News

Feature Photo: Innocence and corruption

Students pair up for language program

Want to practice a foreign language without the pressure of getting a grade? No problema. UNM students can learn languages through the Conversation Partners program, which is restarting this semester. Paul Edmunds, academic manager at the UNM Center for English Language and American Culture, started the Conversation Partners program in 2002, but he said it lost momentum after a couple of years.

Anderson dean appointed, will take reins in summer

Doug Brown said he was looking for a new project to take on when he got the phone call - he was appointed dean of UNM's Anderson School of Management. Brown was interviewed on campus in January, along with two other finalists, for the position. Brown said he hadn't applied for the job but that he was nominated for it anonymously.

University issues survey on remodeling of Johnson Center

UNM's Student Affairs department is conducting another online survey to evaluate recreation programs and suggest improvements to Johnson Center, said Kim Kloeppel, fiscal planning officer for the department. Kloeppel said that as part of the planning phase for remodeling Johnson Center, UNM hired consulting firm Brailsford & Dunlavey, based in Washington, D.

Crisis hits the small screen

During a live television show Friday, representatives of the University's staff and faculty said UNM's financial and administrative problems originated with Gov. Bill Richardson. The roundtable discussion took place during an episode of New Mexico Indymedia.

Feature Photo: Turning 200

Question of the Week

Is student government doing a good job of representing you at the Legislature? Leonard Martinez Junior English "Yes, I do. I usually agree with their decisions, and I think they are pretty good decisions for the most part." Karl Maier Junior Media arts "I do trust the student government.

ASUNM tables confidence vote after outcry

Dozens of students showed up to ASUNM's biweekly meeting Wednesday to voice their disapproval of a proposed vote of confidence in President David Schmidly. The undergraduate student government tabled the vote after the students at the meeting made it loud and clear that ASUNM would not be speaking for the student body if it passed the resolution.

Local TV program will devote hour to discussing UNM's problems

Staff Report New Mexico Indymedia, a local show that focuses on current affairs and community issues, will host a live, hour-long forum to discuss issues the UNM community faces. The show will air at 7 p.m. today on Community Cable Channel, which is channel 27 on Comcast.

Surveys show recurring problems cause students to leave college

UNM's division of Enrollment Management is working to increase student retention and graduation rates. However, in the last decade, the University hasn't had a system for polling students to find out why they're leaving. Periodic surveys conducted by UNM gauge student satisfaction, but students who leave UNM are not systematically surveyed, said Carmen Alvarez Brown, vice president for Enrollment Management.

Lobos blow out Air Force, recover from losing streak

Bob King Court needed a nice shining. Air Force supplied the wax. The UNM women's basketball team did the buffing. The Lobos had a Falcon feeding frenzy on Tuesday at The Pit. What could be worse than a 73-39 loss in Fort Collins, Colo.? Try a 77-33 loss in Albuquerque.

Center to provide free nicotine gum, patches

Beginning this summer, Student Health and Counseling plans to offer nicotine-replacement therapy free of charge to students who qualify. SHAC is working with the Smoke Free Environment Committee to make the transition to a smoke-free campus as easy as possible.

Schmidly pushes for minority centers

President David Schmidly said he would like to see UNM's ethnic centers get recurring, "hard money" funding from the state each year. Universities across the state have been struggling to develop a backup plan to support their "soft money" student services - those that have to lobby for funding each year - in case the Legislative Finance Committee's proposed budget cuts are approved by the Legislature.

Riding to the Roundhouse

Members of Black GPSA brought back the Freedom Ride to protest the Legislature's proposed budget cuts to UNM's ethnic minority centers. About 20 students, staff and faculty members took the 90-minute Rail Runner trip to Santa Fe on Wednesday. They went to represent centers such as El Centro de la Raza, African American Student Services and American Indian Student Services.

Talks, exhibit mark Darwin celebration

A weeklong celebration beginning today will highlight the work of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution. UNM research professors will kick off a symposium honoring Darwin's 200th birthday today in the SUB. Professors will discuss their work and how it is connected to Darwin's.

Cutting costs at the top

President David Schmidly's goal of cutting nonacademic administrative spending by 15 percent over the next three years could total $6 million, the Office of Planning, Budget and Analysis announced yesterday. University spokeswoman Susan McKinsey said the president will begin by reducing administrative spending by 5 percent when framing this year's budget, which will be finalized in April.

Question & Answer

Angela Bryan, director of the Health Psychology Department, was recently awarded $3.3 million to research ways to help troubled adolescents change their sexual risk-taking behavior by studying genetics. Daily Lobo: What is the purpose behind your research? Angela Bryan: I'm a health and social psychologist, and so that means that I have a number of different areas that I do research in.

Regents' resolutions support UNM brass

At its four-hour meeting Tuesday, the Board of Regents passed two resolutions supporting President David Schmidly, Regents President Jamie Koch and Executive Vice President David Harris. The resolutions come a week before the faculty will meet to discuss a lack of confidence in Schmidly, Koch and Harris.

For deli owner, it was a long journey from Jordan to success (Video)

Call him Tom. After moving from Jordan to New York City in 1989 at the age of 19, Haytham Khalil applied for a parking attendant job at a fancy restaurant. The manager stared at his application, then looked at him and said his name was too hard to pronounce.

Schmidly: Furlough program will stave off job cuts

President David Schmidly said UNM employees who participate in the voluntary furlough program, which he announced this week, will help UNM avoid cutting jobs. "We have got to hold the line on spending. If we don't, we're going to get in a situation where we can't cope with our reduced appropriations without doing something major with our payroll, and I want to try to avoid that," he said.