Those keeping an eye on UNM's legislative agenda may be wondering what happened to three initiatives approved by the Board of Regents in August.
The regents approved six special project priorities in August. But half of those priorities do not appear on the list of nine legislative priorities regents approved last month.
The projects that do not appear on the second list are: funding for an expansion of the nursing program, money for a prenatal outreach program and the creation of a public policy institute.
Those projects aren't gone, UNM lobbyist Carlos Romero said.
The Health Sciences Center projects fall under UNM's No. 1 priority, he said, and the public policy initiative is still in the concept stage.
UNM's top priority is to secure better funding for the Health Sciences Center.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"In general, we're going to try for funding that will help us with more problems in health sciences than a couple of specific programs," said Curt Porter, UNM budget director.
Romero said the center had four specific concerns, including an expansion of the nursing program and the prenatal outreach program. It was also seeking library funding and money to help the center comply with federal regulations.
The Health Sciences Center priority asks the Legislature to examine how the center is funded. Its appropriations come from line items in the state budget, unlike UNM main campus, which is funded on the basis of a formula. The center also provides more than $20 million in uncompensated care.
The way the center is funded makes it difficult to find the money for staff and faculty compensation increases, according to the legislative priorities approved by the regents in November.
"That's a critical area for the University to address," Porter said.
However, the center's four specific projects are also accommodated in the No. 1 priority, Romero said.
He also said the public policy initiative was on hold for now.
Romero said UNM presented the concept to the Commission on Higher Education to try to drum up support for a public policy institute.
"Given the limited resources of the state, there wasn't any support expressed," he said.
The program was proposed to the commission without a dollar amount attached.
Romero said the University will hone the idea of a public policy institute throughout the year. It will go through a committee process with the Faculty Senate with plans to present something more concrete next year, he said.
