0001|                          A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0002| REQUESTING THAT THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION UNDERTAKE A PROGRAM
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0003| OF EVALUATION AND PLANNING TO ASSURE THE AVAILABILITY OF HIGH-QUALITY
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0004| POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
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0005| 
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0006|      WHEREAS, during the past decade, an increasingly diverse
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0007| population of students has sought post-secondary education, resulting
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0008| in demand for more flexible access to instruction and a greater array
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0009| of support services; and
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0010|      WHEREAS, during the past decade, demand for post-secondary
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0011| education has expanded to encompass new fields of study, to
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0012| accommodate new areas of employment and to provide advanced training
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0013| and retraining for citizens already in the work force; and
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0014|      WHEREAS, rapidly changing technologies have expanded the options
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0015| for delivery of instruction, achievement of learning and assessment of
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0016| performance; and
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0017|      WHEREAS, during the past decade, costs of post-secondary
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0018| education appear to have increased at rates higher than other
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0019| services;
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0020|      NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
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0021| NEW MEXICO that the commission on higher education be asked to
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0022| undertake a long-term program of evaluation and planning with the goal
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0023| of assuring the availability of high-quality post-secondary education
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0024| delivered efficiently throughout the state and responsive to the needs
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0025| of New Mexico's citizenry and the demands of the twenty-first century;
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0001| and
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0002|      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission be asked to consult
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0003| with state post-secondary institutions and with representatives of
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0004| private post-secondary education, public education, employers, Native
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0005| American tribal leaders and other sectors of the citizenry, as
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0006| appropriate, in the initiation and conduct of this program; and
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0007|      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in order to accomplish this
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0008| evaluation and planning collaboratively and without expansion of the
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0009| state government, state post-secondary institutions be asked to
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0010| support the commission by providing technical assistance and
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0011| contributing staff support to the commission, as requested by the
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0012| commission; and
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0013|      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission be encouraged to
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0014| include in this program of evaluation and planning analyses of quality
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0015| and productivity of educational programs offered by state post-
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0016| secondary institutions; operating costs and efficiencies of the
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0017| institutions and their educational programs; congruity or incongruity
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0018| between existing educational programs and current state needs; and
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0019| methods for improving the delivery of state support, including
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0020| performance-based funding; and
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0021|      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that as an outcome of this program of
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0022| evaluation and planning the commission be encouraged to identify
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0023| optimal levels and methods of funding for post-secondary education;
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0024| appropriate shares of the cost of post-secondary education; and
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0025| appropriate means for managing costs and improving efficiency without
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0001| sacrificing quality of post-secondary education; and
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0002|      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission be asked to report
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0003| annually to the legislature and the governor on the status and
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0004| progress of this program, including any recommendations for
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0005| legislation, beginning in January 1998; and 
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0006|      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be
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0007| transmitted to the executive director of the commission on higher
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0008| education for circulation to all state post-secondary
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0009| institutions.                                                   
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