'Finding the right leader is paramount.' NMSU Regents to start another president search

Ernesto Cisneros, Las Cruces Sun-News
·2 min read

New Mexico State University Board of Regents voted unanimously Monday, March 11, to begin a new search for president candidates after going through an eight-month recruitment process that included numerous closed-door deliberations and interviews as well as campus visits from five potential hires.

During Monday's meeting, Regents moved into executive session to decide on the final outcome which lasted for roughly an hour until Regents came back into open session. Chair Ammu Devasthali delivered the news and thanked the committee for work up until this point.

Chair Ammu Devasthali speaks during a NMSU Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, at New Mexico State University.
Chair Ammu Devasthali speaks during a NMSU Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, at New Mexico State University.

"The presidential search committee has worked extremely hard to bring forward the best candidates from the pool and we appreciate their efforts," Devasthali said. "The motion today does not reflect the committee's valuable contributions. The Regents have also diligently evaluated the finalists in the past weeks, setting ambitious schedules to complete reviews."

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Despite Regents completing those individual candidate reviews, Devasthali said none of the five contenders, who all hold "impressive" qualifications would be the next president.

"After careful consideration, I do not believe that any of the current finalists fully meet the needs of New Mexico State University at this critical juncture," Devasthali said. "Finding the right leader is paramount."

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Monday's decision is not unprecedented, according to an NMSU spokesperson. During the search to replace former president Michael Martin, who served from 2004 to 2008, regents also voted to keep searching for candidates to serve as the next leader. In the meantime, part of Monday's vote included a motion to hire an interim president to continue serving.

Regents did not specify if Interim President Jay Gogue would continue in that role. Gogue's contract was amended September 2023 to be approved monthly until a permanent president was chosen this spring.

Ernesto Cisneros is a reporting fellow with the UNM/NM Local News Fund program. He covers education for the Sun-News and can be reached at ECisneros@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter at @_ernestcisneros.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: NMSU Board of Regents will begin new search for next president