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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Robinson

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/7/06

HB

SHORT TITLE UNM African-American Studies Program

SB 421

ANALYST Lewis

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

25.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 641 (UNM African-American Studies Program)

Relates to SB 549 (UNM African-American Student Services)

Relates to HC 937 (Capital Improvements in Albuquerque – including $25,000 to purchase and

install information technology for the African-American Studies Program at UNM)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Office of African American Affairs (OAAA)

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 421 appropriates $25,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the Uni-

versity of New Mexico to support the African-American Studies Program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $25,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall revert

to the general fund.

Senate Bill 421 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The State Office of African American Affairs (OAAA) supports SB 421, and notes that the ap-

propriation is needed to help the African-American Studies Program reach its Mission Goals per-

taining to the delivery of educational services, not only to African American students but to stu-

dents at large who enroll in these academic courses.

OAAA notes that funding is also needed to enable the program to sponsor quality projects and

programs that will benefit students and the surrounding communities, and that OAAA is partner-

ing with the African American Studies Department to financially support already scheduled pro-

jects.

According to the Higher Education Department (HED),

the African American Studies Program

at UNM was championed by the Black community in Albuquerque and established in 1970. It is

a multi-disciplinary degree-granting program that offers courses that illuminate the literature,

history, and culture of the African or Black Diaspora. Upon graduation, participants should have

developed strong research, writing, and interpersonal skills.

This appropriation was not on the list of priority projects submitted by UNM to the HED for re-

view and was not included in the Department’s funding recommendation for FY07.

ML/yr