by Caleb Fort
The Daily Lobo
Gov. Bill Richardson signed a bill in his class Friday creating a state Department of Higher Education, which will be led by a secretary of higher education.
"There is no secretary of higher education," Richardson said. "With the stroke of a pen, that will change."
Richardson said the department will face the task of improving the quality and quantity of post-secondary education in New Mexico.
"We have an ambitious agenda for higher education," Richardson said. "We want to move more funds and resources into our classrooms and less into administration."
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Breda Bova, associate dean of the College of Education, said she hopes the secretary of higher education works with Veronica Garcia, secretary of education, to help K-12 schools better prepare students for college.
"I think it's a good idea if whoever that person turns out to be could work with the secretary of education to create a kind of seamlessness and help us at UNM attract and retain the best and the brightest students in New Mexico," Bova said.
Daniel Lopez, president of New Mexico Tech, helped create the bill. He said although many colleges were skeptical of the original version of the bill, it is now satisfactory.
"Initially, there was a lot of opposition," Lopez said. "As it stands, we amended it to the point where we're all very happy with it. I think this is a step in the right direction. It will allow us to have a voice."
Beverly Burris, a UNM professor who served on the Commission on Higher Education, said she is in favor of the change, but has some concerns.
"I hope that it will help professionalize the administration of higher education in this state," she said. "It's a somewhat more centralized model, and centralization tends to lead to more proficiency."
The department will be a Cabinet-level institution, which means the secretary will report directly to the governor and have a more direct voice in policy decisions regarding higher education, Richardson said.
The Department of Higher Education will replace the Commission on Higher Education. Everyone at the commission is happy with the change, said Kathy Cantrell, the acting secretary of higher education.
"The commissioners are all very excited," Cantrell said. "Higher education will be at the table with the rest of the secretaries. I think we will see a rapid increase in the quality of education."
Cantrell served on the commission for seven years and will temporarily serve as the secretary of higher education, while a search committee looks for applicants for the position.
The search committee is lead by Lopez. It will meet on Wednesday to decide where and how to recruit applicants, after which, the committee will "have advertisements out very shortly and quickly," he said.
Applicants must have experience with education as well as experience in administration, Lopez said. The secretary must also have a doctorate degree, according to the bill.
Lopez said the search committee hopes to attract 50 to 60 applicants, and he expects to attract around 30.
The governor will appoint the secretary, who must be approved by the state Senate.
