NMSU’s land-grant mission stretches to every corner of our state

By Valerio C. Ferme
New Mexico State University System President

On a recent trip to visit New Mexico State University’s Luna County Cooperative Extension offices in Lordsburg, an intern who had just graduated from our university recounted how, coming from a small town of a hundred or so people, the impact of NMSU and Las Cruces was almost too much to bear. When the entire population of the town you grew up in fits many times in some large lecture course or a university dining hall, the impact can be both forceful and scary. Talking about her experience and of those of students who come from very different backgrounds, reinforced for me how important knowing the geo-cultural backgrounds of the people of New Mexico is for connecting better with NMSU’s thousands of students.

NMSU is a land-grant university. As established by the Morrill Act of 1862 and 1890, and the subsequent Hatch and Smith-Lever Acts of 1887 and 1914 respectively, our mission is clear: to educate the citizens of the state; to produce research and innovation that advances the state’s economic, social and cultural well-being; and to provide public service that helps all of our communities to benefit from our advancements.

The latter is best exemplified by the 12 Agricultural Science Centers that dot the landscape of New Mexico from Aztec and Farmington to Clayton, from Artesia and Corona to the Chihuahuan desert, and by the Cooperative Extension offices that NMSU has established in each of the state’s 33 counties, which run programs for youth and adults, including 4-H and FFA leadership development. These satellites matter as the university creates a systemic transfer of knowledge throughout the state. And it is our goal to integrate them better with the university as a whole as we advance our responsibility to the state in the 21st century.

To this end, NMSU executives, regents and other personnel will visit all 33 county offices and Agricultural Science Centers in the state this summer. We started our visits at the end of May, and, between June and July, we will tour the remaining ones. As president, this pathway of discovery into our communities is precious and heartwarming. Everywhere we have gone, we have been greeted by agents and researchers who commit themselves to a life outside traditional frameworks; by early and older youth who explain the values that 4-H and FFA have taught them; by elected officials who support the communities we serve and advocate for our work via careful appropriations; and finally, by citizens who ask us not to forget our mission and their needs when we think of our growth and recruiting practices.

We are learning about each other, and it is creating a leadership communion that will enhance our culture of gratitude. Gratitude toward those who, in all corners of the state, advance our mission of rediscovering our institutional obligation to represent all the people of New Mexico. Gratitude toward those who, on the main Las Cruces campus, or at the community college and NMSU Global campuses, work tirelessly to connect us to our broader land-grant mission and who remind us that, precisely because we represent such diverse people and backgrounds, we cannot tailor our educational models to one-size-fits-all practices. Gratitude toward our family and students who, regardless of whether they come from a small town of 100 people or a metropolitan area of millions, feel welcomed and cared for among us, and entrust us with their present and future aspirations.

Should you see us on one of our next stops, please come say hello. We are there to listen.

Valerio C. Ferme is president of the New Mexico State University system. He may be reached at president@nmsu.edu.