DAILY LOBO new mexico
Fashion Q &A see page 7
January 20, 2011
thursday The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
‘WE DON’T HAVE ANY FAT LEFT’ Committee recommends cutting LAII funding to balance budget by Kallie Red-Horse
A
kallie69@unm.edu
recent cost-containment recommendation could force the Latin American and Iberian Institute to close up shop. The Provost’s review committee drafted a report recommending the LAII begin to transition from a University-funded to an externally funded budget, but LAII Director Susan Tiano said it is impossible. “Depending on how they cut us, we might have to close our doors,” she said. “The kinds of grants that we can apply for are mostly direct services to students and faculty — they don’t pay for administrative costs. If they take our budget away, there will be no staff to provide the programs or manage the projects and most of the grants that we get require institutional support or commitment.” The Provost’s review committee Chair Leo Romero said the committee based its recom-
“We are not calling off the idea of a protest in the future, but at this point we are just trying to communicate with the administration.” ~Lucinda Grinnell Graduate Student
mendation to withdraw LAII funding on documents provided by the institute. “We reviewed the report submitted by the Latin American Institute,” he said. “They submitted it to us in terms of what their functions were, their budgets were and what their staffing was. We basically were relying on information provided to us by the LAII.” The institute has already taken budget hits in recent years, said Amanda Wolfe, LAII associate director for program development. “We don’t have any fat left, and if there is a perception that we do, it is vastly incorrect,” she said. The LAII funds about 75 students annually through scholarships, fellowships and travel grants, Tiano said. Graduate student Lucinda Grinnell said a group of graduate students will publicly deliver letters to President Schmidly today opposing the recommendations. She said the LAII provides fellowships and funding that allow graduates to conduct research in Latin America. “We are not calling off the idea of a protest in the future, but at this point we are just trying to communicate with the administration,” she said. Provost Suzanne Ortega said money for meeting grant requirements could come from several places on campus. She said the recommendations are strictly preliminary strategies.
DE
Lack of funding leaves chem labs ‘outdated, hazardous’ by Ruben Hamming-Green rhamminggreen@gmail.com
The University has been left scrambling for funds to renovate Riebsomer Hall in the wake of Bond D’s failure at the November elections. The Board of Regents unanimously voted to reallocate $3 million toward the renovations from other sources, but University spokeswoman Karen Wentworth said that $12 million more is needed. Bond D would have provided $10 million for the renovation. “UNM will request critical capital outlay funds from the 2011 session of the New Mexico State Legislature, but no one knows whether any money will come from that source,” she said. David Bear, interim chair of the chemistry department, said without renovations the chemistry labs are outdated and potentially hazardous. “The things that were considered safe in 1950 are not necessarily the same things that are considered safe in 2011,” he said. “The ventilation really needs to be better. On top of that, the research laboratories have not had any renovations done to them at all, with the exception of one lab on the top, since 1966. They’re just in grave need of repair.” Bear said the department does not have sufficient facilities to attract new professors.
S P E R ATE
ti m e s
see LAII page 3
GPSA supports extended Lottery by Ruben Hamming-Green rhamminggreen@gmail.com
House Bill 62, which would extend the time period students can apply for the Lottery Scholarship, was a hot topic of conversation at Wednesday’s GPSA Executive Board meeting. The bill, introduced by Rep. Bill O’Neill, would allow students to defer the Lottery Scholarship for one year. Right now, students must attend college immediately after high school graduation in order to qualify for the scholarship. President Lissa Knudsen said GPSA actively supports the bill. “It’s a great amendment,” she said. “I think students support it, and (O’Neill) is looking for us to provide him with a lot of support. I strongly hope that we can be organized enough to get people to send e-mails, to go up and talk to legislators.” Knudsen said GPSA members would testify at committees in support of the bill. Though the scholarship does not directly support graduate students, she said the bill would affect teachers and graduate assistants. “We have found, at least personally, that in the classroom, students who don’t have to worry about
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 115
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“The things that were considered safe in 1950 are not necessarily the same things that are considered safe in 2011.” ~David Bear Chemistry Department Chair He said with five professors retiring in the next five to 10 years, filling open slots will be challenging. The regents reallocated $500,000 from the Emergency Building Renewal fund to finance renovations. This money will be spent on bathrooms, roof and flooring renovations. About $2.5 million will come from the UNM 2007 Bond Fund and will go toward the solar energy lab, the organic chemistry teaching lab and various laboratory equipment, Wentworth said. Student Jessica Friedman said the lab conditions have been an issue. She said faulty equipment in the labs was also a recurring problem. “They’re really out of date. They’re really filthy,” she said. “After you’ve been using a lab for so many decades, it just gets covered in chemicals — and dangerous ones too.” Melissa Vargas, the Provost’s Office’s strategic planner, said funding for renovations to the chemistry building outweigh the need to complete the Castetter Hall addition. Only one story of the three-story addition will be operational.
Amanda Best shoots over Utah’s Iwalani Rodrigues on Wednesday at The Pit. The Lobos dropped to 0-4 in the Mountain West Conference play with a 56-53 loss to the Utes. See page 10 for full story.
funding and who are better prepared to learn are easier to teach,” she said. “And it creates a better classroom environment.” O’Neill said his bill faces obstacles, mainly a tight state budget, and it needs student support to pass. “In no way do I want to jeopardize the long-term sustainability of this wonderful Lottery Scholarship program that we have in this state, but it merits discussion,” he said. “It’s really hard to take time off to come all the way up to Santa Fe ... but even a handful of students who are committed to seeing this pass would be great.”
Laurisa Galvan Daily Lobo
- Don’t Forget The Daily Lobo Design Contest ends Monday, January 24th. Go to DailyLobo.com, download our flag, and redesign it. E-mail your submissions to EditorInChief@DailyLobo.com. The winning design will be featured on the front page of the Daily Lobo.
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