45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

REQUESTING THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO STUDY STAFFING PATTERNS FOR FULL- AND PART-TIME FACULTY AND CLASSIFIED STAFF AT NEW MEXICO'S INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RATIOS OF FULL- TO PART-TIME FACULTY AND CLASSIFIED STAFF TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF QUALITY HIGHER EDUCATIONAL LEARNING AND SERVICES.

WHEREAS, New Mexico's public colleges and universities are employing more part-time faculty and classified staff than at any other time in history; and

WHEREAS, there is a growing concern among New Mexico's citizens about these larger numbers of part-time faculty and classified staff, as well as their ability to provide quality higher education learning and services; and

WHEREAS, these part-time faculty and classified staff, while less expensive to employ, may not be providing quality higher educational learning and services; and

WHEREAS, there appear to be no guidelines or rules that New Mexico public colleges and universities use to determine whether hiring part-time faculty and staff instead of full-time personnel will be more or less effective in providing quality services; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to identify the number and ratio of full- and part-time faculty and classified staff employed by New Mexico's public colleges and universities; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to identify the reasoning for the employment of more part-time faculty and classified staff; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to determine whether or not part-time faculty and classified staff impact the institutions' abilities to provide quality higher education;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the commission on higher education be requested to perform a comprehensive study to gather information on the numbers and ratios of part-time faculty and classified staff employed by New Mexico's public colleges and universities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission on higher education include an analysis of the impact of differing ratios of part-time faculty and classified staff on the delivery of quality higher educational learning and services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission on higher education develop recommendations for reasonable ratios of full- and part-time faculty and classified staff that will enhance and maintain the delivery of quality higher educational learning and services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the findings and recommendations of this study be provided to the legislative education study committee by November 1, 2001; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the executive director of the commission on higher education, the superintendent of public instruction and the director of the legislative education study committee for appropriate distribution.