Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The acting president of Mesalands Community College clarified to Tucumcari city commissioners on Thursday what he hoped to see in the near future for the financially distressed college.
Allen Moss, appointed as acting president by the board of trustees last month after previous president Gregory Busch left town and took medical leave amid no-confidence votes by staff and faculty, told city commissioners during their regular meeting “we feel very good” about Mesalands continuing to operate, though he admitted “the hard decisions aren’t done yet” to make it financially solvent.
Moss said the college has requested $1.2 million in emergency funds from the state so it can continue operating through the end of the spring semester.
Mesalands already has received $763,000 from the state to reimplement a student information system, complete two audits, hire more help for a short-staffed financial office and help pay for a state audit.
Mesalands originally requested $4.7 million in state emergency funds early last month, but it has steadily lowered that after imposing a solvency plan that includes progressive pay cuts, program consolidations and hiring freezes.
The New Mexico Higher Education Department has accused Busch of imposing pay raises without consulting with state officials or the college’s financial officers. He also was accused of disregarding advice on how to handle Mesalands’ deteriorating financial condition.
Moss said five to six employees recently departed from the college whose positions won’t be filled. He also said Mesalands has adjusted pay for several adjunct professors to save money.
Despite the cost-cutting, Moss said the college’s finances will continue to be “a challenge” because its cash reserves were drained and that other difficult choices will have to be made.
“The hard decisions aren’t done yet,” he said.
Moss conceded the possibility Mesalands might merge with another institution, citing Clovis Community College, New Mexico Highlands University or Eastern New Mexico University.
But he signaled that closing Mesalands outright is not an option.
“I don’t think anyone from HED or the state wants Mesalands to leave the area,” he said.
Answering a question from commissioner Mike Cherry about program cuts, Moss said those have included the elimination of the cross-country and golf programs. Moss said Mesalands’ rodeo and esports programs were preserved. Moss said rodeo is a longstanding program, and esports is a low-cost offering that doesn’t require travel, and a grant covered all its equipment purchases.
He said low-enrollment classes aren’t necessarily being cut, but instead are being taught by adjunct professors. He said Mesalands wants a minimum of 10 to 11 students per class and that core, basic-education classes would be kept.
He said the college’s dual-credit courses might be cut for outlying areas because they result in a loss. He said dual-credit offerings would be kept for students in the Logan, San Jon, Tucumcari and perhaps Clayton school districts.
Asked by commissioner Paul Villanueva about the college’s truck-driving courses, Moss that’s a bit uncertain because Mary Beth Busch, who ran the Workforce Development office that oversaw the program, also left town with her husband.
Moss said he was inclined to place more emphasis on vocational-education programs, including partnerships with local school districts.
“In Mesalands, that’s part of the niche that we need to fill in this area,” he said.
He said he also wanted to maintain the college’s unique or critical offerings such as silversmithing, wind energy and nursing.
Moss also said the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum also would remain open.
Moss, a former school superintendent from southern Missouri, was hired last year as Mesalands’ senior executive director of concurrent enrollment and academic outreach.
Later during the meeting, several commissioners said how they appreciated Moss giving a report about the college and reiterated Mesalands’ importance to the community.
“We’re behind Mesalands,” Cherry said. “We can’t lose that.”