An assortment of opinions about the Board of Regents exists within our University community — positive and negative, informed and unfamiliar alike. Through a series of periodical letters, I hope to shine some light on who the regents are and what we do as the governing board of this University.
New Mexico may be called a poor state by some measures, but we are incredibly wealthy in higher education. Our state has more institutions of higher education than many of our neighbors. We offer high school seniors a robust tuition-assistance program through the Lottery Scholarship and sustain a gifted faculty and talented student body with diverse backgrounds and interests. At UNM we boast more than 25,000 students from around the world, thousands of faculty conducting world-class research and some of the best student-athletes in the nation. The state’s flagship University also requires a budget upward of $2 billion and partnerships with local, state, federal and international government organizations.
The direction of this flagship institution is entrusted by the New Mexico constitution to a board of seven regents appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. As the student appointee (the state constitution requires one seat to be filled by a student), I was vetted and recommended by a student government committee, University leaders, Gov. Susana Martinez and the state’s Senate Rules Committee, and finally confirmed by the New Mexico State Senate.
Our regents are leaders in areas important to this state:
education, law, business and policy, among other disciplines. As the governing board, the regents make critical decisions, among which are creating UNM’s strategic direction, setting tuition and fees, approving annual budgets and hiring the University President (more to come on these roles in future letters).
Regents govern through committee work, set annual goals for the President and represent UNM to the state community and policymakers. We must balance the needs of the University and its varied constituents with the role that UNM should play in the context of the state of New Mexico. Of course, every action must be evaluated for its immediate impact as well as the effect it may have far into the future.
Our job description is challenging and unique, especially so for the student regent. In my role, I find it important to act from the perspective of a current student, to stay abreast of what issues are important to students and other constituencies at UNM and to maintain the inclusion of student input in University decisions.
In my eyes, keeping up a continuous dialogue with constituency groups is an important way to stay accountable and maintain communication with the University community. Speaking regularly with student government leaders helps me identify opportunities for the University to act in students’ best interest. I encourage every student interested in their own education to do the same, but I realize that is not always enough.
The regents value public input at committee and board meetings, and I personally welcome your questions and appropriate feedback.
When not in class or meetings, I am available in the Office of the Student Regent off the SUB Atrium, or around the clock at stregent@unm.edu. If you have any other topics that merit thorough explanation in this format, please send in your suggestions.
As my colleagues do, I hope to provide leadership to help UNM become the best university for our state and our students. In order to be successful, many hands must help us improve. Just as it is important to be civically engaged by voting in every election, it is well worth your time to weigh in on issues that are important to you at UNM. Speak with ASUNM or GPSA, and if you have something important to say, bring it to the regents. This is your education as well as mine that we are working to better; let’s do it together.
This school year promises to be exciting and transformative for present and future Lobos. It is my pleasure to serve, and I look forward to working with many of you around the University in the next year and a half.
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