Reflecting on the Tucson shootings last January, our nation’s president asked us to engage in civil dialogue while discussing the issues we are called on as citizens and community members to address.
“As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let’s use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together,” he said.
There is no place where more hopes and dreams are shared by more passionate people than at a university — especially here at the University of New Mexico. We must remember these words as we move forward in discussing the hard issues of funding our educational system at UNM, and strive to fulfill our collective vision of a better, stronger University.
Contrary to prior headlines and statements made this week, no decision has been made on any tuition, fees or budget. The Finance and Facilities meeting on March 12 was the first time regents discussed possible directions for a budget with administrators in a public meeting.
This meeting was intended to start the formal and complex process of setting a budget for the coming year at UNM, which follows one of the most inclusive budgetary processes we’ve seen at the University, with the work of the Strategic Budget Leadership Team largely informing the scenario under consideration.
At the regents’ Budget Summit, administrators will present preliminary budgets to be considered over the next month. During this month and at the meeting on Friday, the regents will listen to constituency leaders and members of the public on how these suggested budgets will impact them and the people they represent.
Ultimately, we must make a decision on a scenario that helps the University become a stronger institution for New Mexico and our students, while keeping college affordable for current and future students.
Responsibility for funding UNM is divided among the taxpayers of New Mexico (state appropriations), students and their families (tuition dollars), friends and alumni who believe in UNM so much that they donate their own money for others to experience higher education, and the funds that the University is able to self-generate.
The state appropriations have been decided and approved by Gov. Martinez. Because of a new incentives-based formula, UNM has received an increase in state funds. This is rare in today’s economy.
During his visit to Albuquerque in January, former University of Chicago President Don Randel told a national story of how America has begun to disinvest in higher education, with state appropriations creeping further down while the resources needed to educate students grow.
It is commendable that New Mexico has seen the value of investing in our students, but after three years of sharp reductions in funding, we will still struggle to operate the University at an acceptable level. Even though we are plagued with abysmal graduation and retention rates, the entire UNM community has taken necessary steps to improve the education we provide New Mexicans.
The provost’s academic plan, the crux of the answer to improving education at UNM, calls for new faculty hires, improved advising systems and new academic opportunities, such as an Honors College.
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This plan carries great promise to lead our state’s flagship University to becoming a leader in providing educational experiences to students across all disciplines. It also carries a price tag, one that in my opinion is prudent and necessary to fulfill.
As we approach the next step in the budget process, I encourage students to keep in mind a fundamental truth for any consideration of increased tuition: while all decision makers must be aware of the importance of keeping costs to students down, it may be more wise to invest in measures to help students graduate faster now, rather than cause students to pay for additional years of school because of unaddressed barriers to graduation.
I look forward to your participation in the Budget Summit and hope than we can all come to a fair decision that will help our current students graduate and build us a stronger University for the future.
Jacob Wellman is the UNM student regent. He can be reached at Stregent@unm.edu.
