Notes from the Oct. 16, 2007 Regents Meeting

by George Zamora

SOCORRO, N.M., October 17, 2007 – The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents has approved a formal policy on establishing memorial benches and other honorary gifts at the university.

New Mexico Tech’s governing board, acting in response to numerous recent requests by individuals and families to place memorial-type benches around the university campus, voted in its October 16th meeting to adopt a policy that requires a minimum contribution of $5,000 for the purchase and maintenance of such a bench.

In addition to memorial benches, the newly adopted policy also includes criteria for establishing and administering endowed funds, as well as non-endowed restricted funds, such as named scholarships and other memorial programs at New Mexico Tech.

The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents also approved a revised procurement policy at the research university that further defines the school’s ability to waive certain technical deficiencies or amendments to submitted bids or proposals.

The changes accepted are revisions and clarifications to the New Mexico Tech Purchasing Policy and Procedures Manual, which was last revised and adopted by the board of regents in October 2005.

In other official actions taken at their meeting, the New Mexico Tech regents also approved a Budget Adjustment Request for the current fiscal year, which is comprised of additional revenues, appropriations, and required fund transfers that were not included in the original institutional budget.

Several announcements were made by top university administrators during the New Mexico Tech Board of Regents’ October meeting, including:

• an academic sabbatical has been granted to Tanja Pietrass, a chemistry professor at the university;
• very preliminary enrollment statistics show a slight increase in total applicants in comparison to last year’s statistics;
• enrollment in the university’s distance education programs has increased significantly over the past five years;
• a recently held Career Fair drew more than 55 employers to actively recruit on the university campus;
• the first Brenda Manos Memorial Ranch Rodeo, held this past weekend in Playas, N.M., was also a huge success;
• renovations and additions made last year to Cramer Hall, a historic building on campus, recently garnered a “Best of 2007” award from Southwest Contractor magazine;
• the U.S. Department of Energy has provided more than $65 million (along with almost $25 million in matching funds from industry) to Phase III of the Southwest Regional Partnership for Carbon Sequestration, an extensive research project that New Mexico Tech is spearheading; and,
• Eminent World Limited, a Chinese company, has signed a support agreement with New Mexico Tech to provide the initial framework for future collaborative economic development projects.

The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents also was given an overview of a proposed liquor license transfer that would involve the Copper Pins Bowling Alley and Grill in Playas, N.M.

In addition, the Tech regents were notified that the university had recently issued subcontracts in excess of $100,000 with restricted funds to EWA Services, Inc. to support New Mexico Tech’s Microelectronics Test and Technology Obsolescence Program (total award of $291,645) and to ConocoPhillips Company to support the Southwest Regional Partnership for Carbon Sequestration project (total award of $1,307,550).

-NMT-