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

SPONSOR Nava

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/26/08

HB

SHORT TITLE NMSU Pre-Freshman Engineering Program

SB 90

ANALYST Cox

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$360.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Department of Higher Education (HED)

New Mexico State University (NMSU)

State Department of Public Education (PED)

Responses Received From

Department of Higher Education (HED)

New Mexico State University (NMSU)

State Department of Public Education (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Original Bill

Senate Bill 90 provides three hundred sixty thousand dollars ($360,000) to the Board of Regents

of New Mexico State University (NMSU) for a summer pre-freshman engineering program to

enhance recruitment and retention of freshmen engineering students.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The HED’s evaluation table of FY09 Research and Public Service Projects provided to the LFC

classifies this project as a “supports state priorities" project. Reasons for this classification

decision are not provided. (LFC Report 07-20, Higher Education Department Review of

Selected Research and Public Service Projects, January 12, 2008, Table 4, p74.)

950

Senate Bill 90 – Page

2

This request was submitted by NMSU to the New Mexico Higher Education Department for

review. Funding for this program in FY07 and FY08 was obtained via private grants and

contracts. NMSU is now asking for General Fund appropriation to expand the program to

additional students. It is not included in the Department’s executive funding recommendation

for FY09.

The appropriation of three hundred sixty thousand dollars ($360,000) contained in this bill is a

recurring expense to the General Fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at

the end of Fiscal Year 2009 shall revert to the General Fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

PED states the following:

Begun in 1997, the NMSU Pre-Freshmen Engineering Program (PREP) is an intensive

mathematics-based pre-college summer program that provides educational enrichment for

approximately 200 achieving middle and high school students. Participants learn logic, algebraic

structures, physics, and technical writing and participate in field trips that provide an opportunity

for hands-on learning. This program seeks to stimulate interest of underrepresented students in

the field of science, engineering, and mathematics. NMSU reports that over the past decade, over

800 mid-school and high school students from Hatch, Las Cruces, and Gadsden have

successfully completed some level of PREP. Of those completing the survey, 136 of the students

are currently in college and 100% of the students that finish PREP are high school graduates.

Ninety percent of those in college are enrolled at NMSU. They are requesting state funding to

continue this program in future years; expand access to the program to additional students; and

include the Deming school district for students from Luna County and Alamogordo Public

Schools in Otero County. They envision developing PREP into a statewide program in future

years.

NMSU notes:

New Mexico needs to improve K-12 education and student retention in order to ensure a

continuing pipeline for future leaders in the technical and engineering areas. Additionally due to

various emerging environmental regulations, rural communities throughout New Mexico need to

receive on-going training, education and outreach on the potential impact of the new regulations

on their community. This bill would provide funds for expansion of the statewide K-12 program

for middle and high school students, as well as rural communities throughout the state starting

with Dona Ana, Luna, and Otero. The program would be delivered by New Mexico State

University’s College of Engineering-IEE/WERC Program.

HED has also noted:

This appropriation would expand the existing operating budget of PREP with the intention of

enhancing recruitment and retention efforts of freshman engineering students. According to

NMSU, the Pre-Freshman Engineering Program (PREP) that is administratively located at

NMSU College of Engineering Institute for Energy and the Environment, will increase K-12 and

community outreach and training programs statewide

PRC/nt