Campus Information

Accreditation 

As a Branch College of the University of New Mexico, UNM–Los Alamos is fully accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. 

Student Outcomes Assessment 

Student Outcomes Assessment is an essential measure of the institution’s effectiveness in achieving its goals as outlined in the UNM–Los Alamos Mission Statement. It is an ongoing process intended to measure student academic achievement and adjust and adopt courses and programs as needed. Faculty have the primary ownership and responsibility for the development, implementation, and monitoring as part of the College Assessment Review Committee (CARC). Specific competencies at the course/program level and the assessment tools used to measure identified competencies are continuously being developed and continuously being implemented. See the current report on the UNM Assessment website.

History of UNM–Los Alamos 

The University of New Mexico began its presence in Los Alamos in 1956 with the establishment of the UNM–Los Alamos Center for Graduate Studies. It has a distinguished history of offering graduate degrees in scientific, engineering, management, and health-related fields. The first significant UNM undergraduate offering in Los Alamos began with the establishment of the University of New Mexico Residence Center in Los Alamos in the fall of 1970. In 1973, the University of New Mexico Northern New Mexico Branch College came into existence, with Los Alamos as one of its campuses. In 1977, as a result of legislative action, the UNM Northern Branch College was absorbed into Northern New Mexico Community College (NNMCC). 

 

In 1980, after a local referendum and Board of Educational Finance and legislative approval, the Los Alamos Branch Community College Campus of the University of New Mexico was founded. It began operations on July 1, 1980, in the Little Valley School on Orange Street. The new Director assumed his duties at that time, and several key NNMCC employees were transferred to the UNM–Los Alamos Branch College, which subsequently assumed the informal title of UNM–Los Alamos. 

 

In October 1980, the campus moved from the Little Valley School to its present site at 4000 University Drive. In January 1981, the staff of UNM–Los Alamos assumed, under a contractual arrangement, the daily operations of the UNM–Los Alamos Center for Graduate Studies from the Training Office of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)  

 

The Director of the Graduate Center moved his office to UNM–Los Alamos (the graduate studies were gradually reabsorbed by LANL during the 2000s).. During 1982-1983, the facilities were remodeled and expanded and the new UNM–Los Alamos campus was dedicated by then-Governor of New Mexico, Toney Anaya, on January 6, 1984. The campus facilities were further expanded in 1987 to include a fifth classroom building. 

 

During 1988-89, an institutional self-study was conducted and an accreditation visit took place in May 1989 as part of the University of New Mexico decennial accreditation review. In 1988, the Los Alamos Public School Board approved additional space in the Mesa Complex for use by UNM–Los Alamos. In 1996, an extension housing the Learning Center, the Tutorial Center, and the Adult Basic Education Program was added to the administration building. Additional classroom, laboratory, and office space was obtained in 1997 by negotiation with Los Alamos Public Schools. In 2000 the expanded and renovated Student Center building was opened. It includes a Student Center with a food service area, classrooms, media room, and lecture hall. Business Services support areas including cashiering, accounting, marketing, and facility services are located in the lower level of this building. Additionally, a Facilities Services building, has been added along with a remodel of existing space to create a new lecture hall and new computer labs. 

Location 

Los Alamos, home of the University of New Mexico–Los Alamos campus, is a community of approximately 13,000. The town is located on the piñon, juniper, and ponderosa- covered red mesas of the Pajarito Plateau at an elevation of 7,300 feet. The Jemez Mountains provide a backdrop for the community that looks east across the Rio Grande Valley to the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains. 

 

The setting is ideal for the outdoor enthusiast. There are nearby locations for downhill and cross-country skiing and ice skating in the winter. Summer activities include hiking, picnicking, horseback riding, backpacking, and camping, fishing, and river rafting. In April 1988, the Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center opened its doors to the citizens of Los Alamos and surrounding area. This facility is open to the public and houses an Olympic-sized swimming pool. There are year-round musical and theatrical events in Los Alamos and numerous other cultural attractions to choose from in Santa Fe, 30 miles away, and in Albuquerque, a 90- mile drive from Los Alamos. 

 

There are also year-round events at the nearby pueblos of San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Ohkay Owingeh, Pojoaque, Tesuque, Nambe, and Jemez. Located within 15 miles of Los Alamos is the world-famous Bandelier National Monument. The park, home of Native American cliff dwellings as well as many other ancient treasures, is open year round. Other nationally-recognized sites include the Valles Caldera National Preserve and the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Students at UNM–Los Alamos are fortunate to be able to draw on the rich tri-cultural heritage of the area and to explore all the area has to offer in terms of history, geology, and archaeology. In addition, UNM–Los Alamos students can take advantage of the outstanding collections of Mesa Public Library and the J. Robert Oppenheimer Study Center at Los Alamos National Laboratory, within two miles of the UNM–Los Alamos campus. 

Faculty 

While the faculty of UNM–Los Alamos is predominately part-time,  many -enjoy international reputations in their fields, and all are very well-qualified. A substantial number hold PhDs in their fields.  About one-third of the UNM–Los Alamos faculty consists of a core of continuing faculty. Core Faculty members, in addition to teaching, hold regular office hours, provide academic advisement, and participate in a variety of committee work and special projects. Adjunct Faculty are encouraged, but not required, to participate in advisement, hold office hours, and attend various faculty development workshops throughout the academic year. Division Chairs for Fine Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences; Math and Engineering; and Sciences and Applied Sciences are responsible for the coordination of faculty and instructional issues within each curriculum area, including monitoring the quality of teaching through classroom visits. An Associate Dean and Dean of Instruction are responsible for overseeing all instruction on the campus.  

Operating Agreement and Funding 

UNM–Los Alamos was established under the provisions of the Branch College Act, New Mexico Statutes of 1978, implemented in an operating agreement between the Los Alamos Public School Board and the Regents of the University of New Mexico. The UNM–Los Alamos Advisory Board serves as the advisory board to the UNM Board of Regents. This Advisory Board approves an annual budget for UNM–Los Alamos and calls elections for local tax levies and capital outlay general obligation bonds for UNM–Los Alamos. The University of New Mexico retains administrative and academic oversight of UNM–Los Alamos, and the Chancellor of UNM–Los Alamos reports to the Provost of the University. Funding for UNM–Los Alamos comes directly from state appropriations, local tax levies, grants, and tuition and fees paid by students. 

Facilities 

The UNM–Los Alamos campus consists of 77,689 square feet of leased and owned buildings. The campus includes eight buildings that house classrooms, administrative offices, student services, a library, facilities services, laboratories, lecture halls, and community meeting and student activity space. The facilities at UNM–Los Alamos include computer, general science, and electronics laboratories; art studios; general classrooms; and a machine shop/welding space.