LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The New Mexico State University Board of Regents voted to move forward with the search to replace Chancellor Garrey Carruthers despite widespread support from university faculty, staff, students and state lawmakers.
The board voted Wednesday to replace Carruthers after his contract ends in mid-2018. Public pressure had built for the regents to offer him a contract extension after a number of groups and Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima had stated support for Carruthers and his work.
The support was not enough to persuade a majority of regents, who chalked up their decision not to renew Carruthers’ contract to waning student enrollment and other lagging performance metrics at the university.
The 78-year-old Carruthers said earlier he would be willing to stay on another two years, but the board rejected.
