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(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Joint Memorial 73 directs the Commission on Higher Education to study staffing patterns for full- and part-time faculty and classified staff at New Mexico's institutions of higher education and make to recommendations for ratios of full-to-part-time faculty and classified staff that are necessary to improve the delivery of quality higher educational learning and services. The findings and recommendations of this study are to be provided to the Legislative Education Study Committee (LESC) by November 1, 2001, and copies of this memorial are to be delivered to the Executive Director of the Commission on Higher Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and to the Director of the LESC for appropriate distribution.

Significant Issues

New Mexico's public colleges and universities are currently employing more part-time faculty and classified staff than at any other time in history, and there is a growing concern among New Mexico's citizens regarding these larger numbers of part-time faculty and classified staff. There is also concern about their ability to provide quality higher education learning and services.

The Legislature believes that these part-time faculty and classified staff, while less expensive to employ, may not be providing quality higher educational learning and services. Additionally, no guidelines or rules appear to exist to determine whether hiring part-time faculty and staff, instead of full-time personnel, will be more or less effective in providing quality services.

This study is needed since it is important to document the reasoning for the employment of increasing numbers of part-time faculty and classified staff and to determine whether or not part-time faculty and classified staff impact the New Mexico educational institutions' abilities to provide quality higher education.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

There is no fiscal impact to the general fund other than costs associated with CHE performing this study.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

This bill directs the CHE to conduct this study.

LG/ar