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

SPONSOR Ortiz y Pino

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/1/07

HB

SHORT TITLE UNM Chicano, Hispano, & Mexicano Studies

SB 405

ANALYST Guambaña

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$254.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 405 appropriates $254,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of the

University of New Mexico (UNM) to support the Chicano, Hispano, Mexicano Studies Program

at UNM.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $254,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General Fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall revert to the

General Fund.

HED reports that this request was submitted by UNM to the Department for review but is not

included in their funding recommendation for FY08. According to HED, the current program

budget of $130,662 is funded by UNM.

Senate Bill 405 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

HED states that the Chicano, Hispano, Mexicano Studies Program is interdisciplinary and

contains a service/outreach component. The program enables students to improve Spanish

language fluency and increase their knowledge of contemporary Hispanic cultures.

HED and UNM assert that appropriations from Senate Bill 405 will be used as follows:

•

Hire tenure track professors, lectures;

•

Provide financial support for graduate assistants, student advisor, and work study

workers;

•

Upgrade the salary for the Director and the Administrative Assistant; and

•

Provide funds for community outreach activities.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

Per HED, the program will track student enrollments and the retention and graduation rates of

Hispanic students. Exit interviews of graduates of the program will be implemented. The

program will conduct annual program assessment and undergraduate review, and evaluation will

be conducted through the Office of the Provost. Research and community service components of

the program will be reviewed and analyzed as well.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

HED states that the Chicano, Hispano, & Mexicano Studies Program will coordinate the hiring

of three Full Time Employee (FTE) faculty, one and one-half FTE faculty, two graduate

assistants, one student advisor, and work study students. The funding would additionally

upgrade the salaries of the Director and Administrative Assistant.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

HED maintains that the Chicano, Hispano, & Mexicano Studies Program is housed under

University College at UNM. The program has been in existence at UNM for more than thirty

years and has no tenure track faculty position. There are two FTEs (a lecturer and an instructor)

who teach courses and are dedicated solely to Chicano studies. Other UNM professors offer

courses cross-listed in other departments.

AG/csd