Can conversation spark meaningful ideas and interactions? A university unveils a new initiative promoting regular communication.
New Mexico Highlands University announces the launch of Dialogue Highlands, a new quarterly program. It aims to deepen engagement with alumni, donors, community partners, and friends through direct, open conversation with university leadership.
Dialogue Highlands will be a regular event at Ilfeld Auditorium, the historic 1915 venue at the Las Vegas campus. It will bring the institution’s most important conversations into a setting that reflects both its history and its future. Each session will also stream live via Zoom to audiences across New Mexico and beyond.
“Highlands has never been an institution that talked ‘at’ its community. It has always been built with its community,” said NMHU President Dr. Neil Woolf. “Dialogue Highlands is about keeping that relationship direct. We want our alumni and friends to hear from us, ask hard questions, and share what they see. That kind of exchange makes us better.”
How It Works
Dialogue Highlands convenes quarterly, offering sessions that are interactive, accessible, and substantive.
Each program features Woolf in moderated conversations with rotating guests, including senior leadership, faculty, students, and partners. The format emphasizes real dialogue rather than a one-way presentation and creates opportunities for meaningful exchange.
Each session includes:
- A welcome and introductions from a host,
- An opening update from Woolf on institutional priorities and progress,
- A moderated panel discussion with invited guests,
- Live Q&A from attendees in the room,
- Live Q&A from Zoom participants, and
- A brief closing highlighting key themes and upcoming highlights.
Sessions will be recorded and made available after each event. In-person attendance is open to registered participants, with seating limited.
Program Background
NMHU is experiencing significant momentum. Recent milestones include Carnegie R3 research designation, the launch of a Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and the expansion of doctoral education through the EdD. Others include enrollment growth and more programs on the horizon, all complementing the institution’s historic notoriety for teacher education and social work.
That progress creates a responsibility to communicate clearly and consistently with the people who support and believe in the institution.
“Dialogue Highlands is a simple idea, but an important one,” said Dr. Paul Grindstaff, Vice President of Advancement and University Relations. “The people connected to this university deserve to understand where it’s going and why. We think the best way to do that is directly, in conversation, in a setting that reflects who we are. Ilfeld gives us that stage.”
First Session Preview
NMHU will announce details for the inaugural Dialogue Highlands session soon, including the date, registration, and broadcast information.
The first program focuses on institutional momentum across academics, student experience, and strategic initiatives. It includes an extended Q&A with participants both in-person and online.
Registration opens to alumni, donors, community partners, and friends of the university. In-person seating is limited, while virtual access remains available to all registrants.