E-mail Story
Print Friendly
Send E-mail
Reprint story
Journal North: Home | Sports | Opinion | Obits | Entertainment
Thursday, July 24, 2008
LULAC Urges Highlands To Address 'Deplorable' Housing
By Martin Salazar
Journal Staff Writer
A national organization is calling on New Mexico Highlands University and state officials to address what it describes as "dilapidated and deplorable" student housing at the Las Vegas, N.M., university.
The League of United Latin American Citizens — which bills itself as the leading national organization for advancing Hispanic civil rights in education and employment — approved the resolution at its national convention earlier this month.
"Living conditions at the New Mexico Highlands University dorms, apartments and housing have become dilapidated and deplorable," the resolution states. The resolution seeks immediate relief to the problem.
Highlands spokesman Sean Weaver said students raised concerns about their housing conditions in early May, and the university moved quickly to address the problems with mold, dirty mattresses and delays in processing work orders.
"When Dr. (James) Fries found out about this, this was the top concern for him," Weaver said, referring to the university's president.
Weaver said the mold problems have been taken care of, and hundreds of new mattresses were purchased. The university also hired additional staff this summer to address a large backlog of work orders at the dorms, he said.
Highlands has also begun construction on a new residence hall that will feature 89 apartment-style suites containing 276 beds. The $17 million residence hall is slated for completion in August 2009.
"I understand their concerns," Weaver said of the LULAC resolution. "We share those concerns. We want a positive student environment here, and where they live is a big impact on their lifestyle. We take this very seriously."
Hispano Community