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Chancellor Dr. Sabrina Ezzell and Nursing Program Director Jonathan Lumibao present to the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services Committee at The University of New Mexico-Gallup on Aug. 18, 2025.

����Vlog-Gallup nursing achieves high retention and exam pass rates

Categories: Students   Faculty   Staff   Community  

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Branch campus program enrolls 86 students for largest class in its history

By Richard Reyes, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025

GALLUP, N.M. — The nursing program at The University of New Mexico-Gallup has recruited and retained the largest class of students in its history, officials announced to state lawmakers during a recent meeting at the branch campus.

The New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services Committee had a three-day meeting hosted by ����Vlog-Gallup from Monday, Aug. 18, through Wednesday, Aug. 20. ����Vlog-Gallup Chancellor Dr. Sabrina Ezzell and Nursing Program Director Jonathan Lumibao delivered the first presentation, welcoming legislators to campus and updating them on progress made at the institution.

“I'd like to thank all of the legislators for your financial support over the years with the nursing expansion funds and the nursing faculty endowment,” Ezzell said. “Our program would not be what it is today without your financial support.”

Ezzell said the nursing faculty endowment enabled ����Vlog-Gallup to hire an instructor for a new licensed practical nurse (LPN) pathway program, which is expected to launch in the 2026 fall semester. The LPN pathway, which is the result of a partnership with Gallup-McKinley County Schools, will help to address workforce shortages in the area and offer career opportunities for local youth.

Lumibao added that nursing expansion funds have been crucial in enhancing his program’s mission and capacity, ensuring that students, faculty and staff are well-equipped to meet their goals.

Sustained student success

Lumibao shared that the nursing program currently has 86 students enrolled, which is the highest consistent number of students in its history. The program admitted a total of 48 students in 2025, and it has a student-retention rate of 85.6%.

I-BEST refers to Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training, which is a co-teaching program designed to provide additional support to students with basic English and math skills in foundational nursing classes.

The I-BEST instructor also helps with specific nursing skills, such as dosage calculations and clinical reasoning. Outside the classroom, the instructor assists students with tutoring and study skills.

Hiring challenges

Lumibao went on to discuss one of the biggest challenges for the nursing program, which is faculty recruitment.

He shared that there has been some recent success in hiring full-time faculty at ����Vlog-Gallup; however, the pools of qualified candidates have been limited.

“We’ve been having one person per pool for every job posting that we have, so it’s been quite challenging on that part,” he said. “It’s also quite challenging to get part-time faculty due to nursing shortages.”

He added that faculty shortages may impact ����Vlog-Gallup’s nursing enrollment growth and clinical placement supervision.

“However, looking forward, we’re dedicated to attracting and retaining qualified educators,” Lumibao said. “We’re still looking forward to launch our LPN high school pathway in fall 2026 and still continue to enhance our student support services for high retention and graduation rates.”

Allied health programs

Ezzell also shared updates about allied health programs at ����Vlog-Gallup.

She said the dental assisting and medical laboratory technician programs at the branch are both nationally accredited with advisory committees made up of representatives from local dental clinics and hospitals.

“They help us stay current on our curriculum and that also helps us support employment upon graduation,” Ezzell said.

This year, Ezzell said, ����Vlog-Gallup has 57 high school seniors enrolled in dual-credit pathways courses that expose students to options in health careers and health related content. Meanwhile, the CCTE is expected to enroll 160 students in college level courses that prepare them for a variety of careers, including health care sciences.

To learn more about ����Vlog-Gallup's nursing and allied health programs, please visit the Degrees and Certificates website here.