Affirmative Action are those result-oriented actions and good faith efforts in which NMSU engages to ensure equal opportunity in our employment processes. It refers to steps in recruitment and hiring designed to recognize a diverse group of employees as an asset and to include diverse participants within NMSU, a minority serving, land grant, and space-grant institution in all stages of the recruitment and selection process.

NMSU’s Affirmative Action Plan, administered by the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (“EID”), incorporates a set of specific and results-oriented practices, including good-faith efforts to address significant under-representation of women or qualified minorities. NMSU hiring managers, search chairs, and search advisory committee members are responsible for taking strategic and targeted steps throughout the search process to be as inclusive as possible.

The goal of our Affirmative Action Plan is genuine equality of opportunity to employment with NMSU. Candidate selections are based on merit, education, experience and ability to perform the work. The Plan neither advocates nor condones the selection of an unqualified applicant. Rather, all candidates are to receive equal opportunity to demonstrate their ability to meet the criteria and perform the work.

EID monitors the percentage of minorities and women present in NMSU’s workforce (and the jobs they occupy) to the availability of women and minorities in the labor market for those jobs. If the analysis shows under-representation of women or minorities in certain job groups, then extra recruitment efforts must be taken to ensure that these protected-class members are well-represented in applicant pools for positions in those job groups.

NMSU is committed to develop and implement effective affirmative action and equal opportunity programs with respect to employment, and to comply with all applicable federal and state laws/regulations and NMSU policies relative to nondiscrimination.  All units are responsible for developing accurate job descriptions, recruiting and screening applications, interviewing applicants and selecting personnel deemed most suitable for available positions.

The EID website contains resources related to the implementation of affirmative action and equal opportunity practices in the search process and a copy of NMSU’s affirmative action plan.

NMSU's Commitment to Affirmative Action

Goal 6:  Build, Elevate, and Strengthen Sustainable System-wide Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Practices

New Mexico State University (NMSU) aims to advance Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) across the NMSU system as a foundation for institutional excellence. Establishing a foundation and scaling a sustainable structure will promote shared responsibility and draw on the assets NMSU students bring to the institution. The commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity of and for students, faculty, and staff has a positive impact on retention and graduation, teaching, service, research, and Extension.