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

SPONSOR Robinson

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/12/07

HB

SHORT TITLE UNM Film & Digital Media Program

SB 757

ANALYST Leger

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$700.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB 379, SB 384, SB 758

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 757 appropriates $700 thousand from the general fund to the board of regents of the

university of New Mexico for the film and digital media program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $700 thousand 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.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to HED funds appropriated in SB 757 would pay for personnel for the Film and

Digital program. The Film and Digital Program at UNM will provide both undergraduate and

graduate students with a professional training in all creative, technical, and scientific aspects of

film and digital media.

Senate Bill 757 – Page

2

The Film and Digital Media Program will allow UNM to realize four educational and research

objectives for the State of New Mexico:

1.

Integrate Filmmaking and Digital Media: develop a systematically integrated

interdisciplinary program that brings together usually distinct film schools and digital

media labs;

2.

Build a Native New Mexican Hollywood: an integrated film and digital media industry

that serves the unique cultural diversity of New Mexico, with particular attention to

Native American and Hispanic peoples;

3.

Train the citizens of New Mexico: Phase 1: Establish BFA/BS program starting with 50+

students annually majoring in film and digital media; Phase 2: Establish MFA/MS

program starting with 20+ students annually earning graduate degrees in film and digital

media;

4.

Foster Research: generate sponsored research in partnership with the film and digital

media industry starting annually with 3M+

A request for $4,755,900 ($607,200 recurring for personnel and $4,148,700 non-recurring for

capital expenses) was submitted to HED for review, but is not included in the funding

recommendation for FY08.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

According to UNM’s Dean of College of Fine Arts, Christopher Mead, four year projections

have the Film and Digital Media program with more than 200 students enrolled in the

undergraduate program by starting with 50+ students annually majoring in film and digital media

per year. The graduate program's second phase will begin in four years.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

SB 379 appropriates $50 thousand to EDD to promote film and media enterprises in NM.

SB 384 appropriates $500 thousand to HED to support film and media employment training and

student productions.

SB 758 appropriates $500 thousand to EDD to support film and media employment training and

student productions.

JL/csd