Though the University of New Mexico Board of Regents has not moved to change the school's official seal, they have created a process to consider a new one.
Regents on Tuesday voted to create a process to design a new seal and gauge the cost of adopting it.
The university's current seal, which was adopted in 1969 and depicts a frontiersman and a Spanish conquistador, has been criticized by Native American student groups as being racist. Critics say the seal reflects the state's violent past toward Native Americans.
Opponents of changing the seal say replacing the symbol could be costly, especially when so few students are opposed to the current seal. Board President Rob Doughty says that despite tens of thousands of people being in the UNM community, only about 300 have spoken out about the seal.
