Press Releases

Registration is now open for the spring semester that begins in January 2017. New students to Western New Mexico University should first fill out an application for admission which is available online at wnmu.edu/applynow. Once the application is submitted, an Admissions Office representative will contact the student to schedule an appointment for registration. New students will be required to attend an online orientation in January. Students that are currently enrolled can find a listing of course offerings online. Current students can contact a Student Service Specialist or Academic Advisor to schedule an appointment for class registration. Spring courses begin Tuesday, January 17 and end Thursday, May 11. For more information visit the Office of Admissions located in the Juan Chacon Building or contact...

Several sculptures will soon populate the Western New Mexico University campus, an initiative of the Art in Public Places program by the State of New Mexico. The first sculpture will be dedicated on Friday, October 21 at 10:30 a.m. in the School of Nursing Building lobby. Titled “Alter 1”, the piece was created by Rose B. Simpson, an award-winning artists who resides in Española. According to Simpson’s Artist Statement, the piece originated from a conversation about sacred spaces. Simpson realized that most sacred spaces are moments when people consciously connect with each other and are influenced by energy. The original installation consisted of two equally large figures facing each other in a vacant space. The two pieces are now altered together, symbolizing the connection that people can make with each other. “The piece is building an identity, with the metal-strap constructed head and mask, it is creating a path to see the world in countless ways,” said...

Several recent publications focusing on early childhood reading development have included research by Dr. Ann Harvey, Western New Mexico University Professor of Reading. Academic journals in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and Europe have published at least seven pieces written by Dr. Harvey over the last two years on topics such as the achievement scores of Imagination Library students and the vocabulary development of English learners. Harvey believes that this is an important time to evaluate reading in the classroom, how it is taught, and how students learn, especially in the state of New Mexico. “Reading is important to New Mexico because our students score 49th on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP),” said Harvey. “We have kids who come from poor families whose English is often limited because they have only arrived here.” These lower reading scores tilt the average for the entire state, and the effort to improve them is one of the reasons that...

Russian company towns and the challenges found within them are strikingly similar to many American communities, including Silver City, according to Western New Mexico University professor Dr. Allison Evans. A student of Russian history, Evans is a professor of political science who has travelled to Russia seven times and is working on a book titled Protests in the Provinces: Coming to terms with Capitalism in Russian company towns. Her last visit was in in June for research on her book where she plans to focus on four or five Russian cities. “It is estimated that there are about 300 company towns in Russia,” said Evans. “They are a mix of towns run by private companies and government entities such as the defense industry.” The towns in Evans’ research were selected based on demographics, political, and economic criteria with a population of 300,000 people. “There are parallels with Silver City and other company towns, such as Detroit, that are facing tough...

Western New Mexico University has recently been ranked high on several online ratings websites focusing on affordability and academic offerings. Most recently, the online master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies offered at WNMU was ranked second in a list of top 30 online master’s in liberal studies degree programs for 2016. Ranked by bestmasterdegrees.com, the interdisciplinary studies program was highlighted for its unique focus on allowing students to study in two or three concentrations, having a choice of 15 disciplines from which to pick. The master’s level program is offered fully online and is a growing area of choice for licensed k-12 teachers, life-long learners, and those seeking to advance in their respective career fields. WNMU also offers the interdisciplinary program online in the bachelor degree level. In September, the social work program was ranked as one of the best online offerings by collegechoice.com. The factors included in the ranking...

The Adult Education Services office is presenting a series of technology workshops free to the community at the Silver City Public Library. The workshops will cover the basics on how to use Microsoft programs including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. For more information, contact Adult Education Services at 575-574-5101. Friday, October 14, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Microsoft Word: How to use templates and ribbon functions Thursday, October 20, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Microsoft Excel: How to use Excel for personal and business accounting Thursday, November 10, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Microsoft PowerPoint: How to make a slideshow or presentation Tuesday, November 18, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Online employability skills: How to use the internet for job searching and application completion The Adult Education Services offers free employment and adult learning classes at Watts Hall. Course offerings available online at...

As part of the annual Glam Week festivities at Western New Mexico University, Las Cafeteras will be performing at Light Hall Theater on Thursday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m. The Los Angeles-based group is known for its fusion of music and political messages. The six band members are children of immigrants who are using traditional music to tell modern day stories. Named by LA Weekly as the Best Alternative Band of 2013, Las Cafeteres is currently touring the country producing distinctive sounds through unique instruments including jaranas, a wooden platform called a tarima, and a donkey jawbone. Formed in 2008 with the purpose of musically documenting the histories of their neighbors, the group originated as students at the Eastside Café, a Zapatista inspired community space in East Los Angeles. Opening for Las Cafeteras is Summer Osborne, an award-winning American singer-songwriter currently touring the country. Admission is $10 per person and free to WNMU students with...

Four Western New Mexico University nursing students are the recipients of scholarships awarded by the Martin Family who has been supporting WNMU for over 15 years. WNMU nursing student Timothy Des Jardins is the recipient of the Robert and Ione Martin Scholarship; Alicia Hernandez received the Frank & Bernice Parrish Scholarship; Bala (Michael) Wambebe was awarded the Frank and Bernice Parrish State Match Scholarship; and Sarah Atilano received the Robert and Ione Martin State Match scholarship. All scholarships were created and awarded by the Martin Family. Bob Martin, owner of Western Bank, together with a committee of WNMU nursing faculty, family members, and the WNMU Foundation scholarship coordinator, worked together in the process of selection and awards. Recipients are chosen through a competitive application process based on academic progress, dedication to the nursing profession, and financial need among other application requirements. “The WNMU...

The Center for Gender Equity at Western New Mexico University is hosting its second annual Glam Week beginning Monday, October 10 with several campus events. The week of events will include informative panels, a drag show and live music by recoding artists Las Cafeteras, Summer Osbourne and Crys Matthews. The Center for Gender Equity is partnering with community organizations including Burgers, Brownies & Beers, Oh My!, and PFLAG to help bring awareness about gender issues. All events are free to the public. Monday, October 10 Glam Your Brand event, 12:00 p.m., The Circle at WNMU. Students are encouraged to ask questions about the LGBTQ community and what it means to be an ally. Tuesday, October 11 National Coming Out Day “Break Free March”, 5:00 p.m. March begins at Old James Stadium and ends at the Center for Gender Equity located at 1211 N. Mississippi Street. Information panel, 6:00 p.m., Center for Gender Equity. Panel speakers include Wendy Spurgeon,...

Acclaimed artist Tina Mion will be featured in the upcoming Edwina and Charles Milner Women in the Arts lecture series on Thursday, October 6 at Light Hall Auditorium. A Meet the Artist Reception begins at 5:30 p.m. in Light Hall Patio followed by the lecture at 6:30 p.m. in Light Hall Auditorium. Tina Mion is primarily a self-taught artist with a long celebrated history of art and travel. She is an American contemporary artist, working in oil paint and pastels. In 1996, she completed All The Presidents, and the first Object drawings that opened in Los Angeles and traveled for years to various Presidential libraries and museums. Mion has exhibited three times at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, and is in collections all over the country including the Smithsonian, The Nelson Atkins Museum, and the Albrecht-Kemper Museum. She has given talks at distinguished art locations including the Phoenix Art Museum, University of Chicago and the LACMA. Mion and her...