Provost Search

The Position

The Provost reports directly to the President of NMHU and is the chief academic officer providing strategic leadership and support to the president and the overall Highlands community. The Provost is responsible for strategic initiatives for the College of Arts & Sciences, Facundo Valdez School of Social Work, School of Business, Media, and Technology, and School of Education, Office of Institutional Research, Center for Teaching and Learning, Graduate School, Outcomes Assessment, centers statewide, Registrar’s Office, and enrollment management, and other student support offices.

Strategic enrollment management will report to the Provost and a knowledge of and/or experience with successful enrollment plans will be important. With responsibility for this area the Provost will have an opportunity to integrate Student Success advisors at Centers with enrollment goals.

The Provost will develop a vision for the Academic core and will be charged with expanding budget authority and accountability to deans and academic departments so that more joint decision-making will occur across units.

Collaboration with faculty, students, staff, and other campus constituents to foster shared governance and diversity, as well as with other institutions of higher education and state agencies is expected. The goal is to foster expanded educational opportunities and degree completion for students.

The Provost leads the effort to develop academic policies that make clear how the university responds to various issues facing higher education and academies today. For example, a policy addressing how the campus will respond to issues surrounding freedom of speech needs to be developed. The Provost will also lead the initiative to develop pathways for each major so that graduation in four years is possible and supported as a priority.

Maintaining the integrity of academic freedom and tenure on campus is of high importance as well as leading the enforcement of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and faculty union bargaining.

The Provost is charged with being innovative as the University seeks to expand its offerings. Pursuing opportunities for growth, including doctoral programs, public/private partnerships, and dual credit, are only a few examples of growth opportunities. Collaboration with other leaders in the University will be necessary to implement these priorities — and is a key component of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• A working knowledge of distance education to promote increased enrollment at centers.
• Knowledge of intellectual property rights is desirable.
• Previous experience with developing new graduate programs that meet national standards and supporting collaborations for start-up initiatives.
• Deep understanding of rich cultural traditions of the University and the local community.
• Experience with a CBA (collective bargaining agreement).
• Knowledge of and management of adult programs, dual credit courses, and on-line instruction.
• Work with state government and agencies for appropriations and approval of new programs.
• Experience with K-12 partnerships.
• Successful at grant writing and fund raising.
• Experience with partnerships to offer allied health programs as well as other professional programs

NMHU Academics

NMHU is composed of the College of Arts and Sciences; School of Business, Media and Technology; School of Education; and the Facundo Valdez School of Social Work. The university offers 43 undergraduate programs and 21 graduate programs.

The College of Arts and Sciences delivers the majority of the university’s core courses with 21 BA and 10 BS degrees including graduate programs in applied chemistry, computer science, English, humanperformanceandsport, geology, computer science, natural science, psychology, public affairs, and southwest studies. It provides the only undergraduate accredited forestry major in the state and a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) offered totally online. It is also noted for its focus on STEM disciplines and success in advancing students toward doctoral studies.

The School of Education offers BAs in Early Childhood Multicultural Education, Elementary Education, Special Education, and a dual BA in Elementary/Special and Gifted Education with a variety of minors such as Special and Gifted Education, Bilingual Education/TESOL, ESL, Secondary Education, and General Sciences for Elementary School Teachers. Its graduate offerings include alternative teaching licensure, MAs in counseling, curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, and special education. The SOE also includes the Center for the Study of Diverse Populations (CESDP) and The Institute for Culturally and Linguistically Response Learning and Teaching (ICLRLT) which is our research arm and interdisciplinary.

The School of Business, Media, and Technology offers several undergraduate degrees including a Bachelor of Business Administration with several concentrations, Bachelor of Applied Science in General Business, Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership in Public Safety, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts, and Bachelor of Science in Software Systems Design. At the graduate level, the following degrees are offered: Master of Business Administration with several concentrations, Master of Fine Arts in Cultural Technology, and Master of Science in Software-Driven Systems Design.

The Facundo Valdez School of Social Work is the oldest school of social work in New Mexico, dating back to 1974 and is also the oldest school accredited by the Council of Social Work in the Southwest. It offers both the BSW and MSW degree programs on the main campus and some of these programs at the center campuses and online, and operates the Native American Social Work Studies Institute and the Center for Social Work Excellence.

NMHU offers numerous online courses through its Brightspace learning management tool, which is used to host all online classes and to enhance traditional classes both on- and off-campus locations. The University also provides a dual credit program allowing high school juniors and seniors to enroll in college courses prior to high school graduation.

What is New Mexico Highlands University?

New Mexico Highlands University was founded in 1893. It is a public, state-funded, regional comprehensive university. NMHU is a Hispanic Serving Institution and an aspiring Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution, with open undergraduate admissions and master’s level programs serving more than 68% Hispanic, Native American, and African American students. Fifty-one percent of all students study at the master’s degree level. In 1997-1998, NMHU established its first extended learning center in Rio Rancho, which began offering upper division undergraduate and graduate courses in business, accounting, education, and social work. Since that time, the University has expanded its curriculum offerings and created other center campuses in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Farmington. NMHU also offers a range of online programs in both synchronous and asynchronous formats.

The university serves a broad and diverse range of students across various modalities in various locations. The university is committed to student success and providing resources that help students succeed. NMHU works closely with the communities it serves to foster partnerships and collaborative opportunities and has existing partnerships with Los Alamos National Labs, schools throughout New Mexico, as well as governmental and non-profit entities in New Mexico.

The university operates with a faculty senate, staff senate, and student senate, as well as separate collective bargaining agreements with the faculty, hourly staff, and exempt staff.

The main campus of NMHU is located on 85-acres with 44 buildings and an additional 165-acre golf course. Ten residential buildings with a capacity of approximately 700 students also include accommodations for students with families. In 2012, NMHU was the only university in the state to be honored for sustainable building practices with a new 67,000 square-foot student union building, opened in Spring of 2013, which is certified as LEED Gold. This building includes dining facilities, a ballroom, flexible theater space, the campus bookstore, post office, computer lab, classrooms, conference space, a game room, and a convenience store. This facility is the home to university offices for Student Life, Housing, International Education Center, Indigenous Student Lounge, the Center for Advocacy Resources Education and Support, student senate, and the Dean of Students Office. It is seen not only as the heart of the campus but the bridge between Highlands and the Las Vegas community.

Other LEED Gold awards have been received for the remodeling projects of the Felix Martinez Building, Lora Shields Building, and the Natatorium. In 2010, the Viles & Crimmin Residence Hall was the first university dormitory in the state to earn the LEED Silver certification. The Adele Ilfeld Auditorium, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was renovated in 1996. This hundred-year-old sandstone landmark has borne the test of time. Closed for more than a year for renovations, the 727-seat auditorium reopened in 1996 and is the only major theatre in northeastern New Mexico and a premier contemporary performance arts center.

Mission

New Mexico Highlands University is a public comprehensive university serving our local and global communities. Our mission is to provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to attain an exceptional education by fostering creativity, critical thinking and research in the liberal arts, sciences, and professions within a diverse community.

Vision

Our vision is to be a premier comprehensive university transforming lives and communities now and for generations to come.

Core Values

• Excellence
• Diversity
• Accessibility
• Responsiveness

For any questions about the search, please email the search committee chair, Dr. Brandon Kempner, at bkempner@nmhu.edu

About Las Vegas, N.M.

NMHU’s main campus is located in Las Vegas, New Mexico at the juncture of the Great Plains and the Sangre de Cristo mountains. New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment, filled with rich diversity, history, heritage, and culture. The city of Las Vegas is the county seat of San Miguel County, New Mexico. Established in 1835 by a group of settlers receiving a land grant from the Mexican government, it soon prospered as a stop on the Santa Fe Trail and during the Mexican-American War was the site of General Stephen Kearny’s address claiming New Mexico for the United States in 1847. In 1880, a railroad was established one mile from the original Old Town Plaza, creating a separate, rival New Town.

As early as 1913, Las Vegas and the surrounding area became a favorite film location including numerous western films starring Tom Mix and through the years has been the site for such noted movies as “Easy Rider”, “Speechless”, “All the Pretty Horses”, “The Astronaut Farmer”, “Red Sky at Morning”, “No Country for Old Men”, and recently, the TV series “Longmire”.

Today, Las Vegas maintains its historical flavor with a central plaza and over 900 historical structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A town of approximately 15,000 people with an 83% Hispanic population, Las Vegas is the home of New Mexico Highlands University, Luna Community College and the United World College in Montezuma, New Mexico, a two-year International Baccalaureate high school. Las Vegas is approximately a one-hour drive east of Santa Fe and two hours from Albuquerque accessed by Interstate 25, with additional transportation services of Amtrak.