DAILY LOBO new mexico
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
welcome back January 13-17, 2014
El Centro leader Superior instructors sought faces contention
Rosa Isela Cervantes/ Courtesy Photo
by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno
Despite an internal fiasco last month, the new director of UNM’s El Centro de la Raza is revving up for the spring semester. Rosa Isela Cervantes, who had her first day in office Jan. 6, said that despite complaints against her appointment from some members of the El Centro community late last year, she is still excited for the semester to begin. “I would have been surprised if there hadn’t been complaints because this place means a lot to different people,” she said. “What I can tell you is that I went into the interview process nervous and excited about it. I gave it my very best, so I hope that those who aren’t happy with my appointment will at least give me a chance.” On Dec. 4, El Centro members emailed an anonymous letter to UNM’s human resources department that expressed discontent with the director search process. The letter stated that through community forums prior to Cervantes’ appointment, El Centro members expressed the most support to Senior Program Manager Jorge Garcia. “It seems to us that they were not asked for a recommendation because, at the end of the day, all of this was a public performance at the expense of people’s time, resources and energy,” the complaint stated. “We are left wondering if the decision would have been the same if it had been a true open and democratic process.” But Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, the vice president for student affairs who led the director search process, said all steps of the process went as planned. Torres said a search committee was formed as early as April last year. He said the search process followed guidelines in the UNM Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual. “The search committee interviewed five applicants and three were chosen for final interviews on campus with administrators, departments and
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the public,” he said. “All candidates had the same agenda for their interview process. Evaluations were distributed, collected, and all were reviewed. I reviewed the evaluations … and determined that Rosa was the best person for the position.” To address the complaint, he immediately discussed it with human resources, which determined that the process followed the appropriate steps, Torres said. Torres said he is optimistic that Cervantes will lead El Centro efficiently. “I know that Rosa will give back and make a difference to current and future students,” he said. “She would like to ensure that Latinos have access and support in reaching their highest potential. She is a very hands-on person who interacts well with students and her staff. Rosa has the passion, diligence, dedication and knowledge to be a leader in these efforts.” Originally from Las Vegas, N.M., Cervantes had served for more than five years as program operations director for UNM’s College Enrichment and Outreach Programs before snagging El Centro’s directorship. Cervantes, 39, obtained her bachelor’s degree in sociology and Spanish and her master’s degree in family studies at UNM. She said she had her first encounter with El Centro as early as her junior year in high school. “That day … I met (previous El Centro Director) Veronica (Mendez-Cruz). At the time, she was doing counseling,” she said. “While my dad and the director were catching up, I chatted with Veronica. She asked me, ‘Oh, what do you want to do?’ That’s my first real interaction with El Centro.” Cervantes said she would focus on managing El Centro’s finances efficiently and on getting more grant funding during her directorship. She said she also aims to develop internship and fellowship resources for student members of El Centro. But at the moment she is conducting a listening campaign among the El Centro community, she said. “I want to find out want El Centro means to them, what it should and shouldn’t do, what it has and hasn’t done,” she said. “I think one of the things that I wouldn’t want to do is to assume what El Centro is just because I grew up here.” Cervantes said she hopes to keep last year’s complaint in the past, but urges the anonymous complaint filers to speak to her about their concerns. “My door is always open; I’d love to talk to folks to find out what their complaints are and how we move past that,” she said. “I’m here to serve students. That’s all I can do.”
State endowment aims to attract faculty, students by Chloe Henson
assistant-news@dailylobo.com @ChloeHenson5 The governor has proposed initiatives that would grant millions to higher education institutions in the state. At a press conference last month, Gov. Susana Martinez announced proposals that include appropriating $7.5 million to the higher education endowment fund for New Mexico universities. According to a press release, the initiatives aim to attract “top faculty” to colleges and universities in New Mexico by giving the schools money to compete for endowed chairs. An endowed chair is one who holds a prestigious academic position that is paid for through endowment funds, according to the release. Martinez outlined the importance of recruiting exceptional faculty to New Mexico universi-
ties at the press conference. “If we can attract the best and brightest professors and researchers to our universities, we can continually improve the quality of research and output from them,” she said. “In turn, we’ll attract the best and brightest students. And when those students graduate college, we need them to stay here and work in one of our leading tech firms, our labs or start their own companies.” UNM President Robert Frank added that attracting endowed chairs to the state will help make its universities more appealing to academically exceptional students. “The highest honor we can bestow upon our faculty is the distinction of an endowed chair,” he said at the press conference. “It recognizes their uniqueness and provides valuable financial support for their research, teaching and service. When we attract and retain the best faculty, then the best and brightest students will flock to our universities and become the future of our state.”
The new plan also involves reforming the higher education endowment fund so endowment money is distributed on a projectby-project basis rather than being determined by a formula, according to the release. The current endowment formula does not take important factors into account, Martinez said. “Right now that formula is not based on which projects are the most promising or the most innovative or the most likely to attract the best and brightest to New Mexico, and that’s not right,” Martinez said. Martinez said the endowment will help provide more promising employees to science and technology employers. “By improving the quality of students we attract to New Mexico universities, we will pave the path for our labs and our high-tech companies to have a high-quality, workforce-ready employee straight out of college,” she said.
Candidate has UNM in mind
Democrat boasts rural, native connections by Chloe Henson
assistant-news@dailylobo.com @ChloeHenson5 A UNM alumna has announced that she will make a ballot bid in 2014’s state elections. Democrat Debra Haaland said at a press conference in early December that she intends to run for her party’s nomination for lieutenant governor of New Mexico. Haaland said she has steadily been on the political scene in New Mexico for 10 years. “I decided to run because I have a deep passion for service,” she said. “I feel that I owe a debt of gratitude to the Democratic Party for all the things that we’ve gotten over the years.” According to a press release, Haaland served as a New Mexico delegate to the 2008 National Convention in Denver. She currently serves as chairwoman of the Native American Democratic Caucus of New Mexico and as chairwoman of the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors, according to the release. Haaland earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1994 and a Juris Doctorate from UNM in 2006. New Mexico State Senator Tim Keller, D-Albuquerque, who is running for state auditor, said he supports Haaland because of her range of political skills. “She has a rare combination in state politics that is hard to come by,” he said. “She’s an excellent campaigner, and she
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knows how to win. But she also really knows her stuff when it comes to policy and how to help our state.” Keller said he considers Haaland’s experience in the Native American community important because it has given her experience with rural New Mexico. “Most politicians and people running for office are from Albuquerque or Santa Fe, even Las Cruces,” he said. “It’s always good to have someone who understands rural New Mexico. And she does, without a doubt.” Haaland said she plans to focus on early childhood education as a major issue in her campaign. “We have a really low graduation rate, and it’s low among Native American communities as well,” she said. “I think that’s the large issue. It doesn’t happen just in your senior year of high school — you have to really find an approach long before that.” Though her plans for higher education aren’t entirely developed yet, Haaland said she plans to look into increasing affordability for students. “We really want to help as many students as we can,” she said. “I’ll have to look at all of that. But certainly, I think there’s probably more that can be done to increase the ability of kids to go to school. My daughter is on the Lottery Scholarship right now. If it wasn’t for that, it would be very difficult for me to send her to school.” New Mexico Attorney General Gary King, who is running for state governor, said that while he does not want to endorse
Debra Haaland / Courtesy Photo anyone this early in the race, he considers Haaland to be a quality candidate. “I think, at this stage in the campaign, I’m supportive of good people getting in to the race, and I think that Debra is a good person,” he said. New Mexico Rep. Ken Martinez, D-Grants, said he has known Haaland for about 10 years. “She’s done very well with regard to business and rising to the level of being the head of Laguna Development,” he said. “She was one of the main people in the Obama campaign, back in (2008) and (2012). Those are big achievements. She’s been to the White House as a result of her campaign capability.” Haaland said she plans to travel and speak to New Mexicans across the state during her campaign. “We’re going to talk to as many voters as we possibly can, we’re going to hear the stories and find out what it is that New Mexicans care about and want to have changed,” she said. “We’re going to work hard for this thing.”
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