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SENATE MEMORIAL 18
57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 2025
INTRODUCED BY
Pete Campos
A MEMORIAL
RECOGNIZING THE SUCCESSES AND VISION OF NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
UNIVERSITY; ENCOURAGING THE LEGISLATURE TO SUPPORT NEW MEXICO
HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY'S REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR A MASTER PLAN TO
MODERNIZE THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS.
WHEREAS, New Mexico highlands university is a public
university in Las Vegas that was founded in 1893 and that has
centers in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Farmington;
and
WHEREAS, New Mexico highlands university's mission is to
offer a high-quality education to students at all levels while
fostering creativity, critical thinking and research, and the
university's core values are excellence, diversity,
accessibility and responsiveness; and
WHEREAS, the university is accredited by the higher
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learning commission, and many of the university's programs have
specialty accreditation, including: the school of education,
which received full accreditation by the national council for
accreditation of teacher education in 2012; the school of
business, media and technology, which is accredited by the
association of collegiate business schools and programs; the
Facundo Valdez school of social work, which is accredited by
the council on social work education; the school of social and
behavioral sciences, which is accredited by the masters in
psychology and counseling accreditation council; and the
department of forestry, which is accredited by the society of
American foresters and is the only forestry program accredited
in New Mexico; and
WHEREAS, the university is home to a center for excellence
in social work, the Native American social work studies
institute and the institute for culturally and linguistically
responsive learning and teaching; and
WHEREAS, the Calf canyon and Hermits peak fire in 2022,
the largest and most destructive wildfire in New Mexico's
history, had a negative impact on the university's students,
and flooding in the area following the fire also had a negative
impact on the university community and continues to impact
water quality on the main campus; and
WHEREAS, the university's vision is to be a premier
comprehensive university; to transform lives and the community
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now and for generations to come; to foster a dynamic and
inclusive academic environment in which students can thrive
within and beyond the classroom; and to propel the university
toward a future of growth, excellence and community engagement;
and
WHEREAS, the university is committed to increasing student
enrollment on campus by cultivating an engaging and vibrant
academic experience. A focus of this work will be to expand
face-to-face instruction to ensure that the university's
students benefit from personal interaction with faculty and
peers and strengthen their academic and social connections; and
WHEREAS, to attract top-tier student-athletes and enhance
its competitive edge, the university plans to prioritize the
renovation of its athletic facilities, which will provide
students with state-of-the-art spaces for training and
competition and will position the university as a premier
institution for athletic and academic achievement; and
WHEREAS, regarding student retention, the university's
plan focuses on creating pathways for students to achieve long-
term success by enhancing student engagement through terminal
degree programs and implementing academic support systems and
mentoring programs that foster persistence and academic
excellence and that support students through graduation; and
WHEREAS, another issue of importance for the university is
ensuring the availability of good quality student housing,
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which is crucial to the university community's growth; and
WHEREAS, the university plans to address the lack of
adequate housing by constructing new multi-use facilities or
renovating existing noncompliant buildings, which will provide
safe, modern living spaces that support student well-being and
academic success; and
WHEREAS, to further enhance community engagement and meet
housing needs, the university plans to explore the potential of
utilizing university-owned property for new housing
developments, which will not only address the demand for local
housing but also foster a closer connection between the
university and the surrounding community; and
WHEREAS, to better serve its diverse student body, the
university plans to invest in the modernization of student
services through increasing the university's online presence,
enhancing library technology and expanding the university's
functional capacity, making it easier for students to interact
with the university for all services, including enrollment,
academic support, financial aid and career services; and
WHEREAS, the university's plans and goals for continued
growth and improvements will be implemented in part through
completion of a master plan to modernize the university's main
campus;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
OF NEW MEXICO that the successes and vision of New Mexico
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highlands university be recognized; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature be encouraged
to support the university's request for one hundred thousand
dollars ($100,000) to design and develop a master plan for the
modernization of New Mexico highlands university's main campus;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
transmitted to the president of New Mexico highlands
university, the speaker of the house of representatives and the
president pro tempore of the senate.
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