News

WNMU To Offer Face-to-Face General Education Courses in T or C

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Western New Mexico University will offer general education classes in Truth or Consequences beginning Fall 2019. Classes will be held at the WNMU Adult Learning Center on Wednesday and Thursday evenings to accommodate working students. The courses being presented are Introduction to Philosophy and Introduction to Creative Writing. Both are open for enrollment now and will be taught by Professor John Gist, WNMU Humanities Department Chair and Interdisciplinary Studies Director. “Whether you are a high school student seeking college credit, a senior citizen who believes in lifelong learning, or an adult who is looking for college credit to advance in your career, these courses will help Sierra County build community through educated discourse among a variety of citizens,” Gist said. Dual-enrolled students are invited to attend. The classes are listed in the state’s new General Ed Core Course Transfer Curriculum so will transfer to any public college or university in...
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New School of Education Hall of Fame Inductees

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Four alumni were recently inducted into the Western New Mexico University School of Education Hall of Fame 2019 for their outstanding career achievements. The inductees Max G. Padilla, Emma V. Saucedo, Barney P. Brienza and Olivia L. Ogas. “To be considered for selection into the WNMU School of Education Hall of Fame, WNMU alumni must have demonstrated a primary interest in classroom teaching and devoted the major portion of their careers to classroom teaching at the primary, secondary or higher education levels. He or she must have inspired in students a willingness to learn, as reflected in their ability to impart knowledge, instill confidence, and demonstrate respect for learning and students,” WNMU School of Education Associate Dean Dr. Debra Dirksen said. Padilla received his Bachelor of Arts from WNMU in 1969. He is recognized for 38 years of dedicated teaching, mentoring and leadership. Padilla was also an assistant principal, school principal and coach.   He led...
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Spring 2019 Academic Symposium Highlights: Research & Reporting

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  Student: Aundrea Romero Major: Environmental Sustainability & Biological Science Year: First year @ WNMU, third year in college   For this year’s student academic symposium, environmental sustainability and biological science major Aundrea Romero decided to run an analysis of the saltcedar plant population and growth within the Grand Canyon and how this invasive species has impacted native fauna and flora. “Hikers and other tourists that visit the Grand Canyon have been unknowingly spreading this intrusive plant throughout the Grand Canyon by stepping on the plant and spreading its buds down the Colorado River or further into the park,” she said. Introduced into North America from Germany in the early 19th century, the saltcedar was brought to the U.S. for ornamental home adornment and quickly began to spread throughout intermountain regions of the U.S., including areas of Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. In presenting her research...
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Associate Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court Barbara J. Vigil Will Address Western New Mexico University’s Graduates

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Western New Mexico University will graduate 315 of its students this spring. Of those, 236 graduates will walk across the Old James Stadium stage during the spring commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10, at 2 p.m. They will receive their diplomas then shake hands with WNMU President Dr. Joseph Shepard and New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Barbara J. Vigil, WNMU’s spring commencement speaker. Native New Mexican Justice Vigil was born and raised in Santa Fe and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from New Mexico State University, her law degree from the University of New Mexico and has been a licensed attorney for more than 28 years. During her 19 years on the bench, Justice Vigil has served on both the First Judicial District Court, comprised of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos Counties, and the New Mexico Supreme Court benches.  As a district court judge, Justice Vigil presided over the Children’s and Family Court, as well as the civil docket, presiding...
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Art, Creativity and Big Dreams

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One artist, a home schooled duel-enrollment student at WNMU preparing for her freshman year, the other, a WNMU senior planning for her next steps following May’s graduation, but the connection that has drawn them together is the Western New Mexico University Expressive Arts program. This year’s juried art show at WNMU’s McCray Gallery was judged by local artist, author and radio personality Paula Giesler and included 55 students’ work, ranging from clay and ink to watercolor and oil. This year’s big winners are WNMU senior Patricia Countryman, who took best in show for her sculpture, The House that Built Me, and in-coming freshman Abby Egge-Ogas, first place winner and the recipient of the New Mexico Watercolor Society’s award for her piece, Sakura. Patricia Countryman’s creative process was nurtured through her strict, traditional upbringing in Douglas, Arizona, where she grew up as the eldest of four and used creativity as an escape. “I was always looking for...
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Student Research and Professional Development Funds Announces Summer Scholars program.

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Summer Opportunity for Students!   The SRPD Funds Committee is proud to announce the 3rd year of the Summer Scholars program. Please consider learning more about this and submitting a proposal by the deadline, March 22nd, 2019. SRPD Funds is the proud supporter of the Summer Scholars program which is heading into its third year. We hope to fund more students than ever as they actualize their scholarly passions in research and creative projects. Up to $3000 stipends for students, equipment budgets, and up to $500 mentor stipends. If you have ideas for research, a creative project, or an original, scholarly project that you want to dedicate part of your summer too, please allow SRPD Funds to support...
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WNMU School of Education Requests Written Comments Ahead of Site Visit

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The School of Education at Western New Mexico University is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on April 7 – 9, 2019, and is requesting third-party comments to be submitted the site team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the party’s relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). The WNMU School of Education invites members of the public to submit written testimony to: CAEP 1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036 or to: callforcomments@caepnet.org. Such comments must be within the specified period (Feb. 25 – March 25, 2019) and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that: -In CAEP’s performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher...
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New Arrangement Gives Students Enhanced Access to Medical, Mental Health and Dental Care

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Western New Mexico University and Hidalgo Medical Services are teaming up to offer expanded student health services starting Friday, February 15, 2019. WNMU was previously able to offer students some medical services and mental health counseling but no dental care. Under this new agreement, students will be able to access medical, mental health and dental care at HMS sites around the region. “We felt we were limited in what we could provide our students, so we decided to partner with the people who can provide those services and more,” WNMU Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Isaac Brundage said. As WNMU student fees cover health service expenses, registered students who pay tuition and fees are eligible to receive five medical visits, 15 mental health visits and one dental visit to HMS annually. Additional visits or outside referrals and services will be seamlessly provided and billed according to the students’ insurance or income levels, as the students will have...
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“Hamilton” Expert Megan McQueen To Give Program at WNMU

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A scholar of Lin-Manuel Miranda and “Hamilton” in particular, musical theater lecturer Megan McQueen will give an educational program at Western New Mexico University in Silver City on Monday, February 18. She will discuss the musical elements of the production and lead musicians in presenting numbers from the musical. Megan is an avid Broadway musical aficionado and has followed composer Lin-Manuel Miranda since he released his first musical hit “In the Heights” more than a dozen years ago. She has attended “Hamilton” in New York City twice, also participating in workshops with original cast members. In her program, Megan touts “Hamilton’s” complexity and explains how the score holds up to intense scrutiny, pointing out its hip-hop origins and traditional musical influences — from motifs to key relationships. “I find Megan to be enthusiastic about Broadway musicals in general, and ‘Hamilton’ is a production she is passionately committed to. It’s...
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WNMU Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program Starts Feb. 11, 2019

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For the 37th year, Western New Mexico University students are offering tax help to seniors and low-income families in the southwest corner of the state. This free service, called the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program and supported by Tax Help NM, is for people whose household income is $56,000 or less and for those who are 65 years or older. The Tax Help NM volunteers — WNMU business and accounting students by day — are certified by the IRS and are trained to help taxpayers identify tax credits. “The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program offers our students a chance to participate in the community and also gives them real-life tax preparation filing experience,” said Ashley Montenegro, the adjunct WNMU instructor and certified public accountant who sponsors this program. “Students can walk out of here with their degrees saying that they’ve done 50 to 100 tax returns already. The community benefits because they don’t have to pay for this service as long as...
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