Northern New Mexico College administrators are working out details to select a student regent, now that residents voted to amend Article 12, Section 13 of the New Mexico Constitution.
Currently, two students are part of the Board of Regents, but they are advisors and do not have voting power.
The change mandates that a current Northern student be selected as a voting member of the College’s Board of Regents. That student will have the same authority to decide policy and academic matters, as well as the strategic direction of the school — similar the other members.
The amended Constitution states Northern President Nancy Barceló will provide a list of candidates to Gov. Susana Martinez. Martinez will then nominate one of the applicants to be the student regent and the New Mexico Senate must confirm Martinez’s appointment.
Barceló is required to receive input from the Student Senate president as part of the nomination process. Exactly how the Student Senate officers and senators will provide their recommendations has yet to be determined.
Northern’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement Ricky Serna told student representatives about the change during the Nov. 19 Student Senate meeting.
“We need to develop a process that includes your involvement to identify names that you will send to the president of the institution, that will ultimately move to the governor’s office,” Serna said.
He suggested investigating the processes other colleges go through and volunteered to compile all the information and present it to Student Senate members. Serna said he understands the process because of his time at New Mexico Highlands University and would be willing to assist. He said officers and senators can use the information as a template to design their own procedures.
Even though the selection process hasn’t been finalized, Student Senate members said they want the potential candidates to go through an interview process. They said the interview will allow them to truly gauge whether the person is interested in the position and if the regent is concerned with their views.
“We can look at the application, but someone may look good on paper and when you meet that person and talk with one another, it could be completely different,” Student Senate Vice President Theodor Koetter said.
There are requirements that may exclude students from the position. The Constitution states no more than three regent members can belong to the same political party. There are currently three Republicans who will remain on Northern’s Board. Therefore, neither of the two incoming members can be from that party.
Serna suggested a questionnaire that would filter unqualified candidates and Student Senate members agreed.
Current student officers would like to add other requirements, such as a minimum grade-point-average. Members said they believe the regent should have at least a “C” average, but they suggested a higher threshold.
“I want the regent to have a higher grade point average than I have, but I would like that person to have at least a 3.5,” Student Senate President Ariadne Bito said.
Student Senate officers and senators also want the candidate to be more than academically qualified.
In order for the student regent to represent them, that student needs to know what is happening on school grounds, they said that can only happen if that person is involved in extracurricular activities.
Bito said once the regent is selected, she wants to invite the student to every Student Senate meeting. That would give the person an idea of what students are going through.
Bito also said it serves as a check for the student regent. If that person hears issues and does not address them during the Board of Regents meeting, it sends a signal the person is not interested in their views.
Despite the uncertainty, Student Senate members said they like the change. Each of them believed that students should have a vote when it comes to making decision about the college’s future.