President's Message to Staff: June 2020
June 19, 2020
It’s Juneteenth! You don’t need me to tell you that we are likely to spend the next decades reflecting on our collective experience today. Global pandemic, economic crisis, and police brutality—all impacting communities of color disproportionately and strengthening the movement to end the institutional racism that has ever plagued our country. As we know, our University is not immune. Due to the hard work and initiative of some members, Staff Council created its newest standing committee in February, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This active committee is developing several initiatives to identify equity and inclusion strategies and advocate for underrepresented groups who experience racism and discrimination on campus. Please contact its leadership if you would like to help! And it is Juneteenth, reminding us to consider the astonishing and heartbreaking fact that some black people in 1865 had, in law, been freed from slavery for two and a half years and did not know it. I hope you are able to take part in some of the many celebrations taking place this weekend; here is a list of some. And for a look at Juneteenth in New Mexico history, listen to this terrific KUNM episode.
Staff Council Executive Committee On Tuesday, Staff Council voted in its 2020-21 Executive Committee. I am pleased to note that Ryan Gregg continues as Past President—more on that below. In addition, the new members are: Angela Beauchamp, Treasurer, Film and Digital Arts Armando Bustamonte, Grade At Large Representative, El Centro de la Raza Grace Faustino, Precinct At Large Representative, Office of the Vice President for Research Texanna Martin, Grade At Large Representative, Geography & Environmental Studies Scott Sanchez, President-Elect, Emergency Medicine and Alumni Relations Brian Vineyard, Precinct At Large Representative, Air Force ROTC Administration Tracy Wenzl, Speaker, Center for Advanced Research Computing I could not be happier with this team, all proven leaders, with a healthy mix of StaffCouncil experience and fresh perspective. I will tell you, though, the elections were tough. We have so many generous, smart, dedicated Staff Councilors, as we do Staff. I hope you will reach out to your representatives with your best ideas and any concerns. Any staff member can be a member of most committees; we would love your participation.
Staff Highlight In future, I hope and expect to have more time to recognize staff who have gone above and beyond. Nevertheless, I felt I could not forego this opportunity to mention the ARENA Legacy Award earned by Linda Mayo, Director of the Office of the Institutional Review Board (OIRB). Linda’s 17-year career at UNM has focused on promoting the safety and protection of people involved in human research. With the Mind Research Network, she studied the effects of using scientific jargon with participants; she helped UNM main and branch campuses obtain national accreditation for its Human Research Protections Program; and she co-founded the national Social, Behavioral, and Educational Research Network. Linda takes pride in mentoring young IRB professionals and contributing to the growth of her specialty. Congratulations, Linda!
I told you it has been a busy week. As past, future, and current Staff Councilpresidents, Ryan, Scott, and I were asked to write a letter to state legislators in support of all New Mexico Institutes of Higher Education (IHE), attached. As you know, the legislature’s Special Session started yesterday, in the main to amend the 2021 state budget given the downturn in projected revenues. Some legislators are considering reducing state money for IHE first by the amount the schools are receiving from the federal government through the CARES Act ($29.9 million). The Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) proposes an additional cut to our budgets, one could say to shoulder our fair share of the state’s budget shortfalls. In combination, this could mean a 7.8% cut to IHEs for FY21. The New Mexico Council of University Presidents, Association of Community Colleges, and Independent Community Colleges are leading the challenge against this ‘double whammy.’ The Associations point out that the CARES Act stimulus cannot be used for operational expenses. It is meant to address COVID-related extra costs--such as student refunds, direct payments to students in need, adaptations for social distancing, PPE-- as well as unexpected losses in incomedue to postponed elective surgeries and lost student housing and meal plans. By neutralizing the financial benefit of the CARES Act, the state would cause UNM and the other IHEs real harm. It will already be very challenging for departments to absorb the budget cuts that will be ultimately adopted. As other campus entities have, we therefore support the alternative options proposed by the Associations to mitigate financial harm. And by the way, if you are interested in seeing how the Special Session is going, you may observe the livestream.
Thank you to Ryan I would like to take this opportunity to thank our previous president, Ryan Gregg. I hope you agree he has been a most effective leader—astute, committed, and conscientious. Everyone on Staff Council has benefited from observing his decision-making and listening to his perspective. Ryan not only elevates staff as an entity on campus; he also brings attention to the fact that we are a diverse group of people in our backgrounds and in terms of what happens on campus. He highlights groups, sometimes small ones, for whom the University can make things a little better. Ryan consistently goes above and beyond to understand conditions and their causes and to act in ways that make sense. Far from being tired and letting go of that commitment, now Ryan is joining committees and has as many ideas as ever. I cannot wait to see the results.
Please do not hesitate to contact me, any Staff Councilor, or our Staff CouncilAdministrator, Amy Hawkins, with your feedback and ideas. Respectfully, Nancy L. Shane
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