Conservation isn’t just for endangered species. It’s also for the diminishing funds of the Natural Heritage New Mexico Division, a program in the Museum of Southwestern Biology that works to identify and rehabilitate native endangered species, said Esteban Muldavin, the division’s curator. “They (other divisions of the museum) have fishes in bottles and stuffed birds,” he said.
A group of students spent part of its spring break demanding that the Board of Regents cut administrative pay and put the UNM salary book online. GPSA council chair Megan McRobert said at the March 16 meeting that administration doesn’t allow students to be part of budget-related decision making in a meaningful way. She said that decision-making groups should include students, and meetings should be advertised to the public.
The 60-day legislative session ended Saturday, and New Mexico legislators narrowly passed a $5.4 billion budget just before time ran out. Lawmakers allocated $730 million for higher education. Nearly $43 million, or 6 percent, was cut from higher education funds compared with last year.
LAS VEGAS — There’s a reason Utah’s Michelle Plouffe was the Mountain West Conference women’s Freshman of the Year. After hitting a similar, end-of-times buzzer-beater against BYU in the semifinals, Plouffe hit a two-point jumper with 24 seconds left in overtime to lift the fifth-seeded Utah women’s basketball team over second-seeded TCU 52-47 in the MWC tournament championship.
LAS VEGAS — It was a Jiimmer jamboree. For four straight contests, the UNM men’s basketball team walked away with wins against BYU.
Nine graduate and professional students announced their candidacy for GPSA leadership positions, stepping up to the plate for a tenure rife with budget concerns and cutbacks. The GPSA Elections Committee met Thursday to begin coordinating for the debates, the first of which will take place March 23. “I get the feeling it is going to be a high turnout year,” GPSA member Michael Verrilli said.
State workers and public school teachers might have to pay more than 12 percent of their salaries toward retirement starting July 1. HB 628, which extends an increase of 1.5 percent and tacks on an additional 1.75 percent to workers and teachers, passed the House in a 43-26 vote Monday.
The Lobo Village clubhouse was up, running and fully furnished for its opening Wednesday, but Lobo Village is still under construction and won’t open until August. Residents can’t move in until August 17, but Lobo Village General Manager Brent McPherson said residents have to pay for the entire month of August, not a prorated portion.
UNM’s salary book is published each month by the Division of Human Resources, but a closer look at the book reveals inaccuracies.
Zimmerman Library is now offering dating advice from the 1970s. So if a freak time-warp leaves you in a supermarket aisle in spring ’79, try out this little gem on the cutie in the hair-products aisle: “I’ve been noticing your beautiful hair.
The Faculty Senate issued the University a challenge: Go paperless. The campus-wide effort has economic and environmental benefits, but it’s easier said than done, said Rebecca Lubas, Faculty Senate Computer Use Committee chair.
The UNM Board of Regents heard fiscal recommendations Monday that would cut more than $12 million from the University budget. Andrew Cullen, vice president of Planning, Budget and Analysis, outlined the University’s plan to save money to the regents. His presentation included a $5.6 million shortfall that UNM will not receive from the state. Other cuts included more than $300,000 from Athletics, $1.9 million from the administration, $2.9 million from Information Technologies and $871,127 spread among departments. Regent Don Chalmers said the cuts might not be enough. “These recommendations seem to walk close to the edge without going over,” he said. “I think we need to put VPs on the table. I would put executive salaries on the table.”
The amalgamation of construction tape, scaffolding and plastic sheets known as Hodgin Hall has been out of service for more than a year, and it’s also nearly $1 million over budget. The original renovation budget was $2 million, according to University Communications and Marketing, but the budget is now $2,937,497, according to a document from UNM Office of Capital Projects, and officials said they underestimated the amount of renewal and replacement the project required.
As many as 250 brightly dressed protesters marched in support of gay marriage and civil rights Saturday afternoon in Nob Hill.
After two days and 13 hours of deliberation, the New Mexico House of Representatives passed a bill that would prevent some undocumented residents from obtaining driver’s licenses. HB 78 passed 42-28 on Friday and is now in the Senate’s hands.
The House of Representatives passed a bill that could leave Sesame Street and other public radio and television programs homeless. The House of Representatives in February voted 235-189 along party lines to eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the 368 public television stations and 934 radio stations under its umbrella, including several New Mexico stations. The CPB will receive $430 million federal dollars in 2011.
UNM representatives sifted through hundreds of art pieces Thursday to decide which ones to add to the University’s collection. Representatives from various campus departments attended an artwork selection meeting Thursday, choosing pieces from a 600-piece assortment.
Members of a student group want to eradicate student drunk driving while changing negative perceptions about the Greek community. Student Greg Golden founded Greeks Against Drunk Driving last month.
It was 2007, and Joshua Burns had just moved back to New Mexico to start a family in the “booming” film industry. Except, as the Columbia University graduate found out, he couldn’t even find a job holding a boom microphone.
The New Mexico House of Representatives narrowly approved a $5.4 billion budget bill, 35-34, on Tuesday evening. The spending bill includes appropriations of $742 million for higher education, $1.5 billion for health, hospitals and human services, $2.4 billion for public schools and $362 million for public safety.
Solutions by The State News
