Enrollment Numbers Show Growth in Freshman Class, Hispanic, International and Dual Enrollment

Western New Mexico University continues to grow, with fall 2023 freshman enrollment up 37% from the same time last year and overall growth up over 6% to nearly 3,600 students. While growth had been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic prior to 2022, the rise in this year’s enrollment reflects a renewed interest in students pursuing higher education and the positive impact of the Opportunity Scholarship, which offers free tuition for New Mexican residents. As one of the original Hispanic-Serving Institutions, WNMU traditionally has a large number of Hispanic students, but this year the number increased by 10.4%. This number does not reflect the substantial number of international students who identify as Hispanic. The increase in the number of Hispanic students is great news for WNMU, indicated Professor of Finance Miguel Vicéns. “I always cherish having a diverse group of students in the classroom,” he said, “Students of Hispanic backgrounds bring assorted viewpoints to...

WNMU Wins $5 Million Grant to Implement Regional Urban Forestry Project

The Western New Mexico University (WNMU) Division of External Affairs was awarded a $5 million five-year grant project that plans, designs, plants, and maintains a set of urban forests across southwestern New Mexico. The project supports expanded and ecologically sound urban forests in the communities of Silver City, Santa Clara, Bayard, Hurley, Deming, and Lordsburg. “We are pleased to help support the fulfillment of WNMU President Dr. Joseph Shepard’s vision of 1,000 trees planted in the region through a grant-funded project that simultaneously supports our Provost Dr. William Crocker’s focus on offering accelerated, competency-based degrees that fast-track students to in-demand and higher-paying jobs regionally and beyond,” says Dr. Magdaleno Manzanárez, Vice President for External Affairs. “This is a critical breakthrough step for WNMU and our efforts to offer experiential learning opportunities that lead to immediate jobs connected to our environment that open up...

WNMU Board of Regents Meet at State Capitol

The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents received updates from state leaders, accepted the FY ’22 Audit Report and second quarter Financial Certification and a revision of the Capital Project Transmittal for the Deming Learning Center during their meeting last Thursday. The meeting followed Grant County Day at the state Legislature, a time when local representatives from the public and private sectors meet with state leaders and include highlights such as a packed house performance of Mariachi Plata de WNMU in the rotunda of the Roundhouse. Along with a trio of $15 million asks to develop a workforce training facility in the mining district, continue the work of making the university carbon neutral by 2025, and the construction of a facility to house the newly designated New Mexico Center of Excellence for Early Childhood Education, WNMU is also seeking funding for on-campus solar charging, the continued work to bring back NCAA baseball and establishing a women’s...

Dr. Alexandra Neves Accepted to Faculty Development Seminar in Mexico

Dr. Alexandra Neves, who is a TESOL/bilingual professor and Chair of the Teacher Education Programs in the WNMU College of Education, was selected to participate in the Council of American Overseas Research Centers/Americas Research Network 2023 Faculty Development Seminar in Mexico. The seminar will provide concrete exposure to the geographic and cultural diversity of Mexico and its historical ties to the U.S. Dr. Neves and other participants will gain first-hand experience of Mexico’s indigenous communities and meet local scholars, artists, and activists, exploring the collections held in Mexico’s museums, libraries and archaeological sites. Based in Mexico City, Tlaxcala and Puebla, the seminar runs from May 21 through June 4. “The ethnic and cultural diversity of the contemporary U.S. has many roots in the deep traditions of Latin American. Dr. Neves will learn more about the indigenous population of Mexico and migrants’ influence on the linguistic and cultural...

University seeks feedback, collaboration

At a recent public meeting held on the WNMU campus, university President Dr. Joseph Shepard along with the university’s architect and members of the WNMU physical plant, presented the first draft of the university’s five-year master plan, providing an opportunity for public comment. During the two-hour discussion, members of the public were presented with the university’s plan for future and more immediate growth and development that included an overview of both the Silver City and Deming locations. “Not thinking about and considering the future eliminates opportunities,” said university President Shepard, when discussing the important role the master plan plays in the university’s future strategic plans to handle student services, enrollment and academic programs growth, and community engagement.  Included in the draft plan are new construction projects that incorporate the Deming Learning Center, which broke ground last month, a new vocational training center to be in...

Associate Dean Identifies Pandemic-Related Nursing Student Challenges

Dr. Kimberly Petrovic, Associate Dean for the WNMU School of Nursing & Kinesiology, and her statewide colleagues in nursing education recently saw their article “Nursing Student Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic From 2020-2021” published in the journal, Teaching and Learning in Nursing. “This particular article demonstrates collaboration between New Mexico’s Associate Degree in Nursing programs and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs as we work to retain students who will become registered nurses in the state’s workforce in the near future,” Dr. Petrovic said. The New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium, a consortium of eleven state-funded nursing schools, asks that students complete end-of-term surveys with the goal of evaluating programs. In Spring 2020, a question was added to the survey to elicit challenges experienced by students during the COVID-19 pandemic: “What was the biggest challenge that you had in completing the semester/term?” This...

WNMU Pilots Interdisciplinary Workshops for Pre-Nursing Students

To facilitate more students’ entrance into Western New Mexico University School of Nursing programs, the university is taking steps to improve the pass rate of the entrance exam by offering workshops in disciplines especially essential to the career track. The content of the workshops is also designed to improve the success of nursing students by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary for their progression through the program. As the WNMU School of Nursing implements its newly developed and now state grant-funded holistic student success model for pre-nursing & pre-licensure nursing education, students are completing workshops in communication and math. “We’re piloting these workshops as one way to better support nursing students through the completion of their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees and their ultimate entry into the workforce,” said WNMU School of Nursing Associate Dean Dr. Kim Petrovic. To strengthen writing skills for pre-nursing...

Educator-Approved Thanksgiving Book Recommendations

“The history of Thanksgiving was not all happy encounters and smiles everywhere,” says Dr. Alexandra Neves, who is Chair of the Teacher Education Programs in the WNMU College of Education. “Of course, there is nothing wrong with celebrating and being thankful during this time or year, but we can learn and expand our knowledge when we include indigenous perspectives.” When sharing the story of Thanksgiving with children, Dr. Neves suggests starting with what children already know about the holiday. “They might have heard of the history and traditions before. We then give them a chance to see that there is a different side to the story they might have heard,” she says. “It’s also important that children understand that Native Americans have not disappeared.” A great way to learn together is by reading indigenous-authored picture books that talk about the holiday from a Native American perspective rather than from the European colonists’. “There are plenty of...

Social Work Major Evaluates Student Academic Experiences During Pandemic

“Everything I’d always been in interested in was the social work trajectory,” said senior Jia Rowland, who made her way to WNMU from Indiana and was recently accepted to the university’s Master of Social Work program. “I like improving systems in order to improve the human experience, which is why I did this project.” She is referring to the research she conducted over the summer thanks to a stipend and support received through the WNMU Student Research and Professional Development program. Rowland had previously worked as a research assistant to WNMU sociologist Dr. Dara Naphan-Kingery. “I did all the dirty work, helped her code data and analyze the findings. I said, ‘I could do this on my own, on a smaller scale.’” Specifically, Rowland wondered if other students were having the same negative experiences she was during the pandemic. “When the pandemic began, I didn’t have a home to go to and was the only person in the dorms. I was working graveyard...

Eight Southwest Pots See the Light

The Western New Mexico University Museum recently gained ownership of the Hoffman Collection, which was transferred from the Roswell Museum and Art Center last month. “Roswell received the vessels in 2011, and they sat in storage,” said WNMU Museum Director Danielle Romero. “Since our focus is Southwest pottery, the Western New Mexico University Museum was chosen to be their new home.” The Hoffman Collection includes two Gila Polychromes, a Kayenta Black-on-White, one Mimbres Style III-Early, a Four Mile Polychrome, one Casas Grandes, an Acoma (historic) and a Santo Domingo (historic) vessel. The Four Mile Polychrome is the first of this type that WNMU Museum claims. The collection of eight vessels is on display as a whole right now, then visitors will be able to view each vessel alongside like pieces in other WNMU Museum collections. “The Hoffman Collection will eventually be incorporated into our existing pottery displays,” Romero said. Get the WNMU...