One of UNM's legislative priorities would create a new program to entice rural high school students to become doctors.
"How would you like to take a student from the Navajo reservation, bring them to New Mexico, train them for 11 years and then send them back to be a doctor?" said Carlos Romero, UNM governmental affairs director.
The project, which is the No. 4 priority on UNM's list, would recruit high school students to UNM and provisionally admit them to the School of Medicine. It would be aimed at rural students.
Romero said the program would also find the students summer jobs in their community. The program would add 25 students to the medical school's entering class.
The list only includes UNM's major priorities, Romero said. The University also has other minor ones, he said, as well as continuous priorities.
UNM President Louis Caldera told the Board of Regents on Tuesday night the list focused on institution-specific priorities.
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"Compensation is always one of our priorities, even though you you're not going to see it as a separate formal item here," Caldera said.
Priority 1: Improved funding for the Health Sciences Center.
UNM wants the Legislature to look at how the Health Sciences Center, which is funded through line items in the state budget, receives money. UNM also wants to look at the impact uncompensated care has on UNM Hospital.
Priority 2: Long-term revenue stream for existing infrastructure.
President Louis Caldera is proposing a 10-year solution to fund deferred maintenance or the regular upkeep for facilities that has been delayed.
Priority 3: Phase I of the Centennial Engineering Complex construction.
UNM is asking for $21 million to begin the construction of the Centennial Engineering Complex. It is the University's No. 1 capital-outlay priority.
Priority 4: Creation of a combined bachelor's and medical doctorate degree.
The University is requesting $805,800 to fund the first year of a program aimed at rural high school students interested in medicine. The program would require a multi-year funding commitment.
Priority 5: Creation of state support for research.
The proposal is asking the Legislature for research funding in the amount of 1 percent of the total sponsored research in the state. UNM would receive $2.1 million.
Priority 6: Remainder of the funding for the National LambdaRail Project.
UNM is requesting $4 million, the amount remaining for the National LambdaRail Project. The project is a nationwide networking project. UNM received $1 million last year.
Priority 7: Funding for the Law School Library.
The University is asking for $500,000 in nonrecurring funding and $250,000 in recurring funding.
Priority 8: Funding for the Zimmerman Library Compact Storage.
UNM is requesting $10 million for the planning and installation of compact storage shelving systems.
Priority 9: Athletics capital funding
The Athletics Department is asking for the funding of four capital items: $1.5 million for a basketball practice facility, $1.5 million for training rooms, $500,000 for softball complex improvements and $850,000 for track resurfacing.
