The First Eighty Percent

When I began my UNM career last June, I knew that one problem I’d have was transportation. At age 42, I had no intention whatsoever of living on campus. However, living about 1-½ miles from campus made walking inconvenient at best. I thought about bike riding, but having been laid off six months prior, I hesitated to invest in a bike. For the same reason, I didn’t want to drive. Gas was rocketing toward $4.00/gallon, and parking was a nonsensical issue. Why pay $125.00 to park a mile or more off campus and take a shuttle bus when I already live that same distance from campus in a different direction?

The university solved my problem by advertising the free UNM bus pass program. I saw it everywhere on signs, fliers, and in newspaper articles. It was lauded by UNM – and CNM, who had initially been left out – as a primary answer to several problems. Foremost, of course, is the abominable parking situation at both campuses. There simply isn’t enough parking to accommodate commuting students. Secondarily, the program was advertised as a solution to high gas prices, air pollution (and, by extension, global warming), and congested traffic along Central and Lomas. “Free public transportation for UNM is one way that we all show commitment to both University success and environmental sustainability," said UNM Parking and Transportation Services Director Clovis Acosta.

It became an excellent solution for me. I walk about two blocks to the bus stop, ride for about five to ten minutes to campus, and go home contrary-wise. Not only does it save me money, it eliminates the hassle of parking as well as the possibility of having my car stolen or vandalized. The extra walking has become a habit, one that, along with regular visits to the gym, has helped reduce my waistline. I’m not alone. There are over 7,000 free bus passes in the UNM community alone. Only halfway through this fiscal year more than 500,000 rides have been given. At a cost of $65,000, this is a prime example of the University getting its money’s worth.

That is why I was amazed to see that the program’s funding could be cut as a result of budget cuts relating to the current American economic situation. I feel that of all possible sacrifices to the Gods of the Bottom Line, this should be among the last

I am here at UNM for one reason only – education. Having grown sick of not making good money at jobs I don’t like, I am driven to do something that I do like and will probably be far more lucrative. I have not joined any clubs or extracurricular programs. I come to class, I use the gym, I study at home. While I feel no disdain toward any extracurricular clubs or programs, they are not my priority, and I’m guessing that can be said for a large number of students like me – those that are older than the student body average and are here to change or improve their careers. I’m not saying that these programs have no value – of course they do. When cuts are inevitable, however, a long, hard look at the organization’s purpose is in order, as well as a long, hard look at every program’s contribution to that purpose.

What is UNM’s purpose? Higher education. Do political clubs contribute to learning? Absolutely. Can one earn a degree without participating in a political club? Yes, one can.

Do ethnic clubs contribute to the purpose of higher education? Undeniably, they do. Is it possible for a person of any ethnic group to earn a degree without these programs? Undeniably, it is.

Don’t even get me started on the “necessity” of having a football team. Educationally, that’s a null set.

Transportation, however, is highly integral to getting an education. Not all classes can be taken via Internet, especially by those who don’t have computers. Learning is a participatory process. As Woody Allen once said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” People cannot benefit from UNM without getting here. Why make that more difficult, especially when the program is one that actually works as it is supposed to? Greg Payne, ABQ Ride director, estimates it would cost “about $204,000 a year” for the current pass holders to continue riding the bus if the program were eliminated. The state cannot afford $65,000 to support the use of its main educational institution, but 7000 students can afford to pony up more than three times that much?

I’m one of the lucky ones. After all, I have a car that I can use if need be, and with some uncomfortable re-budgeting I could probably manage to pay for either bus fare or gas/parking, whichever is ultimately cheaper. I’m sure there are many who are cutting things a bit tighter. I can easily imagine that losing your favorite club or activity can reduce the benefit that you gain from your education, but imagine losing a program that helps make your education possible in the first place. If New Mexico’s – and America’s – long term economic health is the issue, then the benefit of helping as many people as possible get to and use UNM is obvious, isn’t it?

No matter what, cuts will have to be made, and someone is going to be disenfranchised. That’s the reality of the situation we are in. The responsible way to do it, however, is to preserve, as long as possible, those programs that directly impact students’ educational opportunities regardless of ethnicity and interest – in other words, those that address both the core purpose and the big picture. After all, what could possibly promote diversity on campus more than helping diverse groups of people make it to class?