Brief Analysis of Proposed Constitutional Amendment 2
2014
Summary of Proposed Constitutional Amendment 2
Constitutional Amendment 2 would amend Article 12, Section 13 of the Constitution of New Mexico to add Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) to the group of state educational institutions that are required to have a member of the student body on the board of regents. This amendment, if approved by voters, provides that the next vacant position on NNMC's board will be filled by an NNMC student who is selected from a list of candidates compiled by NNMC's president and who is appointed by the governor to serve a two-year term. The amendment also requires NNMC's president to give due consideration to the recommendations of the college's student body president when compiling the list of candidates. Background and Information Regarding Northern New Mexico College and State Educational Institution Boards of Regents
The Northern New Mexico State School in El Rito is one of 10 state educational institutions established in Article 12 of the Constitution of New Mexico. Originally known as the Spanish-American School, this institution was created in 1909 as a "normal school", with a primary focus on training teachers. As the curriculum grew, the school began offering a variety of two-year associate's degrees and, eventually, changed its name to "Northern New Mexico College" in 1959. The Constitution of New Mexico prescribes that each of the state educational institutions is to be managed by separate boards of regents, some of which include student members and some of which do not. Students were added in 1994 to the boards of all six institutions that offer four-year post-secondary education programs. NNMC began offering four-year degree programs in 2004. Duties of State Educational Institution Boards of Regents
The Constitution of New Mexico states that the board of regents for each institution, pursuant to direction from the legislature, is responsible for the control and management of the institution. The legislature has specifically set out, by statute, the rights and obligations of the boards of regents. Those statutes provide that regents, including student regents where applicable, have responsibilities that include: 1) determining requirements for admission; 2) establishing fees; 3) coordinating scholarship programs; 4) establishing a tenure review process for faculty; 5) acquiring land for a campus or building site; 6) borrowing money; 7) issuing bonds; and 8) providing boarding for students.
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