Daily Lobo: What do you think is the most important issue facing higher education?
Herman Lujan: I think it's funding. In an information economy, every change is important. If you don't keep pace, you lose, and you may never truly regain your footing. So, I think funding is important. The cost of education is so high for students, but it's so critical to their careers. You have to find a way to help them and be supportive.
DL: How are you qualified to run an institution of UNM's size and diversity?
HL: I ran one as president of (the University of) Northern Colorado. It was about half the size but more diverse - well, as diverse as this one. It had doctorate students, too. And of course, the University of Washington where I was in first cabinet. I know what good universities are and how to build them.
DL: What, if anything, would you do to prevent tuition increases?
HL: Prevent?
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DL: Yes.
HL: I would do everything I could to look into tuition increases and see how they fit or don't in the funding picture for the institution. You need to have some tuition increase. The question is how much, and the question is for what end. I don't think students will object heavily to reasonable increases if they are going to have some benefit from the expenditure of those funds. But if we just raise funds and it's not a transparent process, and you pay to see that new tuition bill in your path, and you're not sure you're going to see some benefit, that aspect has to be dealt with. That is dealt with by communication, communication, communication.
DL: What experiences do you have that prepare you for the unique aspects of New Mexico?
HL: Mostly my background in multicultural issues. The Southwest has its own personality, and a university here is not necessarily the same as a university in Virginia or Vermont. I understand what it is to be an outstanding university, and the importance of the culture there as the seedbed for that excellence. As for raising money, I've been raising money for years. I know how that goes. I can dance.
DL: Do you think longevity is important in a University president?
HL: I think you ought to have stability, and longevity is often a part of that. Sometimes it's not. Sometimes in order to have stability, you need to have change. But you've had too much change in the last 10 years.
DL: How can UNM be sure that you would be here for a reasonable amount of time?
HL: Help me out - if the
regents share ownership with me in the kinds of changes we have to make, the willingness of the University to take a look at the vision and develop the vision of how we recruit, how we raise money and how we treat students in this
institution.
Herman Lujan
Provost and tenured professor of political science at California State University-Los Angeles.
Experience in university and academic governance, institutional and statewide policy, strategic planning, community leadership, and government and business relations.
Served as president of the University of Northern Colorado.
Served as chief academic officer of the Connecticut State University System.
Bachelor's from Saint Mary's College of California in political science and labor relations.
Master's from the University of California-Berkeley in political science.
Doctorate from the University of Idaho in political science.
