University President Louis Caldera said he has spent his first three months on campus getting acclimated to the demands of running the state's largest university.
"It is a great university," Caldera said. "We have great programs, very talented students, a productive faculty and a place where we're involved in cutting edge research. I think there is an incredible story that hasn't been told very well in terms of how strong the University of New Mexico is."
He said he has been impressed with the foundation that was in place and with the University's potential when he arrived on campus.
Caldera said it is also encouraging to see the high expectations New Mexicans have for UNM.
"New Mexicans expect the University to lead when it comes to economic development and the impact UNM has on the quality of life through education and health care," Caldera said.
He said he has taken his time developing agendas and goals because three months is not enough time to become aware of all of the various issues affecting students, staff and faculty.
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"You can be in a job like this for 10 years and still be learning things that help you do a better job," Caldera said. "You don't learn everything in three months, or even three years."
He said he has a vision for the University and it starts with excellence in academics.
"I want our academic reputation to continue to rise, and I want us to focus on things that are going to strengthen our undergraduate programs, our graduate programs and our research base," Caldera said. "My hope is to be able to pull together the different parts of the University and work as a team for the students."
The challenge of moving to the next level is not an easy one though, Caldera said.
"It's not an easy undertaking when you realize how many people have to come together," he said. "We need to get people to believe that we can be a great urban university, we can be a great research university and we can aspire to be the best. It is worth the work to achieve those goals. If you don't believe it, you can't do it."
Caldera said what is exciting to him is the campus community already believes that the foundation is in place.
He said as University president, it is his responsibility to take the initiative by developing that belief.
"People want to see the leadership come together to carry us to our goals," Caldera said. "Leadership is about getting people to sign on to work hard to achieve that vision."
Key issues Caldera said he has focused on in his first three months are finding ways to strengthen undergraduate education, recruiting a higher percentage of students from New Mexico and strengthening the community.
"How do we make UNM a 24-7 university that is a striving, diverse campus that has something going on at all hours of the day?" he said. "I want to challenge the notion that students are only on campus when they have to come to class."
Caldera said the main challenge in developing a more urban campus is funding. He said the increasing size of enrollment and University programs puts a strain on a limited budget.
"We're stretched in terms of the ability of our existing infrastructure and systems to handle the amount of activity going on," he said. "At one level we're doing a good job. On another level we need to be doing more to build our resource base."
Caldera said engaging alumni, having a good working relationship with the Board of Regents and further developing research opportunities are also important.
"We have a very broad, well-diversified research portfolio," Caldera said. "I've not heard anybody express that we've gone too far or are doing too much of that type work. A lot of the research we do is meant to promote the stability and security in the world."
After three months, Caldera is still developing a sense of what needs to be done to make UNM a first-rate academic institution.
"Everything you do contributes to your knowledge base and your approach to how you tackle problems," Caldera said.
