NMSU System Economic Development Plan

I. INTRODUCTION

  1. New Mexico State University
    1. Mission: The mission of the New Mexico State University system is to serve the diverse needs of the state through comprehensive programs of education, research, extension and outreach, and public service. As the state’s land-grant and space-grant university, and as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, NMSU fosters learning, inquiry, diversity and inclusion, social mobility, and service to the broader community.

    2. Vision: By 2025, the NMSU system will excel in student success and social mobility for our diverse student populations, achieve the highest Carnegie research status (R1), and maintain our Carnegie Community Engagement classification.

    3. Values
      1. Leadership: Promoting and creating the ability for Aggies to shape the future
      2. Excellence: Providing the highest level of education, research, outreach, and service
      3. Access: Welcoming diverse populations to higher education and to the NMSU community
      4. Diversity & Inclusion: Embracing our differences as an asset and actively seeking to include wide-ranging perspectives
      5. Student-Centered: Supporting the education of our students through every aspect of our university, every day.

        These values are encapsulated as: BE BOLD. Shape the future.®

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B. NMSU LEADS 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN

Goal 1: Enhance Student Success & Social Mobility: Be a recognized leader in advancing student outcomes and career success. Student success across the NMSU system is driven by a commitment to learning, degree completion, and career attainment enriched by our research and outreach enterprise. Our students are served by our culture of inclusivity and educational delivery that meets student needs and includes online and hands-on learning. Recognizing the diverse backgrounds of students across the system, NMSU provides a supportive environment for students to become a part of, and contribute to, the campus community, the state, the country, and the world.

Goal 2: Elevate Research & Creativity: Attain Carnegie R1 research ranking by 2025. NMSU recognizes that all disciplines advance research, scholarship and creative activity, and along with the assets of the state of New Mexico, create a strong foundation for teaching, learning, education, training, innovation, and economic development.

Goal 3: Amplify Outreach & Extension: Be a recognized leader in economic and community development. NMSU outreach extends knowledge beyond the university, drives integration of activities, directly and indirectly, and supports student learning, experiences, and success. Our outreach activities include research, connections with communities and families, multigenerational engagement, economic development and entrepreneurship, and collaborative efforts with industry, corporations, and government entities.

Goal 4: Build A Robust University System: Be a recognized as a high performing, diverse, minority-serving, land-grant and space-grant institution. NMSU seeks to improve the university system, across the board, for faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, stakeholders, and prospective students and their families. Cooperation throughout the NMSU system will be exemplary for university systems across the nation through efficient, effective, and empowering operations that align with our strategic goals.

Goal 5: Build an Online Global Campus: NMSU Global will be the online leader in New Mexico, creating an equal opportunity for every person to learn, regardless of their location, with a quality degree program, certification, or micro-credential. Developing the foundation and structure of the Global Campus in collaboration with the NMSU system will provide flexible, affordable, online education across New Mexico and beyond, competing against encroaching Mega Universities to keep more tuition dollars within the state of New Mexico, resulting in financial sustainability to foster continued growth in key strategic areas within the system.

Goal 6: Build, Elevate and Strengthen Sustainable Systemwide EID Practices: New Mexico State University (NMSU) aims to advance Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) across the NMSU system as a foundation for institutional excellence. Establishing a foundation and scaling a sustainable structure will promote shared responsibility and draw on the assets NMSU students bring to the institution. The commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity of and for students, faculty, and staff has a positive impact on retention and graduation, teaching, service, research, and Extension.

II. NMSU ECONOMIC DEVLOPMENT GOALS AND INDICATORS

As defined by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, economic development creates the conditions for economic growth and improved quality of life by expanding the capacity of individuals, firms, and communities to maximize the use of their talents and skills to support innovation, lower transaction costs, and responsibly produce and trade valuable goods and services.

  1. NMSU Economic Development Goals:

    NMSU has defined four goals for its economic development effort, all of which feed into its broader LEADS 2025 strategic goals, as outlined above.

    Economic Development Goal 1: Contribute to a stronger economic development ecosystem in our state and region.
    Economic Development Goal 2: Contribute to the diversification of the economic base of New Mexico
    Economic Development Goal 3: Advance collaborative efforts to strengthen communities in our region
    Economic Development Goal 4: Lead reimagined education and training for local, regional, and national workforce

  2. Leading Indicators:
    1. Health
    2. Education
    3. Community Resources
    4. Environment
    5. Infrastructure

  3. NMSU Strategic Areas of Contribution:
    1. Workforce Development
    2. Research
    3. Real Estate & Infrastructure Development
    4. Community & Relationship Development
    5. Technology Transformation
    6. Business & Entrepreneurship Acceleration

III. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

  1. State Economic Development Plan
    1. Collaborative New Mexico: Modernize NM’s economic development ecosystem by aligning stakeholders’ efforts, streamlining and simplifying rules and regulations, and strengthening business recruitment and retention.

    2. Dynamic New Mexico: Strengthen communities by increasing capacity for economic development projects and initiatives, redefining urban areas, and committing to the sustainability of rural and tribal communities.

    3. Skilled New Mexico: Reimagine education and training with industry engagement and institutional reform, aligning workforce development with industry needs, and preparing students for success.

    4. Inclusive New Mexico: Promote equity through economic justice by encouraging increased collaboration with tribal communities, expanding access to entrepreneurial resources for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and improving education and workforce outcomes for underserved populations.

    5. Innovative New Mexico: Enable high-quality homegrown innovation by building capacity among entrepreneurs, removing barriers to financial resources for entrepreneurs, sustaining an entrepreneur-friendly business environment, and connecting entrepreneurs and innovators to industry knowledge and resources.

    6. Resilient New Mexico: Diversify the economy, with emphases on:

      1. Aerospace
      2. Biosciences
      3. Cybersecurity
      4. Film and television
      5. Outdoor recreation/Tourism
      6. Sustainable and value-added agriculture
      7. Intelligent manufacturing
      8. Global trade
      9. Sustainable and green energy
      10. National Security (NMSU)

    7. Challenges
      1. Lack of collaboration between economic development stakeholders
      2. Difficulty attracting and retaining talent in urban, rural, and tribal communities
      3. Misalignment between higher education and industry
      4. Disengagement of socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in planning processes
      5. Public-sector dominance in New Mexico’s innovation ecosystem
      6. Concentration of economy in a few key industries

IV. KEY INDICATORS & UNIVERSITY CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

NMSU’s impact on and contributions to economic development in the state and region come from all sectors and all disciplines. This ongoing work is seamlessly integrated into strategic planning at the college and unit level, as well as the institutional and systemwide level. The below table is not an exhaustive account of economic development activities led by NMSU. Instead, it highlights initiatives that have been identified by colleges and campus units as high-impact opportunities that can be achieved in the near-term to meaningfully accelerate our economic development engine.