Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The president for Mesalands Community College said the New Mexico Office of the State Auditor would continue to perform audits for the financially distressed college through at least the 2025 fiscal year.
President Allen Moss told the board of trustees during its Dec. 10 meeting he talked with State Auditor James Maestas about future audits.
Moss said state-performed audits on the college would be more expensive than an independent auditor, but such reports would have more consistency.
State auditors have performed the college’s audits for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 and are scheduled to do one for FY2024.
That additional state oversight began after Mesalands plunged into a financial crisis in early 2023, with the college just a few weeks from being unable to meet its payroll.
One of the audits cited former MCC President Gregory Busch for the crisis, stating he approved salary increases that were not supported by the college’s finances.
Busch also was accused of threatening to fire MCC employees if they made the college’s dire financial condition public.
Busch left town and eventually resigned after no-confidence votes by the staff senate, faculty senate and executive team.
The college imposed extensive cost-cutting measures, and emergency money from the state buttressed MCC’s coffers.
The recently completed FY2023 audit showed improvement by Mesalands, including an unmodified opinion in the report, the best attainable.
Moss also said state auditors still are collecting data for an upcoming special audit, including interviewing current and past employees of the college.
Before the board approved the November financial report, Moss said Rachelle Arias, director of business services at Mesalands, was “doing a fantastic job.”
He said the college soon would see a “bump” in revenue due to the collection of local taxes and spring enrollment.
In his written report to the board, Moss said state revenue is projected to begin leveling off and then decline in 2030 because of a drop in oil and gas revenue.
“State officials have been looking at this for a few years and warning/preparing the state budget to meet shortfalls,” Moss wrote. “For us, this is one more reason to work on getting our reserves built back up over the next few years.”
In other business:
— Moss said he’d received no word yet on a special state appropriation for the college’s nursing program but was “hopeful” it would receive one this fiscal year or FY2026.
Moss and other Mesalands officials said the pinning ceremony earlier this month for Mesalands’ first graduating nursing students was well-attended. Moss said it’s likely the next graduation ceremony for the program will need a larger venue to handle the crowd.
Moss also said all the college’s recent five graduates have scored 90% or above in nurse proficiency testing.
— Moss in his written report stated the college is working on a joint application with the U.S. Economic Development Administration for a $4 million grant to repower the college’s wind turbine. The college also has contacted U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich on possible funding for the project.
— Joel Kiser, vice president of academics, reported Mesalands is working on an articulation and transfer course agreement with West Texas A&M University on an agriculture sciences program. The college is working on a similar agreement with Texas Tech.
— Bo Segerman, coach of the rodeo program, said the fall rodeo generated more than $8,200 in revenue, including $5,700 in sponsorships. He said he also wants to improve the arena’s lighting in the timed-events area.
Segerman said he was updating the college’s practice facility, which Moss called “a big plus to the program.”
Segerman, a first-year coach at MCC, said he was hoping to double the size of his team by next fall.
— Mark Martinez, executive director of operations and procurement, said roof repairs on Building E wouldn’t be completed until January at best because the job requires engineering plans.
He said he was working with an engineer on replacing climate-control units in Building A and hoped to do so with minimal inconvenience to students and staff. He said workers were installing LED lighting to Building A, as well.
— Martinez said he would allow the use of the Square point-of-sale program to so fitness-center customers can pay their fees. He said he also was acquiring new equipment for the center.
— Josh McVey, vice president of student affairs, said registration trainings was doing well with enrolling students from the state’s prison system. He said the registrations would be faster and more accurate.
— The board reaffirmed the college’s mission statement, with no changes.