Notes from the Nov. 29, 2005 Regents Meeting
by George Zamora
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Nov. 30, 2005 – The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents has unanimously approved a five-year strategic plan for the research university in Socorro that is expected to set the course for the school in several key areas.
The university’s governing board, convening in Albuquerque yesterday for its monthly meeting, gave its approval to the 18-page document, which was drafted over the course of this year by several campus planning committees comprised of various New Mexico Tech administrators, faculty, students, and staff.
The New Mexico Tech Strategic Plan sets specific goals and recommendations in addressing fundamental issues facing the university, such as enrollment management, student success, research growth, facilities and infrastructure expansion, and development of marketing and outreach initiatives.
In other official actions taken at the board meeting, New Mexico Tech regents approved a bid of $101,704 from Brady Industries, Inc. of Albuquerque to provide the university with custodial supplies for a one-year period. An additional three-year option added to the base contract will raise the total cost to an estimated $451,560 for four years of providing custodial supplies.
The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents also approved a $931,000 contract to Syndetix, Inc. of Las Cruces to provide facility support at the university’s Playas Training Center in Playas, N.M., contingent upon review and analysis of a breakdown of direct and indirect costs and subsequent approval by the Tech vice president for administration and finance.
The governing board also approved a resolution allowing one of its members, Regent Richard Carpenter, to be authorized to review classified documents and materials associated with some of the university’s research contracts.
In addition, four out of the five members of the Tech Board of Regents opted to sign an appeal letter to U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, written in regards to the Higher Education Reauthorization Act that is pending in Congress.
The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents also was notified that two expenditures in excess of $100,000 recently were made from restricted funds at the university:
- an increase in funding by $1,400,000 to a subcontract previously issued by the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center to SAIC for the research division’s First Responder Training Program; and
- a $165,838 subcontract award to Arizona State University for an ongoing research project, titled “Development of Nanocrystalline Doped-Ceramic Enabled Fiber Sensors for High-Temperature In-Situ Monitoring of Fossil Fuel Gases.”
The Tech regents were also informed that a sabbatical leave had been granted to New Mexico Tech biology professor Rebecca Reiss for the upcoming spring semester, among other announcements made during the board meeting.