It's a new day at UNM-Gallup and I am thrilled to have come on board at such an exciting time in the institution's history. I feel a sense of optimism from the faculty and staff as we embark on this new campus year. We are still getting to know each other, but I believe the first steps are a promise of good things to come.

As UNM-Gallup's new Executive Director, I am focusing on several initiatives for 2009-2010. Chief among them is to launch a campus climate survey to establish a baseline of information and data that we can share with the campus and the community.  We will look at all aspects of the college, developing strategies to address important issues and concerns, and conclude the survey by measuring our outcomes.

We have also established a marketing task force to improve communication between our potential students and the college, and to raise our awareness of trends in the work force and economy. We want to be more nimble and strategic in our planning, and this task force will help us determine how that may best be done. We are also establishing a Sustainability Task Force, which will look at how the campus may become a leader in recycling, water and energy efficiency, using green materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and other areas.

On another front, we are celebrating a huge surge in enrollment for the fall semester, with the latest figures registering a 4.5 percent rise in head count and a 13.5 percent increase in credit hours over Fall of 2008. That means there are more students enrolled for more classes for Fall 2009 than for Fall 2008. While an enrollment increase is always good news for a college, it also presents challenges in terms of space, class size and ability to serve the student population. Fortunately, community colleges like UNM-Gallup can be more flexible in responding to these issues than many four-year institutions. We will also be considering how to respond to some of the findings and recommendations of the Talking Circles and campus conversations that were held before my arrival. Many members of the campus and the community participated in these conversations; we learned from them, and now we are ready to take action.

Finally, I want to say that although I arrive in New Mexico and at the University of New Mexico-Gallup during unsettling economic times, I am encouraged by the willingness of the administration, the faculty and the staff to join me in seeking creative solutions to our challenges. My focus in leadership will be to help foster an institutional vision of looking ahead rather than behind, and being ready to meet challenges rather than merely react as they arise. I believe we are off to a good start in that direction, and that by following this road, we will improve our ability to help our students realize their dreams.

Sylvia Rodriguez Andrew, Ph.D.
Executive Director