You Give Education A Bad Name…

UNM-Taos Executive Director, Dr. Kate O’Neill, Director of Development, Louis Moya, and local educator, Sienna Sanderson, discuss federal and state budget cuts and the current state of higher education. The interview addresses the national media campaign that is challenging the integrity of the educational system and putting it in danger of failing our nation’s future generations.

Condensed Interview Excerpts from May 19, 2011 1340 KVOT AM Radio Show: Breakfast with Nancy

Host: Nancy Stapp

UNM Taos Graduation 2011

Bachelor of University Studies (B.U.S.)

Virginia Annette Arellano *

Joshua Concha *

Barbara Costello *

Janice Duran *

Venita Gallegos

Rebecca Martinez *

Rosella Martinez

Amy Miller

Benny Sanchez

Andrew Valencia

Loucinda Vargas *

Alicia Vigil

B.S. Elementary Education

Jose Fabio Flores-Villalobos *

Alexandra Hubbard *

Michael Martinez *

Adrienne Reynolds *

Alicia Sanchez

Stacey Swinehart *

Alicia Thoma *

Marisol Trujillo *

Maya Burnett Y Velarde

B.S. Biology

Margaret Garcia

Associate of Arts in Behavioral Sciences

Paulina A. McCabe* Melanie D. Baca

Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice

Sarah R. Chacon Chrystal J. Lyon

Samantha A. Lucero Alphonso J. Santistevan

Associate of Arts in Human Services

Ana K. Arechiga* Santana R. Martinez

Leandra L. Cordova* Baleria Polanco*

Dolores J. Lewis Tasha B. Silva

Certificate in Human Services

Alicia L. Lujan

Associate of Arts in Early Childhood 

Multicultural Education 

Ana D. Arechiga* Libradita L. Gonzales*

Daniela Castillo Carmen G. Limas*

Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts

Karli R. Miller*

Associate of Science in Pre-Science

Stephen E. Archuleta Joeanna O. Martinez*

Melissa A. Martinez Daniel J. Rael

Certificate in Holistic Health and Healing Arts

Anpo C. Cash* Joelie A. Mee

Jennifer E. Grahn* Theresita T. Ortiz*

Alex J. Pumfrey*

Certificate in Integrative Massage Therapy

Daniel P. Eagle Ryoma G. McCormick

Dorothy A. Hulburt Alex J. Pumfrey*

Associate of Science in Nursing

Walter M. Brennan Domino A. Martinez*

Shauna L. Collins Annalisa Martinez*

William J. Gowen* Shandi R. Mirabal

Anthony W. Griffo Djuna A. Nichols

Ruthie A. Guzman* Benjamin D. Sattell*

Jessica B. Hiemenz Deborah L. Speicher*

Sara A. Weaver

Certificate in Dental Assisting

Adelle C. Davies* Maria I. Mendiola

Christina A. Duran Cecilia V. Ochoa*

Jenea L. Maestas Fabiola S. Rendon*

Rita M. Martinez* Linda A. Romero*

Valerie L. Martinez* Candice D. Thomas*

Sheila M. Mascarenas Alysia R. Valencia*

Associate of Arts in Pre-Business Administration

Tomas N. Garcia Valerie Y. Montoya*

Adela F. Rivera

Associate of Applied Science Administrative Assistant 

Debra V. Chavez*

Certificate in Administrative Assistant

Maritza Garcia*

Certificate in Paralegal

Kathleen A. Chanler Rama M. Sibley*

Certificate in Business Computers

Sarah R. Chacon Nicole D. Cisneros

Debra V. Chavez* Lee J. Romero

Certificate in Multimedia

Leonard N. Romero Francis R. Santistevan

Certificate in Digital Graphic Design 

Nicole D. Cisneros Lynn T. Nolen*

Certificate in Woodworking 

Amy Jo Miller* Felix R. Padilla*

Daniel J. Romero

Associate of Applied Science 

General Studies

Peter G. Callan* Marie A. Previti*

Ricardo R. Gonzales* Rene F. Quintana

Britte A. Lynam* Daniel J. Rael

Manuel P. Martinez Irene E. Salazar*

Crystal A. Martinez Santana S. Struck

Lynn T. Nolen* Megan J. Thornton*

Maria I. Petersen* Mark D. Williams*

Special Congratulation to the Literacy Center GED Graduates 

* Graduate with Honors

Outdoor Recreational Classes at UNM Taos

For more information or to register for courses Call Nick Streit at 575.751.6630 or email info@taosflyshop.com

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Instinctive Fly Fishing with Taylor Streit
August 13-14th
Price $250
This school is for intermediate to advanced fly fishers and based on Hall of fame Guide Taylor Streit’s book Instinctive Fly Fishing. Over his 40 years of teaching fly fishing, Taylor has helped countless anglers improve their skills on the river. His no-nonsense approach to fly fishing instruction will ensure that you will be fishing like a pro by the end of the class.
Don’t miss this opportunity to spend a weekend on the water with
a fly fishing legend

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Introduction to Fly Fishing with Nick Streit
1st session -June 19th
2nd session- August 6th
Price $100
This class will be a “crash course” designed to teach novice anglers everything they need to know to get started fly fishing. The course will cover equipment, knots, fly-casting, and on the water instruction. Nick has been teaching fly fishing at UNM-Taos for over 5 years and his ability to take the mystery out of fly fishing will have you enjoying the sport in no time. Rental equipment available for $30 plus tax.

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Intro to River Kayaking
August 25 - 26, 2011
Price: $160
Intro to River Kayaking is a 15hr course, teaching the essential skills you need to paddle lakes and easy rivers, up to class II. On Thursday, during the 2hr classroom, you’ll learn about modern equipment and the primary differences between whitewater, touring, recreational and hybrid kayaks. In the 4hr pool lesson, you’ll learn four vital rescues that every kayaker must know, including how to re-enter a dry boat from deep water. The adventure continues Friday, as we take our new-found skills out to the Orilla Verde State Park and learn elementary river-reading skills, understanding friendly and unfriendly currents, and basic river maneuvers that will over-prepare you for most class II paddling. Kayaks will be available for rent for $50 per day plus tax.

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Mountain Biking 
with Native Sons Adventures
1st session: July 23/24
2nd session: Sept 24/25
Price $220
additional $30 for bike rental
This class is designed to teach beginners everything they need to know to have a safe and enjoyable time biking the beautiful trails of northern NM. You will learn bike maintenance and repair as well as techniques to make you a better mountain biker. Instructors Michael Montoya &
Leilani M. Dean will guide you along your way.

Rock Climbing
with Mountain Skills
August 17th-19th
Price $250
The professional staff at Mountain Skills Rock Climbing Guides can take you to the perfect New Mexico rock climbing area for your ability level and give you a skill and/or memory to last a lifetime. Mountain Skills New Mexico rock climbing guides and instructors have a minimum of 15 years rock climbing experience and are chosen for their enthusiasm and ability to teach with patience and effectiveness.

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Hiking with Confidence
September 3rd and 4th
Price $55
What to carry, basic first aid, edible plants and more!

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Geology of Northern NM 
with Deborah A. Ragland, Ph.D.
August 5th-7th
Price $300
The geology of northern New Mexico is composed of a mixture of rock types that vary in age from PreCambrian (more than a billion years old) to very recently-formed rocks (geologically speaking). From the spectacular Sangre de Cristo Mountains to our east to the Rio Grande Rift in the west, we have only to look around us to see the importance of geology on our Taos landscape. Join us as we try to decipher the Geology of the Taos area and beyond!

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Adult, Child, Infant CPR with First Aid
Instructor: John Duncan
August 27th
$50 (includes book)
This is a Certified CPR/First Aid class and students will receive cards in each to verify their training.

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Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Taos Areawith John Duncan
July 31st
Price- $50
Here in Northern New Mexico we are blessed with a variety of nutritious wild foods and plants with medicinal value. Let master woodsman John Duncan help you to decipher what plants can be edible and which ones to stay away from.

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For more information or to register for courses
Call Nick Streit at 575.751.6630 or email info@taosflyshop.com

Summer Solar Intensive Classes

2011 Solar Summer Intensive 

at Unm Taos

June 6 -18th

Where?     

Green Tech Education Center at the Taos High School Campus

Register on line at taos.unm.edu

See Construction Technology

  

BIOREGION   The Taos valley floor is a rich mixture for the senses!   High altitude semi-arid desert   and acequia irrigated fields with   a gorgeous backdrop of snowcapped   peaks and the Rio Grande Gorge

CULTURAL BEAUTY   Taos is an intriguing blend of the old   and new.  Native Americans with their   rich heritage and pueblos; Traditional hispanic families are the majority population;  Anglo immigrants expressing free speech of   the 1960's, leaving an indelible mark on the    arts, and recently adding strain to the    traditions and ruralness of the region.

SOLAR CAPITOL OF THE WORLD   Community wide Proclamations and claims are supported by a high percentage of buildings designed and built to work with the sun's energy for heating,    lighting and hot water.  Locally owned KTAO  is the largest 100% solar power transmitted  radio station in the world.

ONE WEEK LONG COURSES

JUNE 6-10

2 Credit Hours

Greenhouse Lab

Sharon Leach

Season extension is critical to increase our local food system capacity. Students will design a greenhouse and build one as a food-growing classroom during the week. Lessons include 4 season growing strategies and how to find and eat more local foods.

JUNE 6-11

3 Credit Hours

Intro to Photovoltaics

Michael Weinman

This course introduces students to photovoltaics(PV) or electricity generated directly from the sun. Includes net metering only, net metering with battery storage and off grid PV systemsLearn basic installation steps with hands on activities and teams.

JUNE 6-11

3 Credit Hours

Solar Design + LEED

Mark Goldman & Karlis Viceps

Students will learn how to integrate passive solar , green materials, thermal mass, raincatchment, solar hot water and PV in residential design.  Includes study of the sun's path  seasonally and how this impacts site and building design. LEED for Homes principles, hands on with green materials, and use of Google Sketchup.

JUNE 13-18

3 Credit Hours

SW Organic Farming

Sharon Leach

Beyond organic techniques and topics covered include compost, green manure, CSA's, tracking and measuring, soil ideas and non-toxic pest controls while working as farming interns on a Taos farm each day.  Longer breaks for discussion and demonstrations.  Students will design their own 4-season food-growing plans. Physical fitness not required.

CoursesQuestions? Greentec@unm.edu       575.737.6200

UNM-Taos For the Record [video]

UNM-Taos For the Record

By Bill Knief

Amid the turmoil of a contentious legislative session and the uncertainty of a new funding formula being considered for higher education, UNM-Taos students are coming down the home stretch in record numbers to wrap up the spring semester, complete their finals and celebrate their successes in the 2011 commencement exercises March 13.

 Although UNM-Taos is mindful of the background noise generated by people challenging the very mission of the colleges and universities serving New Mexico, the focus in Taos, as always, is on giving students the quality education they need to live productive lives. This week the class schedules for both summer and fall terms came out online and the push is on for early enrollment.

But with a 22 percent increase in enrollment at the same time that funding overall has dropped by 21 percent, UNM-Taos Executive Director Dr. Kate O’Neill called faculty and staff together for a meeting on April 13 to discuss the implications of the state’s recently passed budget and its draconian impact on higher education.

Presentation Slides (PDF)

“I think knowledge is power and so I wanted to make sure all of you are as empowered as possible,” O’Neill reported to some fifty attendees at the information session, “in terms of knowing what is going on with higher education funding at the state and federal levels.”

The all-important Dual Credit program and Developmental Studies classes were cut by $125,000, impacting hundreds of students getting a head start on higher education and raising their reading, writing and math skills up to college level. Dean of Instruction Jim Gilroy said that the Department of Instruction had been hit particularly hard, losing $890,000 in grants and state and federal funding.

One federal program that was not cut was the Pell grant, key to the financial aid that many students must have in order to attend college. “If that had been cut we’d be having a very different conversation today,” O’Neill said.

In what O’Neill characterized as “leading by example,” she stated that both she and Dean Gilroy were taking voluntary salary cuts, administrators were taking on multiple roles, and the “motor pool” had been reduced to two 12 year old cars and a 20 year old pickup.

But on the positive side, O’Neill said, “We have a lot to be proud of, folks. I want you to hold your heads high. I want you to be aware of the threats that are out there, but this is quite a thriving campus. We must not lose sight of that in the face of serious challenges.”

One challenge that must be addressed is the proliferation of misinformation circulating as fact lately. On April 5 KRQE, the Fox television affiliate in Albuquerque, aired a story  critical of UNM and its branches. We have posted it on our website, taos.unm.edu. Please take a look at it and email your comments to billk@unm.edu.

Meanwhile, the positive daily work and accomplishments go on as usual:

Last Friday Nursing Director Kathy Falkenhagen informed us that our fledgling Nursing Program had just completed the accreditation process conducted by the New Mexico Board of Nursing and is now fully approved for the next eight years. This hardly came as a surprise, however, after an astounding 100 percent of the first cohort of students passed their national RN boards the first time out, and eleven of the fourteen are now practicing health care professionals in Taos County.

Taoseno Louis Moya, a Taos High graduate who obtained his law degree from Rutgers University after graduating Magna Cum Laude from UNM and is licensed to practice law in three states, has returned home to take on the formidable challenge of being our new Development Director. With his considerable experience in fundraising and development, coupled with his lifelong connection with the Taos community, he is a welcome addition to the UNM-Taos team.

The UNM-Taos bookstore is now online. This will not only result in a cost saving to the college, but will streamline the cumbersome process for students. Ordering, shipping and even returns can now be processed over the internet. Gone are the days when students had to wait until the first day of class to order books.

O’Neill summed up the current situation: “We’re here because of our students and we will continue to be true to our academic, workforce and personal enrichment commitments to the community.”

Excellence In A Time Of Struggle

These days, nothing is easy. Community colleges have been put in the position of having to justify their very existence, and sometimes it almost seems as if the state’s budget is being balanced on the backs of New Mexico’s students. So when the word came in that all 14 graduates of our brand new nursing program had passed their national boards the first time out, it was a rare opportunity for celebration.

“We couldn’t be prouder of our students, or more excited for the future of this program and all that it means to our college and our community,” announced Executive Director Dr. Kate O’Neill. “This is a key component in economic development. Our mission is to train local people so they can live here, learn here, stay here, raise their families here and contribute to the fabric of the community.”

Kathy Falkenhagen, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing and head of the nursing program, explained:

“I think we can say it is a measurable example of our program being among the top nursing programs in the nation,” she said. “In order to keep our accreditation through the New Mexico Board of Nursing, we are required to have an 80 percent pass rate for graduates taking their National Council Licensure Exam to become registered nurses. I would say it is very unusual for a new program to have a 100 percent pass rate the first time around. Nationally, the pass rate is about 81 percent. These graduates certainly have set the bar high for future classes.”

Now the new registered nurses are in position to give back to a grateful community.

“Out of the 14 students that graduated and passed their boards, ten were hired immediately to work at Holy Cross. One went to Mountain Home Health Care, one will be doing missionary work in India, one student has relocated to Spain to do international nursing and one student returned to practice in her home town in North Carolina.”

With a nursing shortage so severe our hospital has had to bring nurses in from out of state, the economic benefits of the UNM-Taos nursing program are as substantial as its benefits to society. The starting salary for an RN is in the mid fifties, and with eleven new nurses practicing and living in Taos County now, this is good news for both our physical and economic health.

Yet, incredibly, on the same day it was announced that the last graduate had passed his boards, the state legislature chose to cut all nursing expansion funds in half in the 2012 budget. In many ways, the UNM-Taos nursing program and its fourteen outstanding scholars are the model for what small, rural community colleges aspire to across the state. But if providing affordable, top quality education, health care and jobs is no longer our top priority, one has to ask, what is?  

By Bill Knief, UNM-Taos Public Relations