Notes from the April 21, 2001 Regents Meeting

by George Zamora

SOCORRO, N.M., April 26, 2001 -- The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents has approved a 10.5 percent tuition increase for resident undergraduates, raising tuition from the current $852 per semester to $941 per semester effective the next academic year at the research university, as well as a 7 percent increase in most other fees collected from students attending the state-supported school.

With the latest tuition increase, out-of-state students attending New Mexico Tech will pay an additional 7.8 percent in tuition next year (increased to $3,790 per semester for undergraduates and $4,006 per semester for graduate students). With the approved increase, resident graduate students at New Mexico Tech will pay 10.3 percent more in their tuition.

During the board's April 23 meeting, New Mexico Tech President Daniel H. López informed regents that school administrators had previously discussed proposed tuition and fee increases with student leaders at the university and that a majority did support the hike in tuition and fees, particularly since funds beyond the 5 percent tuition increase mandated by the state legislature will be used to increase graduate student stipends by ten percent.

In addition, a portion of the monies garnered from the tuition increase also will be used to update and maintain computer equipment at the Tech Computer Center.

"Students, while not overjoyed over the prospect of paying higher tuition cost, recognize the need for establishing a steady revenue stream in order to support up-to-date computer technology as part of their educational experience at New Mexico Tech," said Daniel H. López, president of New Mexico Tech.

In other actions taken during its monthly meeting, the Tech Board of Regents approved a newly drafted policy to assure the integrity of research at the university, a policy prompted in part by new regulations adopted by the National Institute of Health and being considered for adoption by the National Science Foundation.

The regents also re-approved the university's purchasing policy, which required updating in light of a planned retirement by the school's chief purchasing officer.

In other official actions, the New Mexico Tech Board of Regents approved the appointments of Rakhim Aitbayev and Majid Mojirsheibani as the newest faculty members with Tech's mathematics department, and consented to the promotions of Gillian M. Bond, materials engineering, Ronald J. Thomas, electrical engineering, and Jan M. H. Hendrickx, hydrology, to full-professor status in their respective academic departments.

The regents also voted to approve a resolution to open two new bank accounts at a local bank to comply with requirements of certain federal government contracts.