National Higher Education Day – June 6

Higher Ed Day is supposed to be a time to celebrate the accomplishments of our colleges and universities. In New Mexico, all we get is the absolute failure of these institutions!

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I have nothing but bad feelings for this National Higher Education Day. Our “Flagship” university, the University of New Mexico, is monetarily challenged on many levels.

The update on my carrying-on about the UNM Athletic Department, is the Athletic Director has resigned/retired; there is a new Director; the use of tax-payer money to go to Scotland is being investigating by the Attorney General and State Auditor’s offices – both have expanded their investigations; and it was disclosed that UNM “over-paid” coaches by as much as $100,000 each. There is probably more. Stupid. You would think a college would know how to manage their money and you would be wrong in UNM’s case.

The almost President of UNM, Dr. Abdallah, had a puff piece in the
Albuquerque Journal saying how great he was. It also said Abdallah didn’t get the Provost thing when he was Provost. So, in good Peter Principals, if you don’t get the Provost thing, anoint him to almost-interim President so he can’t get this too.

I told the immediate world the New Mexico Book Co-op had many questions about what was happening to UNM Press. UNM Press has been a good member of the NM Book Co-op in the last seven years and it is our feeling that if UNM can crush UNM Press with little thought, then maybe it can happen to any publisher.

There are rumors that the royalties worked for by UNM Press authors will be violated – they have a contract – by the Zimmerman Library if they take over UNM Press. There are rumors that future books will not happen, primarily because there will be no staff. There are rumors that current UNM Press books will be shipped out-of-state. So the premier New Mexico book publisher would have books out of state to sell and bookstores have said they can’t pay the higher prices to get books and have them shipped. Did anyone from UNM talk to bookstores?

Guess who called me at 8:15am on Monday morning? The almost UNM Provost – Dr. White, called. He hasn’t heard that it is tacky to call someone before 9am – college learning you know. He is taking a trip to China when we have the next NM Book Co-op lunch and couldn’t attend. I asked a number of times who was paying for the trip and I got no answer. So, he is coming MONDAY, July 24, with the Dean of Libraries and maybe the new head of UNM Press. We want to know WHAT IS GOING ON AT UNM PRESS?

Something to think about- the UNM Athletic Department lost money just like UNM Press for many years but the Athletic Department got BILLIONS each year. UNM Press did not. BUT UNM Press is being screwed by the powers to be at UNM and not the Athletic Department.

This is more than stupid. The buck stops at the top of UNM – the almost President. Happy Higher Education to us all!


Barbe Awalt



UPCOMING CALENDAR:
RIO GRANDE BOOKS
June 16-18: Sacred Art Market, Gallup Cathedral
July 15: Lavender in the Village, Los Ranchos Agri Center
Nov 4, 2017: Tempe Book Festival, Tempe AZ Public Library

HENRIETTA CHRISTMAS & PAUL RHETTS ("The Basic Genealogy Checklist")
June 24: Treasure House Books, Albuquerque Old Town 1-3pm "Basic Genealogy Checklist: 101 Tips & Tactics to Finding Your Family History"
August 12: Tome on the Range, Las Vegas, NM 12 noon and 4pm

LORETTA HALL ("Miguel & Michelle Visit Spaceport America:" "The Space Buff's Bucket List;" "Space Pioneers;" and "Out of this World")
June 10: Bookworks, 11am. 4022 Rio Grande Blvd ABQ
July 13: OASIS, 1:00-2:30, "What Sex Differences Mean for Space Travel"

SLIM RANDLES ("The Cowboy Bucket List;" "Old Jimmy Dollar;" "Home Country;" etc.)
June 25: Treasure House, 1-3pm Albuquerque Old Town; "The Cowboy Bucket List"

GAIL RUBIN
June 13: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute class "Downsizing and Organizing for End-of-Life issues," Del Webb Alegria, Bernalillo, NM, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
June 17: Albuquerque Death Cafe, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Email Gail_Rubin@comcast.net for information.
June 20: "Funeral Planning for Those Who Don't Plan to Die" at the VA Medical Center in Albuquerque. (closed to the public)
July 12: "Jewish Funeral Traditions on Film" presented through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute; 1:00-3:00 p.m.
July 28: The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute class "Laughing and Learning," 1:00-3:00 p.m.