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ENMU-R board approves program changes – Roswell Daily Record


“I thought the local legislators were very supportive of the campus,” said Shawn Powell, president of Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell, during a Wednesday meeting with Community College Board members. (Lisa Dunlap Photo)

Budget includes 4% increase for some instructional staff

 

Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell intends to deactivate four degree programs and 18 certificate programs due to low enrollment or changing student or labor market needs, but administrators said that the programs have been dormant for a while.

“There are no staff changes as a result of these program deactivations,” ENMU-R President Shawn Powell said. “These are programs that have been in the books for a while but have not been offered. So I had asked them (administrators) to clean up that material so that students or their parents or whoever else looking at the catalog would know exactly what we offer.” 

The Community College Board voted to approve the deletions, as well as some additions and reclassifications, during its Wednesday afternoon meeting. The decisions must be approved by the ENMU Board of Regents as well. That group is scheduled to meet Friday in Portales.

The changes come after a thorough program review of the university’s offerings, according to Vice President for Academic Affairs Ken Maguire.

The review looked at such factors as enrollment in the courses, the potential for employment and duplication with other offerings. He said that college staff found that the deleted programs had not been offered in four years, which means “that there is not a foreseeable need for them.”

In some cases, slightly different certificates have been introduced that better match current industry needs. In other cases, it was determined that students could obtain the training through non-credit workforce education classes or that the same type of instruction was occurring in other programs.

The program deletions included an associate of applied science and certificate in animation, a special service veterinary assistant certificate, professional pilot training degree and certificate programs related to helicopters and drones, and certificate and degree programs dealing with health care, emergency medical services and emergency management. In addition, certificate of training or certificate of employment programs in grant writing, management training, culinary arts and telecommunications were deleted. 

Five new certificate programs were added in the areas of gaming design, general education completion, a second-level independent living program for special services students, welding technology with an emphasis on pipe welding and pipe fitting, and a fire science program for New Mexico Youth Challenge Academy cadets.

Four programs had the types of degrees or certificates awarded changed based on their current courses and credit hours. Medical assisting and occupational therapy assistant will be associate of applied science degrees rather than associate of science degrees. STEM Mathematics and Science will become an associate of science degree instead of an associate of applied science degree, and commercial refrigeration will become a certificate of employment instead of a certificate of training.

The board also voted to approve the 2019-20 operating budget, with total anticipated restricted and unrestricted revenues of $32,003,246 and total projected restricted and unrestricted expenses of $36,925,844. But funds in reserve exceed $11.82 million, which includes money earmarked for capital projects. That compares to a 2018-19 budget with total revenues of $28,400,880 and total expenses of $29,663,223.

Controller Karen Franklin and Powell told the board that highlights of the budget include a $113,000 increase in state funding for research, public service and special programs (RPSSP). This year’s allocations for RPSSP totaled $293,000 —$100,000 for expansion of the nursing program, $75,000 for the aviation science technology program, and $118,000 for the special services program.

They also indicated that the university received from legislative appropriations $1.2 million to replace the main electrical line for the campus, $190,000 for academic equipment, $215,000 for Career Technical Education scholarships and a $136,000 increase for dual credit courses.

Powell and board members expressed gratitude to area legislators, including State Rep. Phelps Anderson of Roswell (R-District 66), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, who attended part of the meeting.  

Franklin added that ENMU-R expects to receive $320,000 from the state for the 4% pay increase for full-time faculty and instructional staff passed by legislators. The remaining $100,000 for the pay increase will come from the university’s own funds. The university typically tries to compensate non-instructional staff in an equitable manner, added Scott Smart, ENMU chief financial officer.    

The Board of Regents also must approve the budget for it to become official.

Senior Writer Lisa Dunlap can be reached at 575-622-7710, ext. 311, or at reporter02@rdrnews.com.




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