Regents tentatively accept oversight proposal

PORTALES — The Eastern New Mexico University Board of Regents on Tuesday tentatively approved a proposal to increase oversight at its branch campuses, but not without concern from officials at ENMU Roswell.

The action was recommended by the Legislative Finance Committee in a recent report, and expands the positions of chief information officer, human resource director, and vice president of business affairs — held by Clark Elswick, Benito Gonzales, and Scott Smart, respectively — to encompass the entire ENMU system, including Roswell and Ruidoso campuses.

As part of their new duties, the officers would work collaboratively with campuses to assist with technology, business and human resource duties, ENMU President Jeff Elwell said.

Regents approved the concept of the proposal, but asked that a final version be presented for approval at the board’s Dec. 15 meeting.

Elwell ensured the board the changes would have no effect on the salaries or careers of personnel.

“Cost savings in personnel would come through attrition, just as the reductions in force that have happened here and on the other campuses have come by attrition, not by singling somebody out,” he said.

Regent Terry Othick suggested the new structure come with a “change of policies” for the branch campuses, in which they bring their policies in line with those of the main campus.

“It’s probably clear that there will be some instances where Roswell and Ruidoso have to deviate a bit, maybe because of their academic programs, maybe because of other issues, but those should get looked at, and approved, and added as addendums, but there should be a central policy that all ENMU is going to abide by,” he said.

Steve Henderson, a member of the ENMU-Roswell Foundation, was concerned that bringing ENMU-Roswell’s policy in line with the main campus — he described the two as “not the same” — was a “knee-jerk reaction” to the LFC’s report.

“When I think about the New Mexico Legislature, and I think about the LFC, the word ‘efficiency’ doesn’t pop into my mind. They have created a disaster for our state financing, and we need to realize that this advice being given to us doesn’t square with reality, so I think we need to take all of this with a grain of salt, and we certainly don’t want to cast it in stone,” Henderson said.

Eloise Blake, a member of the ENMU-Roswell Community College Board, contended that officials at a four-year college don’t understand the dynamics of the branch campuses.

“Salaries are different, student tuition is different. Let’s not jump into this thing. There’s a lot of difference between us. This community is not going to be happy about this. We need someone who understands EMS (emergency medical services),” she said. “Roswell is ENMU-R, and ENMU-R is Roswell. Let’s take a look at it. Let’s not do a knee-jerk.”

ENMU-Ruidoso President Clayton Alred said that because of the independence ENMU affords its branch campuses, the branches have gone through a “separation.”

He offered that many of his branch’s functions — financial aid, loan default rate calculations, and audit procedures — are already dependent on the entire ENMU system.

“If we can benefit from being a system in those different functions, we can benefit in some of these other areas,” he said.

Othick said that implementing the changes may be difficult, but said regents wanted “to do things based on ‘what is the benefit to the students involved?’ ‘What is the benefit to the taxpayers involved?’ ‘What is the benefit to the university?’”

He added that the presidential search committee in 2016 received numerous comments urging the ENMU system to become more unified.

“I think, as we move forward, I do not see the need to implement at light speed, but we need to get started on this sooner rather than later on how it’s implemented,” he said.