Notes from the May 16, 2003 Regents Meeting

by George Zamora

SOCORRO, N.M. May 19, 2003 -- The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents has approved a five percent tuition increase for in-state undergraduates and graduate students attending the research university, raising tuition for full-time resident undergrads from the current $1,026 per semester to $1,077 per semester, effective at the start of the upcoming 2003-2004 academic year.

The boost in tuition combined with associated increases in some of the various fees students pay at New Mexico Tech works out to a total cost increase for in-state undergrads of slightly more than $84 per semester.

With the latest tuition hike, out-of-state undergraduate students attending the university will pay an additional four percent in tuition this coming fall semester (increased to $4,297 per semester).

With the approved five-percent increase, resident graduate students attending New Mexico Tech on a full-time basis will now pay $1,138 per semester in tuition, while non-resident graduate students will pay $4,584.

During the board's May 16 meeting, New Mexico Tech President Daniel H. López assured the regents that even with the tuition and fee increases they approved, costs associated with attending New Mexico Tech will continue to remain the lowest among the state's three research universities.

In other actions taken during its monthly meeting, the Tech Board of Regents also approved the university's proposed operating budget for Fiscal Year 2003-2004. The approved budget totals $140 million.

In other official actions, the New Mexico Tech Board of Regents also approved the following measures:

• the establishment of an administrative policy on H-1B and J-Visas;
• the adoption of an internal auditing policy; and
• the purchase of six four-wheel-drive vehicles for the university's Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) at a total cost of $167,664.

Tech Regents were also informed that a 120-ton hydraulic crane had recently been purchased by EMRTC with restricted funds to support contract work being conducted at field sites within the research facility.

In addition, the regents were told that New Mexico Tech had recently entered into two outside contracts with Sekos, Inc. and Yale University to support research being conducted by the Tech biology department.

The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents was also informed that a nine-month sabbatical leave had been granted to Tech materials engineering professor Deidre Hirschfeld, beginning on August 15, 2003.

During its meeting, the New Mexico Tech Board of Regents also was given an overview of the university's various academic degree-granting programs by Peter Gerity, Tech Vice President for Academic Affairs, and a briefing by EMRTC Director John Meason on current research and training activities being conducted at the research facility.