by Mark Schaaf
Daily Lobo
Tim Gutierrez said he planned on attending graduate school out of state after getting his bachelor's degree at UNM.
But he took a position at the University, becoming a coordinator of special programs.
Thirty years later, he is a candidate for associate vice president of student affairs and diversity at UNM.
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Gutierrez was the second of three candidates for the position to speak at a forum at the Student Services Center. Barbara Lofton spoke Monday. The third candidate, Francis Becenti, will speak at a forum May 8.
The position is expected to be filled around May 15. Eliseo "Cheo" Torres, vice president of student affairs, will be in charge of hiring.
Gutierrez, director of College Enrichment at UNM, said he hopes the University can set a national example of diversity.
"We are being successful," he said. "But I would also argue there's so much more we can do."
The position directs several student service programs, such as ethnic and women's programs and the College Enrichment Program, which oversees development in student support services.
Gutierrez has worked extensively with athletes who have disabilities. He's also served on about 20 different committees, which ranged from sexual harassment to training officials who work with blind athletes.
He hopes to create social justice with the position and address the needs of people who normally wouldn't have the opportunity to attend a four-year university, Gutierrez said.
"Diversity to me is inclusion," he said. "We need to create an environment that is comfortable for everybody here."
Gutierrez also took questions from 19 people who attended the forum - none of whom were students.
He said one of his greatest challenges would be getting an accurate picture of everything going on at UNM. Then his department would develop a plan and set goals, he said.
One of his goals would be to identify students having trouble with classes and put them into programs, such as Upward Bound, a UNM program that prepares high school students for college, or other mentoring programs.
He said he would make it mandatory for those students to enroll in these programs.
"If you don't push and shove, they're not going to get any better," he said.
Right now, Gutierrez is responsible for the overall administration of College Enrichment and Special Programs. The mission of the department, according to his rÇsumÇ, is to create educational support programs for low income or other disadvantaged students.
Gutierrez also has experience writing grants.
In the past five years, he has received awards for 20 different grants, totaling about $11.6 million.
He said he would work with academic programs on grants to decide how best it would serve students.
Lisa Delgado, a test administrator in the Extended University Program, said she has worked with Gutierrez and was impressed with the ideas he brought to the forum.
"I have a high regard for him and his abilities," she said. "I think he is someone who can get the job done."
