Five-year project plan approved for ENMU

ROSWELL — A five-year project plan for the main campus of Eastern New Mexico University in Portales that includes $12 million in improvements to the Academic Services Building and reserves $1 million for asbestos abatement and demolition of Harding Hall, received approval Friday from the ENMU Board of Regents.

Other projects in the plan, for which cost estimates have not been made, include

• a new building for Agricultural Science and replacement of the roof on Eddy Hall building in 2023-2024.

• Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning controls replacement and locker room renovations at Greyhound Arena for 2024-2025.

• College of Business classroom renovations. And roof replacement for the Education building 2025-2026.

• Renovations to the Campus Union Building and roof replacement for the College of Business building in 2026-2027.

The regents on Friday also authorized ENMU staff to apply for up to $5 million more for ENMU’s summer 2022 capital project plan after the New Mexico Higher Education Department announced it would allow applications for more spending to cover increased construction costs incurred during the pandemic. The additional funds would be applied to projects that include remodeling of the Roosevelt Science Center, according to Anthony Major, representing ENMU Chief Financial Officer Scott Smart.

Smart had originally asked the board to authorize asking for $3 million, but the board added $2 million to the authorization at the urging of Regent Dan Patterson.

The board on Friday also approved five-year project plans totaling more than $7 million in the first three years for ENMU’s Roswell campus and $6.3 million for the same period for the Ruidoso Campus, and authorized requests to HED for additional summer capital project funds of $500,000 for the Roswell campus and $250,000 for Ruidoso to cover cost overruns due to COVID and rising construction costs.

The board on Friday also granted assistant professor emeritus status to Dr. Linda Sumption of the English Department.

Regent Phillip Bustos reported that the ENMU presidential search committee has met with EFL, the company that will recruit and screen candidates to be ENMU’s next president. The process is expected to take six or seven months, he said. ENMU President Patrice Caldwell plans to retire after a new president is chosen.

In her report to the board Friday, Caldwell said work continues on five-year master plans for all three ENMU campuses, and the plans are expected to be ready in February after a process that includes public input.

Caldwell said 41 new students have been recruited from Curry and Roosevelt counties, which she called a “good start” in student recruitment efforts at this point in the academic year.

Caldwell said ENMU is also applying for several renewable energy grants.

“We’re getting a lot of work done this summer,” she said.