Central New Mexico Community College

Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), established in 1963, is the largest higher education institution in New Mexico in terms of undergraduate enrollment. CNM offers programs in business, health, technologies, and trades to provide adults with the necessary skills to gain employment and succeed in the workforce.

Symbiosis’ bilingual instructional designers collaborated with CNM faculty to build courses in the AA program (all Spanish). These courses used Open Educational Resources (OER) or textbooks that cost under $50 per course.

Bilingual Course Development

• Utilized bilingual instructional designers to create courses entirely in Spanish
• Collaborated closely with CNM faculty to ensure cultural and linguistic appropriateness
• Developed content suitable for Spanish-speaking students in the Associate of Arts program
• Maintained academic rigor while addressing specific language and cultural needs

Cost-Effective Resource Integration

• Incorporated Open Educational Resources (OER) to reduce student costs
• Selected textbooks that cost under $50 per course to enhance affordability
• Focused on accessible, high-quality educational materials for working adult learners

The bilingual course development project delivered:

• Successfully created Spanish-language courses for the AA program
• Enhanced accessibility for Spanish-speaking students in New Mexico
• Reduced student costs through strategic use of OER and affordable textbooks
• Improved educational opportunities for the state’s largest undergraduate population

This collaboration expanded educational access for Spanish-speaking students at New Mexico’s largest higher education institution. The project supported CNM’s mission to provide affordable, accessible education that prepares adults for workforce success.