New Mexico State University confirmed today what reports on this site and elsewhere already indicated: The regents are expected to name Manuel T. Pacheco interim president on Tuesday.
The regents are “expected to vote Tuesday to approve the appointment” at a meeting that will be held on the Las Cruces campus at 10 a.m., a news release from the university states.
Pacheco, in the release, says he would consider it “both an honor and a challenge” to step into the job.
“My job would be to position the university for even greater accomplishments once the new president arrives and to provide continued stability and support of current initiatives,” Pacheco said. “Obviously, this is not a job that a president does alone, and I will be dependent upon the cooperation of the many capable leaders already involved with NMSU.”
Though the news release doesn’t explicitly state it, sources confirm that Pacheco isn’t interested in and won’t be allowed to apply for the permanent president job at NMSU. That’s a key point because of the situation he’s stepping into as he replaces Waded Cruzado in the interim job.
Some say last year’s botched search for a new president was hampered because campus support for Cruzado created an appearance of a done deal and discouraged potential outside candidates from applying. Regents say moving Cruzado out of the interim job is an attempt to ensure a strong field of applicants and give all, including Cruzado if she wants to apply, an equal shot at the permanent job.
In today’s news release, Regents Chairman Blake Curtis said, when considering who to bring in to run “a major university for a short period of time,” it’s important to find someone “with an accomplished background who is widely respected.”
“Dr. Pacheco’s name has to be at the top of that list,” Curtis said. “Should the board approve his appointment, the university will be under very able leadership while we search for our new president.”
Pacheco, who is 67, retired and living in Arizona, has previously served in an interim president job at New Mexico Highlands University. He has been the president of several other schools, including the University of Arizona and the University of Missouri System.
The news release says Pacheco is expected to serve for six to eight months while the regents conduct a national search for a new president.