Introducing The Digital Mesa: Stories of Innovation, Impact, and Transformation at UNM.
January 22, 2026
In Fall 2025, the University of New Mexico is launching a new way to share the stories behind its digital innovation efforts. The Digital Mesa, an inaugural newsletter created by UNM Academic Technologies, UNM Online, and the Institute of Design and Innovation (IDI), highlights the people, projects, and ideas shaping how teaching, learning, and technology intersect across the University.
More than a snapshot of current initiatives, The Digital Mesa also marks the beginning of a new tradition of preserving this work in UNM’s Digital Repository so future Lobos can explore how today’s decisions, collaborations, and innovations helped shape the University’s future. As higher education continues to evolve alongside emerging technologies, this collection serves as both a record and a reflection centered on UNM’s mission to expand access, opportunity, and student success.
The Impact of Online Learning at UNM
One of the central themes of the inaugural issue is the growing role of online learning at UNM. Today, online courses account for roughly 30% of Albuquerque campus enrollment during fall and spring semesters, and nearly 60% during the summer. Recognizing this impact, UNM Online has partnered with the Office of Assessment and Academic Program Review (OAAPR) to formally integrate online education into the University’s Academic Program Review (APR) process.
This partnership ensures that online programs are evaluated with the same rigor and care as on-campus academic options, while also acknowledging online learning as an important avenue to higher education for working adults, geographically displaced students, and learners balancing complex responsibilities. By incorporating online education into institutional review and planning, UNM is affirming its importance, not as an alternative, but as an essential part of the academic ecosystem.
Strengthening Online Courses Through Thoughtful Design
Quality and consistency are also front and center in The Digital Mesa. UNM Online’s Curriculum and Compliance team recently launched a redesigned approach to online course quality reviews, now known as Foundational Course Design Reviews (FCDR). Consistent with the Center for Teaching and Learning’s Online Learning Excellence Framework, these reviews focus on collaboration, accessibility, and best practices in online pedagogy.
The updated process removes barriers for instructors, encourages partnership with instructional designers, and supports both new and existing online courses. Faculty who complete an FCDR gain actionable feedback, professional recognition, and opportunities to showcase their commitment to high-quality online teaching. Most importantly, students benefit from clearer, more consistent, and more engaging online learning experiences, affirming UNM’s commitment to excellence across modalities.
A Lesson From the River: Navigating Digital Transformation
The issue closes with a reflective essay that frames digital transformation through the unexpected metaphor of a river. Drawing inspiration from fly fishing in northern New Mexico, Elisha Allen, Director of Online Strategies & Academic Technologies, explores how institutions can navigate the fast-moving current of technological change without being overwhelmed by it.
Rather than chasing every new tool or resisting change entirely, effective digital transformation, Elisha suggests, happens “close to the flow but not fighting it.” At UNM, this means thoughtfully adopting technologies, such as learning management systems, classroom media tools, analytics platforms, and emerging AI applications, in ways that support people first, including students, faculty, and staff. True transformation is not about digitizing processes for their own sake, but about redesigning systems with intention, consistency, and mission at the center.
The Digital Mesa reflects the collaborative work happening across UNM to thoughtfully shape the future of teaching and learning. As this new tradition continues, UNM Online is proud to share these stories, celebrate innovation, and help preserve the history being written today through each project, partnership, and idea.
To explore the full inaugural issue of The Digital Mesa, visit UNM’s Digital Repository and join us in reflecting on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed next.
