The University of New Mexico

NEWS RELEASE

 


Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, 277-5915

August 2, 2006

Higher Education Staff Form AdvocacyAssociation

The first Higher Education Staff Summit held this past week at the University of New Mexico resulted in the formation of the New Mexico Higher Education Staff Association.

Employees from 13 institutions – representing New Mexico 's two- and four-year colleges and universities – gathered at UNM to discuss issues facing staff in the upcoming legislative session. The event was sponsored by UNM's Staff Council, a staff advocacy group. Speakers included Beverlee McClure, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Higher Education Department, Evalynne Hunemuller, executive director of the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board, and UNM Vice President for Human Resources Susan Carkeek.

“The Staff Summit was two years in the making from conception to reality,” said former UNM Staff Council President Sabra Basler, who represents staff on the Higher Education Department Advisory Board. “The newly formed association will represent the interests of some 15,000 staff statewide. It also creates a mechanism for staff to network and share information to advance the higher education mission.”

Hunemuller and McClure, among other top officials, encouraged staff to present a unified voice when working with the legislature. “We now have a vehicle for a single, strong voice,” Basler said.

Following two days of presentations and networking sessions, staff representatives attending the summit voted to create the NMHESA and drafted and voted to approve a constitution. The association creates a collaborative network to advocate staff goals, such as compensation and retirement, with higher education administrations, governing boards and the state legislature.

Each institution is allowed two members to be elected in a democratic fashion by their constituency. If no staff organization exists, the president or director of the institution may name members. One vote will be allowed per institution. Branch campuses are seen as independent institutions. Member schools will host regular meetings on a rotating basis.

“Our member schools have been tasked with taking this back to their institutions and communicating our goals to their staff members and governing boards. We are starting to plan for our next meeting and for the legislative session next year,” said David Groth, UNM Staff Council president for 2006-07.

Institutions represented at the Staff Summit included UNM and UNM-Gallup, Los Alamos, Valencia and Taos branches, New Mexico State University, NMSU-Grants, Eastern New Mexico University, Western New Mexico University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Santa Fe Community College, Northern New Mexico College, College of Santa Fe and the New Mexico College Awareness Coalition.

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The University of New Mexico is the state's largest university, serving more than 32,000 students. UNM is home to the state's only schools of law, medicine, pharmacy and architecture and operates New Mexico's only academic health center. UNM is noted for comprehensive undergraduate programs and research that benefits the state and the nation.

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