46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO APPOINT AS THE NEXT QUALIFIED ELECTOR MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY A MEMBER OF AN INDIAN NATION, TRIBE OR PUEBLO LOCATED IN NEW MEXICO AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE GOVERNOR FOR APPOINTING A MEMBER OF AN INDIAN NATION TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO.

WHEREAS, the board of regents of the university of New Mexico has seven members, six of whom are qualified electors of the state and one of whom is a student; and

WHEREAS, one of the qualified elector members of the board of regents of the university of New Mexico is a member of the Navajo Nation and is the second member of an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo to serve on the university of New Mexico board of regents in recent years; and

WHEREAS, the board of regents of New Mexico state university has five members, four of whom are qualified electors of the state and one of whom is a student; and

WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico and New Mexico state university have the highest enrollment of Native Americans of all the state four-year post-secondary educational institutions; and

WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico and New Mexico state university have high attrition rates for Native American students, higher than for any other group of students; and

WHEREAS, education has been found to be one of the most significant factors in determining the economic success and quality of life of a person as an adult; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the state of New Mexico and the Indian nations, tribes and pueblos in New Mexico to attempt to do whatever is necessary to help Native American students complete their college educations; and

WHEREAS, policy for the university of New Mexico and New Mexico state university is set by the board of regents of those institutions, and the will to identify the reasons for Native American student attrition at those schools and then to solve the problems and to emphasize retention of Native American students will only occur when the boards of regents of those schools recognize the loss of Native American students as a challenge that must be addressed; and

WHEREAS, having a representative of an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo on the board of regents provides a voice that can bring focus to the issue of Native American student attrition rates at the university of New Mexico and New Mexico state university and thereby elevate the awareness of the need to support Native American student education and retention programs for Native American students;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governor be requested to make his next qualified elector appointment to the board of regents of New Mexico state university a member of an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo located in New Mexico; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor be acknowledged for his recent appointment of a member of the Navajo Nation to the board of regents of the university of New Mexico and that he be encouraged to continue to appoint members of Indian nations, tribes and pueblos to that board to maintain a tribal voice in creation of policy for the university of New Mexico; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor be encouraged to confer with the governments of the tribes in the state to identify nominees for positions on boards and commissions so that the members appointed will truly represent the voices of the Indian nations, tribes and pueblos in the state; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the people appointed be concerned about the number of Native American students who begin college but fail to complete college and be willing to advocate for programs to increase the retention of Native American students and the success of Native American students who enter the university of New Mexico and New Mexico state university; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor of New Mexico, the governors and councils of the nineteen Indian pueblos located in New Mexico, the president of the Navajo Nation, the president of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the president of the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the boards of regents of the university of New Mexico and New Mexico state university.