UNM-Gallup listening sessions begin

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The director of the University of New Mexico-Gallup campus has begun a series of "listening sessions" to give faculty and staff a chance to give their input into the operation of the college.

Beth Miller said she began the sessions in May and plans to continue them into the fall so that returning faculty will have a chance to participate.

The sessions are an outgrowth of problems that came up last session when members of the faculty senate voted a resolution of "no confidence" in Miller, mainly because they felt that decisions were being made without their input.

After the vote, officials for UNM met with the faculty and urged Miller to open up the lines of communication more.

Miller said the sessions are held at various locations and at various times in case one time or location isn't convenient. They are scheduled to last an hour but the two that have been held so far have gone slightly over that.

"As expected because this is the summer session, attendance hasn't been very high," Miller said, "but we have had good discussions and a good representation of both the full-time and part-time faculty."

She said that those who attended were asked to comment on things that are going well on the campus, things that aren't going so well and any ideas they may have for improvement.

Among the subjects that have been discussed are how to improvement enrollment and the possibility of holding social events during the year to bring faculty members together.

"We used to do that," Miller said, "but for some reason we stopped doing it. I think that reinstating these events would be useful."

One idea that came up and is under consideration is putting a suggestion box in a prominent location to give staff and faculty a chance to make comments and suggestions without having to give their names.