April 29, 2008
Albuquerque Journal
UNM at Risk of Losing Faculty, Official Says
By Martin Salazar, Journal Staff WriterThe University of New Mexico is conducting groundbreaking research that brings renown and jobs, but is at risk of losing star faculty members, the university's chief operating officer said Monday.
"Constantly our faculty is being recruited by institutions who can offer higher pay than we're able to meet," said David Harris, the luncheon speaker for the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties New Mexico Chapter.
"We have to work very hard. ... This poaching is continuous, and it's something we always have to guard against."
Harris told the group that the university's research is garnering national and international attention. Among the accomplishments, said Harris:The Cancer Research and Treatment Center has made a major breakthrough in the field of childhood leukemia.
UNM's infectious disease program is internationally renowned.
Spinoffs created based on research from UNM faculty employ about 120 people in New Mexico with average salaries of about $80,000. "We currently have over $1.4 billion in ongoing research," Harris said. "We do believe this is helping to transform the New Mexico economy. If New Mexico, however, is to increase its investments strategically, we believe it must invest more in higher education."
He said only about one-fifth of UNM's budget comes from state appropriations.
Harris said that beyond the threat of losing UNM faculty to wealthier institutions, the university and state face other challenges.
He said only 65 percent of high school students in New Mexico graduate from high school and 40 percent of New Mexico students are not pursuing higher education, despite the lottery scholarship, which pays college and university tuition for New Mexico students who meet certain criteria.
Even when students graduate from high school and go to a university, few of them are graduating within six years, Harris said. At UNM, the six-year graduation rate is 44 percent.
Harris said UNM President David Schmidly has instituted a number of changes at the university in hopes of improving students' chances for success.