UNM Branches Face Cuts Despite Growth
By Kate O’Neill, Executive Director, UNM-Taos and
David J. Schmidly, President, University of New Mexico
Published in the Albuquerque Journal Saturday, June 18, 2011
It goes without saying that in these troubled economic times we must all work together to overcome a serious shortfall within our state budget. Certainly the University of New Mexico and its branch campuses have been doing their fair share and more in recent years to shoulder their part of the burden. We take very seriously our responsibility to carefully manage and be fully accountable for all operating funds. Approximately 15% of the New Mexico budget is allocated for higher education throughout the state, and we provide full value for every one of those dollars.
Yet at every turn our branch campuses continue to experience more and more cuts, to the point where it is becoming increasingly difficult to honor our mission to offer quality education to all New Mexicans at an affordable price. The truth of the matter is that while branch campuses have seen their budgets cut by over 20 percent in the past few years, enrollments over the same period have risen by that much or more.
We would remind readers of the many valuable services and opportunities our branch campuses provide, particularly in small, isolated, rural communities, and ask citizens to ensure that higher education remains a top priority within our administrative and legislative bodies. Without a strong, diverse, educated workforce and citizenry, New Mexico simply cannot remain a vibrant and effective contributor to our nation’s well-being.
Branch Campuses provide access to rural, minority, often first generation students who may have cultural responsibilities and commitments within extended families that rule out alternative options for higher education.
Branch Campuses are far more affordable for those who do not require the services of a first rate research university, or can’t afford the high fees and deplorable graduation rates of for-profit schools.
Branch Campuses are major employers in small communities throughout New Mexico. In a state where one out of four people work for the government in some capacity, regional access to education is a sound investment.
Branch Campuses attract substantial revenues from federal and foundation grants, capital improvements projects, financial aid, scholarships and private philanthropy that would otherwise be unavailable to small communities.
Branch Campuses are the workforce engines that drive development in rural communities by building a well-trained work force that can be competitive in today’s tough job market.
Branch Campuses can slow down or even reverse the brain drain of talented individuals forced to leave their homes and go outside the state to find training and work.
At every juncture---on the individual, family, small business, corporate, state and national levels---our branch campuses clearly represent an excellent investment in a secure future for us all. And to those who say that we simply can’t afford to provide quality education to our citizens, the truth is, we can’t afford not to. For alongside the short-term savings generated by deep and painful cuts, we must also tally the enormous human cost of creating a generation of undereducated, underemployed and essentially abandoned citizenry.
We in New Mexico can do better than that. Let your representatives in Santa Fe know that education is our legacy for the generations to come---not a quick fix for today’s economic challenges.
