Blog Posts

Name Change Invites Scrutiny of NNMC Leadership

3/14/2015

The costly and misleading Name Change Bill (SB-603), which would change Northern New Mexico College's name to Northern New Mexico University, has invited much needed scrutiny to the general state of affairs at NNMC. The NNMC Study Group appreciates the dialogue and information-sharing that has been the result of the SB-603. The scrutiny at the Senate Public Affairs Committee explored the precipitous drops in enrollment at the college, fiscal mismanagement at the college, federal grant violations at the college, the possible motives of a name change, and the violations of NM State Statutes and the NM Constitution in declaring a name change (full SPAC session on SB-603 available, parts 1-8). Senator Ivey-Soto's questions below left.

Further, during his confirmation hearing, incoming Regent Damian Martinez received a "do pass" from the NM Senate Rules Committee. He would be later confirmed unanimously by the NM Senate. When asked about SB-603, the NNMC Name Change Bill, Regent Damian Martinez (a practicing attorney) agreed that the proper procedure had not been followed, and he concluded, "Until it's been properly changed, its name is Northern New Mexico COLLEGE." Regent Damian Martinez's comments on SB-603 Name Change Bill below right.

SB-603, the NNMC Name Change Bill, is scheduled to be heard at the full Senate Floor. You may contact Senator Carlos Cisneros and NM Senators to oppose SB-603. Contact information below.

Phone at Senator Cisneros at: (505) 670-5610 or email at: carlos.cisneros@nmlegis.gov

Contact Senators by email (cut and paste) to oppose Name Change Bill SB-603:

SENATE GOP -- sue.beffort@nmlegis.gov, craig.brandt@nmlegis.gov, bill.burt@nmlegis.gov, ron.griggs@nmlegis.gov, stuart.ingle@nmlegis.gov, ggkern@valornet.com, leavell4@leaco.net, mark.moores@nmlegis.gov, steven.neville@nmlegis.gov, william.payne@nmlegis.gov, cliff.pirtle@nmlegis.gov, sander.rue@nmlegis.gov, john.ryan@nmlegis.gov, bill@williamsharer.com, lisa.torraco@nmlegis.gov, pat.woods@nmlegis.gov

SENATE DEMS -- pete.campos@nmlegis.gov, jacob.candelaria@nmlegis.gov, Joseph@cervanteslawnm.com, senatorgriego@yahoo.com, daniel.ivey-soto@nmlegis.gov, linda.lopez@nmlegis.gov, richard.martinez@nmlegis.gov, cisco.mcsorley@nmlegis.gov, HCM260@gmail.com, munozgeo@gmail.com, oneillsd13@billoneillfornm.com, jortizyp@msn.com, michael.padilla@nmlegis.gov, marykay.papen@nmlegis.gov, nancy.rodriguez@nmlegis.gov, clemente.sanchez@nmlegis.gov, john.sapien@nmlegis.gov, benny.shendo@nmlegis.gov, john.smith@nmlegis.gov, bill.soules@nmlegis.gov, mimi.stewart@nmlegis.gov, peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov

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Federal Grants, Tuition Hikes, Legislative Appropriations Used for Cost of Name Change

3/5/2015

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NNMC President Nancy “Rusty” Barcelo, NNMC Administrators and Regents have requested a misleading and costly name change. They have submitted a report to the legislative Finance Committee saying this name change “costs nothing.” The name change is meaningless—NNMC has not attained University Status. The name change will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in waste, re-branding and remodeling.[i]

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

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[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

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American Federation of Teachers Calls for Confirmation of Two New NNMC Regents

3/1/2015

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The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Union has called for the appointment and confirmation of two new NNMC Regents, including the NNMC Student Regent approved by 67% of New Mexico voters.

The confirmation of two new NNMC Regents, replacing expired-term regents Michael Branch and Alfred Herrera, is now awaiting action in the New Mexico Senate Rules Committee.

Contact Senator Linda Lopez, Chair of the Rules Committee, to request confirmation vote scheduling at:

(505) 831-4148
linda.lopez@nmlegis.gov

Click image above for larger document view

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NNMC Regent Branch Attempts Coup

2/27/2015

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Left to right: Regents Kevin Powers (Treasurer), Michael Branch, Rosario "Chayo" Garcia (President), Alfred Herrera, Donald Martinez (Secretary).

NNMC Board of Regents Member Michael Branch, whose term expired on December 21, 2015, opened the February 26, 2015 Board of Regents meeting by calling for the resignation of NNMC Board Secretary Donald Martinez, of El Rito, New Mexico.

Regent Donald Martinez was appointed by Governor Susana Martinez for a six year term. Regent Martinez's appointment on the NNMC Board of Regents is through 2020.[i]

The NNMC Study Group and other members of the community have contacted Governor Susana Martinez and Lieutenant Governor John A. Sanchez in support of Regent Donald Martinez. Regent Martinez was raised in El Rito, is a long-time educator and farmer, and previously worked as the HEP Director at the NNMC-El Rito. More details are available below in letter to Governor Martinez.

We urge members of the community to contact Governor Martinez, Lieutenant Governor Sanchez, and NNMC Board President Rosario "Chayo" Garcia to voice support for Regent Donald Martinez.

Governor Susana Martinez
http://www.governor.state.nm.us/Contact_the_Governor.aspx
(505) 476-2200

Lieutenant Governor John A.Sanchez
http://www.ltgov.state.nm.us/Contact_the_Lieutenant_Governor_1.aspx
(505) 476-2250

NNMC Board of Regents President Rosario "Chayo" Garcia
garciachayo@yahoo.com

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[i] See: “Northern Welcomes New Regents,” March 18, 2013. http://nnmc.edu/wordpress/?p=10590

Send Comments and Concerns to Media

Green Fire Times
http://greenfiretimes.com/submit-an-article/#.VPEi3-HO-Sp

The Journal North (up to 150 words)
http://www.abqjournal.com/letters/new

The Rio Grande Sun (up to 250 words)
http://www.riograndesun.com/forms/letters/

The Santa Fe New Mexican (150-600 words)
letters@sfnewmexican.com
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/ (instructions on right toolbar)

Santa Fe Reporter
editor@sfreporter.com

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Board of regents meeting at Branch realty tuesday, February 24th, 5pm

2/21/2015

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The NNMC Board of Regents will hold a Finance Committee Meeting in Santa Fe at Branch Realty Commercial Advisers on Tuesday, February 24th at 5pm. This meeting, held hidden away from Rio Arriba County and the Española Valley community at Regent Michael Branch's place of business, is subject to the NM Open Meetings Act. [1]

The public and reporters may attend, record, and document the meeting in full. On the agenda at Branch Realty Commercial Advisers are: 1) Fiscal Watch Reports, 2) Budget Adjustment Request, 3) Capital Projects Updates, and 4) Residence Hall Update.

The discussion at Branch Realty Commercial Advisers will set the financial decisions for the full Board of Regents Meeting on Thursday, February 26th (see full agenda at top right), where the Regents will vote on a tuition hike and will unveil their Plan B (or is it Plan G) for building dormitories for out-of-state students as NNMC's enrollment continues to decline precipitously. Regent Michael Branch, whose term expired on December 31, 2014, tightly controls the Finance Committee and the Board of Regents. Branch's Commercial Real Estate company's ties to the multimillion dollar dorm development project (projected by NNMC Administration and no-bid consultants to cost over $16 million) is yet to be revealed.

Branch Realty Commercial Advisers is located at: 228 S. St. Francis Drive. Bldg E, Santa Fe, NM 87501. The meeting will be held in the Conference Room. Call (505) 984-8100 for directions, or call the NNMC main switchboard and request Assistant to the President, Amy Peña, who generates agendas and public notices. Ms. Peña fulfills requests for full public agendas and meeting details. NNMC main switchboard: (505) 747-2140. Assistant to NNMC President Barcelo, Amy Peña email contact: amy.pena@nnmc.edu

February 24th UPDATE: When contacted by at NNMC by phone, VP of Finance Assistant Brandi Cordova confirmed at 2:37pm that the Board of Regents Finance Committee Meeting at Branch Realty was not publicly announced, explaining: "Oh, that meeting was not announced so I am not at liberty to share that information."

In clear violation of the Open Meetings Act, the Board of Regents Finance meeting was held as scheduled at Branch Realty with NNMC Administrators and Board of Regents members in attendance. The public was barred from entry at 5pm by VP of Institutional Advancement, Ricky Serna. At left is the internally distributed meeting agenda.

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[1] Download or view full text of New Mexico’s Open Meetings Act online at: http://www.nmag.gov/consumer/publications/openmeetingsactcomplianceguide

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NNMC has NOt Attained University Status

2/20/2015

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At the January NNMC Board of Regents meeting, President Nancy "Rusty" Barcelo yielded her time for her "President’s report” to Regent Michael Branch. Branch’s term on the NNMC Board of Regents expired December 31, 2014. Branch introduced two key measures: 1) the introduction of a new Board of Regents “Academic Affairs Committee,” and 2) the “Academic Affairs Committee’s” recommendation for the name change from Northern New Mexico College to Northern New Mexico University.

Regent Branch and Board President Rosario “Chayo” Garcia violated parliamentary procedure, moving for a vote to approve a name change for the institution. The name change recommendation, states the agenda, is to be made by the “Academic Affairs Committee” (President’s Report, III.2). The declared Chair of the “Academic Affairs Committee” is stated as Regent Michael Branch, whose term expired on December 31, 2014. Regent Branch introduced the motion for the institutional name change. This motion was then voted upon. This motion and vote were both before the approval of the “Academic Affairs Committee.” Indeed, the committee, which was stated to be the recommender of an institutional name change, has yet to be voted into existence.

In addition, the vote count to approve a name change for the educational institution from Northern New Mexico College to Northern New Mexico University included Regents Branch and Herrera, whose terms expired on December 21, 2014. The vote also excluded Regent Martinez who was confronted with a forced resignation before the meeting (Regent Martinez has not resigned). And Regent President Garcia did not cast a vote. Thus, the name change to University violated parliamentary procedure in at least three ways. The vote to approve the misleading name change for the educational institution from Northern New Mexico College to Northern New Mexico University was accomplished with only one vote of a non-expired Board member—that of Regent Kevin Powers.

The responsibility to push through the NNMC Regents’ invalid voting procedures to secure a misleading name change will soon be New Mexico Senator Carlos Cisneros’. Senator Cisneros is sponsoring SB-603 endorsing the name change “for common convenience.” Of course, the name change by Barcelo and Branch is designed for common misunderstanding. See SB-603 at http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/15%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0603.pdf

Comments and/or concerns regarding SB-603 can be communicated to Senator Carlos Cisneros by phone at: (505) 670-5610 or by email at: carlos.cisneros@nmlegis.gov

The NNMC name change is purposefully misleading, an act of false advertising that will jeopardize the college as an institution. Under the present leadership, NNMC has not attained a Status Change to University. While the NNMC President Barcelo and VP Serna have quietly admitted that the name change is not meant to indicate a Status Change to University, it is clear the NNMC Administration’s intention is to mislead students, parents, funders, and the public.

In fact, the press release from the NNMC Administration regarding the name change is titled: “Northern New Mexico College becomes University” (January 27, 2015). [i] We note the deliberately misleading language: “Northern New Mexico College becomes a University,” versus the accurate: One non-expired Regent at Northern New Mexico College voted to rename the institution despite its not attaining or qualifying for University Status by any measure, according to the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED), the North Central Higher Learning Committee, the official accreditation agency, or the NM Legislature.

What is University Status? Several institutions in New Mexico have worked hard to serve students and communities to attain University Status: The NM Higher Education Department has oversight of all public universities and colleges—these include three research universities, four comprehensive universities, ten branch community colleges, seven independent community colleges, and three special schools.[ii]

In order to attain University Status, institutions must offer graduate education (Northern does not), must employ a higher ratio of full-time PhD professors and Administrators (Northern’s faculty is 67-70% adjunct/part-time with a fraction holding PhDs, and several of the Northern “Executive Team” do not have degrees past Bachelor’s level, or commiserate with their responsibilities), and Northern must seek and obtain Status Change to University through the NMHED and the accreditation agency. There are several more criteria for an institutional Status Change and for this reason a proposal for Status Change to become a University is long-planned, long-sought, and long worked toward. Northern has not fulfilled any of the steps that would allow a Status Change to University and Northern does not qualify for a change to University Status by any measure.

What has prompted Barcelo’s push for a name change? After the Faculty Senate and the Student Senate voted “No Confidence” in Barcelo and her “Executive Team” last April, Barcelo went on attack, leading to the loss of over a quarter of the full-time faculty and the Directors of critical programs at both the El Rito campus and the Espanola campus. Some faculty and staffers were released via retaliatory non-renewals, others chose resignation.[iii] Local and national media covered the continued decline of Northern New Mexico College under Barcelo, and the college’s name became synonymous with incompetence, mismanagement, and practices of retaliation and favoritism.[iv]

In addition to running from the reputation that Barcelo’s Administration has earned after four disastrous years, NNMC Administrators and Regents aim to capitalize on false advertising. In an article in The Rio Grande Sun (February 19, 2015), Regent Branch explained that “although the name change does not guarantee an easier accreditation process... it will make it easier ...to obtain ...grants …more legitimacy.” Changing the college’s name, explained regent Branch, “improves the status” and will make for “a more impactful [sic] diploma.”

Thus, changing the name without attaining actual University Status is designed to create the misperception that the college is something it is not—Branch is clear that the effort is designed to deceive for the purpose of financial gain. The college will hike tuition—it’s now a University!—and the college will hope to mislead granting agencies and partners by trading on the “legitimacy” gained by claiming a fait accompli. As the NNMC press release reads, “Northern New Mexico College becomes University” (January 27, 2015). In an article published by The Journal North, Barcelo “added that it would help the institution be regarded with equal status as other state institutions, such as Western New Mexico and New Mexico Highlands.”

Yet, NNMC is not equal in Status to these institutions—indeed under Barcelo’s leadership, several programs have been cut, course offerings have fallen drastically, once healthy certificate and A.A. programs have been reduced to “continuing education” non-degree granting courses, and enrollment has fallen precipitously. But Barcelo’s hope is that a change of name/brand will give the false impression that Northern has become a University.[v]

In The Rio Grande Sun article, NNMC President Barcelo admits that “the move only changes the name of Northern and does not provide it university status,” adding “in the far future Northern administrators will strive to achieve university status.” Imagine, giving yourself credentials when you are certain you will not achieve those credentials until later… “in the far future.” Would NNMC students add the B.A. or R.N. to the end of their names if they thought they might strive to achieve those credentials later “in the far future?” Would we seek the expertise of an M.D., using those credentials, though they would not strive to complete education and training until sometime in “the far future?” What would we think of someone calling themselves "Sergeant" if they haven't earned the stripes? Will we allow Barcelo and Branch to disseminate complete falsehood, in the hopes no one is paying close attention? Do we want NNMC to be the only institution of higher education in New Mexico whose institutional name does not match its actual Status?

Such misrepresentation opens NNMC and the State of New Mexico to costly lawsuits that have been filed across the country against colleges who use deceptive marketing schemes. Indeed, the U.S. Department of Education has increased penalties for higher education institutions that draw on federal financial aid while misrepresenting programming, accreditation, graduation rates, and the quality and reputation of academic programs. Further, such misrepresentation damages NNMC's legitimacy, reputation, and its relationships with peer institutions.

With conscientious and careful leadership, perhaps NNMC could attain University Status. Under the Barcelo Administration, no such thing has occurred. NNMC President Barcelo herself predicts that only “in the far future Northern administrators will strive to achieve university status.”

In the meantime, Barcelo and Branch are asking the NM Legislature to pass SB-603, a misleading and costly name change. Every cent of false advertising and meaningless re-branding will be borne by tax payers and students, who are subject to yet another tuition hike after the February NNMC Board of Regents meeting.

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[i] “Northern New Mexico College is now a university,” T.S. Last (January 28, 2015) http://www.abqjournal.com/532997/abqnewsseeker/northern-new-mexico-college-is-now-a-university.html [ii] New Mexico Higher Education Department Report, showing NNMC’s status as a two- and four-year college. http://www.cpec.ca.gov/CompleteReports/ExternalDocuments/New_Mexico_Condition_HE_2005-2006.pdf

[iii] See “Faces of Those We’ve Lost,” http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/blog/faces-of-those-we-have-lost and “Rash of resignations Plagues Northern New Mexico College,” The Rio Grande Sun, Ralph Chapoco (July 10, 2014) http://thenorthernissue.org/2014/07/09/a-rash-of-resignations-at-northern-new-mexico-college/

[iv] See “The academic equivalent of a corporate campaign,” The AAUP Academe Blog, Jonathan Rees (January 14, 2015) http://academeblog.org/2015/01/14/the-academic-equivalent-of-a-corporate-campaign/
and the link to a sampling of the media coverage in AAUP’s Academe Blog, Inside Higher Ed, The Journal North, New Mexico Watchdog, The Rio Grande Sun, The Santa Fe New Mexican, and the University Herald: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/media.html [v] “Northern New Mexico College is now a university,” T.S. Last (January 28, 2015) http://www.abqjournal.com/532997/abqnewsseeker/northern-new-mexico-college-is-now-a-university.html

Below: The beginning of the cost of re-branding

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. The additional cost of building signage, canvas panels, and remodeling has yet to be calculated. This month, the NM Legislative Finance Committee has requested such calculations from Mr. Domingo Sanchez, NNMC VP of Finance.

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Crunching the Numbers on President Barcelo's Leadership

1/13/2015

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As those in higher education are aware, one critical role for a college President is fundraising for the college. College Presidents have duties of vision and supervision, certainly, but one of their primary responsibilities is to bring additional funding to the institution. When hired in 2010, President Nancy "Rusty" Barcelo promised her fundraising skills, and even outlined a plan for the Northern Foundation to raise $18 million.

What have the years of Barcelo's leadership wrought? Can President Nancy “Rusty” Barcelo meaningfully demonstrate that she has grown the college, its enrollment, its services to students, its endowment, its academic offerings? Has Barcelo, during her presidency, secured funding for the college? As a matter of empirical fact, the answer to each of these questions is a resounding NO.

In 2014, the NNMC Study Group assembled a core group of accountants and a forensic auditor to conduct a financial analysis of NNMC for the years of Barcelo's presidency: 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. This analysis is based on public New Mexico State Audits from 2010 to 2013. The originals are available in full for download at http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/budget.html and at the NM Office of the State Auditor website: "Audit Search" [top right] at http://www.saonm.org/audit_reports.

Our analysis found that the Audited Financial Statements show very clearly: 1) a decline in total revenue, 2) a decline in operating revenue, and 3) deep reductions in the college's net assets. Further, in four years, President Barcelo has turned previous surpluses into deficit.

NNMC's total revenue has been in decline under President Barcelo (beginning 2010). Declining tuition revenue (in spite of more than doubling tuition in three years) and declining revenue from state, local, and other grants and contracts make up for most of the loss of operating revenue. Non-operating revenue has held mostly due to State appropriations. (Click image for larger file.)

Initial surpluses in 2010, 2011, and 2012 resulted in growing Net Assets at the end of each year. However, this was reversed in 2013 and Net Assets were reduced due to the deficit that occurred in that year. (Click image for larger file)

Due to declining operating revenues NNMC’s operating loss [operating revenue less operating expenditure] has grown markedly since 2010. Indeed, NNMC's operating loss has nearly doubled since Barcelo assumed her presidency. (Click image for larger file.)

DECLINE IN REVENUE: Financial analysis shows that NNMC's total revenue has been in decline under President Barcelo (beginning 2010). Though the College sharply raised tuition in 2011, because of the corresponding decline in enrollment, there was a decline in tuition revenue. NNMC’s new President Nancy “Rusty” Barcelo, who was inaugurated fall of 2010, made more than doubling NNMC’s tuition one of her first major actions in power, and NNMC’s enrollment has not recovered since.

From the NNMC Fact Book (available at http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/records.html) we note that the massive drop in enrollment (both full-time equivalent and headcount) is directly tied to Barcelo’s 2011 raising of tuition by over 50%—a move that gained the attention of the United States Department of Education. [i] By way of comparison, the year before Barcelo's decision to more than double tuition, NNMC’s enrollment trend was an increase of 18%. [ii] In 2013, NNMC had the lowest headcount of any New Mexico 4-year institution and enrollment continues to drop.[iii]

In addition, most of NNMC’s loss of operating revenue derives from the Administration’s inability to sustain state, local, and other grants and contracts. Sadly, our analysis for 2014 will show even greater grant losses. In 2014, NNMC lost its 40-year old Federal “High School Equivalency Program” (HEP) Grant, the first ever was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education in 1972. This grant was worth approximately $500,000 per year.[iv] Another key grant loss resulted when State Higher Education Department and the U.S. Department of Education Inspector General found that the NNMC Administration had improperly supplanted general operational funds with grant money in 2013. The Federal Department of Education required NNMC to provide reimbursement for unauthorized use of funds.[v] These were not the only losses of grant revenue in 2013 and 2014, but rather, well-documented examples supported by media accounts and direct information from granting agencies.

Indeed, under the leadership of Barcelo, NNMC Administrators have initiated a practice of “borrowing” hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Northern Foundation to cover basic operating expenses.[vi] Although the Northern Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit corporation, whose mission is to raise funds to support student scholarships, NNMC has dipped into the Northern Foundation to cover its institutional expenses.[vii] In July 2014, NNMC even “forgot” to repay the Northern Foundation $125,000 until the issue was under investigation by reporter Ralph Chapoco of The Rio Grande Sun. The relatively lenient terms of the loan—no interest charged on the principal, no collateral assigned to the loan to ensure repayment, and no late fees for failure to repay on time—may have been gained through VP of Advancement Ricky Serna’s relationship to the Northern Foundation’s Treasurer, Liddie Martinez. She is Serna’s aunt. In addition, NNMC President Barcelo is a voting member of the Northern Foundation. The issue of loans from the Foundation to the college was further compounded by the sudden and unexplained resignation of Gabrielle Amster, the Director of the Northern Foundation, in July 2014.[viii]

Fiscal analysis of Barcelo’s tenure clearly shows the downward spiral of NNMC’s total revenue, operating revenue, and net assets. In a paid advertisement in May 2014, President Barcelo wrote: “I understand that some are questioning the stability of the institution. Given recent publicity, I can understand how one might raise such questions, but I also recognize that much of the concern has been based on inaccurate information and misunderstanding … Sadly, misinformation and attacks obstruct opportunities to have civil conversations to address these important issues. This ultimately harms our community relationships and our ability to serve students.”[ix]

In that paid advertisement, President Barcelo avoided any discussion of real numbers, including the NM State Audit Reports from 2010 to 2013. President Nancy "Rusty" Barcelo instead attacked community leaders, concerned students, and committed members of NNMC’s faculty and staff as launching unfounded "attacks" and spreading “misinformation” and “inaccurate information.” We have therefore provided accurate fiscal information on President Barcelo’s tenure that supports the concerns that the community has been raising since Barcelo’s arrival.

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[i] “Ed Dept calls out colleges that hiked tuition by 50 percent,” 30 June, 2011. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/ed-dept-calls-colleges-hiked-tuition-50-percent-183248263.html For more media coverage of the tuition hike, see: http://nnmcstudygroup.weebly.com/news.html —scroll to bottom

[ii] NNMC 2010 Fact Book, p. 7 http://205.166.231.30/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/NNMC-Fact-Book-2010.pdf Also full text of NNMC 2010 Fact Book below.

[iii] See New Mexico Higher Education Department’s “enrollment data for 2013: http://www.hed.state.nm.us/uploads/files/Data%20Research/Enrollment/Fall%20Enrollment%202013%20updated.pdf

[iv] See full story on NNMC’s loss of the federal HEP Grant in 2014 at: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/blog/nnmc-to-lose-million-dollar-federal-grant-after-40-continuous-years

[v] See “NNMC Regents Deny Retaliation,” Albuquerque Journal 4 May, 2014. http://www.abqjournal.com/393168/news/nnmc-regents-deny-retaliation.html [vi] See “Northern New Mexico College ‘Forgot’ to Pay Loan to Foundation,” originally published by The Rio Grande Sun, 28 August, 2014, reprinted by The Northern Issue at: http://thenorthernissue.org/2014/09/06/northern-new-mexico-college-forgot-to-pay-loan-to-foundation/

[vii] For more on the Northern Foundation, 501c3, see: http://nnmc.edu/wordpress/?page_id=4479

[viii] See “The Faces of Those We Have Lost” at http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/blog/faces-of-those-we-have-lost

[ix] See “A Look at NNMC Changes” by Nancy “Rusty” Barcelo 9 May 2014, Journal North http://www.abqjournal.com/396897/north/a-look-at-nnmc-changes.html

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NNMC Students Scrooged as Administrators Raise Tuition to Line Their Own Pockets

12/22/2014

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At their final Board of Regents meeting of 2014, NNMC Administrators discussed an “inevitable” raise in tuition for the students at NNMC. Northern Vice President for Institutional Advancement Ricky Serna proposed a tuition hike between 5 and 8%, and blamed the New Mexico State Legislature for this Administration’s inability to balance the books. Serna vaguely referred to a “a dilemma involving state lawmakers” before pointing the finger more boldly at our Legislators explaining, “We’re between a rock and a hard place… When we go to legislators to ask for more resources, the pressure we get from them is to raise our tuition. That’s the rock. The hard place is we know in a community like ours, affordability is a very sensitive subject.” (See full article on tuition hike below or at http://www.riograndesun.com/articles/2014/12/22/news/doc54920ad622305744152507.txt )

The Barcelo Administration has perfected disaster capitalism at the college, citing manufactured crisis after manufactured crisis as reasons to more than double tuition in the past three years, to cut Heritage Arts Programs and Career Tech Programs, and to reduce courses, faculty and services. When Barcelo pushed to remove NNMC's Child Development Center, popular Associate’s programs in Radiography, Automotive Technology, and Construction Trades in the spring of 2014, a coalition of faculty, staff, and students submitted a “Moral Budget” to the NNMC Board and Administration. It outlined the proposed cuts could be easily offset by minor cuts in Administrative expenditures, the over $260,000 transferred out of instructional to the expenses of the basketball team, and tracing the mysterious loss of millions in assets during the Barcelo Administration that had previously been held in CDs.

The “Moral Budget” submitted to the NNMC Board of Regents and President Barcelo was accompanied by a sheet charting the enormous growth in Administrative salaries and the addition of Administrative Assistants—several of whom are friends, family, and paramours of top Administrators. The chart showed over a million dollar increase in Administrative salaries alone. (See the "Moral Budget" and increases in NNMC Administrative expenditures at: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/budget.html )

It has been clear to the community that fiscal mismanagement and the extraction of resources has led to deficits, which Barcelo has used to justify cuts to instruction and direct services to students. In the 2013 Fact Book released by NNMC’s Office of Institutional Advancement, NNMC's own office noted that INSTRUCTION constitutes less than 30% of all of NNMC’s institutional expenditures, while “Institution Support” and “Other Core Expenses” (read = Administrative) are 54% of NNMC expenditures. (2013 Factbook available at: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/records.html )

Further, at the December 4, 2014 Board of Regents meeting where VP Serna argued for another tuition increase, VP Serna complained that faculty instructors—those who fulfill the core mission of the institution—cost $600,000 per year. By way of comparison, documents obtained by the NNMC Study Group show that NNMC agreed to pay Monument, LLC $978,000 in 2014 to “study” the need for that self-same company to build a new set of dorms (dorms currently exist on the El Rito campus). President Barcelo insisted on cutting three academic programs in Spring 2014, 7-10 full-time staff and instructors (tenured professors among them), and on eliminating the Child Development Center to make up a $250,000 shortfall in her budget. The cuts to student instruction, faculty, staff and child care equal approximately one-quarter of the total fees paid to Monument to study the needs for its own services. (A sampling of payment documents for Monument, LLC available here: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/monument-llc.html )

Funding for the no-bid dorm project by an out-of-state limited liability corporation was rejected by the New Mexico Board of Finance in July. The New Mexico Board of Finance was clearly disturbed by the $978,000 in fees charged by Monument Construction (balance outstanding) for a “student housing study” to—as a member of the New Mexico Board of Finance put it to the President of Monument in attendance at the Board of Finance meeting—“[do] the study to show need for housing… and you’ll build it?” Yes, NNMC’s Administration agreed to pay just under one-million dollars to Monument Construction, to determine the need for the student housing Monument would be building to the tune of $13-15 million. (Full story on New Mexico Board of Finance meeting here: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/blog/nnmc-dorms-indefinite-hold )

Other expenditures by Barcelo’s Administration have included flying the entire men's basketball team to Hawaii, including Coach Ryan Cordova, his wife, and children. This sports junket was paid by the transfers of money out of instructional that, per NNMC’s VP of Finance, in 2013-2014 totaled over $260,000. Coach Cordova himself receives over $70,000 per year in compensation, and his wife, Brandi Cordova, has been added to the payroll as well. She is one of the growing class of “Administrative Assistants” behind the newly built glass doors of Barcelo’s newly remodeled inner sanctum. Barcelo, perhaps sentimental about her own years playing basketball, has been NNMC's men’s basketball team’s greatest cheerleader—requesting more staff, more services, more locker rooms, more buses and vans, new equipment, new uniforms, and recruitment of men's basketball players from as far away as the Cameroon. All at the expense of instruction and student services.

NNMC President Barcelo, HR Director Bernie Padilla, President's Assistant Amy Pena, and Administrative Assistant and wife of Coach, Brandi Cordova, at away men's basketball away game

VP of Advancement Serna, Basketball Coach Cordova

While regularly articulating a budget crisis and the need for massive cuts to instruction as well as hikes in tuition, Barcelo’s Administration has insisted on establishing and funding men’s baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country and golf, and women’s basketball, bowling, cross country and golf teams.

Coaching the men's basketball team has been especially lucrative for Ryan Cordova. In addition to his salary, which far exceeds that of any faculty appointment at NNMC, Cordova's insider connections have resulted in massive monetary extraction for the Coach, whose resume includes his ownership of “Blue Sky Builders” (Cordova listed himself on his resume as Owner of Blue Sky Builders. A sampling of the original Blue Sky Builders purchase orders, invoices, and payment approvals:http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/blue-sky-builders---ryan-cordova.html )

Coach Cordova’s family has completed numerous no-bid contracts for NNMC. The NM Secretary of State lists Ryan Cordova as the Vice President of "Blue Sky Builders" (see: http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/uploads/1/7/6/4/17644239/cordova_biz_liscence.jpg )

The purchase orders and orders to pay the no-bid contracts (in the hundreds of thousands for 2013-2014 alone) show NNMC's internal "approval to pay signature" as Ryan Cordova's wife, Brandi Cordova. The Cordova family business “Blue Sky Builders” has invoiced the college for a remodel of the NNMC bookstore totaling $309,000, though our local Pueblo-owned Avanyu Contractors bid over $100,000 less for the remodel. (Avanyu’s owner was trained in the very Construction Trades Program that President Barcelo and the Board cut in 2014.) A small sampling of the invoices paid to the Cordova family business “Blue Sky Builders” in 2013-2014 include: $24,690 for a new porch, $19,790 to put silkscreen logo of an eagle on the tile entrance; $17,824 for remodeling the Board room; $13,472 for “debris removal” at the Auto Tech, whose program was closed by Barcelo and the Board; and over $10,000 for rust removal and maintenance for the Child Development Center closed by Barcelo and the Board in 2014.

Mapping of interconnections with President Barcelo's Executive Team--largely appointed without open hiring searches by Barcelo. Click for larger document view.

Thus, while students have seen their tuition raised from $41 per credit hour to a proposed $171-174 per credit hour in just three short years, the Cordova family has extracted hundreds of thousands in salaries, perks, and no-bid construction projects.

As NNMC students struggle to pay their last tuition payment for fall 2014 before starting their payment plans for spring 2015, and as tuition continues to increase, NNMC Administrators prioritize: unsuccessful and unnecessary dorm schemes, a sports program that exceeds its budget and is paid for by transfers out of instruction, and no-bid renovations that do more to improve the lives of the Cordova family than the lives of the students, community, or taxpayers who pay out each dollar. As the college continues to sink under President Barcelo's leadership, the Cordova family will have yet another very, very comfortable Christmas season.

And they are, no doubt, looking forward to the cash they will rake in from New Mexico Bond C, passed by voters in 2014. The Bond measure, which provides for capital expenditures for higher education improvements, will go straight from the voter and taxpayer's pockets into the already full pockets of Blue Sky Builders.

BOND C and Amendment 2 passed in Tuesday's election. Thanks to all who voted in support of Northern and education in New Mexico! #nnmc
— Northern NM College (@NorthernNNMC) November 5, 2014

NNMC Marketing Staff Stephanie Montoya, Administrative Assistant Brandi Cordova, Provost Pedro Martinez, and Basketball Coach Ryan Cordova

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northern: hispanic serving institution? not under barcelo's watch

9/1/2014

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The continued dismantling of Northern New Mexico College now includes cancellation of ESL (English as a Second Language) classes and evening GED courses. The Barceló Administration and the NNMC Board of Regents have gone far afield from the mission of our publicly-funded community resource. We should look carefully at how Barceló has taken charge of our “Hispanic Serving Institution,” regularly displaying disregard for our distinct culture and history. Northern was founded in 1909 as the Spanish American Normal School with a mission of training Spanish speakers to become teachers in New Mexico. Northern is the only four-year public institution north of I-40 and west of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico. It's the largest provider of higher education to Hispana/os and Native Americans who reside in Rio Arriba, Taos, and Los Alamos counties.

Yet…

Upon her arrival, Barceló cut our Heritage Arts programs. Students were once able to earn Associate of Arts in Fiber Arts and Spanish Colonial Furniture. The courses were taught by master artisans, and many veterans in particular flocked to our furniture courses for their therapeutic value. Barceló’s Administration marginalized and profitized these programs as “continuing education courses” that are not supported as part of our academic, critical knowledge bases. By cutting these Heritage programs from our academic curriculum, Barceló insured that our Heritage Arts do not qualify for state or federal financial aid. Students who depend on financial aid can no longer access our artisanal customs, which are respected nationally and internationally but have been discarded by Barceló’s Administration.

Next Barceló undercut our Spanish-language program—supporting no full-time Spanish instructor or faculty, resulting in our college rarely offering any Spanish class above the Spanish I level.

In our Music Department, Barceló advanced and championed a Music Director who promoted the Jazz/Big Band sound—in itself not objectionable. But Barceló simultaneously marginalized one of our Nuevo Mexico greats, Dr. Cipriano Vigil, who she chose to employ only as an adjunct, meaning his work at Northern has gained him no regular yearly salary, no benefits, no office, and no stability in teaching as his courses are subject to cuts each semester. Dr. Vigil, an El Rito musician and folklorist, is widely regarded as a treasure of Northern New Mexico—nominated three times for the National Heritage Award, receiving the Governor's Award, the Endowment for the Humanities Award, and performing at the Smithsonian several times. Though Dr. Vigil has taught for over 25 years, Barceló has disregarded his well-earned national and international reputation, employing Dr. Vigil only as an adjunct instructor and occasionally requesting his performances—most markedly for her own inauguration. Barceló's devaluing of Dr. Vigil's work and contributions is simply unacceptable.

Further, Northern’s "El Puente" Summer Bridge First Year Experience (FYE) program that was to include instructing first-year students in our cultural agriculture practices this summer featured the FYE staff buying GMO-plant starts at Wal-Mart. The FYE program neglected working with our local Hispano and Native farmers, farmer's markets, co-op, or seed exchange programs, and instead transplanted Wal-Mart GMO starts on the Northern Española campus—these can be seen next to the RTD stop by the Teacher Education Building.

Now we find that this fall Northern has not scheduled ESL classes critical to our Valley and our state (afterall, New Mexico has the only bi-lingual State Constitution in the country!). Barceló’s policies might find support in Texas (where she was born and raised) or in Iowa and Minnesota (where she has spent much of her career). But Barceló’s policies and practices since arriving in the Española Valley make clear that she simply does not share our community values. Under Barceló’s leadership, Northern has more than doubled tuition, cut our Heritage Arts academic programs, cut our Auto Tech, cut our Career Tech (including Construction Trades like Adobe), cut our Radiography (one of our most popular programs leading to high-paying jobs), cut our Child Development Center, has refused to give institutional support to Spanish-language programs and instructors, has refused support for Spanish folklore and music, and has now cancelled ESL and evening GED courses.

Since her arrival, Barceló has released several “diversity” statements, has created and appointed highly paid Diversity Director Patricia Trujillo (this Director, like much of Barceló’s Executive Team, was not hired through an open search), has re-written the College’s mission statement, and has regularly traveled nationwide espousing her commitment to “diversity and equity.” Meanwhile at Northern, Barceló’s Administration has reduced access to low-income, working class students in the Valley by more than doubling tuition; Barceló’s Administration has reduced access to students who are parents by cutting our Child Development Center; has cut Career Training Certificate and AA programs; Barceló’s Administration has marginalized our culture as not worthy of academic study, reducing our fine arts to mere “continuing ed” hobbies; and, Barceló’s Administration has now cut our ESL and evening GED courses. This fall because of Barceló’s practices and policies, Northern has hit an historic low in full-time enrollment.

Empty gestures such as the Administration's hastily-assembled "Diversity Council" tasked with doing the labor of the highly paid "Equity and Diversity Director" do little to address the policies and practices of the Barceló Administration, which have reduced our economic, gender, ethnic, and academic diversity on campus.

The fight for social justice that the NNMC Administration flyer (left) refers to has already been seen powerfully on campus as hundreds of students have presented to NNMC Board of Regents meetings and over 750 community members have signed a petition to push back the damaging 2014-2015 Barceló budget that cut student services, instructional programs, career tech programs, childcare, faculty and staff—while increasing Administrative spending and salaries.

It is no wonder that both the faculty and the students voted no confidence in the Barceló Administration this April (see NEWS tab). Northern’s principle mission is “that of serving the educational needs of the people of Northern New Mexico.” It is clear that Nancy “Rusty” Barceló continues to turn her back on this mission and on our Valley. Since taking office in July 2010, President Barceló has received a monthly home allowance (though NNMC's Presidental quarters are located at the NNMC El Rito campus, paid in full with no further cost to tax payers), a monthly car allowance, a monthly phone allowance, full benefits, travel, and over $200,000 per year. In four disastrous academic years, Barceló has received approximately one-million dollars in public funds.

In a paid advertisement, which cost over $2,000, Barceló repeated a usual tactic of suggesting that the continued public concern over the college's decline under her leadership was merely a personal attack. She wrote, "Regardless of how people feel about myself, the current leadership or recent decisions, the college’s reputation is something we all take part in ... Sadly, misinformation and attacks obstruct opportunities to have civil conversations to address these important issues. This ultimately harms our community relationships and our ability to serve students" (9 May 2014, The Rio Grande Sun). Tellingly, in the costly full-color ad paid for with public funds, Barceló neglected to point to any actual instances of misinformation or inaccuracy. The students of NNMC and the greater community await a time when Barceló will be less focused on her personal reputation and instead realize that she is being held accountable for her record, rather than her rhetoric.

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Secret meeting Blames students and governor

8/18/2014

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On April 26, 0214, the NNMC Board of Regents voted to uphold the recommendations of NNMC President Nancy “Rusty” Barceló and her Executive Team, cutting the college’s Career Tech programs that included Automotive, Construction Trades and Radiologic Technology programs. These cuts also meant removing several tenured and tenure-track professors, instruction and program staff. Hundreds of members of NNMC and the larger public called, wrote, emailed and attended NNMC Board meetings in an effort to convince the Board that the budget that increased Administrative spending and salaries while cutting student services and instruction would have a lasting negative impact.

After the Board voted for all cuts recommended by Barceló and her Executive Team, Chair of the NNMC Board of Regents Rosario “Chayo” Garcia ended the April 26th meeting in tears, voice wavering. After collecting herself Garcia concluded, “I love this college; I love this community. And I’m afraid what’s happened the last few days will start an avalanche we’re not going to be able to control.”[i]

Chair Garcia was prescient—since the vote, Northern has seen several lawsuits filed by former employees, has lost a multimillion dollar federal grant, has been found in violation of a separate federal grant, has been investigated by the American Association of University Professors, has seen a rash of faculty resignations, has aggregated over 750 signatures in a petition against its 2014-2015 proposed budget, has short-paid its adjunct faculty after being unable to meet its basic operating expenses at the end of the fiscal year, and has lost attempts at a bond measure to build a no-bid $13-16 million dorm.

The out of control avalanche predicted by Chair Garcia is also seen in Northern’s fall enrollment, which shows an unprecedented and massive decline. NNMC’s Registrar Kathleen Sena reports fall enrollment as low as 400 full-time equivalent (FTE) students. This is over a two-thirds loss in FTE students since 2011 when FTE enrollment was at 1,254.[ii]

This month, Vice President of Institutional Advancement Ricky Serna took the extraordinary measure of over-riding the College’s financial disenrollment deadline (the date by which students are dropped for non-payment). Serna directed financial aid and admissions officers to ignore the disenrollment deadline for hundreds of students though they had not paid tuition and/or fees or otherwise made payment arrangements. Serna’s attempt to keep enrollment numbers up is telling of the desperation NNMC Administrators are feeling. Indeed, at the August 14th “Board Retreat,” Provost Pedro Martinez plainly stated, “We have to increase enrollment. No matter what.” VP of Advancement Serna echoed those remarks explaining, “We need more students to enroll period. We need to double the size of the institution.”[iii] Regent Powers disagreed with President Barceló, who was determined to argue that the enrollment decline was simply part of a statewide trend. “We stand out in the crowd,” corrected Regent Powers, “Our enrollment declines are very dramatic.”

President Barceló and the Board met for over three hours discussing the increasingly empty campus. Although Chair Garcia and Board Member Herrera made the case for the very Career Tech programs they cut just months ago, Board Member Branch reaffirmed his belief that the program and faculty cuts were wise. He explained that after asking for (and getting) hundreds of millions of dollars from the New Mexico Legislature to build state-of-the-art Automotive facilities, the efforts and money were ultimately worthless, “Do you need an AA to work at Jiffy Lube?” asked Branch.

Regarding low registration numbers, Regent Powers (whose son is enrolled at NMSU) and Provost Martinez (whose son is enrolled at Santa Fe Community College) both complained about the lack of sophistication of NNMC students. Pointing to late enrollment, Martinez complained, “Procrastination is part of the culture itself.” He also explained that retention rates were low because, “We get students who can’t do fractions. We have a large population of students… with certain deficits.” Chair Garcia agreed with Martinez adding, “They’re not mature enough.”

As watchers of Northern expect, in the meeting as with most, all roads lead to the issue of dorms. Regent Powers made a connection between declining enrollment and the lack of dorms at the Española campus. (The college has dorm facilities at the El Rito Campus, which have been more than adequate for for-profit summer conferences and the like). President Barceló’s Administration and the NNMC Board have tried for several years to push through a plan for a no-bid dorm project, which was most recently ignored by the New Mexico Board of Finance. (The Board of Finance found NNMC's proposal so lacking it did not bring funding NNMC’s dorm proposal up for vote).[iv]

Powers asked of the lack of Española campus dorms, “How much is it impacting enrollment?” The answers by NNMC Administrators were shockingly disparaging of both the Española Valley and NNMC students—perhaps because members of the public were not present. The assembled leaders of the college argued that for NNMC to survive it needed to move beyond the local community, recruiting from outside the Valley and out of state. They argued that outside-influence was critical to the success of local students.

“We have students who are sheltered by the valley. We’re not diverse... we’re homogenous,” noted VP of Advancement Serna. Board member Branch added that without dorms filled with out-of staters, there is no student life, just locals who "Go from class to car... Who do I meet? We know each other anyway.” Branch, a resident of Santa Fe, added it is unwise to recruit students into Española without dorms to separate them from the local community because of “certain social problems.” Provost Martinez further explained NNMC needs out-of staters to edify local students, “Our students are very provincial. Some of our students have never been out of the county.”

Agreeing with these assessments, Regent Powers declared, “We have to be sure this student housing thing gets placed high up in the priority list.” Regent Powers, appointed by Republican Governor Susana Martinez, attacked the New Mexico Board of Finance for not allowing NNMC a bond to fund the dorm project. Governor Martinez sits on the Board of Finance and was critical of the NNMC dorm plan at the July Board of Finance meeting.[v] Regent Branch asserted of Legislators who have refused to approve the no-bid dorm project, “We haven’t been treated properly on this.” Amplifying Branch’s comment, Powers stated, “There’s injustice here. We need to try to expose it.” The NNMC Study Group wonders how Governor Martinez might respond to charges of injustice by her Republican appointee, Mr. Powers, not to mention the absolute silence of Republican Chair Chayo Garcia when these charges were made by Regent Powers.

President Barceló and the members of the NNMC Board (with the exception of Board member Donald Martinez, who did not attend the “Board Retreat”) have exhibited continued intransigence even with unprecedented low enrollment numbers that threaten the survival of the college. The “Board Retreat” neglected to acknowledge the assembled leaders’ role in the college’s decline and instead blamed and insulted the students of the Valley, Legislators, the New Mexico Board of Finance, and Governor Martinez. President Nancy "Rusty" Barceló and the members of the NNMC Board are running out of students to insult and critics to blame. As Chair Garcia predicted, Northern is now being crushed by the avalanche Barceló and the Board initiated.

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[i] “NNMC Regents Approve Budget,” T.S. Last, Albuquerque Journal (27 April 2014). Available http://www.abqjournal.com/390393/news/nnmc-regents-approve-budget.html

[ii] “Northern Struggles with Retention, Enrollment Numbers,” Ralph Chapoco, The Rio Grande Sun (14 August 2014). Available http://www.riograndesun.com/articles/2014/08/14/news/education/doc53ebbb9fe442e550185678.txt

[iii] Audio of full “Board Retreat” available from below. The Board met as a quorum but did not give notice of their 4:00 to 7:45pm meeting as a public meeting, nor did they post the agenda of the meeting as required by the Open Meetings Act. The Board has not released the draft minutes of this meeting within 10 days as required by the Open Meetings Act.

[iv] See more at “NNMC Dorms: Indefinite Hold.” Available http://www.nnmcstudygroup.org/blog/nnmc-dorms-indefinite-hold

[v] The full New Mexico Board of Finance Meeting can be accessed http://governor-nm.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=1557 (Northern New Mexico College’s presentation is the last of the day and begins at 5:37 and continues until the meeting adjourns at 6:21.)

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northern: hispanic serving institution? not under barcelo's watch

Secret meeting Blames students and governor

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﻿Below: The beginning of the cost of re-branding ﻿

New Mexico Legislature on SB-603 NNMC Name Change Bill

Feb NNMC Regents Agenda

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