---

New Mexico State University URC Minutes - February 28, 1997

---

Present: Cecilio Barrera (for Tim Pettibone), Kathy Brook, Jack Burns, Greg Butler, Nirmala Khandan, Steve Loring (for Gary Cunningham), Margaret Malamud, David Myers, Marilyn Pase, Nellie Quezada-Aragon, Tracy Sterling, Maria Telles-McGeagh, Santosh Venkatraman, Mike Wolf

Guest: President Orenduff

1. Approval of Minutes

Minutes The minutes of the meeting of December 6, 1996 were approved as circulated.

2. Discussion of Research issues

President Orenduff began the discussion by commenting on the recently announced changes with respect to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and the Office of Sponsored Programs. He stated that research is a core strength of NMSU and that the strength is partly a reflection of an entrepreneurial faculty. He invited recommendations from the URC, among others, concerning the adjustment to the new environment.

Margaret Malamud raised the issue of the library, indicating that she had letters from a number of departments in Arts and Sciences protesting the serials cuts that have been proposed. The president responded by noting that the library base budget has increased in recent years, but that one- time funds from a bond issue had been used to absorb rising serials expenses . The current proposed cuts result from the fact that the bond funds have now been fully expended. The president noted that he had met earlier in the day with Larry Mays, chair of the Faculty Senate Library Committee, and Clyde Eastman, chair of the Faculty Senate, to discuss the issue. In the short run, he is looking to the Faculty Senate Library Committee to make recommendations on the issue and in the longer run to the Strategic Planning Committee. The Faculty Senate Committee has been discussing return of overhead to the library and the possibility of a student fee (such as UNM imposes) to support the library.

In the ensuing discussion it was noted that NMSU spends a larger percentage of I&G funds on the library than some other universities but that this still leaves us with limited resources. It was also noted that there are a number of other areas in which additional resources are needed for research , including better salaries to attract and retain high quality faculty, Internet access, and equipment. Other observations included the tradition at NMSU of proposing new academic programs without requesting new resources so that academic programs have grown faster than the library and the use of $500,000 in overhead funds to provide scholarships.

3. Announcements

Those who have agreed to serve on the Nominating Committee are Mike Wolf (chair), Margaret Malamud, and Keith McNeil. They will provide nominees for chair-elect and for faculty representative and position appointment representative to serve on the Executive Committee.

A list of co-chairs of the strategic planning subcommittees was distributed .

The Web site for the Research Roundtable is http://www2.nas.edu.guirrcon.

4. March Meeting

Friday, March 21, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., Associates Room, New Library

It was agreed at the conclusion of the meeting that co-chairs of relevant strategic planning subcommittees would be invited to the next meeting so that the URC can voice its concerns about issues such as the funding of the library.