IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  9-7-06  CONTACT:  PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

SILVER CITY--The New Mexico Higher Education Department convened on the campus of Western New Mexico University on Thursday, Sept. 7.  For the first time, the HED is traveling to different areas of the state to hold joint hearings on FY 08 institutional budgets and capital projects. Universities making presentations included WNMU, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and New Mexico State University and its branch campuses in Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Dona Aña and Grants. 

The HED announced that there are several institutions who will experience funding cuts due to declining enrollment.  The HED is recommending that these institutions’ funding be held flat in order to give the Funding Formula Enhancement Task Force time to propose a change to the funding formula.  The funding formula now is entirely driven by enrollment –not by performance.  It is the intent of the HED that it will be able to reward institutions for good performance and help them maintain the level of service and programs offered to the state.

Performance areas the task force is considering include retention and graduation rates.

Pictured is President Counts and the WNMU team making the presentation to HED Cabinet Secretary Beverlee McClure and the other members of the committee.

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