HIGHER EDUCATION
NM Tech staff votes 'no confidence' in two administrators
Staff council members cited alleged harassment, retaliation and budget mismanagement
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Staff at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology voted 鈥渘o confidence鈥� in two administrators, citing alleged harassment, retaliation and other 鈥渓egally actionable misconduct.鈥�
Twelve of 17 members of the New Mexico Tech Staff Council voted 鈥渘o confidence鈥� in Vice President of Research Lique Coolen, and 16 voted 鈥渘o confidence鈥� in Vice President of Student Affairs David Greene, according to a letter sent by the council to university officials. The council has 27 representatives total but only 17 attended a June meeting when the vote was taken.
Coolen is also the university鈥檚 provost and vice president of academic affairs, but the vote was taken only for her role as vice president of research.
The vote reflects 鈥渟ignificant and widespread concern among staff regarding current leadership practices,鈥� the letter said.
Concerns include improper hiring and firing practices, budget mismanagement and workplace culture culminating in a 鈥渢oxic work environment鈥� under both vice presidents.
The alleged misconduct, the staff council board writes, not only 鈥渘egatively affects staff morale,鈥� and retention, but could leave the university vulnerable to legal action. The board requested a third party review of both Coolen and Greene.
New Mexico Tech spokesperson Katie Ismael said in an email that the university had received the letter but would not comment on personnel matters.
Both Coolen and Greene did not respond to emails from the Journal seeking comment.
New Mexico Tech is a public state university in Socorro with 1,370 students and 145 faculty members. The college appointed a new president, Michael Jackson, in April 鈥� its fourth in five years.
Jackson鈥檚 appointment follows years of leadership turmoil at New Mexico Tech: His predecessor, Mahyar Amouzegar, resigned after just over a year in the role after the Board of Regents rescinded a job offer he had made to a new vice president who had already moved his family to the area.
Stephen Wells, who held the presidency from 2016 to 2023, filed a whistleblower lawsuit in January 2025 alleging he was forced out in retaliation for challenging financial mismanagement at the university. The case is scheduled for a trial in June.
Greene was hired in 2022 by Wells, according to university staff members.
The staff discontent at New Mexico Tech is the latest in a string of turmoil at New Mexico鈥檚 universities. At New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, former President Neil Woolf and several other high-level administrators were ousted from their positions in May, creating a monthslong tumult culminating in several lawsuits from both sides and a criminal investigation.
At Western New Mexico University in Silver City, former President Joseph Shepard resigned last year in the wake of a probe by State Auditor Joe Maestas into the spending of public funds for lavish travel and furnishings for the president鈥檚 residence. The wasteful spending allegations prompted an audit by the state Higher Education Department and a lawsuit from the New Mexico State Ethics Commission.
Natalie Robbins covers education for the Journal. You can reach her at nrobbins@abqjournal.com.
Editor鈥檚 note: This story has been updated.
