SATYA WITT
VP FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
I am a Principal Lecturer in the Biology Department at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and a proud parent of three children in Albuquerque Public Schools. I started my teaching career at UNM as an adjunct instructor. In 2013, I was hired as a Lecturer. Since then, I have been teaching general education courses in Biology and coordinating introductory Biology labs.
As a member of my local, United Academics of the University of New Mexico (UA-UNM), I co-signed UNM’s first ever Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) for faculty in June 2021.
Since then, I have served as a Representative for the College of Arts and Sciences, as Chair of our Labor Management committee, as well as a member of ad-hoc bargaining teams that have negotiated agreements that provided historic compensation increases in 2022 and 2023. I strongly believe undergraduate and graduate student learning conditions are improved when their faculty educators and mentors are supported with strong union representation.
As AFT-NM’s Vice President for Higher Education, I am fighting for improved pay and benefits for all faculty in the state of New Mexico, including professors, lecturers, temporary instructors, and adjuncts. I am advocating for increased transparency, shared governance, academic freedom, as well as protections on tenure. I aim to strengthen the connections between our higher education union affiliates. By working together, we can transform higher education in the state of New Mexico.