Daily lobo new mexico
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
SUMMER June 16-22, 2014 | Volume 118 | Issue 157
Activist Police oversight reforms postponed professor granted tenure
David Correia / Correia Promotion
by Chloe Henson David Correia recently earned a promotion and tenure, but University administration said his local activism was not a factor in the decision. Correia, who is now an associate professor in the American Studies Department, has been a prominent figure in campaigns regarding the Albuquerque Police Department. He was arrested for alleged battery on a security officer two weeks ago during a demonstration in the mayor’s office.In a statement released by the University, the process of determining whether an instructor at the University achieves tenure is unrelated to the employee’s off-campus actions. “The tenure process is independent of personal political activity,” according to the statement. Correia will receive a $4,000 increase in compensation, according to another administrative statement. Correia said most of classes focus on the politics and history around environmental struggles in New Mexico. He started looking at APD after studying police violence in the 1970s, which was a central part of a Chicano movement’s struggle for land, he said. “What I’ve been trying to do all along, even now, is remind people that there’s a really long history to the story of police violence in Albuquerque, and also in New Mexico,” he said. Correia has taught at the University for six years, and has been on the tenure track since 2011. The anticipated period of review before promotion to associate professor is six years, according to the UNM Faculty Handbook. A promotion to the rank of associate professor is usually considered along with granting the assistant professor tenure. When reviewing a professor for tenure, the department looks at four categories: teaching, scholarly work, service and personal characteristics, according to the handbook. Despite his involvement in the movement for APD reform, Correia said it’s not his job to indoctrinate students into the movement. He said students should learn how
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Sergio Jiménez / D aily Lobo / @SXfoto
Dinah Vargas shouts to fellow protesters that she has been trying to get Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry’s office on the phone June 9. Vargas, along with 50 other protesters, met in front of Albuquerque City Hall before the start of the City Council meeting last week.
by Chloe Henson The Albuquerque City Council has postponed two pieces of legislation that would have abolished the Police Oversight Commission. Last week council members discussed a bill sponsored by Councilor Rey Garduño and Councilor Brad Winter that would have abolished the POC on Dec. 31 and replaced it with a Civilian Police Oversight Agency. Winter moved to postpone the matter until Aug. 18. The second legislation, cosponsored by Councilor Isaac Benton and Council President Ken Sanchez, was also postponed. The bill would have immediately suspended the operation of the POC, pending the establishment of a new system. The matter will be heard on Aug. 4. Peter Simonson, executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, said
he believes there is an urgency to reform the commission, but there are further opportunities that could be explored with the new CPOA. There have been several attempts at establishing sufficient oversight in Albuquerque since the 1970s, he said. “I feel strongly that we need to get it right this time,” he said. “I would urge us to defer this measure: Let’s take some more time and really make sure that we have something that’s going to work, not just now, but well into the future.” In April, the Department of Justice released a report that stated the Albuquerque Police Department frequently engages in excessive use of force. The report stated that deficiencies in oversight have enabled the excessive force to continue. “Albuquerque’s external oversight structure could do much more to address unreasonable uses of deadly force,” according to the report.
While he consented to deferring the proposal, Garduño said his initial reaction to postponing the bill was negative. He said the council shouldn’t keep postponing legislation because it isn’t perfect. The council could amend the legislation at any time if the need arose, he said. “I don’t want us to think we’re going to be able to do this forever just because we think that we’re going to find the ultimate answer, because I don’t think there is such a thing,” he said. Sanchez said he was pleased that the legislation was being deferred. “I think it’s going to take a little more time,” he said. “I think it’s paramount that we incorporate some of these changes that the Department of Justice is going to recommend.” Chloe Henson is news editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or at Twitter @ ChloeHenson5.
Protesters not deterred by arrests by Chloe Henson
Last week’s City Council meeting started alongside a crowd of about 50 protesters who gathered outside City Hall about an hour before the meeting. Citizens stood across the street chanting demands to see Mayor Richard Berry. Some members of the protest went into the meeting, while others were not allowed onto the premises. “Because of the charges against me, I have a criminal trespassing
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Progress made on UNM 2020 goals by Zach Pavlik
President’s Report During his administrative report at the Board of Regents meeting Friday, UNM President Robert Frank spoke about student financial assistance, progress on UNM 2020 goals and a revised budget process. It is the University’s job to provide the possibility of an education to all students who desire one, regardless of their financial situations, Frank said. “We have to help those kids who come here to us economically damaged move through, become educated and then contribute to New Mexico’s economy,” he said. Frank said the University should look into the possibilities of the Legislative Lottery Scholarship
covering summer classes as well. UNM’s current graduation rate is 48.2 percent, Frank said. Though this is the highest graduation rate in the University’s history, Frank said he sees more work to be done. The current four-year graduation rate is 15.8 percent, he said. The UNM 2020 target areas are being focused on and progress is being made, he said. He said 773 incoming students have had an ACT score of 26 or higher — an increase of 6 percent from the previous year. The number of international students at the University has risen by 5 percent to 1,115, and the number of UNM students studying abroad went up 9 percent to 661, Frank said.
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Sergio Jiménez / Daily Lobo / @SXfoto
Graduate & Professional Student Association President Texanna Martin, left, and Associated Students of the University of New Mexico President Rachel Williams read the agenda at the Board of Regents meeting Friday. It was Martin and Williams’ first Regents meeting as heads of student government.