President's Message

Welcome Faculty
With one week before the start of the fall semester, I welcome our faculty back to campus and welcome new faculty to the UNM community. A sense of anticipation comes with preparation for classes. At this time of the year, anything and everything is possible. Let us work together to make this a fulfilling and productive time for our students and for ourselves.

My 2009-10 Plan of Work: An Overview
Last week, UNM Regents approved my work plan for the coming year. Access to the entire document is on the web at www.unm.edu/president/; look under Current Items. Of the 13 goals the Regents gave me, I chose five for special emphasis this coming year. I will discuss these at length over the next several weeks, but here is a brief preview:

Accountability: We must continue to develop an organizational and leadership infrastructure at UNM that creates and reinforces a culture of accountability, continuous process improvement and transparency, with measurement and results-driven performance.

Academics and Student Success: A primary focus will be to establish an integrated system of services to prepare, recruit, enroll, develop, retain and graduate both undergraduate and graduate students at the University of New Mexico, with special focus on the recruitment of high-achieving students and national merit scholars.

Fund Raising: UNM has had wonderful success in the past several years and this must continue. We must apply knowledge and expertise to design, organize, launch, and actively participate in a comprehensive fundraising strategy and executable program that produces positive results for UNM.

Rio Rancho Campus: As the first building goes up, we must develop the vision, curricula, and programs for UNM's Rio Rancho campus that will serve the needs of the community and enhance the overall strength and vitality of the University of New Mexico.

Relationship and Communication with the Board of Regents: We will continue to explore ways to improve governance and communications practices at UNM to ensure transparency, inclusivity of ideas from the UNM community, and clear understanding of respective roles.

Milestones
‘Tis the season for celebrating the longevity and great work of several of our most prominent programs. Twenty five years ago, the NM Legislature funded UNM's Center for High Technology Materials. The return on that investment has been a hundred-fold in student success, startup companies and grant funding. Our best wishes go to long-time director Steve Brueck and his colleagues for their remarkable achievements over the years.

Our Graduate and Professional Student Association and El Centro de la Raza are both celebrating 40th anniversaries - decades of work with and on behalf of UNM students, many of whom have gone on to do great things in government, business, education and service to their community and to the state. Please join me in applauding this outstanding work.

Have a good week.