HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 15

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Sharon Clahchischilliage

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO APPOINT A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF MINORITY FACULTY IN SCHOOLS OF SOCIAL WORK, SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY AT STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND REQUESTING A REPORT OF THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY TO THE APPROPRIATE INTERIM LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES.

     WHEREAS, the higher education department is the state commission on post-secondary education and is the state's planning agency for all levels of post-secondary education; and

     WHEREAS, the department, in consultation with all public post-secondary educational institutions, is required to develop and publish an annual statement of statewide educational needs and guidelines to assist the institutions in the development or modification of institutional strategic plans; and

     WHEREAS, the department also must submit to the governor and the legislature an annual accountability report that includes student progress and success by gender and by ethnicity and race; and

     WHEREAS, the department works closely with all public post-secondary educational institutions to improve the representation of New Mexico's diverse populations in the student bodies of the institutions; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico is a minority majority state and has a wide range of ethnic and racial groups represented in its citizenry that should be mirrored in the faculty of its colleges and universities; and

     WHEREAS, the department, with its focus on post-secondary educational planning and its collection of student diversity data, is positioned to identify and assess underrepresentation of minority groups in faculty positions at all levels of post-secondary education in the state; and

     WHEREAS, as part of its planning duties, the department could easily assist the colleges and universities to develop and implement long-range diversity plans for hiring faculty; and

     WHEREAS, there is a dearth of minority faculties, particularly in the fields of social work, sociology and psychology;

      NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the higher education department be requested to form a task force to study the representation of minorities in the faculties of social work, sociology and psychology programs in the public colleges and universities of New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department appoint members of the task force that represent the office on African American affairs; the national Hispanic cultural center; the national association for the advancement of colored people; the university of New Mexico Native American studies department; the all Indian pueblo council; the New Mexico alliance for Hispanic education; the southwest Hispanic research institute; and a dean or department head and a faculty member from each school, college or department of social work, sociology and psychology; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force and the department report on the results of the study to the appropriate interim legislative committees no later than August 1, 2015; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of higher education for appropriate distribution.

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