Date:
6/22/2007
Contact: Patrice Caldwell at 505.562.2315
PORTALES—Thanks to efforts by U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, Eastern New Mexico University gained committee approval of his request to provide Eastern with $1.0 million in federal funding to help purchase state-of-the-art technology equipment.
“The students, faculty and staff of Eastern are grateful for Sen. Domenici’s pursuit of technology funding. This appropriation will fill a funding void that we have no other way to meet. The senator is a good friend of the University and its students and we appreciate his efforts,” said Steven Gamble, ENMU president.
Domenici serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee that Thursday approved the Fiscal Year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Bill, which includes Domenici’s request for ENMU. Domenici secured similar funding last year, but that money was lost with the collapse of the FY2007 appropriations process.
For FY2008, Domenici again took up the University’s request for one-time funding for the purchase of equipment to upgrade technology on its Portales campus. The $1.0 million appropriation is intended to help equip multimedia classrooms, computer equipment and labs.
In a press release, Domenici said, “I am pleased the committee has agreed to restore funding I tried to get to Eastern last year. I will work to keep the funding in the bill as it moves forward this year,” Domenici said. “ENMU is working diligently to ensure that its campus is well suited to meet the education demands of students in this new age. This appropriation could help the University in that quest.”
ENMU has plans to equip for four multimedia classrooms, upgrading and furnishing computer labs with new computers and new monitors, replacement of file servers and telecommunications enhancements.