UNM's Continuing Education and Extended University are formally separating because officials believe the move will allow the University to better serve students.
"Because of the number of students we're serving and the number of classes we have, it has become a very successful enterprise and it was time for us to separate the Continuing Education and the Extended University," said Jer¢nimo Dom°nguez, vice provost for Extended University.
The Division of Continuing Education services between 30,000 and 40,000 people while Extended University services about 5,000 customers and students, Dom°nguez said.
Both units provide different types of education for the public. The Division of Continuing Education and Community Services provides a variety of personal enrichment and development courses and Extended University was designed to provide life-long learning programs.
"The Extended University was created about three years ago in response to the need for UNM to create better access to the programs we offer, particularly to those students who would find it difficult to attend the main campus," Dom°nguez said.
Officials said they recognized the need to separate the two units to provide a better learning atmosphere, with more accessible services for students and less confusion.
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"Sometimes the confusion that came with the Continuing Education with customers was the concept of was it a Continuing Education activity or a University activity," Dominguez said. "So now we can step forward to eliminate some of that confusion."
The Extended University has moved to UNM's main campus and is now in Suite 12 in the basement of the Student Health Center. With an on-campus location, students and staff will have better access to libraries and other resources.
Continuing Education will remain in its current location near the corner of Indian School Road and University Boulevard.
It was Dom°nguez who made the recommendation that the two units separate and a new dean be selected for the Division of Continuing Education.
Dom°nguez, who served as the dean of Continuing Education, will remain working as the vice provost for Extended University until a successor is selected, which will probably be near the end of this semester.
"The Extended University is very important to UNM," Dom°nguez said. "We are the leaders in distance education and that also means that we need full-time leadership for that."
Despite the separation, both units will continue to attempt increased enrollment among New Mexicans.
Dom°nguez recognized that there is a growing number of people in the state who need access to continued education because of lay-offs and the increased need for job retraining.
He said one goal of Extended University will be to branch out and increase enrollment among citizens who live on the west side of Albuquerque, Santa Fe and people of the Navajo Nation.
"We're responding to the high priority needs of our state," Dom°nguez said, noting the bachelor's degree in nursing that Extended University offers through online courses.
