The Board of Regents met on January 30, to discuss that approval of New Mexico State Universities audit report for fiscal year 2017. Missing from the meeting was Regent Mike Cheney.

Regent Cheney, whose term expired in December of 2016, has been present as a voting Regent until recently. During the most recent meeting, Regent Cheney was absent, with no apparent reasoning provided.

“What I do know is that Mike [Cheney] is not here, what I also know is that I haven’t heard anything else from the Governor’s office with regard to Regent Cheney,” Chair Debra Hicks said.

Regent Cheney has remained on the Board past his term because he wanted to make sure there was a replacement appointed by the governor before he left. Part of the reason Regent Cheney may have been absent is due to the Governor appointing one Christopher Saucedo to Cheney’s position. Saucedo has yet to receive a hearing to approve him for the Regent position.

The voting members of the Board or Regents must appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate Confirmation Committee before the appointee can begin their work. If the Confirmation Committee refuses to hold confirmation hearings, then the position will remain unfilled until a hearing is held, leading to a decision.

There are five appointed voting members of the Board of Regents. Of that, a minimum of three are required to reach quorum in order to make decisions. With two Regents terms expiring in December of 2018, there could be some room for concern regarding the Regents ability to make decisions.

However, as Chair Hicks said, “Should we get to the point where we actually need to have action taken by the Governor’s office, they will do that. If something happens that we will not be able to have a quorum, then they will step in and take the action they need to take.”

Regardless of what actions are taken by the Board of Regents, the Governor’s office, or the Senate Confirmation Committee, New Mexico State students will not be effected immediately.

According to New Mexico State Universities Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications Justin Bannister, “The University will keep on ticking regardless of the Confirmation Committees actions. The point when it will become a problem is if the Regents are unable to make a big decision. And those do not come around very often.”