This marks the final week of publication for the 2001-2002 Daily Lobo editorial staff, with new editor Angela Williams taking over April 28. Recognizing that my 15 minutes on the soapbox are nearly up, I will spend this week discussing a variety of pressing issues that affect this University.
This will likely conjure a mixture of fear and intrigue in the hearts of many throughout the community, but the purpose of these final thoughts is to spark discussion about ways to make UNM a better place to live and work.
At a job interview Friday, an alumnus asked me somewhat sarcastically, "So, what's up with UNM?" It proved to be one of the toughest questions to answer because the University is an odd mixture of excellence and stubborn stupidity, reflecting the best and worst attributes of the population it serves.
Yet the University's most substantive roadblock seems to be figuring out what population it is supposed to serve. The inherent conflict over UNM's mission and institutional priorities seems to hinder most substantive strides toward success.
Conflict between research and undergraduate education is the norm at many universities, but UNM has proven to be an exceptionally schizophrenic institution. It provides tremendous research opportunities for students relatively early in their careers yet allows them to slip through the cracks when they fail to prove adept at navigating a complicated bureaucracy with few directions. Pepper the student problems with poor high school preparation and you have a recipe for disaster.
UNM President Bill Gordon has made it clear that the University should undertake whatever effort necessary to reach out to these students by supporting a variety of freshman learning programs. This approach is admirable but remains a touchy issue in the world of academia.
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While the research funding, accolades and impact on the state's economy are key components of the University's purpose, its primary mission clearly should be its commitment to educating its students.
Amid the posturing that will be associated with the upcoming presidential search, it is essential that the UNM community follows Gordon's lead by emphasizing the importance of educating students. Regardless of our differences,we must accept that if students fail, we have failed.
Iliana Lim¢n
Editor in chief
