November 27, 2008
Santa Fe New Mexican
College looks to state after talks fizzle
College of Santa Fe considers becoming a public institution
John Sena | The New MexicanTalks between the College of Santa Fe and a for-profit group have fallen through, and now college officials have called upon Gov. Bill Richardson and the state's Higher Education Department to consider making it a public institution, the college announced Wednesday.
The college was in talks with Laureate Education Inc., formerly Sylvan Learning Systems, about a deal that would have resulted in the company assuming the college's debt and funding the college's operation.
On Wednesday, though, the college announced in an e-mail that wouldn't happen.
"It is now apparent that, because of their own financial realities, Laureate Education Group will not be able to assume the debt required to retire CSF's bonds and fund the College," wrote Marcia Sullivan, vice president of administration and communication.
College officials informed Richardson about the situation over the weekend, Sullivan wrote, and he asked Secretary of Higher Education Reed Dasenbrock to "see if there is an arrangement in which the College can become a state institution."
In a statement released Wednesday, Richardson said the college "is an important part of the educational opportunities available to citizens of New Mexico and a valuable partner in the Santa Fe community. "We need to explore every opportunity to see if there is a way for it to continue to serve the citizens of Santa Fe and of New Mexico," the governor said in the statement.
One possibility for that to happen is for one of the state's institutions to take over operations of the school, Dasenbrock said.
Already the possibility has garnered serious consideration from New Mexico Highlands University, although The University of New Mexico is also taking part in the discussions.
Javier Gonzales, president of Highlands' board of regents, said Wednesday that the board first directed President James Fries to look into incorporating the College of Santa Fe campus into Highlands in May when Richardson first mentioned the possibility of making it a public institution.
Now, with the college seemingly out of options, Gonzales said the board is seriously considering the move.
"Fiscally, we're very sound, and academically, we're at a point where I believe we've restored our credibility," Gonzales said. Because of that, he said, Highlands is in a position to be able to provide a low-cost, public four-year education in Santa Fe.
Tuition for a full-time student at Highlands is $1,344 per semester for a New Mexico resident and $2,016 for a nonresident. Tuition for one semester at the College of Santa Fe is $13,679.
"I think (Santa Fe) will be stronger off when we have a four-year university," Gonzales said.
Gonzales said Highlands has established a well-respected media arts program that would mix well with the college's current offerings, and taking over the school would further Highlands' mission to become a small, strong liberal arts school.
But wanting it doesn't make it so, and Gonzales said Highlands, or any institution, would have to wait for state and legislative approval.
Adding the college to the state's already existing institutions would mean allocating more money to the education budget. At a time when education officials, both K-12 and post-secondary, have already been told they might see cuts to their budgets, adding more money to the budget seems unlikely.
Alarie Ray-Garcia, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Richardson wants to explore every option to keep the college's doors open, but he is also "mindful of budget constraints."
Since last November, when officials announced the college would cut back on staff and shift its focus to become strictly an arts school, the college has tried to find a way to stabilize its finances. At that time, officials said the school was facing a multimillion dollar deficit, and without increased enrollment, the school was not sustainable.
Along with cutting expenses, the college also resurrected its athletic program, hoping that would attract more students.
Partnership talks with the Savannah College of Art and Design did not work out and gave way to a possible deal with Laureate.
College officials won't say what might happen if it doesn't become a public institution. Sullivan would not comment on how much debt the college has or whether it has enough money to get through the year.
The College of Santa Fe was founded in 1859 by the Lasallian Brothers and has about 600 traditional students.
Dasenbrock called the need to address CSF's situation urgent, and some sort of consensus on how to handle it needs to be reached by Christmas.
Contact John Sena at 986-3079 or jsena@sfnewmexican.com.