Dear NMHU Community,

I’d like to first update you on a couple of groundbreaking partnerships that NMHU has recently developed. Both of these will have an immediate impact for us and have the potential for even greater impact on our future.

Santa Fe Public Schools Data Sharing Partnership

First, we have signed a first of its kind recruitment relationship with Santa Fe Public Schools, and I want to express my gratitude to their superintendent, Larry Chavez (a celebrated Highlands alum). This groundbreaking agreement will significantly enhance college accessibility and success for students in Santa Fe. It also provides all SFPS graduates guaranteed, automatic admission to NMHU as long as they meet our admission requirements. It gives more New Mexican students and their families access to higher education.

Traditionally, many institutions rely on standardized test scores and GPAs to choose which students to recruit, but that process allows many capable students to fall through the cracks. This partnership aims for a broader audience, ensuring that all SFPS graduates receive a clear pathway to higher education. Graduates who express interest and actively pursue the program will be automatically enrolled at NMHU, enhancing access to higher education.

By involving students beginning with their freshman year of high school, NMHU’s proactive recruitment strategy will provide essential information about college readiness, awareness, and enrollment. This approach will help students make informed decisions about their educational paths, whether they choose to attend NMHU vis-a-vis this initiative or another institution using a more traditional path.

Since the outreach effort will begin during high school, it will also include parents as part of the process, and they, too, may be encouraged to pursue their own educational goals. NMHU also has plans to offer opportunities for parents who wish to enhance their degree potential, creating an inclusive environment that fosters a culture of learning and growth within families.

The long-term vision broadens this program throughout the region, aiming to increase the number of students attending university and helping to grow a more educated workforce in New Mexico.

This partnership between NMHU and SFPS represents a significant milestone in enhancing educational equity and access in New Mexico. By working together, both institutions are committed to providing students and parents with the necessary tools and support to succeed in their educational journeys. This collaboration not only opens doors for future generations but also strengthens the community by fostering a culture of higher education and lifelong learning.

Allied Health Inc.

The second major partnership will greatly enhance NMHU’s regional responsiveness and enhancement of our regional workforce. We recently signed an MOU for NMHU to work with Allied Health Inc to develop health related graduate programs to better serve Northern New Mexico’s shortage of healthcare workers. We will start by developing  a proposed Anesthesiology Assistant program (2 year grad program) then look to graduate programs in consultation with our faculty, state and local officials, and regional medical providers. As this develops, it will be transformative for NMHU as we continue to diversify our portfolio of offerings.

I’ve been attending the legislative session pretty regularly in association with a team of NMHU personnel. There have been committee hearings and individual meetings with our public servants to advance Highlands. The session will continue through March 22. I attended the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, joined by incoming Regent-Select Gary Tripp, NMHU alum Sylvester Perez, and my wife Tisha. The breakfast signals a shared approach to solutions to better serve New Mexicans and serves as one of the launch points for the session.

Many members of our team work hard on our legislative agenda. Librarians Ruben Aragon and April Kent were down for Library Day at the Legislature, where our statewide library organizations, the New Mexico Council of Academic Libraries (NMCAL) and the New Mexico Library Association (NMLA), advocate for statewide library funding and important legislation.

On Thursday, Feb 13, I was honored to attend with Regent Sanchez, Dean Lekan, AVP Pacheco and Representative Gonzales the 30th Annual Hispano Round Table Banquet. The Hispano Round Table honors public servants who serve in the Legislature. I was grateful to speak on behalf of Highlands to the audience, joining Gov. Lujan Grisham, Speaker of the House Martinez, Senators Maestes and Nava, and Mayor of Albuquerque Keller in addressing attendees. 

 Here I am with Ralph Arellanes, Sr and his family who organize and host the event and with Representative Anita Gonzales. 

We are very excited to continue hosting meals at the president’s residence for student groups. Here’s a recent photo with students from PENSA and Chi Alpha.

Here we are at the Super Bowl watch party hosted by student and residence life. Great food offerings from Sodexo, and many of the Eagles fans had a great time.

And here we are attending a lecture on printmaking in the Kennedy Gallery from Dr. Bell. I now know about intaglio, lithographs, relief cuts, etching, etc. The NMHU Foundation has a wonderful collection of prints through the generosity of Dr. Bell and others. 

Dr. Jess Goldberg gave a well-attended book talk in the Donnelly library. While I wasn’t able to attend as I was down in Santa Fe at a legislative event, I heard good things. Dr. Goldberg passed on this info about the event, “On Thursday, Jan 30th, the Donnelly Library hosted a 90-minute discussion between myself and my English department colleagues Dr. Rebecca L. Schneider and Dr. Benjamin Villarreal about my new book, Abolition Time: Grammars of Law, Poetics of Justice, which was published by the University of Minnesota Press in December 2024. About 60-70 people attended if you add the in-person and Zoom audiences together, and there was a robust question and answer discussion with the attendees.”  Well done!

If you have an item or event you’d like to be featured here, please forward that to your respective Vice President.

Respectfully,

Dr. Neil Woolf
President
New Mexico Highlands University