A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, IN CONSULTATION WITH PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION AND THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE, TO STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE ON A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROCESS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION.

WHEREAS, the executive and legislative branches of New Mexico state government have demonstrated their commitment to effective performance evaluation of agencies and programs through the enactment of the Accountability in Government Act; and

WHEREAS, the commission on higher education appointed a blue ribbon task force to recommend improvements to the formula mechanisms used to distribute funds to public post-secondary educational institutions; and

WHEREAS, the blue ribbon task force developed a new funding mechanism that includes incentives for successful performance and recommended to the legislature the creation and funding of the higher education performance fund; and

WHEREAS, the commission on higher education, public post-secondary educational institutions and executive and legislative representatives have all indicated support for this revised funding mechanism; and

WHEREAS, development of appropriate performance measures and assessment criteria requires careful analysis and discussion to ensure that these performance evaluation processes are rigorous and successfully integrated with the provisions of the Accountability in Government Act;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the commission on higher education, in consultation with the public post-secondary educational institutions, the department of finance and administration and the legislative finance committee, be requested to develop a comprehensive recommendation for implementing a performance evaluation process that will become the basis for distribution of funds appropriated to the higher education performance fund; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission on higher education report its recommendations to the legislative finance committee and the department of finance and administration by September 30, 2003; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the commission on higher education for distribution to public post-secondary educational institutions and to the legislative finance committee and the department of finance and administration.