Notes from Sept. 1999 Regents Meeting

by George Zamora

SOCORRO, N.M., September 20, 1999 -- The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents during a meeting on Monday, September 20, gave its approval to extend the university's food service contract to Chartwell's, Inc., up to an additional six years through July 2005.

Tech President Daniel H. López noted in a brief presentation to the regents that Chartwell's performance in providing campus food services over the past two years "has resulted in reducing and diminishing substantially the level of student complaints" about the food provided through the university's meal plan system.

New Mexico purchasing laws allow state institutions to enter into food service contracts for a maximum of eight years.

In other official actions taken during the meeting, the governing board of the state-supported research university also unanimously approved granting emeritus status to Charles E. Chapin, the recently retired state geologist and director of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources (NMBMMR), a research division of New Mexico Tech.

Chapin, who has been affiliated with New Mexico Tech for 34 years, first with Tech's geology department and then with the NMBMMR, was appointed to the official status of director emeritus of the NMBMMR.

In other business conducted at Monday's meeting, the Tech Board of Regents received notice from President López that overall student enrollment for the fall semester this year had increased about 4.3 percent over last fall semester's figures.

López also informed the regents that the recently held President's Golf Tournament was expected to net between $40,000 and $45,000 for scholarships.

New Mexico Tech will soon begin conducting surveys of Tech alumni, employers of Tech graduates, and current students at the university to ascertain how well Tech does in educating its students, López mentioned.

New Mexico Tech also may soon become actively involved with educational-type programs at Albuquerque's Explora Museum, the president said.

The university also is awaiting word by the end of this month on whether federal funding will be made available for some long-awaited research projects, López added.

During the board meeting, the Board of Regents also heard from Kenneth W. Durham, vice president of Cargill Associates, on the benefits of providing a capital campaign feasibility study for New Mexico Tech.

The regents also were given a detailed financial summary report of the university's budget after the first month of the fiscal year by Lonnie Marquez, Tech's associate vice president for administration and finance.

In other financial matters, the regents approved a budget adjustment request which was prompted by a few computer-generated problems and delays in state appropriations.

In addition, the Board of Regents voted to support and comply with recently passed state legislative memorials which pertain to institutions of higher education and also approved a resolution to re-authorize the board's continued compliance with the New Mexico Open Meetings Act.