Every cent of waste in promotional materials, signage, uniforms, logos—every cent of false advertising and meaningless re-branding will be borne by tax payers and students, who will be subject to yet another tuition hike this Spring.
The NNMC Study group notes that the no-bid contracts for remodeling and signage have previous gone to NNMC Basketball Coach Ryan Cordova’s family business, Blue Sky Builders.[ii] We also note that much of the Northern New Mexico College promotional merchandise (that would need to be destroyed and replaced) has been paid for with Federal and State grant dollars. For instance, tens of thousands of dollars of branded Northern New Mexico College jumpdrives, water-bottles, t-shirts, lanyards, literature, stationary, business cards, pamphlets, brochures, notebooks, etc. have been paid for with Federal grants (for instance the Title V-Exito Grant). Such grants are meant to provide direct services to aid in student success.
NNMC has released a guide to destroying publications, pamphlets, marketing and promotional merchandise.[iii] The additional cost of building signage, canvas panels, and remodeling has yet to be calculated. If the misleading and costly name change is allowed to go forward, the massive costs borne by students and tax payers, and re-branding will again drain Federal grant dollars away from student support and instruction.
Currently, eight New Mexico Senators on the Public Affairs Committee are considering SB-603, which is the NNMC name change bill. The Public Affairs Committee will meet today--Thursday, March 5th at 1:30PM. Please contact your Senators below to urge a NO VOTE on SB-603:
http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/committee_display.aspx?CommitteeCode=SPAC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] See more on the misleading name change at: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/blog/nnmc-has-not-attained-university-status
[ii] Invoices showing the contracts funneled to Blue Sky Builders available at: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/blue-sky-builders--ryan-cordova.html More information on the web of connections between Basketball Coach Ryan Cordova, Administrators, and costly no bid contacts here: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/blog/nnmc-students-scrooged-as-administrators-raise-tuition-to-line-their-own-pockets
[iii] Although the name change has not been approved by the New Mexico Legislature and the college has not achieved a Status Change to University, the NNMC Administration released the following instructions to staff and faculty in February: http://nnmc.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/NNMU_TransitionalBrandGuide_Feb2015.pdf