ENMU Presents at the New Mexico Indian Affairs Legislative Committee Meeting

ENMU Presents at the New Mexico Indian Affairs Legislative Committee Meeting

RUIDOSO, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) System representatives from the Portales, Roswell and Ruidoso campuses recently spoke at the New Mexico Indian Affairs Committee Meeting to discuss Native American Student Success at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Thursday, June 25.

Dr. Ryan Trosper, ENMU-Ruidoso President; Dr. Edna Yokum, ENMU-Roswell Dean of Technical Education; Bailey Roanhorse, ENMU Portales Student Coordinator for the Office of Indigenous Affairs; and Edith Morgan, ENMU-Ruidoso Early Childhood Education student, President's Ambassador Club Member, and recent graduate of the High School Equivalency (HSE), spoke to the New Mexico Indian Affairs Committee Second Meeting.

Front row left to right: Dr. Edna Yokum, ENMU-Roswell Dean of Technical Education; Dr. Ryan Trosper, ENMU-Ruidoso President; Bailey Roanhorse, ENMU Portales Student and Coordinator of Indigenous Affairs; Edith Morgan, ENMU-Ruidoso Student, President's Ambassador Club Member, recent HSE Graduate and Current Early Childhood Education Student. Back row left to right: Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero and Todd DeKay, ENMU System Government Relations Officer.
Front row left to right: Dr. Edna Yokum, ENMU-Roswell Dean of Technical Education; Dr. Ryan Trosper, ENMU-Ruidoso President; Bailey Roanhorse, ENMU Portales Student and Coordinator of Indigenous Affairs; Edith Morgan, ENMU-Ruidoso Student, President's Ambassador Club Member, recent HSE Graduate and Current Early Childhood Education Student. Back row left to right: Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero and Todd DeKay, ENMU System Government Relations Officer.

In total the ENMU system serves over 9,000 students. Each campus has tailored programs to serve their Native American students and their communities. In the fall of 2025, there were 305 Native Americans enrolled in the ENMU System, of which 187 students completed, 164 with undergraduate certificates and degrees in automotive technology, early childhood education, education, emergency medical services, general studies, nursing assistant, phlebotomy, special education and welding, and 23 graduate degrees in alternative educational licensure (secondary and special education), education, school counseling, and special education. In addition, over 140 tribal members are involved in non-credit workforce training such as commercial driver's license (CDL) training.

ENMU-Ruidoso offers dual credit at and for area schools; adult education on the Reservation at the Empowerment Center and workforce training including leadership and manager training at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, plus training in OSHA, forklift operations and firefighting. ENMU-Ruidoso also offers scholarships and advising, campus events and outreach including the graduation ceremony for the college is hosted at the Inn of the Mountain Gods on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. As well as several other initiatives including hiring a tribal student success coordinator, a point of contact and advocate for tribal students, and working with the Mescalero Tribal Education Director and the upcoming timber grading program for the sawmill that is opening soon.

Trosper spoke about Native American student course success sharing a report for fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters. At ENMU-Ruidoso 196 Native American students completed at least one A-F course. Six hundred and forty-one (641) of 797 completed courses which is an 80.4% success rate. For dual credit courses, 219 out of 240 Native American students completed courses which is a 91.2% successful course completion rate.

Additionally, workforce programs show promising outcomes at ENMU-Ruidoso. Welding Technology recorded 100% success rated across 37 completed courses. Child Development reached 88.6% percent, Pre-Nursing reached 83.3 %, and Information Systems Cybersecurity reached 75%.

Course attempts by students associated with certificate and degree programs, excluding the dual credit category, have a combined success rate of 75.8% (422 out of 557 students). Some transfer-oriented programs show lower outcomes and may benefit from additional advising, tutoring, and early academic intervention.

Dr. Yokum, originally from California, is a member of the Osage Nation and has a Master of Arts degree in American Indian Studies. She discussed how the ENMU-Roswell campus hosts a leadership fellows' program for faculty, staff, and students, offers a specific course in Communication for Teachers, hosts the New Mexico Youth Challenge Academy program, and also offers adult education on campus.

bailey roanhorse and edith morgan
Left to right: Bailey Roanhorse, ENMU Portales Student and Student Coordinator of Indigenous Affairs in Portales and Edith Morgan, ENMU-Ruidoso Early Childhood Education Student, President's Ambassador Club Member, and recent HSE graduate.

ENMU Portales Student Bailey Roanhorse, a member of the Navajo Nation, discussed her experience of being a Native American student and the work she does serving as the Portales Campus Student Coordinator for the Office of Indigenous Affairs.

ENMU-Ruidoso Student Edith Morgan, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, recently completed the High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma and participated in the commencement ceremony this spring and is enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program, is a member of the President's Ambassador Club and is employed as the Apache Language Teacher at the Mescalero Apache School. She said, "A lot of our people in Mescalero want to get education and training so they can either come back to the reservation or remain on the reservation to help our people. I am so grateful ENMU-Ruidoso is right here for that reason."

To learn more about ENMU-Ruidoso's programs, visit the website at https://ruidoso.enmu.edu/ or call the College at 575.315.1120. Enrollment is currently underway for fall semester classes. ENMU-Ruidoso's mission is to enhance the lives of our students and the communities we serve now and into the future.