NMSU collects public input for presidential search

New Mexico State University is searching for a new president again. In attempts to be more transparent, the Board of Regents is holding several listening sessions to hear what the public wants in a new president.

About 50 people filled a room in the Stan Fulton Athletics Center on Thursday afternoon for an informal public opinion forum.

Board chairman Mike Cheney and Regent Kari Mitchell asked commenters not to hold, and they didn’t.

For about an hour, faculty, students, alumni and Las Crucens shared their thoughts on their ideal president.

People had a wide variety of requests from improving campus diversity to working on more transparency.

One alum brought up the importance of the president creating a relationship with the community and the state legislature.

“We need someone to get out into the public and get to Santa Fe to get the funds we really need. We need someone to fight for our university,” said NMSU alumAndy Nuez.

Quite a few faculty members asked for a shared governance.

“It’s shocking to discover that faculty concerns can make their way to the faculty senate, but that’s where it ends. It has no bearing on university policy,” said NMSU professor Iigo Garcia-Bryce.

Cheney said they hope to announce a new president before the end of the spring semester.

The board will hold six more sessions across the state to collect public input:

Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. at NMSU Grants, Library Classroom

Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. at Santa Fe El Dorado Hotel and Spa, Zia Ballroom

Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. at NMSU Albuquerque Center, Vision Conference Room

Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. at NMSU Alamogordo, Rohevec Theater

Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. at NMSU Carlsbad, Lecture Hall Auditorium Room

Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. at NMSU Las Cruces, Corbett Center Student Union Colfax Room