The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents met on campus in Silver City on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Pictured from left to right are the regents: Dr. Dan Salzwedel, Arlean Murillo, Jerry A. Walz, Janice Baca-Argabright and Dr. Carl Foster.Silver City, NM – The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents debated the methodology behind salary studies, approved a number of changes to policy, promoted 20 faculty members, approved tenure for six faculty members, granted emeritus status to six faculty and staff members, and also elected new officers during their meeting on campus Thursday, May 10, 2018.

Regent Chair Jerry Walz; Regent Vice Chair Janice Baca-Argabright; Regents Dr. Dan Salzwedel and Dr. Carl Foster; and Student Regent Arlean Murillo met in the seminar room of WNMU's Student Memorial Building.

The regents were presented with findings of the Faculty and Staff Salary and Benefits Committees' surveys and, in a four to 1 vote, approved their proposals, agreeing to use the committees' recommendations as guiding principles in the production and implementation of a revised salary process, scheduled to be enacted in 2019.

The regents approved the promotion of one instructor to the rank of assistant professor, 14 assistant professors to the rank of associate professor, and five associate professors to the rank of professor, also approving six faculty members for tenure.

"This is a very important cohort of faculty that represents a hiring cycle that goes back to 2012. These are really strong faculty who now are moving into leadership positions within the university," Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Jack Crocker said.

Four tenured faculty members recently underwent the post-tenure review process, which occurs every five years, and seeing that each satisfied the requirements, the regents approved the review.

The regents also granted three faculty members and three staff members emeritus status. Drs. Randy Jennings, Mary Leen and Faye Vowell received this designation, as did staff members Cynthia Jones, Greg Rolfe and Donna Rees.

The regents approved minor changes to the faculty, staff and student handbooks and to the student government constitution.

In one motion, the regents approved the revised budget for Fiscal Year 2018-19, the proposed Five-Year Capital Outlay Projects and Institutional Capital Projects and Infrastructure Projects, and the recommended asset disposal, and as they do each year, the regents approved the Resolution Adopting Notice Procedures Pursuant to the NM Open Meetings Act.

Finally, the WNMU Board of Regents elected its new officers, naming Argabright as Chair, Dr. Foster as Vice Chair and Murillo as Secretary/Treasurer.

The next WNMU Board of Regents meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, July 23, 2018, in Silver City.