UNM president pledges welcoming campus during 'uncertainty' of Trump orders

University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes pledged to continue a welcoming campus environment for all students amid “uncertainty” caused by the Trump administration asking educational institutions to cease race-based initiatives or risk losing federal funding.

Stokes used a portion of her annual State of the University address on Friday to talk about the U.S. Department of Education’s letter issued Feb. 14, which said the agency would enforce a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision that clarified that the use of racial preferences in college admissions is unlawful. Accordingly, the department asks educational institutions within 14 days of the letter to ensure their policies comply with civil rights law, stop any circumventing prohibition on the use of race in certain initiatives, and discontinue the use of third-party contractors, clearinghouses or aggregators to do the same.

“I know that the recent guidance ... has caused a great deal of uncertainty, especially among our programs designed to foster student success and inclusivity,” Stokes said. “I can promise you this: When we say we’re committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all students, we mean it.”

As UNM reviews the guidance, “you can bet our core values ... will not be diminished,” Stokes said.

While Stokes pledges unity, some on campus have criticized her administration during the first month of President Donald Trump’s term, saying it has not been clear or transparent on what Trump’s executive orders will mean for them or campus programs they care about.

That sentiment was evident on Thursday, when Stokes sent out a campus-wide message stating UNM is reviewing the Department of Education’s guidance and will comply with the law, “while preserving our commitment to student success and a welcoming campus climate.”

Celia Raney, co-president of the American Civil Liberties Union-UNM School of Law Board, said she did not think Stokes’ Thursday statement was strong enough, but on Friday, watching the UNM president’s address online, she said she was glad to hear Stokes “finally address directly that the federal government is creating tough situations for schools.”

That said, “it still feels like the school is scared to address these things head-on and instead is using soft language and dancing around some of the most concerning aspects of what is going on at the federal level,” Raney wrote in a text message.

“It is still hard not to feel like UNM, and President Stokes today, is scared to address and confront threats from the federal government, Donald Trump, and Elon Musk when that is what our students and our community need,” Raney wrote.

Stephanie McIver, executive director of student health and counseling, who attended Stokes’ address in person, told the Journal it was “terrific” to hear Stokes “speak really overtly and directly” about Trump’s executive orders.

Stokes only touched on perceived uncertainty a few times in her address. Most of it was spent touting the university’s accomplishments over the last year and some future goals.

The accomplishments included UNM marking fall 2024 as the third consecutive year for enrollment growth; announcing UNM alumna Abrianna Morales as the first Rhodes Scholar for the institution in more than two decades; and Lobos football defeating a Top 20 nonconference team for the first time since 1940.

UNM named a new athletics director, general counsel and numerous deans, Stokes said, while also seating new members of the institution’s governing board.

Stokes said UNM has new projects ahead, including building or seeking funding for several new medical buildings; continuing to raise millions more in a comprehensive fundraising campaign, which has already raised $400 million; and renovating the beloved duck pond on the main campus.

“Together, we will shape a tomorrow that honors our past, addresses the needs of the present, and boldly embraces the future,” Stokes said. “Together, as Lobos, for tomorrow.”

A 30-year UNM staff member, Pam Agoyo, attended Stokes’ address in person. She told the Journal that Stokes, who has served the institution since 2018, is one of the first UNM presidents in a while to make the State of the University address a tradition. Agoyo described the address as informative, positive and inspirational.

“It definitely has me looking forward to the future,” she said.