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DR. LYDIA TENA
March 12, 2015
Presidential Search Committee
NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY- ALAMOGORDO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Human Resource Services, PO Box 30001 MSC 3HRS
Las Cruces NM 88003
Dear Presidential Search Committee:
Please accept this letter of application, for the President position at New Mexico State University Alamogordo Community College (NMSU-A), for your consideration. I bring 29 years of Community
College experience to this position that includes 23 years in various administrative positions starting as
a Division Chair, Dean, and for the last 13 years as Campus Dean for the Northwest Campus of El
Paso Community College (EPCC) along with six years of teaching experience in face-to-face, hybrid,
and online courses. With this experience and background, I am confident that I can serve NMSU-A at
the high level that I have done at El Paso Community College since 1984.
The Campus Dean position I currently hold at EPCC, which has a student population of over 30,000 in
a five campus college district, is similar to a Campus President position in other college organizations of
comparable size. In this position, I serve as the top college and community representative for the
Northwest Campus, which is located in the far western portion of the El Paso City Limits and ten miles
from the New Mexico state line and serves both a rural and urban service area. In this role, I oversee all
Campus Facilities, Faculty and Staff in 30 Instructional Discipline Areas that include both Academic and
Career and Technical, the Learning Resource Center that also serves as a Community Library for this
area through a partnership with the City of El Paso and the El Paso Public Library, the Counseling
Department, and the Distance Education Department which is a district-wide function and serves all five
campuses. In order to help the campus transition from a center to a campus when I first started in this
position in 2000 and to bring all college services to our students allowing us to grow the campus to its
current enrollment of 3,500 students from the original 1,200 students, I have worked very diligently with
the College President, Cabinet members, and the Campus Team. I am very proud of the team that we
have been able to create at the Northwest Campus and the many accomplishments that we have
attained in the growth of the campus, excellent service to the students as documented in the
Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) survey results, community partnerships
that we have established, and strong relationships with external funders during my 14 year tenure at
the campus. I would bring this winning track record and would love to share this experience with the
NMSU-A faculty, staff, students and local community.
Having lived in the El Paso area my entire life and served in higher education in this region for 30 years
as well as being an alumni of New Mexico State University (NMSU) where I have earned my doctoral
degree, I am very familiar with the community we serve and the programs and services that are
provided by Alamogordo Community College and New Mexico State University. I find that NMSU-A’s
vision and mission to provide quality learning opportunities for individuals in the diverse communities
served through excellence in education that provides lifelong opportunities, through responsible
teaching and honest interaction with students, colleagues, and community, and one that values
innovation are beliefs that I hold strongly as well. NMSU-A’s mission to provide educational
opportunities to its diverse community of learners exemplifies the reasons I have remained in a
Community College environment during my entire career. I strongly believe that I am a great fit for
Alamogordo Community College because of these strong beliefs. After looking at the job
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Lydia Tena - 2
announcement and Presidential Profile along with information located on your college
website, I feel that a college such as NMSU-A which focuses on Access and Success and places value
for all individuals is one where I would be a very effective leader. NMSU-A’s mission mirrors my
passion to ensure that students are always at the core of any action or decision that is considered and I
would like to work with a team that possesses these values as well.
I have been heavily involved in initiatives focusing on Student Success at El Paso Community College
since 2005 through the Achieving the Dream (AtD) initiative in my role as the AtD College Liaison. In
this District-level role, I serve as the college’s contact person with AtD and have overseen the activities
and authored the college’s submissions that resulted in EPCC receiving the 2011 AtD Leah Meyer
Austin Institutional Student Success Leadership Award. The great work being done at EPCC, which I
have led in my role as the AtD Liaison, has also been recognized by the college receiving the 2011
National Samples of Excellence Award from Excelencia in Education, has been the subject of a recent
article in the Community College Times, a Case Study in the AtD Best Practices Series, a recent
Doctoral Dissertation prepared by Dr. Audrey Williams at Texas A&M University-Commerce that
highlighted the successes of EPCC’s AtD work, and has been documented in several Briefs produced
by MDC/ATD. I would be able to share these successes with NMSU-A staff and faculty in helping to
continue the focus on Student Success.
As I have done at El Paso Community College, I would strive to develop strong relationships with each
of the constituency groups and great partnerships with the community, K-12, neighboring universities,
and local industry at NMSU-Alamogordo. I have extensive experience working with private foundations
(such as Gates, Greater Texas Foundation, Educate Texas, Community Foundations of Texas, and
Lumina) as well as federal agencies (Department of Education, Housing and Urban Development) to
help bring external resources to the college. These professional relationships along with many contacts
I have established with other College Administrators throughout the country, Presidents, and Texas
Association of Community College personnel would serve me well in my role as President at NMSUAlamogordo.
As a professional and as an individual, I possess a high level of integrity in both my professional and
personal life which I bring to every action, interaction, and decision. I strive towards high achievement
in all that I do focusing at all times on student success which has been the driving force in my career
from the classroom to my current position as Campus Dean. Because of this passion, I have devoted
my career within the community college environment where the service to students is paramount.
I feel that my leadership style and background would fit NMSU-A well and hope that you will consider
my application to join your administrative team as your next President. In reviewing my application
materials, I hope that you will see that I am the visionary leader you are looking for to help take NMSUAlamogordo to the next level of excellence. I have included an updated Resume further documenting
my experience and a List of References as requested in your announcement for your consideration. In
response to the Presidential Profile, I submit the following background and experience for your
consideration:
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: I have earned a Doctor of Education degree in Community College
Administration from New Mexico State University, a fully accredited university. My senior administrative
experience includes having served as the Northwest Campus Dean for the last fourteen years. Other
administrative experience, over a 25 year span, has included serving as a Division Chair, Division
Dean, and Dean of Instructional Programs. I also have six years of full-time teaching experience at the
community college level where I have received Tenured Professor status as well as ten years of
experience teaching online and hybrid courses as an adjunct Professor since 2005 to present. I
possess a strong moral background and high integrity.
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DISTRICT LEADERSHIP: I am very comfortable working in a college district where I
must represent the campus’ needs while establishing strong relationships with other administrative
leaders in the district. I have served as a strong campus advocate while serving as a strong team
player for the last fourteen years and am certain that I can do so within the university system at NMSU
as well. I have worked diligently since 2000 to represent the smallest campus in the college district and
to garner the support needed to lead the Northwest Campus transition from a Center to a Campus and
to grow the enrollment to the current 3,500 student population by expanding the services and programs
and establishing a strong campus team to serve the students.
COLLABORATION/COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADVOCATE: I possess a collaborative style that has
enabled me to motivate and inspire those with whom I work toward a shared vision focusing on student
success. Through the development of strong teams, I have been able to establish a campus
environment where everybody’s input is valued, and where student success and institutional
effectiveness is moved forward as the team’s focus. I strongly believe in the role of higher education in
providing access and building support systems to enable students to succeed in reaching their goals. I
am a strong proponent of the mission of the community college and have devoted my professional
career to this movement. This commitment has demonstrated my strong belief in the role community
colleges fulfill in serving all students through its open door policy.
EXTERNAL RESOURCES/REVENUES: One of my greatest strengths is in “friend raising” on behalf of
the college to create strong alliances with funders and external agencies. My ability to establish these
strong relationships is driven by my passion for bringing resources to our students to help them
succeed and my ability to “tell their story” to help funders better understand the needs of the students in
this region.
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP/STUDENT SUCCESS: The majority of my professional career in higher
education has been focused on teaching, learning and student success. As an instructional
administrator overseeing programs and faculty and as the AtD Liaison, I have had the privilege of
helping design, in collaboration with faculty, numerous innovative strategies for enhancing the teachinglearning process that has led to student retention and success. As the AtD Leader College Liaison, I
have been involved with the El Paso Area College Readiness Consortium, which brings together the
community college, university and 12 area school districts, to prepare students for college level course
work in their junior and senior years in high school. The results have been dramatic in that far fewer
students entering higher education in the El Paso region now require developmental course work. The
students who do place into developmental course work are placing in higher levels and having to spend
less time before progressing to the college level classes. I also have extensive experience working with
the Developmental Education Initiative, Achieving the Dream, Statway, Texas Completes, and other
Student Success Initiatives and I feel that I bring a solid background in working with national funders to
help meet the needs of our students. I am a strong proponent of providing professional growth
opportunities to all faculty and staff at our campus and throughout the district. Because of this strong
personal focus, I have led the efforts to create the Teachership Academy at EPCC. This Academy has
been in place since 2008 and is open to all Full-time and Adjunct faculty teaching at the college. It has
been recognized as one of the AtD Promising Practices for 2012, featured in a recent article in the
Community College Times, and received the Honorable Mention Award in Professional Development
from the National Council for Instructional Administrators in 2013 and was used as a model to create a
sister Academy by Kaskaskia Community College in Illinois.
BUDGET PREPARATION/FISCAL MANAGEMENT: Having served as an Instructional Administrator
since 1990, I have extensive experience overseeing and developing budgets. I currently oversee
approximately forty-five institutional budgets totaling $5.3 Million and various grant budgets that total $3
Million.
ENGAGED AND ENERGETIC LEADER/COMMUNICATOR: My personality and nature is
characterized by others as very positive and optimistic and I strive to create this environment with our
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Campus Leadership Team and for it to permeate the campus as well. I believe in
promoting a culture of inclusion where all team members feel valued and are contributors to the
decision-making process and the establishment of a shared vision. I possess the ability to bring
diverse groups together to share a common vision through the work I have accomplished at my campus
as Campus Dean, the creation of multiple partnerships with area schools/businesses, leading the
Achieving the Dream efforts at EPCC, and in my role as an Academic Administrator for over twenty-five
years. I have developed very strong relationships with college personnel throughout the college district,
local school district administrators, external funders, and other educational administrators across the
country. I am a very engaged leader who leads with great passion towards a shared vision of service to
the students. I serve as the college representative and have conducted numerous presentations at
national, state and local conferences regarding Student Success Initiatives at El Paso Community
College as the AtD Leader College Liaison. I have represented the college in several national Webinars
and have served as a Panelist or presenter in numerous occasions. The experience I have obtained in
this area will greatly serve me in helping to inform the community and other stakeholders about NMSUAlamogordo’s programs and great successes throughout the region as well as in a national forum.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS: I have served as an Instructional Administrator for over twenty-five years
and have extensive experience in leading both Academic and Vocational/Technical programs at EPCC.
I have also served as the Interim Dean for Nursing at EPCC for over two years and am very familiar
with the requirements for the RN and LVN programs. I have worked closely with the faculty in these
programs to design and implement the curriculum and have supported their professional development
to enhance their teaching methodologies in order to enhance the success of students in these
programs. I have also helped the college to create a strong Program Review process which has been
in place for the last twelve years.
ACCREDITATION ADVOCATE: Having served as an Instructional Administrator since 1990, I have
participated in preparing for several reaccreditation visits from the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools (SACS) and hosted several of the visiting team members during the recent site visit to
EPCC. I have been involved in the creation of the Program Review process that evaluates all
instructional programs at EPCC annually on Viability Indicators and Quality Indicators and in creating a
well-documented Faculty Credentialing process to help the college meet the accreditation
requirements.
COMMUNICATION: I have strong people skills and consider myself to be an active listener. I have a
proven record of working collaboratively with other administrators, faculty, and staff to establish
effective teams whose primary focus is the service to the students in order to enhance their success. I
have extensive experience working in a multi-campus college system where I have represented the
smallest campus and have developed excellent working relationships within the college to meet our
campus needs as well as external constituencies within the other educational institutions and the
community. I have established strong working relationships with area school districts and specifically
the Canutillo Independent School district that has allowed us to establish an Early College High School
at the Northwest Campus. I have also worked with the other 12 school districts in our area as the Early
College High School Administrative Liaison to create seven Early College High Schools at El Paso
Community College. I have led the creation of a strong partnership with the City of El Paso and the
Public Library to create the Jenna Welch and Laura Bush Community Library at the Northwest Campus
that has been in existence since 2003 to present. I have served as the EPCC AtD Liaison since 2006
and have represented the college in numerous national presentations and webinars.
BUDGETS/FISCAL MANAGEMENT: I have worked with the Instructional Team for the last twenty-five
years in building the budget to support the instructional programs at EPCC. As a member of the
President’s Administrative Team, I am involved in college-wide budget discussions and allocations. I
have extensive experience in managing the budgets for both institutional funds and external grants.
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LEADERSHIP STYLE: My leadership style is one of inclusiveness and team building where I find my
greatest strength. I am a strong consensus builder that values others’ opinions and abilities and value
honesty and fairness in all actions and interactions. I strive to be a visible leader who is approachable
and who values open dialogue to help create a shared vision.
COLLEGE PROGRAMS/SERVICES: I strive to become as knowledgeable as possible about
programs/services available for our students and would do the same to become familiar with these
services at NMSU.
POLICY/OPERATIONS: I work collaboratively with other departments to help facilitate students’
progress whenever possible while maintaining the college’s requirements as well and informing the
student about the options available to them. As a member of the college team, I have been very
involved in reviewing existing procedures and in implementing new strategies and procedures to help
reduce any barriers to students’ progress at the college.
DECISION MAKING/JUDGMENT: In all decisions that I make as a college representative, I strive to
exercise good and fair judgment by maintaining an open mind and gathering the necessary information
to make the best decision I can. I also strive to maintain a focus on serving our students and on how
these decisions will affect them. I adhere to ethical principles in all my actions and reflect this in my
personal life as well as in my career.
FUNDRAISING: I have been involved in obtaining funding from the Greater Texas Foundation which
was granted in the sum of $800,000 to start the Northwest Early College High School (NECHS) at the
Northwest campus as a result of a very strong partnership between our campus and the Canutillo
Independent School District. This foundation has also provided funding in the amount of $800,000 for
scholarships to the first four graduating classes of NECHS students. I have also been involved in
obtaining grant funds from the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of
Education which has allowed us to expand the Math and Science laboratories and the Library at the
Northwest Campus.
Because of my education, experience and the list of accomplishments I have listed in this letter, I feel
that I am a good fit for what you are looking for in your next President at Alamogordo Community
College. I am greatly motivated to apply for this position due to my passion, energy, and commitment
for the role that community colleges have in providing educational opportunities for all who wish to
attend and the great fit that is obvious through our shared philosophy and beliefs in the value of
individuals and the service to the students. Being a first-generation college student myself, I am very
aware of the needs of the students we serve in community colleges. Because of this, I have remained
in higher education for the last thirty years and have prepared myself to seek this position where I
would serve a key role in helping students succeed and to attain their educational goals working with an
institution of the caliber of NMSU-Alamogordo.
Thank you for providing me this opportunity to present these materials for your review. It would be an
honor to be invited to meet with you to give you a firsthand look at what I could bring to NMSUAlamogordo as your next President. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Lydia Tena, Ed.D.