New Mexico Tech Hosts Higher Education Hearing

July 29, 2022

Summer Infrastructure Tour highlights capital outlay projects

SOCORRO, N.M. – New Mexico Tech recently hosted state officials and administrators from higher education institutions as part of a series of public hearings to evaluate proposals for future infrastructure projects on college and university campuses. Higher Education Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez and other key leaders visited Tech July 28 as part of the New Mexico Higher Education Department Capital Outlay Summer Hearings in five cities, listening to testimony from officials at 32 colleges and universities. The daylong hearing at Tech’s Fidel Center was aimed at helping officials learn more about capital proposals and construction projects underway.

HED Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez
New Mexico Higher Education Department Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez addresses attendees at a regional hearing on college and university capital outlay proposals held July 28, 2022, at New Mexico Tech. Wesley Billingsley, Capital Outlay Bureau chief at the state Department of Finance and Administration, is at left and Dr. Gerald Burke, committee chair, is at right.

Secretary Rodriguez noted that this summer’s two-week set of hearings, visiting five host campuses, was the first in-person tour in two years due to COVID-19 restrictions. She thanked President Stephen G. Wells for the warm hospitality her committee received at Tech and the valuable testimony from university officials about capital project proposals and construction updates. 

President Stephen G. Wells testifying
Flanked by Director of Capital Projects Alex Garcia, on his right and Vice President for Administration and Finance Cleve McDaniel on his left, New Mexico Tech President Stephen G. Wells presents the university’s four top priority capital outlay project proposals. 

In an hour-long presentation, President Wells and Vice President for Administration and Finance Cleve McDaniel outlined four top capital project requests under consideration for the Tech campus, with Director of Capital Projects Alex Garcia providing background information. Projects focusing on the safety and health needs of the campus were prioritized, President Wells said.

HED official
Gerald Hoehne, capital projects director at the New Mexico Higher Education Department, right, asks questions about New Mexico Tech’s priority proposals at a hearing held July 28. 2022, at New Mexico Tech’s Fidel Center. Dr. Gerald Burke, committee chair, is at his left.

Tech’s top four priority capital outlay project proposals include:

  • A master key system upgrade. Installing electronic latch and key readers to each door on campus will allow for quick lockdowns critical to public safety.
  • A campuswide facility condition index survey. The survey would cover 1 million square feet of campus facilities, visually inspecting every building internally and externally for electrical and mechanical status and potential accessibility improvements.
  • A data center infrastructure upgrade. Expansions of the current data center are needed for current and future capacity needs, especially with expected research and computing projects.
  • Water and gas line replacement for Campus Drive. A 10-inch cast iron line installed more than 30 years ago is in need of  replacement in order to increase capacity and redundancy.