By Mary Alice Murphy
Western New Mexico University President Joseph Shepard led off remarks during the open forum for the community to give input on the university's identity.
"A couple of years ago, we went through a budget reduction of $5 million," Shepard explained. "Now, in spite of this year's legislative decision to cut higher education budgets, and we will lose $600,000, we are well ahead of the other universities. Our reserves are healthy. Being proactive is important for universities.
"This forum is to discuss what we as a community want in terms of a university," Shepard continued.
He said seven years ago, the iPad did not exist. "Our daughter is studying operational data, which is a totally new industry."
"The question of identify is important," Shepard said. "The Board of Regents began to wrestle with new programs. Lots of universities are competing for the same students. What is our responsibility culturally in this community?"
In 1893, the Territorial Legislature of New Mexico established the Normal School in Silver City. By September 1894, the first students enrolled.
"We, at one time, had our own high school," Shepard said. "We became known as the university that created the best teachers."
Nowadays, he said, all universities have an education department, an English department, a biology department, and so on.
"People have moved here because of the college and the hospital," Shepard said. "And we know the Gila Wilderness is important.
"The board identified possible aspects to specialize in," he said.
They include rural education, because rural schools have a hard time filling positions. "I said people moved here because of the hospital. They want quality medical care. Doctors are moving to urban centers, but we do have telemedicine now. Gila Regional flies in oncologists once a week, so rural health care is important."
The third item the board identified was international study. "From here, you can go anywhere. Why come here from somewhere else?" Shepard asked and answered. "The state is reliant for its revenue on gas and oil. How do we diversify the economy? How do we get international?"
He noted that because the area is bilingual, many students come from Spain or Mexico. "Some day we will no longer have copper mines."
"With applied liberal arts, students learn how to communicate and think," Shepard said. "You can teach a person how to work in a bank. Now people get a bachelor's degree and then go on to a master's degree in a specialty."
The final area the regents have discussed is law enforcement. "It's as much about psychology as it is enforcement. Most states don't require a bachelor's degree for law enforcement."
"That's a preamble about what the board has discussed," Shepard concluded. "Now we want to hear from you."
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Jack Crocker spoke next.
"We also went through a new strategic planning process," Crocker said. "The topic of who we are came up. The university just turned 123 years old. Times change. The context for students to find work is changing.
"In the most recent survey of more than 400 businesses, 87 percent asked for these top skills in new hires," Crocker said.
They include:
1) Communication skills, oral, written and listening;
2) Critical thinking and problem solvingG