sa国际传媒官网网页入口

New Mexico Highlands University President Neil Woolf has been removed from his post by the school鈥檚 Board of Regents amid faculty dissatisfaction.

Woolf was placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately after a special regents meeting Friday, according to an email sent to NMHU faculty and staff.

In a Facebook post, Woolf said the board provided no explanation for the decision and that he hadn鈥檛 heard any indications that there were concerns.

鈥淪ince day one, my focus has been clear: strengthening Highlands for the students and communities we serve,鈥� Woolf wrote. 鈥淭ogether, we have made measurable progress 鈥� improving the university鈥檚 financial position, achieving record fundraising, launching new academic programs aligned with regional workforce needs, increasing enrollment, and building meaningful partnerships across New Mexico.

鈥淚 remain committed to that work. I welcome the opportunity to address this situation directly and to continue moving Highlands forward.鈥�

Woolf was appointed to the presidency in 2024 after a national search. He most recently served as the executive vice president at Southern Oregon University. 

NMHU has just over 2,800 students. The public, state-run university鈥檚 flagship campus is in Las Vegas, with satellite locations in sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Rio Rancho, Farmington and Santa Fe.

Kimberly Blea, who most recently served as vice president of student affairs at NMHU, has been appointed interim president, according to the email.

"I am deeply honored by the trust the Board of Regents has placed in me to lead New Mexico Highlands University during this period of transition,鈥� Blea said in a statement. 鈥淢y commitment to every member of this campus community is simple: I will lead with transparency, compassion, and an unwavering focus on our students and our mission.鈥�

Blea will hold an open forum Wednesday to answer questions, the email said, and the Board of Regents will reconvene on June 2 to consider further action.

Doajo Hicks, NMHU鈥檚 general counsel, declined to comment on personnel matters when reached about Woolf鈥檚 dismissal.

Kathy Jenkins, professor of exercise science and president of the NMHU Faculty and Staff Association, said university employees had problems with Woolf for the past two years.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had union issues. They鈥檙e not following our (collective bargaining agreements),鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淲e wrote the Board of Regents two months ago expressing our concern, and they told us to basically stay in our lane and that they supported the president. And then all of a sudden this happened.鈥�

Jenkins said discontent worsened after faculty and staff raised workplace safety issues at the university鈥檚 Ivan Hilton Science Building, which for several months starting Sept. 3, 2024, after reports of a chemical spill, the Las Vegas Optic reported.

Marty Lujan, a custodian at NMHU who worked in the building, died 11 days later. An autopsy report by the Optic found Lujan died of complications from diabetes, though union officials said he showed signs of chemical exposure.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been really upset,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淭hat was awful, with the storage of chemicals being so bad.鈥�

Jenkins said faculty had been 鈥渓eft in the dark鈥� about whether anyone else from the administration had been let go as the university鈥檚 commencement ceremony approaches later this week, featuring U.S. senator and alumnus Ben Ray Luj谩n as the keynote speaker.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 really surprising is this is graduation week,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淭hese are the people that do graduation.鈥�

Natalie Robbins covers education for the Journal. You can reach her at nrobbins@abqjournal.com.