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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Altamirano		DATE TYPED:	01/31/02		HB
SHORT TITLE:		WNMU Active Learning Project				SB	188
					ANALYST:		Baca

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY02

FY03

FY02

FY03

$105.0

Non-Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis () Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB 27

Relates to HB 51 and HB 249

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 188 appropriates $105,000 to the Board of Regents of Western New Mexico University (WNMU) to implement the ACTIVE Learning Project and the Gila Instructional Network.

(ACTIVE is an acronym for Authentic, Competency-Based, Technology-enhanced, Integrated, Versatile and Evaluative.)

Significant Issues

Senate Bill 188 supports two projects proposed by Western New Mexico University: The ACTIVE Learning Project and the Gila Instructional Network.

The Active Learning Project involves teams of WNMU’s faculty and pre-service teachers who will develop and use teaching units designed for integration with technology. According to CHE, this proposal was included in WNMU’s funding request for FY2002-2003 and submitted for review as part of CHE’s Information Technology process. WNMU’s request for $138.4 request was ranked

14th out of 15 priorities adopted by the CHE, and $80.0 was recommended as part of the

Significantly Needed Requests in the “2002-2003 Capital Project Recommendations for Higher Education.” The level of funding available for distribution by CHE prevented the funding of all projects submitted or funding some projects at the requested level.

The CHE analysis states that “The Gila Instructional Consortium is a partnership of public schools in Quemado, Lordsburg, Reserve, and Magdalena, WNMU, and Western New Mexico Telephone Company. This project will link rural communities with an Internet-Protocol (IP) based network that will deliver two-way video, voice and data communications. This capability will be used to increase access to advanced placement courses in four rural school districts, and to provide continuing education for professionals in the area. This proposal was included in the WNMU funding requests for FY 2002-03, submitted for review as part of the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education’s (CHE) Information Technology Projects process. This request, for $154,040, was ranked as the CHE's 15th priority of 15 IT projects and funding for $25,000 was recommended as part of the Significantly Needed Requests in the "2002-2003 Capital Project Recommendations for Higher Education".

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $105.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY2003 shall revert to the general fund.

According to the CHE, the ACTIVE Learning Project includes the purchase of needed equipment and technical support to train faculty and students. The Gila Instructional Network will provide courses and training for users at each partner's location. The public schools and WNMU have also provided matching funds. For each project, the CHE's intent is to provide initial funding support that would then be incorporated into future institutional budget

CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP

Senate Bill 188 duplicates HB 237, WNMU Active Learning Project, and is related to HB 51 WNMU Web-Based Teacher Licensing, and HB 248 NM Junior College's Virtual College.

LB/njw:ar