New Mexico State University Carlsbad Celebrates 70th Anniversary

Jessica Onsurez reported for the Carlsbad Current-Argus in "NMSU Carlsbad celebrates 70 years of education," on upcoming anniversary events marking the founding of the institution. NMSU was established in 1950 as New Mexico’s first community college and was named the Carlsbad Instructional Center.  Ten years later, the Center was renamed as a branch campus of New Mexico State University.

A virtual celebration is scheduled for 11 a.m. Oct. 2nd and the public can join by signing on via Zoom using a link to the meeting from the college's website at https://carlsbad.nmsu.edu/nmsu-carlsbad-70th-anniversary/ or via a live stream on NMSU Carlsbad's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nmsucarlsbad.

The event will feature a slideshow of historical photos, a timeline of important moments in the community college's history and videos of former and current students sharing their NMSU Carlsbad memories.

Feature Series, Remembering the College of Santa Fe

The arts and culture magazine, Pasatiempo, published "O brothers, where art thou? A brief history of the College of Santa Fe" written by Jennifer Levin on May 4, 2018.  Levin's historical sketch is one of the articles in the series, Remembering the College of Santa Fe.  Titles below are linked to the respective articles:

• Tales from the teacher's lounge: Faculty tell the CSF story
• He ain't heavy, he's a brother
• Workshopping their voices: The creative writing program
• You ought to be in pictures: The film program
• A regional modernist: Architect Philippe Register
• Class notes: Where are the CSF alumni now?
• Playing on: The contemporary music program
• Art's School
• Drawing on the talent pool: The visual arts program
• Built with brotherly love: The College of Santa Fe campus and buildings
• All the world was a stage: The theater program
• A feast for the eyes: The Visual Arts Center and its collections

Those with interest in the history of the college should also read the excellent book, No Halls of Ivy: The Gritty Story of The College of Santa Fe, 1947-2009, written by Richard McCord and published by Lasallian Christian Brothers in 2013.

You can also read several earlier College History Garden posts:

• College of Santa Fe  from May 4, 2009
• College of Santa Fe, #2 from May 5, 2009
• Santa Fe University of Art and Design will be Closing from April 13, 2017

Santa Fe University of Art and Design will be Closing

Doug Lederman reported today for Inside Higher Ed that Santa Fe University of Art and Design will cease operations after the 2017-2018 academic year.  The institution's web site includes an announcement and transfer / teach out information for students.

Santa Fe's The New Mexican reported in late March that discussions of a possible sale of the institution were halted and new students would not be accepted, "Future of Santa Fe University of Art and Design in doubt after sale halted."

Santa Fe University of Art and Designed traces its founding to a school that was operated by the Brothers of Christian Schools after 1859 as Saint Michael's.   A higher education program was added in 1874 under charter as the College of the Christian Brothers of New Mexico.  The collegiate program was dropped after World War I and St. Michael's continued as a preparatory school.  It again offered the college program at the former Bruns Army Hospital after 1947.  

The name changed to College of Sante Fe in 1966 and it became co-ed.  The institution expanded into Albuquerque in 1980 with assumption of responsibility for programs offered by the University of Albuquerque prior to its closure.  

Financial and enrollment struggles later led the Board of Trustees for the College of Santa Fe to close in 2009.   Programs were ultimately continued through an affiliation with Laureate Education Inc. as a for-profit institution and the name changed to Santa Fe University of Art and Design after August 30, 2010.

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page.  There are separate tabs for non-profit and for-profit closures.  Each tab includes basic information for each institution, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

New Mexico Military Institute featured as it celebrates 125th anniversary

The November 2016 issue of New Mexico Magazine features an article on New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, NM.  NMMI is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its founding in 1891.   The institution was founded as Gross Military Academy. It became a territorial institution in 1893 and the name changed to New Mexico Military Institute. A junior college program was added in 1915 that continues. A baccalaureate program was offered from 1948-1956.

The NMMI alumni organization maintains a website that includes an extensive gallery with more than 35 postcard images as part of a larger virtual museum. Other pages include photographs, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, and other items.

Northern New Mexico College Changes Name

Northern New Mexico College announced a name change on January 27, 2015.  The institution located in Española, NM will now be Northern New Mexico University.

The institution has a complex history of changes in mission and names.  It was founded in El Rito, NM as the Spanish American Normal School in 1909.  The name was changed to Northern New Mexico State School in 1953 and to Northern New Mexico College in 1959.  It became New Mexico Technical-Vocational School in 1969 and development of a new campus at Española began.  The name was changed to Northern New Mexico Community College in 1976 and Northern New Mexico College in 2005.

New Mexico Colleges that have Closed, Merged, or Changed Names

This table below includes institutions that have closed, merged, or changed their names.  If you note a need for changing or updating information, please notify ray01brown@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

An index with links to separate pages for other states and countries is available.

There is a College History Garden Facebook group or you can view and follow multiple College History Garden boards on Pinterest or there is a board specifically devoted to New Mexico colleges.

Thanks for your interest and suggestions!

Navajo Technical University (NM)

An article in The Daily Times of Farmington, NM by Noel Lyn Smith describes an upcoming Birth of a University Celebration planned by Navajo Technical University highlighting the institution's recent name change in July 2013.

NTU was founded in 1979 as the Navajo Skills Center in Crownpoint, NM.  It was designated as a land grant college in 1979 and became Crownpoint Institute of Technology in 1985.  The name then changed to Navajo Technical College in 2006.

College of Santa Fe, #2

Gov. Bill Richardson announced that the State of New Mexico is teaming up with the City of Santa Fe and Laureate Education, Inc. to try and keep the financially troubled College of Santa Fe open. The plan outlines a path for the City of Santa Fe, with support from the Governor’s Office, to purchase the college. Laureate will then operating the college under a lease.

The Laureate International Universities network includes more than 42 accredited campus-based and online universities located throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

College of Santa Fe

A memo offered by President Stuart C. Kirk indicates that the College of Santa Fe has apparently run out of alternatives to closure and no longer plans to offer classes.

An interesting student-made video, Already Home offers perspectives of students and faculty.

A brief history of CSF is available on the college website.

You may also be interested in reading Inside Higher Ed's analysis from December 2008.

New Mexico Higher Education Department

The New Mexico Higher Education Department holds records of a number of post-secondary institutions that operated in the state and have now closed. Their web site includes contact information and links to a list of institutions.