Office of the President
Monday Morning Memo
September 2, 2008
I hope you are having a safe and fun Labor Day Weekend. Our thoughts and prayers today are with residents of the U.S. Gulf Coast, and we wish them well as they deal with the many challenges caused by the arrival of Hurricane Gustav. One impact to our campus even before arrival of the storm was the postponement of the September 4 football game with Nicholls State University, which is located in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Their campus was evacuated on Saturday, and we send them our best wishes and our sincere concerns for their safety. NMSU Athletic Director McKinley Boston and the Nicholls State athletics director will begin to have discussions early next week about a possible make-up date for the game.
Here in Las Cruces, we completed a great first full week of classes and the fall semester is under way. I would like to say thank you to everyone who sent their feedback on the photos that were included in last week's memo. There was such great response that I would like to encourage you to submit photos for possible inclusion in future memos, our Aggie Picture of the Week. Of course we may not always be able to use everything that is sent, but we would like to see what is happening around campus from your perspective and be able to share it with others.
The Aggie Picture of the Week at the end of this memo was taken on Thursday at the Clovis Agricultural Science Center Annual Field Day. One of the central themes of the field day was sustainability, and we were able to get an update on some of the cutting-edge work being done at the center in this area, such as sorghum and legume intercropping systems aimed at providing high-quality feed while utilizing fewer resources; projects related to water-efficient biodiesel and ethanol crops; and projects that address the feasibility of fuel production from crops.
There are many new initiatives to share with you from the academic area, so this week I want to tell you about an exciting new K-12 partnership - the Statewide Dual Credit Program. Starting this semester, NMSU and all other public higher education institutions in the state must meet the provisions of the new Statewide Dual Credit Master Agreement. This agreement was developed by more than 50 higher education and public education leaders, including a committee of faculty and staff from across campus, who worked to finalize curriculum and logistic aspects. The agreement requires that New Mexico high school students have access to "College courses that are academic . that simultaneously earn credit toward high school graduation and a postsecondary degree or certificate."
NMSU has always offered a small number of dual credit courses for about a dozen high school students a semester. But with the new agreement, students will not pay tuition to the university and will have many more course options. Further, to prepare students for learning beyond high school and ease the transition to a college learning environment, Senate Bill 943 requires that all graduates from public and charter schools in the state take at least one course that is either advanced placement, distance education or dual credit.
To implement this program, NMSU has agreements with regional school districts that define course and student eligibility, and responsibilities for NMSU, the district, students, and their parents. NMSU will offer more than 110 courses representing all six colleges plus honors courses for dual enrollment. Courses available will vary, such as Japanese, Fluid Mechanics, Educational Psychology, Personal Health and Wellness, Economics, and Floral Design in addition to courses required for a degree such as Freshman English. There also are four online math courses available.
We expect up to 100 students enrolled this year, up from 26 last year. After this pilot year, we will expand this to more districts around the state and offer more courses online. This should dramatically increase the number of students going to college and help us specifically recruit students to NMSU. As you can see we are working to ensure service to all of our constituents across New Mexico.
As always, I am eager to hear your feedback and do not forget to send us those NMSU photos. Please pick out your best photos and submit them as attachments when e-mailing me at president@nmsu.edu. Please be sure to tell us a little about the photo you are submitting, such as when and where it was taken, and who took the photo.
Have a great week,
Waded Cruzado
