
The University of New Mexico
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989
McKinsey@unm.edu
January 25, 2006
UNM BOARD OF REGENTS AND PRESIDENT LOUIS CALDERA ANNOUNCE THAT CALDERA WILL STEP DOWN AS PRESIDENT BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT; CALDERA TO JOIN LAW FACULTY
The University of New Mexico Board of Regents and President Louis Caldera have announced that they have reached a mutual agreement, effective today, that Caldera would not seek an extension of his contract as president beyond July 31, 2007. Further, Caldera announced that he will resign as president effective August 1, 2006, and take an immediate leave of absence.
The regents and president are working together to make the transition as smooth as possible for the university.
“I am pleased to announce we have reached an agreement that will enable the university to begin a search for a new president and will allow President Caldera to provide service to the university as a faculty member,” Jamie Koch, president of the Board of Regents, said.
“Since July 2003, President Caldera has devoted his considerable skills and talents to the University. I commend his leadership in organizing the first UNM Budget Summit. President Caldera joined the regents in bringing together students, faculty and staff, which resulted in an historic agreement on the amount of tuition increases and faculty compensation,” stated Koch.
“I especially want to commend President Caldera's foresight in encouraging and supervising the university's joint relationship with the University of California, which resulted in their successful bid to manage Los Alamos National Laboratory. This agreement will benefit the university for generations to come.”
Caldera has agreed to continue to advise the regents and senior university officials as part of the transition process. He has named current UNM Executive Vice President for Administration David Harris as acting president. The regents have commended President Caldera's foresight in naming Harris. “David Harris is currently in Santa Fe working on the university's budget requests,” stated Jamie Koch, president of the Board of Regents.
The regents will discuss naming an interim president with academic expertise in the near future.
In his letter of resignation to the board of regents, Caldera said, “I have loved serving as president of the University of New Mexico. Eva and I have given our hearts and souls to furthering the interests of the university and to helping UNM students and faculty succeed in their educational, research and public service endeavors. The work we have done these past two and a half years with the assistance of an outstanding group of colleagues in the faculty, staff and administration, fills me with pride.”
After a year of study and writing, Caldera will join the faculty of the school of law where he is a tenured professor. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to being in the classroom with students and to also work on a number of writing projects that I have not been able to make time for these past few years.”
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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