Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance

committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).

Adobe PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and

attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

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

SPONSOR Gutierrez

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/31/06

HB 194

SHORT TITLE NMSU Undergraduate Research Program

SB

ANALYST Earp

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$700.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates:

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

New Mexico State University (NMSU)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 194 appropriates $700,000 from general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico

State University (NMSU) to establish a campus-wide faculty-mentored undergraduate research

program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $700,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall revert

to the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

This proposal was submitted to the Higher Education Department (HED) by NMSU as a compo-

House Bill 194 – Page

2

nent of the university’s “strategic research clusters initiative” which was ranked #5 out of 9 re-

quests for special program expansion. However, this request was not included in HED’s fiscal

year 2007 funding recommendations to the Legislature.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The following are among the performance outcomes anticipated by NMSU:

•

Recruitment of 100-200 undergraduates to the program in 2006 with the enrollment po-

tentially growing each year by a similar amount until 500-1,000 students are involved in

cluster-related research and associated research endeavors.

•

Retention of undergraduate students will increase from 60% to greater than 80% for those

in the program.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

NMSU would administer the proposed undergraduate research program. The university cur-

rently manages a similar program for graduate student research.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Information provided by NMSU states that intent of this legislation is to of establish a coordi-

nated, campus-wide undergraduate research program at NMSU that is closely tied to statewide

cross-disciplinary technology initiatives and will supply the workforce required to propel the

state into a position of national leadership in key sectors while increasing recruitment and reten-

tion of New Mexico’s K-12 students. The initiative builds on New Mexico State’s new research

clusters and complements a graduate research program initiated last year. The goal is to leverage

existing research and lottery scholarship funds to establish an undergraduate research enterprise

that would support 100-200 students initially and evolve to 500-1000 students in five years (add-

ing 100-200/yr), each working in a research team with faculty and graduate students. Involving

students in research endeavors early in their careers establishes relationships with faculty, other

students (graduate and undergraduate) with like interests, and staff members. By providing men-

torship of faculty and graduate students in addition to engagement in meaningful research, such

programs significantly increase student retention. Research has demonstrated that the retention

rate for undergraduate students involved in mentored research programs is over 90%.

In summary, NMSU reports that this bill is part of the re-invention and integration of research

and education at NMSU. The proposed program engages students and faculty in shared research

activities that support students through their individual programs of study while leveraging exist-

ing resources to create a nurturing environment for undergraduates. Moreover, it creates a criti-

cal mass of expertise necessary for bringing additional research and development funds to New

Mexico.

DKE/mt