New UNM-LA Chancellor Mike Holtzclaw at his desk Tuesday morning. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Mike Holtzclaw brings his passion for education and community colleges to his new position as University of New Mexico-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) Chancellor.
Holtzclaw started his new position July 18 following Chancellor Cindy Rooney leaving to work for the Provost in Albuquerque.
He moved from Pleasanton, Calif., where he was vice president of instruction at the College of San Mateo. Holtzclaw said he was familiar with the local area in that his brother and sister-in-law live in Albuquerque and a former colleague Mary Gutierrez is chancellor at UNM-Taos. In fact, it was Gutierrez who encouraged him to work for a UNM branch campus.
One of the big attractions for working at UNM-LA was its partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Holtzclaw said.
“What really attracted me to UNM-LA was the opportunity to work with LANL,” he said.
While LANL and UNM-LA already have several partnerships between them including the Bachelor of Science- Mechanical Engineering degree; “I would like to explore more opportunities for how to support LANL with getting the workforce it needs and getting their workforce to grow,” Holtzclaw said.
LANL is not UNM-LA’s only partnership. Holtzclaw pointed out that UNM-LA also works with Los Alamos Public Schools through its dual credit program, which helps students go to college or obtain training for the workforce.
“I would just like to expand on the partnerships we already have with LANL and Los Alamos Public Schools,” he said.
Holtzclaw added he also would like to forge more partnerships with Los Alamos County and its economic development efforts.
He said he hopes to create opportunities to support local businesses and their efforts to recruit and retain workers. In fact, UNM-LA just hired someone to fill a new position focusing on educational partnerships and workforce development.
Holtzclaw said he would like to grow more internships so students can get more practical experience.
“I’m really excited about those things,” he said. “UNM-LA can play a role in addressing the employee shortage in the community.”
UNM-LA has a lot to offer the community and that was what Holtzclaw said drew him to want to work at the community college.
“A major driver was UNM-LA had all the characteristics that I knew and trusted,” he said. “Plus, the campus and community is culturally diverse, special and unique.”
Holtzclaw said another perk of working at UNM-LA is the close bond amongst the faculty and staff. He described it as a family.
“The people are like a team here,” he said. “It is like a family. They are really dedicated to having the very best opportunities for students. I think I inherited a great team here.”
UNM-LA is not without its challenges. One is the geographic reach of UNM-LA. It is small and somewhat isolated, Holtzclaw said.
In response, one of the things being pushed is online offerings so people can earn their degree but don’t have to travel to the campus, he said.
Another challenge is the campus’ infrastructure. Holtzclaw said the campus is owned by the school district and was originally built to be an elementary school. The hope he said is to adapt the campus for students’ needs and technology needs.
Still, the public support for UNM-LA is strong. Holtzclaw said he hears nothing but positive things about the community college.
But he added he would like to increase the college’s visibility by offering workshops and trainings to working, nontraditional students and “having this as a place where they too can develop their employee skills.”
UNM-LA is enjoying increased enrollment. Holtzclaw said the head count is up 12 percent from last year. However, the credit hours are down. Meaning, more students are enrolled but they are taking fewer classes.
Increased enrollment is good news especially since across the nation enrollment at community colleges has decreased since 2012. It has not bounced back since the pandemic.
Holtzclaw encourages prospective students to consider enrolling in community colleges; he said he believes they can offer a better experience than larger universities.
Not only are community colleges significantly more affordable but their classes are smaller, which allows students to get to know each other and their professors, Holtzclaw said.
“You get a smaller, more intimate college experience at a smaller cost,” he said, adding that professors also can impart their knowledge and bring their career experience and it is easier for them to help and support their students.
Students also can feel more visible on a community college campus, Holtzclaw said. They have more of an opportunity to get involved and have an impact. They have opportunities to be in clubs and activities without the competition of a large university.
Not only is Holtzclaw a proponent of community colleges but he also is a big advocate for education.
“I’m a first-generation college student,” he said. “I know how transformative college has been on my life.”
Holtzclaw said he realized through his experience at college that education is where he wanted to take his career. He received a PhD in geography and taught for 13 years but decided if he wanted to make broader changes, he would need to work on the administrative level. So, in 2010, he became Instructional Dean at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Ore.
When not in the office, Holtzclaw said he enjoys hiking, playing basketball, reading, gardening and traveling. He said living in Los Alamos has been great.
“It is a really unique community, but it is also a quintessential small town,” he said adding, “I feel very much at home here.”
Holtzclaw and his wife have three children, a 24-year-old son who recently graduated from college and is moving to Colorado, a 22-year-old daughter who is finishing her college career at UNM-LA and an 18-year-old daughter who is a senior in high school.