Two more schools eye shared services agreement

SANTA FE — A shared services agreement created by five New Mexico community colleges, including Clovis Community College, may see two more schools join its fold.

Mesalands Community College in Las Vegas and Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari have expressed interest in the Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services, an effort for administrative efficiency and expanded student experiences.

The colleges currently in CHESS — CCC, Central New Mexico Community College, Northern New Mexico College, San Juan College and Santa Fe Community College — have largely the same software needs for human resources, financial aid, student registration, etc., and sought to save money by collectively purchasing an all-in-one software system. Each institution operates the system independently, but can cooperate if needs arise.

In an August CCC Board of Trustees meeting, Executive Vice President of Student Affairs Robin Jones said students would benefit from simplified registration and expanded degree plan options because they could sign up for classes offered virtually at other CHESS colleges.

That’s an aspect Mesalands President Gregory Busch finds intriguing.

“Our students are sometimes hindered in completing their degrees on time due to our rural location,” Busch said in a CHESS release. “I’m hoping that as we look at auditing our capabilities, we discover we are indeed ready to join CHESS and expand opportunities for our students and our communities.

Kathy Ulibarri, the chief executive officer for CHESS, said the collaborative seeks to strengthen collaboration among higher education institutions and welcomes more partners.

“Expanding our membership to partner with Luna and Mesalands is a natural and positive result of the vision we have to better serve students and improve our operations,” Ulibarri said. “We look forward to welcoming them when they’re ready.”