Faculty members got an overview of UNM's legislative priorities at a lunchtime presentation on Monday.
David Harris, UNM vice president for finance, spoke in Ortega Hall about the University's finances and its legislative priorities.
Colston Chandler, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy, told Harris he was concerned about the amount of faculty input in the development of UNM's priorities.
Several of the priorities have to do with facilities or accrediting agency requirements, Chandler said. But the College of Arts and Sciences doesn't have those kinds of accrediting concerns, he said.
"We are at a little bit of a handicap, yet we carry the bulk of the educational load, and some of the facilities really stink," he said.
Harris said it wasn't too late for faculty members to give their input, but he encouraged them to organize early in the future.
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"I think if you have an appetite for doing this as a group, you need to start early," he said. "The budget cycle actually started on the first of September."
John McGraw, physics and astronomy professor, said the faculty needs better support from UNM. He said he has lost millions of dollars in potential research money because the University didn't respond to prospective donors.
"This is a kind of infrastructure support that I see as more important than buildings," McGraw said.
The UNM chapter of the American Association of University Professors sponsored the event.
Beverly Burris, chapter president and sociology professor, said it was a way for faculty to learn more about UNM's budget.
"In general, the more communication between the faculty and the administration, the better," she said.
