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Multi-million dollar training center to be built for UNM student-athletes
New facility to solve UNM Athletics’ Title IX deficiency By Madeline Pukite @madelinepukite The University of New Mexico’s Board of Regents recently approved the New Mexico Mu-
tual Champions Training Center, a $4.3 million project for student-athletes, on Aug. 19. This extensive training center will be exclusively for student-athlete use, replacing the tent that teams currently train in that stands as a
Title IX compliance deficiency. The construction of this center is important in fulfilling a Title IX requirement that the University currently fails to meet, which is that more women than men are training in the 7,200-net-square-
Courtesy Photo
UNM Director of Athletics Eddie Nuñez at a press conference held the morning of April 1, 2021, officially announcing the construction of the New Mexico Mutual Champions Training Center. Photo courtesy of UNM Athletics.
Resident physicians continue to bargain with UNM for better benefits By Megan Gleason @fabflutist2716 Bargaining for fair work conditions is ongoing between the Committee of Interns and Residents and the University of New Mexico. This union, representing all intern and resident physicians who work for UNM, has been in contract negotiations with the University for about two and a half months. CIR is an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union and has had a collective bargaining agreement with the University since 2007. These contract negotiations take place every three years to determine agreements on working conditions, including stipulations on salaries, benefits, supplies and more. The current agreement,
which began on August 1, 2019, expires on Aug. 31 this year. Dr. Kate Kollars, a resident physician at UNM and resident of CIR speaking as a union member, discussed more about the Union with the Daily Lobo. “The goal of it is to help empower residents to advocate for better training, better patient care (and) better working conditions that benefit not just themselves but also the hospitals and the patients we care for,” Kollars said. Some notable contract articles that the Union is trying to gain revolve around the physical and mental wellness of healthcare workers. Some of these protections include access to appropriate personal protective equipment, adequate time off and childcare stipends. “We want to be able to have
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foot outdoor tent rather than in climate-controlled indoor facilities, according to Eddie Nuñez, UNM Director of Athletics. Previously, the football team had access to their own indoor weight room, and a temporary solution to this problem was created four years ago when all athletics teams were transferred to using the tent as well as the indoor weight room in rotations. However, because there are more female sports teams than mens’ at UNM, this still remains a Title IX inequity. “The way we're structured today is where I wanted to be four years ago, to address all our student athletes and have the available facilities to be able to do what is necessary for all sports; in particular, many of those are our female sports,” Nuñez said. According to the proposal presented to the Board of Regents, this 11,312-gross-square-foot center will be located on south campus as an extension to the Tow Diehm Facility. The twostory building with plans for a future roof deck will be “flexible to accommodate multiple train-
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ing equipment layouts, and to incorporate adjacent outdoor areas for training.” The new facility is focused primarily on UNM’s Olympic sports teams, including men’s baseball and football; men’s and women’s tennis, golf, cross-country and track and field; and women’s swimming and diving, softball, volleyball and soccer. This facility will “cure UNM’s Title IX compliance deficiency, by providing a permanent facility for the majority of UNM’s female athletic teams,” according to the proposal. The funding for this project predominantly stems from capital outlay appropriation money, which are funds specifically directed toward a certain project by state legislators, and private donations; approximately $2.3 million will be drawn from the appropriation funds and another $1.1 million will be funded by private donors. The last $900,000 will come from the University. Nuñez said the athletic department is still
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Maxwell Minty McGrael / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo
Students walk near the Duck Pond and Mitchell Hall on Thursday, Aug. 26, during Welcome Back Days.