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The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents received updates from state leaders, accepted a clean audit report, approved sabbatical leave for one faculty member, and added an academic behavior policy during their virtual meeting Thursday. As per tradition, the meeting followed Grant County Day at the legislature, where higher education representatives contributed on virtual panels covering topics such as economic development and public health, along with education at all levels — referred to as “cradle to career pathways,” which New Mexico leaders are looking to invest in. Along with a pair of $12 million asks to develop a workforce training facility in the mining district and move the university toward becoming carbon neutral by 2025, WNMU made a $12 million capital outlay request to realize a proposed Early Childhood Center of Excellence, which is stated to be necessary in attracting students from birth and training teachers all the way up through the master’s...

A new partnership between Western New Mexico University and San Juan College allows for seamless transfers, centers support for students within their home community, and remedies critical shortages of workers in select disciplines, most notably education. “We are saving students tuition dollars and time by outlining what they need to take at San Juan College to transfer into our programs,” said Dr. Patti West-Okiri, who is WNMU Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs. This so-called 2+2 program empowers students to complete two years at the community college then matriculate for their final two years at WNMU. “The goal is to make it so that students don’t repeat content or don’t take more classes than necessary to attain a bachelor’s degree,” Dr. West-Okiri said. The first round of programs for SJC students looking toward enrolling at WNMU include natural sciences, business, psychology, social sciences and education, an area in crisis that both...

The Western New Mexico University Department of Cultural Affairs has been approved for a $15,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support ¡Fiesta Latina! The WNMU Cultural Affairs signature event is a celebration of our region’s Latin American heritage, customs and traditions often includes traditional children’s activities, a tequila tasting, a charro show, and a juried artisan mercado featuring the traditional folk-art of 30 artisans from across Mexico and the U.S. ¡Fiesta Latina! is among 24 projects in New Mexico and 1,248 across America totaling $28,840,000 that were selected to receive this first round of fiscal year 2022 funding in the Grants for Arts Projects category. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects like this one from Western New Mexico University that help support the community’s creative economy,” said NEA Acting Chair Ann Eilers. “WNMU Cultural Affairs in Silver City New Mexico is among the arts organizations...

“When I first heard of the 'Hope' project, for some reason I thought of a poem that I wrote a couple years ago,” said WNMU fine art and graphic design student Felix S. Gutierrez. “I took heavy inspiration from the poem, integrating its ideas in my ceramic piece ‘Many Pathways.’” The poem was also his muse for in the digital art piece “New Beginning,” which depicts a journey to find a brighter day through spirituality. "But I invite the viewer to interpret what type of journey that the people are going through,” Felix said. “The art piece displays how people have the capacity to help one another, no matter how risky it may be to find the right path. ’New Beginning’ reflects the spirituality experienced through people coming together and helping one another for a greater cause.” The original poem by Felix S. Gutierrez: There is a path placed at our feet we do not know what lies ahead but we bear the scars from what we had led. As we look forward, we see...

Western New Mexico University launched an artwork on loan program for people who want to lend artwork to the university for display on campus. The first piece taking a turn on campus is an intricate model World War II ship by Silver City artist Jonathan Dodson. It is available to view in the office of his wife Bobbi, who is WNMU Director of Professional Development. “The display will be a popular addition to the artwork people can see around campus,” said Faye McCalmont, who is retiring this semester from her position as Special Assistant to the President for Cultural Affairs at WNMU. The USS KIDD (DD-661) is a Fletcher-class destroyer, the 661st destroyer built by the U.S. Navy. “In the traditional system of naming destroyers after Naval heroes, she was named after Rear Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd, Sr. who was killed aboard his flagship, USS ARIZONA (BB-39) during the surprise attack by the Japanese on the American fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor on December 7,...

In an assessment of student outcomes in more than two dozen subjects from accounting and finance to business ethics and marketing, WNMU School of Business graduates demonstrate that this open enrollment, Hispanic-Serving Institution serving a largely first-generation population gives students the highest quality business education. Before graduation, business students at institutions accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business must take a major exit exam, measuring senior students’ knowledge at the end of their programs. WNMU students’ exit exam results are compared to student outcomes from like institutions also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. But the results are also compared to institutions accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which includes most states’ flagship campuses and also institutions like...

The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents gave emeritus designation to retiring WNMU Museum Director Dr. Cynthia Ann Bettison and caught up with faculty, staff and student leadership representatives in person during their meeting, which was conducted in a hybrid manner Thursday. While a small portion of the meeting was spent reviewing and approving financial documents, including a fiscal year 2022 mid-year budget adjustment request and the first quarter financial certification, much of the regents’ time was consumed by listening to informational reports from representatives across campus, including second-term Faculty Senate President Dr. Susan J. McFeaters, who said through her mask that this was the first time she had addressed regents face-to-face ever. Two of the five regents attended in person, while Drs. Lyndon Haviland and Daniel H. Lopez along with Student Regent/Secretary/Treasurer Brenda Hernandez joined virtually from their homes. After his report, during...