By CHUCK MCCULLOUGH
Candidate For Position 2
UNM-LA Advisory Board

Some interesting news from 2021…

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers, about 4.3 million workers quit their jobs in August, 2021–-2.9% of the US workforce. Though loss of workers occurred across all industries in the US, the most significant took place, interestingly enough, in the food services.

Certainly the pandemic has played a significant role—people just stopped going to work or were told not to come back. Subsequent higher than normal unemployment benefits enabled people to have more cash than usual (aided by the lockdown in which many folks had fewer places to spend the money and, furthermore, many did not have to pay rent.) It seems that, as a consequence, workers are hesitant to go back to work conditions and wages they had tolerated previously. They want something better. Workers are saying they need a higher, livable wage, more consistent income.

Of course—who doesn’t want these things? Even though some believe that simply raising the minimum wage will address this issue (that action should be a part of the discussion), the fact is the workforce needs skilled labor, individuals who are trained in a field, have critical thinking skills, and have confidence they can find a job and thrive in the work world. 

In this discussion, I cannot help but think of UNM-LA. Can you see the possibilities the situation engenders for a local community college? Obviously, UNM-LA is currently providing some of the basic needs to address these circumstances, offering certification programs that enable students to enter the workforce as well as excellent, high quality academic programs.

But quite possibly, both locally and nationally, we are in a pivotal moment. A time such as this provides the clarity and impetus to consider new and exciting possibilities in higher education. Building on existing successes, UNM-LA may be in a position to go further, exploring new ways to reach students who are eager not only to have a skill but who are ready to go to work in jobs that pay a livable, consistent wage with room for advancement. 

This is the time for thinking about novel higher education possibilities. What would a thoughtful merging of technical certification and academic education look like? Would such a creative combination imbue students with marketable skills as well as competence in critical thinking, communication, and social awareness? Is “microcredentialing”, a qualification focused on a specific career discipline, comprised of accelerated educational experiences, an area to be explored? 

Certainly, UNM-LA should pursue all the things we typically talk about: additional four-year degree programs, means to enhance as well as pay for dual credit courses, scrutinizing the state funding formula and state allocations, costs of maintaining facilities, faculty recruitment and job satisfaction, recruitment and retention of students, providing the full range of services to students, ensuring the campus is accessible, user-friendly, and safe—these are all real and significant issues. Indeed, the administration, staff, and faculty are addressing them.

The point is, the Advisory Board, though limited in power (which is a good thing!), can play a genuine role in these discussions. The Board can bring ideas, research possibilities, and engage the conversation regarding any number of exciting, innovative higher education offerings aimed at meeting the needs of students as well as our region and the nation as a whole. 

I don’t know all the possibilities that are out there. I don’t know all that is currently being addressed by UNM-LA leadership. But I am eager to be a part of the process of helping the university become all it can be. This is why I am running for Position 2 on the UNM-LA Advisory Board.

Thank you for your support in this election!