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New Mexico State University
Graduate Catalog
2008-2009

STUDENT SERVICES

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND SCHOLAR SERVICES (ISSS)

The Office of the Vice Provost for International & US-Mexico Border Programs (International Student and Scholar Services, ISSS) administers, coordinates, and serves as the liaison office for all international activities at NMSU. Direct contacts with U. S. government agencies, foreign governments, and the private sector concerning international activities are handled through this office. Professional staff in ISSS, are appointed by NMSU and authorized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to serve as "designated officials" regarding DHS regulations governing international students.

Staff members of the office of ISSS support student exchanges between New Mexico State University and schools abroad, coordinate the Fulbright program, National Security Exchange Program, International Student Exchange Program, and other study abroad programs for domestic students. They also administer the university's Exchange Visitor Program under the auspices of the U. S. Information Agency and provide information on study, work, lecturing, and travel abroad.

International Student and Scholar Services provides a full range of services to international students, including orientation programs, immigration and financial advising, community outreach programming, and international student admission to the university. International students or agencies sponsoring international students receiving special services are expected to pay additional administrative fees, normally not to exceed $550 annually. The current "International Student Special Service Fee Schedule" is available upon request. ISSS is responsible for the issuance of DS-2019 and I-20 forms to international students admitted to NMSU. Staff members maintain up-to-date information on all regulations of the Department of Homeland Security governing student visas and help international students retain their legal status while attending NMSU. They coordinate contact between various community groups and the international student population. ISSS requires all international students to have Student Health Center coverage and adequate health insurance, including their dependents.

Other activities of ISSS include technical assistance programs funded by United States government agencies and/or foreign governments, and short-term academic/nonacademic training programs. The ISSS office is located in Garcia Annex, Room 246; (575) 646-3199. For further information, e-mail cip@nmsu.edu and visit our web page at http://www.nmsu.edu/~ip/ISSS/

CENTER FOR LEARNING ASSISTANCE

The Center for Learning Assistance, located in Hardman Hall, Room 210, offers academic support programs to students who are preparing for or currently enrolled in graduate level programs. Individualized assistance and workshops are offered in the following areas: financing and making application to graduate schools; preparing for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT; developing successful strategies that address the concerns of graduate students such as time management, memory and concentration, test preparation and test taking, and graduate level reading and writing. Direct questions or comments to (575) 646-3136, cla@nmsu.edu or visit our web site at www.nmsu.edu/~cla.

CORBETT CENTER STUDENT UNION

Corbett Center Student Union (CCSU) serves as the center for campus life providing programs and services for students and other members of the University community. A great place to study, relax, meet with student groups, work or play Corbett Center Student Union offers students, faculty, and staff a variety of services and activities. The Union is the home to several administrative offices, student programming/activities, ASNMSU, the student radio station, and student newspaper.

Services offered by CCSU include meeting rooms, auditorium, multiple dining facilities (both retain and residential), bookstore, a café with game room and computer lab, study areas, copy center, post office and a convenience store.

Questions or comments may be directed to (575) 646-4805.

COUNSELING CENTER

The Counseling Center is staffed by a team of professionally licensed counselors and psychologists, who provide a variety of confidential counseling and consultation services. Counseling services are provided free of charge to students of the university. The center is accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services, Inc., and is located in Garcia Annex, Room 100; call (575) 646-2731. Services offered are

  • emergency assistance and crisis intervention
  • counseling for personal and career concerns
  • career inventories to assist students in exploring vocational interests
  • a program of group counseling for a variety of issues
  • a self-help library of books and tapes to assist students with stress management, relaxation training, coping skills, etc.
  • consultation to faculty, staff, and students regarding the application of counseling and psychological principles to the educational experience
  • peer education programs on alcohol decision making and the prevention of sexual violence
  • biofeedback training for stress management
  • outreach programs and presentations on a variety of self-development topics

For further information please e-mail us at counsel@nmsu.edu or see our web page at http://www.nmsu.edu/~counsel/counseling.html.

FINANCIAL AID

The university administers an extensive program of loans and workstudy employment for graduate students (detailed information is in the "Financial Assistance" section of this catalog). A student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to be considered for workstudy or loans. The student must apply annually for financial assistance with a priority deadline of March 1. Only those students who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents are eligible to apply for financial aid. All students must maintain satisfactory progress to continue receiving aid. Any student who owes a refund or repayment of a grant and/or is in default on a loan will be denied financial aid at this institution. Graduate students must be admitted to the Graduate School and to a graduate major, enrolling in graduate-level course work, to receive funding. For information concerning available financial assistance contact the Financial Aid Office, MSC 5100, P. O. Box 30001, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, phone (575) 646-4105 or toll free (877) 278-8586, e-mail finaid@nmsu.edu, or see our web page at http://fa.nmsu.edu.

PARKING OFFICE

Individuals may obtain an NMSU parking permit from the Parking Office. All students, faculty, staff, retirees, and commercial vendors who park anywhere on campus must display a current parking permit. This provision does not apply to individuals parking in the free lots but does apply to individuals parking on the streets on campus. The individual in whose name a permit is issued or who owns the vehicles will be responsible for any violations of the Parking and Traffic Regulations. Additionally, all motor vehicle statutes of the State of New Mexico apply. Parking permits are required 24 hours a day. After 4:30 p.m., any permit may be used to park in the faculty/staff and commuter student parking lots. All zones (e.g., disabled, service, emergency/fire, no parking, postal parking, etc.) and signed areas are enforced 24 hours a day. For more details, visit the Parking Office located at 725 College Drive, call (575) 646-1839, or e-mail parking@nmsu.edu, or visit our web page http://www.nmsuparking.com/

PLACEMENT AND CAREER SERVICES

Placement and Career Services (PCS), located in Garcia Annex, Room 224, supports the career planning efforts of students and alumni. Many candidates for employment utilize this resource as part of a comprehensive plan to develop successful job-search strategies. Pertinent services include individual- and group-advising sessions on topics related to the job-search process. These topics include effective resume writing and job-search correspondence, developing interviewing skills, designing successful job-search strategies, and evaluating offers of employment. Sections of the department's career library are devoted to these career-planning topics for reference on a drop-in basis. The Experiential Education Component of the Department is comprised of the Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program and the Student Employment Service (SES). In order to gain professionally-related work experience, students are advised to seek opportunities for co-op, internships, or summer employment through the Cooperative Education Program. Part-time student employment with the University or in the local community can be found through SES by logging onto the Department's web site and going to SES Ventana.

To promote access to up-to-date career and educational information, the department sponsors several annual career fairs. In September Career Expo brings numerous employers from business, industry and government to campus. The Public Service Career Showcase, held in November, has as its focus municipal, state, and federal government employers, while the Employment Extravaganza, a spring event, provides a look at New Mexico Employers. Undergraduate and graduate students use career fairs to gather key information and discuss opportunities for part-time jobs, internships, cooperative education, and professional employment.

Students wishing to further their education may wish to participate in the Graduate and Professional School Fair, which is held every fall semester. This event provides opportunities to discuss admission and degree requirements with representatives from diverse institutions located nationwide. Each spring hundreds of interviews between prospective employers and graduating students pursuing careers in education are conducted at the Educators' Job Fair. This premier event, co-sponsored by PCS and the College of Education, showcases approximately 100 public school districts from the western United States that are actively recruiting teaching and educational specialty personnel.

Placement and Career Services provides an added dimension to the career planning activities of candidates who elect to use its resources. The staff actively supports the efforts of students and alumni who are seeking suitable employment commensurate with their education and abilities.

For further information, call (575) 646-1631, e-mail pment@nmsu.edu, or view our web page: (www.nmsu.edu/pment).

SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

New Mexico State University is committed to providing information and services that will assist students with disabilities. Services for Students with Disabilities provides auxiliary services, assistive technology, student advocacy, referral to appropriate sources for accommodation, and other services to aid students with documented disabilities. Services are provided with the goals of assisting students with disabilities to maximize their educational experiences and opportunities, become integrated into the campus community, and to maximize their independence.

All students requesting assistance are encouraged to discuss their needs with the coordinator on or before entry into the university and to complete a Petition for Services, available in Room 102, Garcia Annex, (575) 646-6840 (voice), (575) 646-1918 (TDD/text telephone) or at MSC 4149, P O Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003-0001, e-mail ssd@nmsu.edu, or on the web at www.nmsu.edu/~ssd/.

SPEECH AND HEARING CENTER

Combining instruction and service, the center provides training for students majoring in communication disorders, and at the same time serves children and adults in need of speech, language, and hearing testing and therapy. Services can be provided in either English or Spanish. Referrals are accepted from all areas (self, medical, school, nonprofessionals). Services for all clients are charged on a semester or summer session basis. All services are supervised by New Mexico licensed professional personnel holding the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and licensed by the State of New Mexico .For further information, contact The New Mexico State University Speech and Hearing Center, MSC 3SPE, NMSU, P.O. Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, (575) 646-3906, TDD: (575) 646-3140 or view our web page at http://web.nmsu.edu/~nsslha/.

STUDENT HEALTH CENTER

The university maintains a well-equipped health clinic on campus, with a comprehensive laboratory, pharmacy, and x-ray services. Hospitalization is available in the community. Graduate students enrolled for 9 or more credits (4 in a summer session) may use the Student Health Center. Graduate students enrolled for 6-8 credits (3 in a summer session) may choose to pay the health fee at registration to become eligible for medical care. For a description of the graduate assistant health insurance benefit see that section earlier in this catalog.

Information on Supplemental Health Insurance can be picked up at the Student Health Center or by calling (575) 646-5706. For more information regarding the Student Health Center or the health insurance policy call (575) 646-1512 or e-mail lomckee@nmsu.edu or visit our web page at http://www.nmsu.edu/~shc/.

STUDENT SPECIAL CARE POLICY

To ensure the safety and well-being of its students, New Mexico State University may, on occasion, require that students receive a particular type of care or treatment (i.e., emergency medical attention, live-in attendants, or vaccinations) as a condition of continued enrollment or eligibility to reside in university-operated housing. When this care or treatment is required by the cognizant university administrator, the student will be obligated to assume any financial responsibility associated with the treatment. Furthermore, the university may, on occasion, contact a student's parents, legal guardian, or spouse in cases of extreme emergency, or where a possibility of imminent harm exists. This will occur only when, in the judgment of the appropriate official, the best interests of the student and the university will be served.

When practical, the university will, in writing, notify the student of the university's intention to undertake the steps authorized by this policy. This decision may be appealed by the student to the associate provost for student affairs and community colleges within 24 hours of notification. The appeal should be in writing and clearly state the reason why the student objects to the proposed action. The associate provost will review the facts in the case and convey a decision to all parties within 48 hours. The decision of the associate provost shall be final.

TESTING SERVICES

Testing Services offers test information for a variety of national and state standardized tests, including the ACT Assessment Test (ACT), the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the General Education Development Test (GED), the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), the New Mexico Teacher Assessments, the Praxis series, and others. For further information concerning services available at this office, contact Testing Services in Garcia Annex, Room 235; phone: (575) 646-1921; e-mail: testing@nmsu.edu; web page http://www.nmsu.edu/Campus_Life/testing.html.

VETERANS PROGRAMS

NMSU degree programs are approved by the Director of Veteran's Education and Training for enrollment of persons eligible to receive education benefits from the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).

For further information concerning approved programs and application process, eligible persons should contact the Veterans' Programs Office at Jacobs Hall, Room 214 or at (575) 646-4524 or through email at va@nmsu.edu.

Responsibility of Veteran Students

Students must be pursuing a degree in a specific program to be eligible to receive benefits. Admission procedures for veterans and other eligible persons are the same as those for other students. Degree plans from advisors must be submitted prior to any verification. For continued certification students must submit the Verification of Enrollment Form and Detailed Class Schedule to the NMSU Veterans' Programs Office.

Veterans must notify the Veteran's Programs Office when any one of the following occurs:

  • Dropping or adding course(s)
  • Withdrawing from course(s)
  • Discontinuing regular class attendance
  • Change in Programs (academic majors)

VA educational benefits are payable for regular attendance in courses that are part of the veterans's program (major) curriculum. VA educational benefits are not payable for:

  • Classes not attended regularly
  • Repeat of a course for which a passing grade was received
  • Classes for which credit is received through successful completion of a proficiency test or grade by examination
  • Classes taken on an audit basis
  • Classes that are dropped
  • Classes taken that are not part of the veteran's program (major) curriculum

View our web page at: http://www.nmsu.edu/va/.

Military Veterans Graduate Student Status

Veteran benefits are determined by the number of graded graduate credits of enrollment for a given semester or summer session. Listed below are the credit hours that determine student status for military veterans.

Fall and Spring semester: full-time enrollment includes 9 or more graded credit hours, students are considered three fourth time if they are enrolled in 7 to 8 credit hours. Half time enrollment is 5 to 6 hours. Veterans enrolled in less than 5 credits hours are reimbursed for tuition and fees only.

There are several summer sessions. For the 10 week summer term, full-time enrollment is 6 credit hours and half time enrollment is 3 credit hours. During the five week term, full-time enrollment is 3 graded credit hours.

These requirements are strictly for military veterans.

WESTERN INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

New Mexico State University collaborates with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in recommending graduates of the university for programs in dentistry, graduate library studies, optometry, osteopathic medicine , podiatry, public health, and veterinary medicine in universities of other western states. The State of New Mexico subsidizes the education of New Mexico residents when approved for training in these fields in other states. This subsidy permits New Mexico residents to attend state-supported institutions at in-state tuition rates and private institutions at approximately one-third the standard tuition cost, provided the funds are made available by the legislature. For further information, contact the Director of Financial Aid and Outreach, New Mexico Higher Education Department, 1068 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505 http://hed.state.nm.us.