How can public support for and the institutional image of the University of New Mexico be improved? A recent survey of in-state public attitudes about UNM provides useful current, baseline information.
That survey found that a majority of New Mexicans who have an opinion about UNM see it in a positive light, though many New Mexicans underestimate the size of the student body and overestimate the cost of UNM undergraduate education. New Mexicans think that UNM is important to the state’s economy. They think that providing a well-rounded education, creating and expanding knowledge, and doing research are what UNM does best–and these are precisely the University functions which they feel are most important.
Where do people get their information? A large segment learns about UNM from their own direct contact with it or through a UNM student or employee. And it is those people–people who see the University in person or through the eyes of others who are, themselves, in contact with the University–who have a better and more accurate impression of UNM.
The University of New Mexico has a lot of discrete publics whose increased support we want and with whom we want to improve our institutional image. Internally, these include UNM faculty, staff, and students; externally, the general public, UNM alumni, New Mexico and federal authorities and funders, private donors, and the media. Building upon what we already know about the importance and effectiveness of increased and satisfactory interactions between UNM and our publics, we now consider each one, separately.

 Internally at UNM
 We need better internal communication, more interaction, and more of a sense of community within UNM. including across Lomas and with our branch campuses. We must improve UNM’s own self-esteem. We’re better than we think we are–and we must believe this, if we are to help others see it. Internal community building requires shared stories about how we’re doing and where we excel, as well as acknowledging where improvements are needed. Faculty, staff, and students should be UNM’s best marketers–and we must take steps to assure that every contact with them by people outside UNM will prove to be pleasant and satisfactory, one for such members of our external publics, reflecting well on UNM, and building goodwill.
UNM Faculty and Staff. The heart and soul of a university is a high-quality, high-morale faculty, engaged in excellent teaching and research; a faculty that is diverse and representative. Our faculty represents all these values, despite substandard compensation. But the gap between an excellent faculty and inadequate remuneration must be systematically and rapidly closed, or UNM’s ability to attract and retain high-quality faculty, already seriously challenged, will rapidly deteriorate further. The central, most vital funding goal of UNM’s administration must be–and must be seen to be by the faculty–that of increasing faculty compensation. The President and the administration must be seen to be the unceasing, fighting advocates for the faculty. There must be full and enthusiastic support by the President and administration for the faculty’s central collegial role in University governance and academic policy making.
University staff are also underpaid, and many feel unappreciated. They should come to correctly feel that the UNM President and administration are also their advocates. And they should have a better sense of being individually recognized and appreciated for what they do.
There must be more quality contact and more satisfactory interaction between faculty and staff and the President and administration. So-called “management by walking around” is more important and more effective in a university than in a business corporation. Faculty and staff must know that they are individually appreciated. Presidential and other administration recognition and commendation of individual faculty-member achievements and contributions should be greatly enhanced. A regular weekly luncheon meeting–like a Lions or Rotary meeting--might be scheduled, with the schedule inviolate, for the President, administrators and chairs, and selected, rotating faculty and staff; a program about the University and some UNM activity would allow us continuously to update and share the UNM story with one another.
 UNM Students. Students are the reason for our existence. They should be made to know this. A systematic evaluation should be made of every single nexus of contact between a student and UNM, including students at our branches. The President and other administrators should be highly visible on campus, get the student perspective, regularly do such things as: stand in line at admissions and at the Bursar’s Office; observe and talk with students at Financial Aid; have lunch at the SUB; roam the libraries; meet regularly, formally and informally, with students and student representatives; and, with student agreement, look in on tutoring and counseling sessions. Reforms and changes should be made or suggested that can better ensure that every contact we have with these, our primary “customers,” is a pleasant and rewarding one for them. With faculty invitation, of course, the President and administrators might visit selected and exemplary classes.
In a large, urban university like this, it is hard for students to really connect–with faculty, with administrators, with other students. We ought to make this easier in every way we can. We should more strongly encourage students to affiliate with campus organizations. We should facilitate joint student, faculty, staff, and administration involvement in public service activities.
We should work hard to strengthen the transition from student to alumnus. The President and administration, the particular UNM department, and the UNM Alumni Association should work hard at establishing a personal, warm, and lasting relationship with each senior or final-year student, before he or she graduates–and then maintain the systems and programs to keep in close contact with them, afterwards. Regular in-semester departmental receptions and other gatherings for majors could prove effective. A certificate as a UNM Alumnus might be awarded and delivered by the UNM Alumni Association to each graduating senior.
UNM should have a much more aggressive and effective central career planning and  placement service for our graduates and alumni. This would yield benefits both for students and employers and help to enhance UNM’s public support and institutional image.

 Externally
General Public. The UNM campus must become a more inviting and welcoming place for a greatly increased number of local and other main-campus gatherings--conferences, workshops for schoolteachers and other groups, professional and civic meetings, organization luncheons, and other get-togethers. Make these functions inexpensive and attractive. The underlying object should be a pleasant and satisfactory personal contact for a greater number of people with UNM. On campus, too, we should expand our efforts for recruiting students–even more than now, making practically every day something like a Del Norte High School Day, or a Santa Ana Pueblo Day, or a Hispanic Day, or an Outstanding Students Recognition Day. At all such gatherings, for the public and for students, the President, preferably, or other high-level administrator should always welcome the guests, touting UNM and telling its story in the process.
 But our campus seems to the general public to be much too closed off, now, too insular and uninviting. The University must have a better, more clearly defined physical “front door,” with proper signage all around, so that people know where to come to, how to enter the campus, and how to get where they are going. They must be able to enter with ease. And this especially means that it is vitally important that there be more available public parking.
There must be a better and more widely known interpersonal “front door,” too, a kind of “dispatcher” office, so that callers, as well as visitors, can readily be directed to the appropriate office, department, faculty member, or other source or site where they can get the information or make the contact they want.
There should be a central and publicly accessible, standardized, and up-to-date “profile file” on members of the faculty and UNM community, indicating their interests and expertise and willingness to be contacted. A more active speakers bureau and performance-booking office is needed. A clearinghouse for UNM outreach and service activities would be very helpful. We could offer more help, or do more contracting with, for example, the City of Albuquerque on solving urban problems or with the Albuquerque Public Schools and other public school systems on improving public K-12 education in the state.
UNM Alumni. More interaction between UNM alumni and their University should be invented and encouraged. Association members should come to feel more strongly that they are valued by their University and can value more their diploma from it. They should be encouraged to believe that they are getting a lot for their money as alumni–more attention to their own continuing education needs, more attention to their children as prospective students, more invitations to attractive UNM activities and events, and stronger local, in-state and out-of-state, alumni clubs that get regular visits from UNM’s President and other faculty or performing stars.
New Mexico and Federal Authorities and Funders. The best campaign for continued and increased governmental (as well as private) support for UNM is our continued and demonstrated excellence in teaching and research. That is the first, and basic, requirement. More attention to community and public service–and promoting and calling attention to it–can also help. Telling the UNM story better is important, too--vital, really. Particular UNM departments, officials, and grantees will be encouraged, of course, to establish and maintain their own governmental contacts.
 There should be continuous presidential and other high-level interaction with state legislators and other governmental officials–even when, or especially when, we are not at the moment asking for something. UNM should have regular and ongoing personal contact with individual state legislators, with special emphasis on legislators who are our alums. State legislators and other officials should be invited regularly to the campus for recognition, for awards, for guest lectures, for attractive events, for luncheons and dinners at the President’s House. They should receive visits from UNM officials in their home districts. We should try again, as we have in the past, to work out with the state legislative leaders a UNM-sponsored, on-campus orientation session every two years for newly elected legislators, in advance of the legislative session.
Guided by our effective paid lobbyist, and backing him up, a high-level official of UNM should be present, continuously and full-time, at the state capitol during each legislative session–establishing and refreshing personal contacts with legislators, furnishing information and making arguments, offering help and assistance, “hanging out.” And at crucial times, the President should be brought up for more prestigious presentations and lobbying.
Private Donors. We can step up our cultivation of potential and actual donors. Led by the President, personally--in Santa Fé, for example, and in other urban centers where there is a core of our alumni--UNM could sponsor special educational workshops, tours, performances, and receptions for them. Donors could be brought to the campus, too, for similar events, with luncheons or dinners at the President’s House a part of the schedule. A donor or potential donor with special expertise or experience might be asked to give a guest lecture or a colloquium at UNM. Awards and recognition, as well as continued close contact, should, many times, be in order for donors.
Media. The President should continue and expand a program of regular luncheons with local, statewide, and other important media representatives–and be prepared to make an announcement of importance or introduce another UNM person who will do so, while briefly reiterating the UNM story. There should be similar functions and increased contacts for out-state media, including local newspapers, especially.
The public affairs office should “flack” individual faculty and student achievements and accomplishments, as well as particular UNM programs. The hometown media of a student, particularly an out-state student, should get a press release whenever the student makes the honor roll, for example, is elected to a student-organization office, or receives some other notable recognition. Features about particular students or faculty members can be encouraged with the Albuquerque media. Greater notice can be called to the service work that is performed by UNM people.
 UNM has a terrific story to tell. We can make the story a better one. And we can do a better job of telling it, both to ourselves and to others, and in the process, improve UNM’s public support and institutional image.

How can public support for and the institutional image of the University of New Mexico be improved? A recent survey of in-state public attitudes about UNM provides useful current, baseline information.

• ? The survey found that a majority of New Mexicans who have an opinion about UNM see it in a positive light.
• ? UNM is seen as smaller and more expensive than it actually is.
• ? New Mexicans think that UNM is important to the state’s economy.
• ? New Mexicans believe that UNM should stress teaching and research as primary goals.
• ? People get most of their information about UNM from either direct personal contact with the institution, or from contact with a UNM employee or student.

Internal Constituencies

• ? We need better internal communication, more interaction, and more of a sense of community within UNM (including the branch campuses).
• ? Faculty, staff, and students should be UNM’s best marketers – and therefore, we should do what is necessary to make their experience positive.
• ? An administrative commitment to improvement in compensation is necessary to maintain a high quality, high energy, diverse faculty and staff.
• ? Students are the reason for the University’s existence.  We need continuing evaluation of student and faculty/staff contact points to ensure that those interactions are meeting students needs.

• ? General Public: The UNM campus must become a more inviting and welcoming place. We need a clearly defined “front door” for the coordination of access, information and parking.
• ? UNM Alumni: More interaction between alumni and their University should be encouraged.
• ? New Mexico Government/Federal Government/Funders/Private Donors: The best campaign for continued and increased support is our continued and demonstrated excellence in teaching and research.
• ? Media: Continuing to improve contact with local and national media sources is very important.  Greater notice could be given to the service work that is performed by the UNM community.