This year voters in New Mexico have the opportunity to vote on General Obligation Bond 3 which is designed to help provide funding for statewide higher education institutions to finance projects including building upgrades and renovations.

New Mexico voters will find GO Bond 3 for Higher Education on the ballot to help provide New Mexico’s colleges, universities, and specialty schools with the ability to ensure students have the tools and resources necessary to be successful.

GO Bond 3 will provide more than $215 million in higher education funding, including $89.2 million for The University of New Mexico and its branch campuses. The passing of GO Bond 3 will not only provide more than 33 colleges and universities with access to the latest in training and teaching tools but will also create more than 2,000 new jobs in 20 communities throughout the state without raising taxes.

Important Dates

  • Absentee Voting Begins: Tuesday, Oct. 11
  • Early Voting: Saturday, Oct. 22 through Saturday, Nov. 5
  • Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 8

Institutional bonds are debt commitments that allow the University to make investments in large capital projects, similar to what private citizens do when they buy a home and take on a mortgage. Universities use this financial tool in order to fund large brick-and-mortar projects and can serve as matching funds to other sources to fully fund large building projects. Typically, there are no tax increases associated with GO Bond 3.

If passed this November, GO Bond 3 will fund six projects amongst UNM’s north campus, main campus and branch campuses.

The projects include:

Center for Collaborative Arts ($45 million)
The proposed Center for Collaborative Arts & Technology (CCAT) would reduce the 13 separate buildings the College of Fine Arts CFA now occupies across campus and create a more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable use of space. The estimate includes new construction of a multi-story building with technical and equipment labs and performance spaces for Music and Theater, Art and Technologies, and Fine Arts education.

To remain competitive with peer fine and studio art colleges in the southwest in recruiting and retaining students and faculty and to be able to grow New Mexico's workforce in the film, music, and other creative arts industries, the College of Fine Arts must offer the technology and facilities that are necessary for these practices. Students and faculty need instruction, research, rehearsal, and performance space with appropriate ventilation, sound systems, light, and acoustics, depending on each specialized art program.  

A state-of-the-art fine arts facility is not only integral to UNM's recruitment strategies to grow enrollment, but it is also essential for promoting retention through centralized student activities and services that support student success. Additionally, establishing a collegiate climate where a student can meet with faculty and collaborate with classmates in a safe and inclusive space provides for improvements in attendance, achievement, retention, and eventual graduation.

For more information, visit Center for Collaborative Arts.  

Children’s Psychiatric Center ($36 million)
The proposed University of New Mexico Hospitals Children’s Psychiatric Center will be located on UNM’s north campus and will renew the current facility to enable intensive, modern partial hospitalization capabilities on our campus, upgrade the programming and state-wide telehealth support to patients and their families in their communities and provide the physicians and equipment to facilitate concentrated specialty care in facilities located outside Albuquerque. 

Children benefit from personalized care that may include inpatient, residential or partial hospitalization (day) programs. The current center is almost 50 years old and consists of a 35-bed cottage-style hospital and adolescent inpatient unit. The facility is spaced out and requires more staff and coverage spread across multiple facilities. It is currently the only facility in New Mexico affiliated with an academic medical center.

UNM Children's Psychiatric Center provides intensive behavioral health care for children and adolescents through age 17. Children benefit from personalized care that may include inpatient, residential or partial hospitalization (day) programs at the center. UNM Children's Psychiatric Center is the only facility in New Mexico affiliated with an academic medical center, and the only center in the state that cares for children with serious emotional disturbances—regardless of a family's ability to pay.

For more information, visit Children's Psychiatric Center

Branch Campus projects

Gallup Branch: Gurley Hall Improvements ($3 million)
The objectives of the renovations inside and outside of Gurley Hall are designed to improve the use of space, the quality of space, and proximity of spaces by increasing natural light. These improvements will create spaces for students to study, gather, and eat, and improve the student experience in accessing all the services UNM - Gallup offers. 

A few of the improvements include Interior renovations include: interior shell repairs (floors, ceilings, walls, and signage) and HVAC, cooling, heating, electrical, and plumbing system repairs identified in the facility assessment in 2019. Other additions include a learning stair and bridge in the main lobby that provides gathering spaces for students, faculty, and staff and improves connections between student services and administrative offices; a stair connection between the basement and the first floor that lets natural light into the basement and makes existing space more usable; and break-out spaces for students along the southeast side of the main lobby and below the new learning stair. 

This project will transform Gurley Hall into a safe and welcoming space to aid student success. It is critical in UNM - Gallup's attraction and retention of students and can motivate students to graduate. Gurley Hall is the front door to campus; this renovation will provide formal and informal spaces for students to study, gather, eat, and get assistance. 

For more information, visit Gurley Hall Improvements

UNM-Taos Fred Peralta Hall Renovation ($3 million)
Fred Peralta Hall was constructed on UNM Taos Klauer campus in 1996 to support art education in northern New Mexico. Generally, the facility is in good condition, but many of the systems are beyond their expected service life. The 11,600 gross square foot (GSF) building currently provides woodworking, drawing, painting, jewelry and small metal construction, ceramics and sculpture labs supporting the offered curricula. Currently these programs are taught in a combination of off-site and on-campus facilities, in adapted spaces, which are not appropriately fitted for these specialized class labs.   

This project will include improvements to Fred Peralta Hall, last renovated in 2002, including upgrading classrooms/labs for art programs, expanded teaching capabilities, upgrade HVAC and fire protection systems, and outside upgrades, such as safety lighting and signage with an overall goal to increase enrollments in career technical programs. The benefits will be improved indoor comfort, air quality, and lighting quality while reducing energy usage and consumption. 

For more information, visit Fred Peralta Hall Renovation.  

UNM-Los Alamos Campuswide Improvements
This project includes items related to safety and security as well as energy efficiency across the entire campus. The proposed renovation includes access control system, LED lighting, HVAC equipment, renewable energy, roof repairs and stucco repairs.  

This infrastructure project will help promote enrollment growth, retention, and degree production in several strategic ways starting with enrollment. UNM-LA consistently markets its programs as high-quality education with reasonable costs in a safe environment. Regarding safety, UNM-LA can report local crime statistics to support our statement, but UNM-LA has fallen behind on various safety features that are common in higher education institutions. This includes a Fire Alarm System in all of the buildings on campus, and an access control system to allow for better security overall and response features such as a lockdown if necessary.  

The renovation efforts are also an important factor in degree production. UNM-LA consistently works with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos County, and other employers in the area to provide the degree programs that meet the needs of the local workforce.

For more information, visit UNM-Los Alamos campuswide improvements

UNM-Valencia roof replacements and solar installation
The UNM-Valencia campus Learning Center Resource Center re-roof and solar panel installation project will meet UNM Valencia's goal of having 75-80 percent solar coverage of power needs for the campus and upgrades the oldest and least reliable roof on campus.  Roof failure on this building would result in significant collateral damage to library inventory and technology, and the risk is becoming high for this facility.  

This project will install new Carlisle TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin)Roofing system made up of a single layer of synthetics and reinforcing scrim that can be used to cover flat roofs. It is a popular choice in commercial roofing membrane that is also highly reflective, giving it industry-leading energy efficiency and resistance. 

This project will fulfill the needed renovation to the Learning Resource Commons (LRC), which is the primary student resources facility on UNM Valencia's campus. The LRC is the focal point for student support outside of the classroom and is central to UNM Valencia's academic mission. 

From an enrollment and retention perspective, the facility provides most of the support services that support student success by assisting students with tutoring and classwork assistance in math, writing, etc., providing laptops for students who need them, and providing books and other library resources for projects and academic research. All these services improve the retention, graduation rates, and degree completion for the campus. 

For more information, visit UNM-Valencia roof replacements and solar installation

Absentee voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 11, while early voting begins Saturday, Oct. 22. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

For complete information on this year’s projects, visit UNM GO Bond 3.