Today, the New Mexico State University Board of Regents authorized and instructed the university’s administration to begin working with the board on a search process for the university’s next chancellor. NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu signed a five-year contract with the university in 2018. That contract expires June 30, 2023.
“The board thanks Chancellor Arvizu for his service to NMSU, and looks forward to continuing our work with him over the next six months to ensure a smooth transition. Knowing how long a search can take, it’s important for the board to begin working with the administration on this process right away,” the regents said in a memo to campus.
The board plans to make sure the search is transparent and fully engages NMSU’s faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, community members and other stakeholders across the region.
The board highlighted how the university is stronger and better positioned now than it was five years ago thanks to what they described as the tremendous work done by the chancellor and by so many others in the NMSU community.
- Following more than a decade of declines, NMSU saw increased enrollment at each of its campuses this fall, as well as its largest freshman class since 2009. Enrollment for the spring semester looks to be equally strong.
- Since 2018, NMSU’s research and development expenditures have grown by more than $25 million. Post-doctoral researchers have nearly doubled in that same time frame and external awards now exceed $129 million, the highest total in five years.
- As a land-grant university, it is part of NMSU’s mission to focus on education, research and outreach. Working with industry partners, and with the support of the voters of New Mexico through two separate GO Bond measures, NMSU is investing significantly in education and research facilities in our agriculture district to ensure students, research and our community can benefit from modern facilities.
- NMSU will join Conference USA in 2023, allowing Aggie football, the 2022 Quick Lane Bowl champs, to be affiliated with a conference for the first time since 2017. Aggie athletics continues to see success across multiple sports and has benefited from investments in numerous facility upgrades over the past five years.
Regents said the NMSU community will receive continued updates on this search process, beginning early next month.