national image as a M.A. and Ph.D. degree-granting institution.

Moreover, without a permanent public infrastructure, the main component of which consists of I&G funds, the LAII would not be able to receive federal funding for Ph.D. fellowships. The LAII has, over the past five years generated $3,394,881 for UNM and has been awarded $2,000,622 in external funds for the next three years.

None of this would be possible without a clear demonstration of University support for the institute by way of I&G funding.
The importance of the LAII cannot be overstated. The institute currently provides academic support and resources to 37 departments across campus, and Latin American faculty provide 225 courses every academic year.

For many of us, the institute was one of the main reasons we chose to attend UNM for our graduate studies. The institute is one of 18 of its kind designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Latin American National Resource Center.

It is the only institute of its kind in New Mexico that offers the B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Latin American Studies.

UNM is a nationally designated Hispanic-serving institution and the LAII contributes to reaching the University’s commitment to diversity. In 2010-2011 Hispanic students represent 32 percent of LAS graduate students and 35 percent of undergraduates. The undergraduate proportion is on par with the UNM average, and the graduate student cohort is 14 percent higher than the University mean.

The LAII is a cornerstone in the academic foundation of UNM.
Please consider the tremendous scope of consequences that this decision holds for the future of research at this wonderful institution in which we have invested our intellectual capital.

Julian Dodson and Lucy Grinnell
UNM graduate students