LAS CRUCES – Jim Oblinger responded to concerns about support for graduate students, continuity of leadership and fundraising during the final candidate forum for students in the New Mexico State University presidential search.

Oblinger, the former chancellor at North Carolina State University, who resigned in June following questions about the hiring of then-first lady Mary Easley at the university, was at NMSU on Monday.

Continuity is something he would bring to NMSU, Oblinger told the few students who attended the forum and others who watched a Webcast and submitted questions online.

Oblinger cited his long tenure at NCSU – he’s been in administrative positions there for 23 years – and his commitment to the land-grant mission.

“I’m a product of the land-grant system,” Oblinger said.

Prompted to share how he’d help graduate students, Oblinger described a graduate student supplement plan in place at North Carolina State that provides financial support to students, as well as professional development workshops that he said helped prepare students to deal with situations once they leave the university.

Read the article.

In Front of the Classroom: Training Native PhDs as Business Professors

Joe Gladstone, PhD student, Department of Management

Joe Gladstone, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Management, was featured in an article in Winds of Change, the premier American Indian-published and nationally distributed full-color magazine focusing on career and educational advancement for Native people (http://www.wocmag.org).

Winds of Change, Autumn 2009, Volume 24, Number 4.

Interviewers talked to Gladstone and three Native American management professors about business research and education for American Indians.

Graduates of The PhD Project discuss how gaining a doctorate in business contributes to economic improvement within Native communities and creates role models for future business leaders.

Read the article: Winds of Change: Fall 2009.

Winds of Change is the premier American Indian-published and nationally distributed full-color magazine with a focus on career and educational advancement for Native people. Articles highlight cross-cultural issues of interest to both Native and non-Native people. Since 1986, the magazine has served as a channel for information and ideas relevant to the needs and interests of both students and professionals. In recent issues, Winds of Change has explored such current topics as bridging traditional science with technology, business and entrepreneurship, long-distance learning, mentoring, public health, and a broad range of careers.

The artwork on the covers and throughout each issue of Winds of Change has left distinctive, memorable images in the minds of readers for many years. Prominent Native artists featured in the magazine include: Al Qöyawayma, Hopi; Ben Harjo, Seminole/Shawnee; Burgess Roye, Ponca; Ed Defender, Standing Rock Sioux; Sam English, Turtle Mountain Chippewa; and Virginia Stroud, United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.

(From left), Sheikh Hussein, Raed Halalsheh and Ahmad Al-Qadi discuss techniques of raising healthy sheep during a visit to New Mexico State University’s Las Cruces campus. (NMSU photo by Audry Olmsted)

Ideas and strategies to improve Jordan’s rangeland were exchanged recently when a Bedouin sheikh visited New Mexico State University as part of a joint effort.

During his trip, Sheikh Hussein Abunwier visited faculty and staff in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, and also toured the Corona Range and Livestock Research Center and the Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center, learning about topics that included rangeland restoration, livestock husbandry and animal science. Sheikh Hussein also discussed forage possibilities, women’s health issues and youth concerns with area experts during his two-week stay in the United States.

“The sheikh is a real leader in thinking of new and innovative ways to improve the economy and wellbeing of his tribe,” said Derek Bailey, associate professor of Range Science and director of CDRRC.

The project is a joint effort funded by the United States Agency for International Development and implemented between NMSU, the International Arid Lands Consortium and Jordan’s Badia Research and Development Center.

The goal of the long-term project, started in 2005, is to educate Jordanians on the economic role of limited water, how to use water efficiently in crop and animal production, and also to improve the marketing channels for crop and animal products.

Bailey and Jim Libbin, interim associate dean of ACES, have been working on a rangeland restoration project at Sheikh Hussein’s village in southern Jordan.

Through a translator, Sheikh Hussein said the people of his tribe are the most important reason for taking part in this project and that he would use the tools he gained on this trip to aid in developing new enterprises and jobs for his tribe.

“Some of these techniques I can apply in Jordan, but some of the other techniques maybe not because there is a cost issue,” he said. “To know is better than not knowing about these (techniques).”

Jordan and New Mexico lie on almost the same latitude and have very similar weather and land conditions, making this effort ideal to see what practices are being done in similar regions.

Sheikh Hussein is the leader of a Bedouin tribe in Jordan that consists of seven sub-tribes. His sub-tribe is part of a large group tribe that has a population of about 6,000. Though people used to work in the farming and ranching community, many have moved on to small trade businesses and government jobs. Through this project, the sheikh said, he hopes to increase economic development for the people he leads.

The most important ideas he will take away from this journey involve animal production and animal husbandry.

Bailey said some of the opportunities they are looking at involve crossbreeding rangeland adapted sheep in Jordan with local rangeland adapted sheep, and also looking at breeding opportunities with pure Arabian horses.

The sheikh is looking at using forage kochia to rehabilitate rangelands near his village and to use as feed source for livestock. Initial results from the cooperative research with NMSU and BRDC are very promising, Bailey said, so he is considering starting an enterprise to harvest forage kochia seed for use in rangeland rehabilitation in other areas of Jordan.

Other issues the sheikh discussed with experts on his trip involved women’s and health issues and youth concerns, a big topic since they will be the future of the country.

Sheikh Hussein was joined on his tour by Ahmad Al-Qadi, a project manager with BRDC; Raed Halalsheh, an NMSU graduate student in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences, who is researching the toxic compounds of snakeweed for his doctorate; and Ismaiel Abuamoud, a graduate student at NMSU who is working on a doctorate degree in economic development.

Bailey said he enjoyed taking the guests around, introducing them to different people – and various cuisine.

Halalsheh said when honored guests visit Jordan, they are served a traditional meal called mansaf. The dish is made from boiled lamb meat, served on a bed of rice with a yogurt sauce and pine nuts. It is a communal dish that is eaten by hand.

Bailey, who has enjoyed this meal during his several trips to Jordan, said in return, he treated his guests to steak on their visit to the U.S. And, the Jordanians were also served a staple of local dishes – chile.

When asked to describe the experience of eating the spicy fruit, the sheikh replied with a laugh, “It was very hot!”

Bailey said he is impressed with how easily the Jordanians adapt to new ideas and how willing and able they are to create new ideas from what they see.

“We’re really happy to share more ideas with them and continue this relationship both on rangeland science and now on animal science,” Bailey said. “It’s been a really positive experience to have the sheikh here in this exchange program. It’s been really fun and pleasurable to show him around.”

Sheikh Hussein, as well as the other participants in the visit, said they were grateful to everyone for their guidance, including Libbin; Katherine Bachman, a program coordinator for the Cooperative Extension Service; Dennis Hallford, a regents professor in animal and range science; Richard Phillips, project manager for CES; and Tim Ross, interim department head for animal and range science.

Both Halalsheh and Abuamoud said they plan to use their doctorate degrees to help the Jordanian people in the future. All the participants said they looked forward to continuing this project over the years.

“It was an excellent visit,” Sheikh Hussein said. “It was very nice talking with the American people and (enjoying) their hospitality. We are going to continue this relationship.”

Linda Lacey, NMSU graduate school dean (NMSU photo by Darren Phillips)

“Can I bring my horse?”

This is one of the questions Linda Lacey, dean of New Mexico State University’s graduate school, hears when she or some of her staff travel throughout the U.S. to recruit students to NMSU. Lacey said this particular question is often asked at Colorado State University and the University of Nevada-Reno.

About 3,100 students were enrolled in graduate school at NMSU last fall, Lacey said, adding that 40 percent of them were not from New Mexico. Fifty-five percent were full-time students. Seventy-eight percent were pursuing master’s degrees while the rest worked on their doctoral degrees.

Lacey and some of her staff visit various college campuses in the U.S. and abroad and attend national conferences as part of their recruiting efforts. Texas, Arizona, California and Colorado are especially important to NMSU’s recruiters, Lacey said. While college campuses in some of these states may yield a variety of interest in different academic disciplines, other campuses are more specific. For example, the University of California-Berkeley is the best campus for recruiting students interested in astronomy, Lacey said. Such students are attracted to the Apache Point Observatory in Sunspot, the observatory in Cloudcroft and the night skies over southern New Mexico.

But there’s another reason why that part of California is important to NMSU recruiters.

“One of the reasons we recruit in the San Francisco Bay area is because we want to increase our numbers of Asian-American students,” Lacey said.

NMSU is a magnet for students who are interested in social justice, too, Lacey said. Students who work with colonias or who continue their contact with nonprofit agencies in Juarez can do so while continuing their education at this university. Many have had a chance to see Las Cruces en route to Juarez as well as other cities and towns in Mexico.

Also, NMSU is one of the few universities with no decline in its international student body, Lacey said. Nearly 20 percent of NMSU’s graduate students come from more than 70 countries with Mexico, China and India leading the way. Lacey said most of these students are experts in computer science and engineering.

NMSU is working on developing a program that teaches English as a second language to international students who either do not speak English or who are not considered strong in English proficiency skills. The Graduate School is also working with the Center for International Programs to increase the number of students from Mexico and to build relationships with Mexican universities.

“We are also pleased to see the growth in distance learning programs,” Lacey said. “The provost, college deans and faculty have played a major role in expanding access to NMSU throughout the state. Our off-campus programs in Albuquerque, Los Alamos and, more recently, White Sands allow us to help meet the needs of the work force within the state.”

To keep up with continued growth, Lacey said the Graduate School is continuing to find new ways to collaborate with different departments and colleges on the NMSU campus, including distance education and the undergraduate recruitment staff. Also, the graduate school is focusing on building relationships with inquiries, applicants and admitted students.

“Recruitment is a team effort,” Lacey said. “We need the departments to reply to the information request cards that we collected from potential students at graduate fairs and conferences. We also need departments to develop recruitment and retention plans so we can attract and retain outstanding students.” Lacey said information about different departments should be submitted to her as these relationships are built.

“Students like to feel they’re wanted,” Lacey said. “The more potential and admitted students hear from the faculty and staff at NMSU, the more likely they will select NMSU for their graduate studies.”

The College of Business Administration and Economics at New Mexico State University has achieved reaccreditation of its undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business administration by the board of directors of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

“This achievement is a high-water mark for the college,” said Danny Arnold, dean of the college of business. “The faculty, staff and administrators have been working toward this goal for the last 10 years. It provides concrete validation for the college’s efforts, particularly since the organization accredits achievement in excellence rather than simply meeting minimum standards. It provides the stamp of excellence.”

The accreditation is for 10 years. The college’s undergraduate program has been accredited by the AACSB since 1972 and the graduate program since 1981.

The business college has 2,061 undergraduate students and 158 graduate students.

To achieve AACSB International accreditation, business programs must satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality standards relating to curriculum, faculty resources, admissions, degree requirement, library and computer facilities, financial resources and intellectual climate that are mission-linked.

As of November, there are 432 accredited members all over the world.

The AACSB, the premier accrediting agency and service organization for business schools, is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 900 educational organizations and corporations worldwide devoted to the promotion and improvement of higher education in business administration and management.

Las Cruces, New Mexico. The College of Business at New Mexico State University has achieved reaccreditation of its undergraduate/master’s/doctoral) degree programs in business administration and accounting by recent action of the Board of Directors of AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The official announcement was made November 18, 2002.

As of November 2002, there are 432 accredited members – 406 in North America (396 in the U.S., eight in Canada and two in Mexico), 15 in Europe, four in Asia, one in Australia, one in Central America, two in the Middle East, and three in South America.

To achieve AACSB International accreditation, business programs must satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality standards relating to curriculum, faculty resources, admissions, degree requirement, library and computer facilities, financial resources, and intellectual climate that all are mission-linked.

During the accreditation process, College of Business was visited and evaluated by business school deans, accounting educators and corporate representatives, who are leaders in the field of management education, applying AACSB International accreditation standards that are widely accepted and adopted by the educational and business communities.

“This achievement is a high-water mark for the College. The faculty, staff and administrators have been working towards this goal for the last ten years. It provides concrete validation for the college’s efforts, particularly since the organization accredits achievement of excellence rather than simply meeting minimum standards,” stated Danny Arnold, Dean of the College of Business at New Mexico State University.

AACSB International is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 900 educational organizations and corporations, world-wide, devoted to the promotion and improvement of higher education in business administration and management. Its mission is to provide global leadership in advancing management education through accreditation and by fostering international interchanges, key business linkages, sharing of best practice, and professional development.

AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency and service organization for business schools and has its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. For more information, please contact Tom Weiser, Communications Manager, NMSU Business, 505-646-6290.

Juan Perezchica, a customer service representative from El Paso, completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration by attending night classes. Now, NMSU’s nighttime MBA program will open new career opportunities for him, he said. (NMSU photo by Michael Kiernan)

Juan Perezchica, a customer service representative with Yazaki North America, a distributor of automotive electrical components in El Paso, said he has always sought to improve his education, but has had to balance that drive against his family and professional responsibilities.

“For me, it’s always been a night effort. I have a full-time job and a family to support. I just couldn’t make it in a day program,” he said.

Perezchica earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1998 by attending night classes at several area colleges and business colleges, but he soon felt the bachelor’s degree wasn’t making the difference in his life he’d hoped for, he said.

This is why he was interested when friends told him about New Mexico State University’s master of business administration program, which began offering all of its courses at night in the fall of 2000. Perezchica, who entered the program that fall, said his success in it allows him to feel confident of a brighter future.

“I think I’m going to have a lot of opportunities. People recognize the effort. And I probably couldn’t have gone on if not for the night program,” he said.

Like Perezchica, 57 new students have enrolled in NMSU’s MBA program since it was reorganized in a move that makes NMSU perhaps the first fully accredited, publicly funded university in the nation to offer its MBA program entirely at night, said Wayne Headrick, the program’s director.

Headrick said in the booming economy of the 90s NMSU’s MBA school, like graduate business programs nationwide, saw a drop in enrollment, but its faculty and the area business people who serve on its advisory council realized there was a pool of potential students to balance that trend.

“We knew there were people in the local area who live here, work here and have bachelor’s degrees, but want to move up. What we hope we’ve done by going to all evening classes is to offer a high quality program that meets the needs of those people, as well as the needs of our full-time students,” he said.

Erika Mulcock, who balances working as an advertising account executive in El Paso with attending classes toward an MBA at NMSU, says the university’s new nighttime classes make scheduling her time much easier. (NMSU photo by Michael Kiernan)

Erika Mulcock, an account executive with an El Paso advertising agency, said the new program has resolved a dilemma for her. When she and her husband, Wade, moved to Las Cruces in 1998, she immediately applied to and was admitted into the MBA program. But, Mulcock said, she also needed a full-time job.

“I love my job and I love the people I work with,” she said. “I told them from the beginning I was committed to the MBA, but, also, I was determined that the MBA would interfere as little as possible with my job. I just kept taking night classes and kept my daytime schedule open,” she said.

Mulcock said the new program makes juggling her priorities much easier.

“Before, only one or two MBA courses were offered at night. I just had to take what was offered and couldn’t really plan out a degree. Now, with all of the courses offered at night there’s greater flexibility and more options,” she said.

“I have a class on Wednesday and a class on Thursday night. Other people take two classes a night, but it’s easier to do that since the classes meet only once a week. In fact, one guy drives here from Artesia. It’s worth his time to take two classes one time a week,” she added.

Full-time graduate student Michael Lopez says the new nighttime program allows students more time for work and provides a better organized curriculum. (NMSU photo Michael Kiernan)

Michael Lopez earned his bachelor’s degree in finance at NMSU in 1997. He worked for the Intel Corp. in California for two years before returning to enter the MBA program as a full-time student in 1999. Lopez said some aspects of the old MBA program have been eliminated, but, on the whole, the new program is more convenient and responsive to students’ need.

“You can’t concentrate on marketing, finance, human resources or business computer systems like you could before. Now it’s a straight MBA program. On the other hand, under the new program, having all the classes at night makes it easier to schedule and get the courses you need when you can take them,” he said.

“I have three classes once a week each. The rest of the week is for me and my work. I’m a lot more comfortable. The huge benefit is that, if you go full time, you can get through this program in a year and work during the day. That’s awesome,” he added.

Headrick called the loss of concentrations in the MBA program “a negative side affect” of the new program. But he said the College of Business and Economics plans eventually to petition NMSU’s graduate council to allow “specializations” — possibly in business computer systems, finance and human resources — in the MBA, which, unlike the older program’s “concentrations,” will be listed on the students’ transcripts.

The MBA program has been streamlined, he said — from 36 hours including 15 hours of electives, to 30 hours all of which are required for the MBA. It also has been organized so students can set one-, two- or three-year schedules and be assured the necessary classes will be available each semester. But Headrick said he doesn’t encourage students to try working full-time in the day and going to school full-time at night.

“It’s not exactly recommended for physical or mental health,” he said wryly.

Air Force Lt. Christopher Riggen says NMSU’s new nighttime MBA program offers a degree he needs for future promotions, plus a quality education and classes he can fit into his Air Force work schedule. (NMSU photo by Melissa Alderete)

Christopher Riggen, an Air Force first lieutenant at Holloman Air Force Base, also said NMSU’s nighttime schedule was important in his decision to enroll in its MBA program. But he added that another factor was equally important.

“When I found out I was coming here in the spring of 2000, I started checking into the schools in the area. People at Holloman told me NMSU has a good business school. This is the best program for me within a decent distance,” he said.

Riggen, who said he wants an MBA either to prepare him for future promotions in rank or for an alternate career should he not continue in the Air Force, said the program’s quality, and its accreditation, counts.

“Also, Dr. Headrick has been really good about helping me with my schedule. Having been in the Air Force himself, he understood what I needed. I can finish the degree in two years, which is just about the time I will be leaving Holloman,” he said.

“Of course, quality is really what it’s all about,” Headrick said, “We’re proud of our faculty. They all have Ph.D.s, do research and are eager to impart their knowledge to their students. In that respect, I don’t think we’re any different from any other university program. We all want our students to graduate and be productive — not just be productive, to excel.”

The New Mexico State University College of Business Administration and Economics will celebrate its 35th anniversary with a Sept. 1 reception in the Business Complex lobby.

The free, public event will begin at 1:30 p.m. and refreshments will be available. Speakers will include Dean Danny Arnold, NMSU President William Conroy and former and current college faculty members.

The business college registered its first students in September 1964. The college grew from the department of commerce, established under Arts and Sciences in 1920 and later renamed the department of business administration.

The business college began with 600 students in departments of accounting, economics and general business administration. It now enrolls more than 2,000 students in the departments of accounting and business computer systems; economics, international business and experimental statistics; finance, insurance and real estate; management; and marketing and general business.

For more information contact Beatriz Delgadillo at (505) 646-3587 or bdelgadi@nmsu.edu.