ENMU financial audit comes up clean

“Unmodified” is the best rating anyone who is audited in New Mexico can hope for and that’s the rating Eastern New Mexico University received in its audit of 2023 finances.

“It’s the best opinion you may get from an audit,” ENMU Chief Financial Officer Tony Major said.

The news came Friday as the ENMU Board of Regents held a regular meeting on the campus of ENMU-Ruidoso.

In other business in the meeting:

• Board President Trish Ruiz praised state legislators for their work at the recently ended legislative session.

“They did tremendous work,” Ruiz said.

• Regents heard of the work being done at ENMU-Ruidoso with training for inmate students at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

• Regents heard of work done by personnel at ENMU-Ruidoso in

securing $230,000 in grants to fight food insecurity on campus.

• University Chancellor James Johnston reported to the Regents the university is engaged in a nationwide search for an Athletic Director and an Executive Director of Information Technology.

• Johnston spoke of the renovated Roosevelt Hall should be open by this summer. The project has been delayed by supply chain issues.

$16 million has been put into the project.

“We’re waiting on the final numbers from the governor,” Johnston reported to the Board.

$13 million has been requested for capital outlay projects for ENMU in Senate Bill 275, the state capital outlay bill awaiting the governor’s signature before the end of March.

The governor has the option to veto projects in the bill.

$12 million of the requested funds are slated for a new student academic services building.