"TRANSITION FROM A TWO-YEAR TO A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION"
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FOR HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION ACCREDITATION VISITATION SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER
CHANGE OF MISSION - SELF STUDY DOCUMENT
APPENDICES VOLUME I OF III
APPENDICES VOLUME II OF III
APPENDICES VOLUME III OF III
The change that is being proposed is a change in Northern New Mexico College’s (NNMC) accreditation status by Higher Learning Commission (HLC), in order to develop into a comprehensive four-year college like its peer New Mexico constitutional Normal schools.
The expected outcome of this change will be to provide more and better prepared graduates in NNMC’s service area in north central New Mexico, which has a high proportion of under educated citizens. Baccalaureate and Masters degreed graduates will in turn improve the economic development and community development of northern New Mexico. Approximately 5000 technicians at Los Alamos National Laboratory will have the opportunity to attain a Baccalaureate degree and progress in their career development. Teachers in northern New Mexico will have the opportunity to obtain a Masters degree and thus advance in the state’s three-tiered licensure system.
Another expected outcome is that NNMC will increase enrollment in the Teacher Education program. Currently, there are 50 students enrolled in the Associate of Arts Teacher Education program, and 200 students enrolled in the Alternative Licensure program. Enrollment in upper division courses will enhance the college’s financial resources, which will result in the college’s ability to hire more teacher education faculty, increase library holdings, expand learning spaces, and make marked improvements for the entire college. In addition to AA students from C, students from Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Taos and Los Alamos counties may choose NNMC’s teacher education program due to its geographical and financial accessibility.
The impact of this proposed change on NNMC’s mission is to fulfill our constitutional mission and address the teacher shortage in New Mexico. The 1909 New Mexico Territorial Legislature founded the college as the Spanish American Normal School, with the specific mission “to prepare teachers for the Spanish speaking population of northern New Mexico” (Appendix L). This mission has only been partially fulfilled in the past through an Associate of Arts degree in Teacher Education begun in 1986, and through an Alternative Licensure program begun in 2001.
The impact of this proposed change will not affect NNMC’s mission as a community college, but enhance its role in northern New Mexico. NNMC’s workforce development in the service area of north central New Mexico is essential to meet economic and community development needs. NNMC plans to develop Baccalaureate degrees in the future that respond to needs in the community, while developing existing AA degree college programs.