Dear NMHU Community,

Spring 2026 is already off to a good start. The legislative session will keep us busy through February 19, as we advocate for funding to support the library renovation, residence hall renovations, athletic facilities and operations, and increases to our Instruction and General (I&G) funding base. Because this is a 30 day session, I’ve spent a significant amount of time in Santa Fe–including three separate trips this week alone.

Over the coming weeks, We’ll continue connecting with legislators, alumni, and other supporters of Highlands through a range of events, including at Highlands Day at the Legislature on February 10, the Hispano Round Table Dinner next Monday, and the Governor’s Prayer breakfast yesterday:

Let me extend my thanks to Provost Dann Brown for overseeing campus in my absence last week as we managed a family emergency.

One of my goals for this semester is to create a Veteran’s Resource Center on campus to better serve our students and connect them to the many resources available to veterans. If you are interested in helping to plan and implement this project, please reach out to Dr. Michael Petronis (mspetro@nmhu.edu) or Andrea Crespin (arcrespin@nmhu.edu), who are co-chairing the effort to get this important initiative off the ground. Our goal is to have the center open by the summer.

After the legislative session concludes, we will create a campus-wide task force to develop a comprehensive strategy for our centers. This strategy will address staffing and areas of focus, and opportunities to participate will be extended to Faculty and Staff Senates to participate.

Before we broke for winter, you may have heard that four staff members received reduction-in-force notices. This action was taken without my knowledge or approval, and upon learning of it, I immediately rescinded the decision. Moving forward, it is clear that we need a more comprehensive and thoughtful strategy for our centers, and I look forward to the work we will do together in the coming months.

Some Recent Highlights:

This semester, Tisha and I will continue to host a wide range of campus groups at the President’s Residence for dinner. This week, we welcomed the Baseball and Football teams, and next week we’ll be hosting members of the Staff and Faculty Senates.

Here’s a photo of me with this year’s baseball team–I’m looking forward to the start of the season soon. We just need to make sure it stops snowing:

NMHU signed an MOU with the governor of American Samoa to offer in-state tuition to all students from the territory. Last year, we sent a team–led by Head Football Coach Kurt Taufa'asau, Associate Vice Present Benito Pacheco, Cheryl Trujillo, and others–on our first-ever recruiting trip to American Samoa. As a result, 17 students from the island enrolled at NMHU this past fall, many of them on the football team. Those 17 students represent nearly 2.5 percent of American Samoa’s graduating senior class, making it very likely that NMHU enrolls more students from the island than any other institution in New Mexico–and possibly anywhere in the United States.

This year, we are deepening our commitment to American Samoa by creating the Island to Highlands Scholarship. We sent two teams out to American Samoa, one of which is still there. Coach Kurt once again led a group to recruit student-athletes and formalize the MOU, joined by Chief of Staff Brandon Kempner and Benito Pacheco. A second team traveled to the island this week–including Cheryl Trujillo, Ashley Antone, Kaitlin Scott, and Volleyball Coach Meg Grose–to assist students directly with applying, registering for classes, and completing the financial aid process. Here’s a link to the Press Release regarding the MOU signing, along with a photo with the Governor of American Samoa, who graciously met with the team, https://www.asgpressrelease.com/governorpulaannounceshistoricpartnershipwithnewmexicohighlandsuniversity:

We also hosted a football camp in driving rain, welcoming nearly 100 high school students who showed up ready to learn:

Upcoming Events:

As our winter sports wind up over the next six weeks, our men’s and women’s basketball teams are competing for RMAC playoff spots. Keep an eye on https://nmhuathletics.com/ for all upcoming games. Men’s Wrestling is also putting together an impressive season. See you at Wilson and go Cowboys!

The Foundation is hosting a Jazz Salon on Friday, February 6th, at 7:00 PM in Kennedy Gallery. Join us for an intimate night of live jazz featuring The Night Watch. Enjoy cocktails, a dessert buffet, and a laid-back atmosphere where great music, art, and good company come together. $20 pre-sale; $25 at the door. Get tickets here: https://events.hometownticketing.com/boxoffice/nmhu/L2VtYmVkL2V2ZW50LzYwOD9hY2Nlc3NfY29kZT0yMTdlNjNiNjI4YWU2ZTJhOTFhZDk5MWY2MTUyMzM1YTEwYTZjMGE3.

Congratulations:

We had a record setting weekend in Women’s Track, with Patreece Clarke and Amoya Jameison setting new NMHU records in the 60 meter hurdles and the 400 m, respectively: https://nmhuathletics.com/news/2026/1/24/womens-track-field-records-fall-as-cowgirls-compete-at-mlk-invitational.aspx. Well done!

If you have any congratulations you’d like to share, please let your VP know, and they can forward the information over for inclusion in the bi-weekly message.

Respectfully,

Dr. Neil Woolf
President
New Mexico Highlands University