Dear colleagues, 

Following up on my earlier communication, I am pleased to announce the formal establishment of the Data Governance Committee. This committee will be co-chaired by me and our Chief Information Officer, Jim Stanfill. Committee membership includes following Data Trustees: Chancellors Sherry Kollmann and Monica Torres, Vice President for Administration and Finance Chris Kinsley, Vice President for Research Luis Cifuentes, and Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Tony Marin. The committee will meet monthly to provide strategic direction and oversight for data-related initiatives across the campus. In alignment with this work, we have identified Data Stewards and Data Custodians, who are expected to meet bi-weekly to develop and implement operational plans that support the goals set by the Data Governance Committee.

As part of our broader strategy to establish a cohesive, system-wide approach to data, we will convene the Academic Data Summit later this month. This summit will offer an opportunity to reflect on last year’s activities, review the Moran Technology Consulting data assessment recommendations, and engage in discussions about our path forward. Our goal is to build a shared understanding of our data needs and priorities while identifying opportunities for synergy and alignment across the system.

Over the past two weeks, my meetings with campus groups have underscored a pressing need to automate processes and make a deliberate shift toward paperless operations. It is increasingly evident that some routine tasks are taking longer than necessary. A recent example is the faculty international travel request approval process, which remains an unnecessarily long process. I believe many of you may have additional processes that would benefit from streamlining. I invite you to submit suggestions for processes that should be prioritized for automation, with implementation beginning as early as Fall 2025. Please submit your ideas using this link, which will be managed and reviewed by Ms. Gabriela Cisneros.

We are now just one month away from the start of the fall semester, and our deans and department heads are actively working to align course and section offerings with student enrollment needs. As always, some courses may require increased capacity, while others may need additional sections to ensure students can continue progressing through their programs. It is essential that departments remain flexible and responsive in adjusting course offerings to meet student demand. If additional support is needed from the Dean’s Office or the Provost’s Office, now is the time to make those requests.

By aligning our data strategies and operations, we model what it means to function as one integrated system, focused on student success and institutional excellence.

Thank you for your continued dedication.

We Are NMSU.

Sincerely, 

Lakshmi N. Reddi
Interim Provost
New Mexico State University