Full memo

Dear Aggie Health & Wellness Center Employees:

I want to take this opportunity to provide an update about the search for the next Director of Aggie Health and Wellness.  The job posting should be publicly available soon.  The posting will be open for thirty days.  The search committee is comprised of Dr. Linda Scholz, VP for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, Will Waller, Associate Dean of Student Life, and Dr. Judy Volz, Medical Director and Dr. Amy Collins, Professor of Public Health at Doña Ana Community College.  The committee will be responsible for screening applicants and recommending candidates for on campus visits.  At the time of campus visits, you will all be invited to meet with the candidates and provide feedback to the committee.

Beginning on July 1, the next Director for Aggie Health and Wellness will report directly to Dr. Ann Goodman, AVP and Dean of Students.  I believe this reporting change will position the Health and Wellness Center within a larger interdivisional unit to connect with similar office/units that share your commitment to supporting students.  By positioning the Aggie Health and Wellness Center alongside the Department of Student Life, the unit will be able to collaborate more effectively with offices such as Student Assistance Services, Disability Access Services, and Student Leadership and Involvement Programs.  Working as a part of a focused interdivisional unit will afford the Aggie Health and Wellness Center access to additional resources to support your work with health education and promotion activities, the Aggie Cupboard, and NMSU’s CARE team.  The Director will be part of the Dr. Goodman’s leadership and will have opportunities to meet monthly with other directors who are also leading units that are directly serving students.

As you may be aware, Aggie Health and Wellness receives significant funding from student fees. While the counseling function receives their funding from Instruction and general allocations from the state, most of the medical unit is funded by student fees except for a small instructional and general allocation for medical services for faculty and staff.  Many units within our existing Student Life areas are also student fee funded. The Department of Student Life is supported by a fiscal management unit with expertise in managing funding based on student fees.  This expertise will now be available to support the business needs of Aggie Health and Wellness and specifically the next Director.

I will talk more about the focus for Student Success at the April 22^nd All-staff meeting.  The Aggie Health and Wellness Center is a vital unit in helping the Division of Student Success accomplish our mission and vision in supporting students and NMSU.  I look forward to seeing you on Friday, April 22^nd.