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

SPONSOR Stapleton

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/15/2007

HB 1173

SHORT TITLE UNM Core Faculty In Africana Studies

SB

ANALYST Moser

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$300.0

Recurring

General fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to: SB 385, SB 709, HB 1170

Companion to: HB 1105, HB 1171, HB 1172

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

NM Higher Education Department (HED)

NM Office of African Affairs

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 1173 appropriates $300,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of the

University of New Mexico (UNM) for expenditure in FY08 and subsequent years to build a core

faculty in the African American Studies Program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall revert to the

general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The African American Studies Program at UNM focuses on Africa, the Caribbean, South

America, Latin America, Europe, and North America and offers a variety of courses that

House Bill 1173 – Page

2

illuminate the literature, history, and culture of the African or Black Diaspora. The program

offers an interdisciplinary baccalaureate degree, a specialized minor, and a general minor in

African American Studies. The program offers a variety of innovative community projects such

as hosting traveling historical exhibits and a speaker series.

Currently, the program employs four full-time faculty members, one emeritus faculty, and one

person serving the role of both director and faculty. The program offers more than 24 courses per

semester with each faculty having a course load of five or more courses.

This appropriation will be used to hire faculty and expand the African Studies Department, The

core faculty will create distance learning coursework, conduct research, and support

undergraduate and graduate students in the African American Studies Program.

This request was not submitted by UNM to the New Mexico Higher Education Department for

review, and is not included in the Department’s funding recommendation for FY08.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Companion bills are:

HB 1105 appropriates $190,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of the University

of New Mexico (UNM) for expenditure in FY08 for the Charlie Morrisey Research Hall to repair

and maintain existing archival facilities, display space, and provide base resources for faculty led

student research focusing on the Black Diasporas at the national and international levels.

HB 1171 appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of the University

of New Mexico (UNM) for expenditure in FY08 for a Visiting Scholars in Residence at the

Charlie Morrisey Research Hall in the African-American Studies Program.

HB 1172 appropriates $125,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of the University

of New Mexico (UNM) for expenditure in FY08 and subsequent years for a Senior Scholar at the

Charlie Morrisey Research Hall in the African-American Studies Program.

Relationship bills are:

SB 385 appropriates $25,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of the University of

New Mexico (UNM) for expenditure in FY08 to support the African-American Studies Program.

SB 709 is a related bill that appropriates $75,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents

of the University of New Mexico (UNM) for expenditure in FY08 for the African-American

Student Services Program and operations.

HB 1170 appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of the University

of New Mexico (UNM) for expenditure in FY08 to bridge the achievement gap for African

American high school and first year students to prepare them for university course work and

provide fellowships and assistantships and a distinguished lecture series in the African American

Studies Program.

GM/csd