Southwest and Border Cultures Institute Forms College of Arts and Sciences

The Southwest and Border Cultures Institute (SBCI) was founded in November 1998 upon receipt of a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The NEH award of $450,000 was matched by $1.35 million in non-federal dollars to create a permanent endowment of $1.8 million dollars. The purpose of the SBCI is to enable acquisitions by the University Library and Museum, fund faculty and graduate student research on southwestern issues, and fund on- and off-campus public programs that relate to the issues in southwestern culture around the state of New Mexico.

The SBCI began funding activities in 2001. The program is administered by an Administrative Council, with representatives from the eligible departments of Anthropology, English, History, Languages and Linguistics and from the University Museum and University Library. Faculty and students from other departments may participate in SBCI activities as long as the principal investigator of a project is from an eligible department.