Associate Director of Institutional Research Splashes into Retirement

By Amy Waltner ENMU Communication Services

“I’m thankful for my current boss, Dr. Patrice Caldwell. She has always been there for me and helped me with certain tasks that need a bit more finesse than I possess.” - Amy Holt Amy Holt, associate director of Institutional Research who has worked at ENMU since August of 1984, is retiring on April 30. She graduated in 1990 with a university studies degree with an emphasis in computer information systems. “No one really goes to school to be an institutional research person, but the computer classes that I chose helped me immensely in my job,” she said. Mrs. Holt’s first job at Eastern was a department/division secretary for the Office of Institutional Research. “About three years later everyone in the office left except for me. I had my associate’s degree so Dr. Everett Frost, vice president for Planning and Analysis at the time, gave me the opportunity to be hired as an institutional research trainee under a development plan. “After I finished my bachelor’s degree, I could be promoted to institutional research specialist. It was a wonderful opportunity and, although it took several years, I did get my degree and moved up to institutional research specialist. I was later promoted to associate director of institutional research,” said Mrs. Holt. She has been in the same office suite for all 31 years she has worked at Eastern. “Dr. Frost was my first mentor and basically kept me from quitting after a tough few months of trying to figure out what an institutional research trainee was supposed to do. There are so many terms that you have to know and I almost quit on not knowing what an FTE (full-time equivalent) is.

“Dr. Chester Haughawaut was another boss who I truly appreciated sharing his knowledge with me. He helped me with learning about management styles and dealing with difficult people. “I’m thankful for my current boss, Dr. Patrice Caldwell. She has always been there for me and helped me with certain tasks that need a bit more finesse than I possess,” she said. Her duties required her to report data to the State and Federal governments and the university. Her office also handles all of the faculty course evaluations and administrative evaluations, while dealing with facilities and scheduling most of the classrooms on campus. Mrs. Holt has enjoyed her work being varied and that she has gotten to work on several projects at a time that keep her caught up with what is new on campus. “The biggest challenge until recently is not having enough support in the office. We went a few years without a secretary and it was very difficult. We now have a part-time person and it is a blessing,” said Mrs. Holt. “My best memory of ENMU was when the university changed their software to Banner. The administration was totally behind the change and it was fun and challenging to be part of building a system. “Ed Kinley brought everyone together and we were able to work in groups and go to the Banner Conferences as a group. We went to Roswell often and it was nice to meet our counterparts. I’m going to miss helping people with their data needs and just talking to my friends on campus,” said Mrs. Holt. She was born in Kansas and moved to New Mexico at 13. She graduated from Del Norte High in Albuquerque. She attended the University of New Mexico for a year before coming to ENMU. “My dad was a professor of Special Education at UNM and my mom was a diagnostician in the Albuquerque school system. I think they were afraid I wouldn’t grow up if I didn’t leave home,” she said. “I met my husband the first week I was on campus. Back in the day, registration was held at Greyhound Arena and we had to walk around and get into classes by signing up on a card. He happened to be at the Baptist Student Union table handing out pencils and I told my roommate that I sure wanted to meet him. “Fortunately, she was a Baptist and invited me to the hamburger fry that they used to hold on Sunday nights and he was there. He was the assistant BSU director. After that I went home the next weekend and broke up with my then boyfriend. I came back to school and we’ve been together ever since,” said Mrs. Holt. “I plan on seeing my grandchildren more, traveling to see our son who is in the Air Force, and relaxing. I am excited about retirement. My goal at this time is to enjoy retirement,” said Mrs. Holt “Not to sound trite, but my family is my priority. I am so proud of my daughter, Kacy Cash. She graduated from ENMU and served as a teacher for several years at James Elementary in Portales and now works for Central New Mexico College.

“My son, Travis Holt, serves in the Air Force and just graduated with his bachelor’s degree. My son-in-law, Lukas Cash, works at UNM and is also a graduate of ENMU. Education is very important to my success and I’m thankful that my children have carried on in this tradition,” she said. Mrs. Holt also enjoys geocaching. “It takes me travelling to places I might not otherwise see.” “Not to sound trite, but my family is my priority. I am so proud of my daughter, Kacy Cash. She graduated from ENMU and served as a teacher for several years at James Elementary in Portales and now works for Central New Mexico College.

“My son, Travis Holt, serves in the Air Force and just graduated with his bachelor’s degree. My son-in-law, Lukas Cash, works at UNM and is also a graduate of ENMU. Education is very important to my success and I’m thankful that my children have carried on in this tradition,” she said. Mrs. Holt also enjoys geocaching. “It takes me traveling to places I might not otherwise see.”