University of New Mexico President Louis Caldera joined a group of university officials at a news conference on Capitol Hill this morning, in applauding the reintroduction of the Minority Serving Institution Digital & Wireless Network Technology Opportunity Act of 2005 and calling for its swift passage. The bill's sponsor is Senator George Allen of Virginia.
Photo: President Louis Caldera (right) joined several university presidents at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. Thursday to lend support to legislation for digital technology for minority serving institutions.
Caldera, who was in Washington, D.C. for meetings with New Mexico's Congressional delegation, was invited to participate in the news conference as president of a minority and Hispanic-serving institution, and as a Governing Board member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
Caldera believes this legislation is a key to helping develop the information technology infrastructure that will enable minority serving institutions, which usually have smaller endowments and less federal financial support, to educate the next generation of scientists and engineers to successfully compete in the information economy.
He said, “Bridging this gap is critical to U.S. economic competitiveness.”
Allen's bill would provide grants for new technology equipment and infrastructure expansion, as well as new faculty development, classroom technology, training, technology partnership and technology education leadership development opportunities for eligible HSIs and other minority-serving institutions.
"The digital world is the environment incoming students expect to find at today's universities, as digital technology enables them to communicate in ways they've grown accustomed to in today's society," said Caldera. "But digital technology also enhances learning capabilities and opportunities for these students, enabling them to communicate and collaborate with each other, their professors and the global community.
"Good digital technology expands a university's learning boundaries, making geographic boundaries obsolete as place-bound students are able to access the same courses available in classrooms on campus."
Sen. Allen introduced a similar measure last year which passed the U.S. Senate on a 97-0 vote, but stalled in the House.
Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989