Enrique Lamadrid wants Chicano studies to be the next success story in University College.
He changed the name of the program, is looking to change funding from soft to hard money and is boasting a 30 percent increase in enrollment this semester.
"All the wind is blowing in our direction at this point," said Lamadrid, director of the program.
The Chicano-Hispano-Mexicano studies program might be getting the support founders of the program say it never had.
"Everything we achieved in terms of resources from the University was done only in terms of pressure exerted on the University from student groups," said Arturo Sandoval, one of the founders of Chicano studies. "There was never any commitment. I think they did it because of political pressure. I believe that attitude hasn't changed much over the years to be honest."
The program began offering courses in fall 1970, a year after the University gave the program its first research grants.
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Native American, African American and Chicano studies agreed on an all-or-none strategy and forced the administration to establish the programs, Sandoval said. The programs have been funded on a shoestring budget ever since, he said
Chicano studies runs off less than $150,000 a year with a large support base from the Center for Regional Studies at UNM.
Lamadrid and Peter White, dean of University College, shared Sandoval's sentiment has about a lack of support from the central administration at UNM. But without student demand for the program, White said funding could not be warranted.
"I agree that academic ethnic studies programs should be better supported by the University, and I believe they will be in the near future," White said. "But in order for that to happen, we have to have the enrollment to justify that."
Enrollment in Chicano studies hit a low in spring 2003 after former Chicano studies Director Eduardo Hern†ndez Chavez resigned in fall 2002, and the program struggled to fill his position. Enrollment is now close to 180, not including students who are signed up for a comparative studies course, which offers a trip to Puerto Rico.
"It's a nice jump," Lamadrid said. "It's higher than we've been in six years."
More cross-listings with other departments, more topic courses, more faculty and incentives trips have been added this semester.
While browsing through the program's course listings, Teresa Tenorio, a student in University studies, said they seem pretty interesting. A class she is taking in Chicano studies is cross-listed in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.
The program has two faculty members who are dedicated solely to Chicano studies. Other professors offer courses cross-listed in other departments. That is the reason Chicano studies is so small and struggles to attain a degree program, Lamadrid said.
African American studies offers a degree. The regents approved a degree in Native American studies in December. Chicano studies offers only a minor.
To become a flagship program, Sandoval said there are a lot of things UNM should do. He said UNM should fund a Chicano studies curriculum for all K-12 New Mexico schools. That way by the time students reach UNM, Chicano is not an alien term. They should also hire high-quality faculty, he said.
"Even if someone wasn't themselves Chicano, if someone was interested in studying a minority group, it would be a plus to see that on their rÇsumÇ or transcript," Tenorio said.
Lamadrid said he's convinced the name change is broadening the playing field for students of all identities to come into the program. The only direction to move now is forward, he said.
