The WNMU Board of Regents met on September 10, in a hybrid sessionSILVER CITY, NM — The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents met in a hybrid session at the J. Cloyd Miller Library on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Chair Steven Neville presided over the meeting, joined by Regents John V. Wertheim, Keana Huerta, J. Dean Reed and Gregory Trujillo, as well as the executive leadership team.
The Regents tackled critical infrastructure needs, reviewed staff compensation findings, and heard encouraging enrollment updates during the regular session.
In his first official report to the Board of Regents, President Jose E. Coll reported that the university will have a WNMU Day during the upcoming legislative session in early 2027. Coll also reported strong momentum in undergraduate recruitment, highlighting a 20% year-over-year increase in first-time undergraduate enrollment. Coll and university leadership underscored that ongoing student retention and campus housing capacity remain top priorities for WNMU.
Campus residential halls are currently operating at 98% overall capacity—with Mustang Village at 102% and Muir Heights at 94%—prompting strategic planning for future residential expansions through public-private partnerships.
Executive Director of Admissions and Recruitment Andrew Lunt noted that campus tours reached 94 booked sessions, bringing 529 visitors to campus, while Spring Discovery Day achieved a 94% return on investment for registered students. International student numbers reached 104 total, and graduate applications grew 30% year over year.
Although dual enrollment numbers fell 41% after a recent state rule change removed mandatory high school participation, Coll confirmed this decrease does not fiscally affect institutional funding under the current higher education funding formula.
In governance and financial business led by Vice President for Business Affairs Kelley Riddle, the board approved the unadjusted and unaudited fourth-quarter financial certification for fiscal year 2026 and the annual endowment report showing $120,000 in drawdowns for student and faculty support. Regents also approved the FY28 Research and Public Service Projects requests for submission to the New Mexico Higher Education Department and top-priority Major Capital Funds (HB8) project requests focused on housing design, student recreation and baseball facility upgrades.
The approved RPSP submission features targeted funding increases for athletics transport safety, the Web-Based Network for Teacher Licensure (NETL), teacher mentoring network, the Early Childhood Center of Excellence at WNMU, and a new request for the Cultural Affairs Program.
Faculty Senate President Gregory Robinson-Guerra, PhD, and Staff Senate President Dean Foster also delivered updates outlining ongoing shared governance priorities, committee policies and staff recognition programs.
Additionally, the board received an informational staff compensation study presentation from Riddle and Stacie Jackson of Valliant Consulting Group. Jackson presented the findings of the study initiated in January 2026 to establish a competitive external market salary structure for WNMU staff. While data showed most staff fall within competitive ranges, roughly 48% of non-represented members fall below grade minimums. Bringing those positions to minimum thresholds and addressing broader salary compression will require significant financial investment. Administration is collaborating with shared governance groups to draft a comprehensive implementation plan to enhance equity and support staff.
The meeting concluded following a call for public comment. A recording of the meeting is posted on the WNMU Board Meetings video archive webpage at: https://wnmu.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Sessions/List.aspx#folderID=%225adab8d0-1f22-4dc1-926e-ad6b013b0012%22.
The next Board of Regents meeting will be held on Thursday, December 10, preceding fall Commencement.
