Student Code of Conduct II. Administration Of Discipline

The responsibility of administering the discipline system is delegated by the President of the University to the Vice President for Student Success for nonacademic discipline and to the Executive Vice President and Provost for academic discipline. In turn, these individuals may delegate authority to other groups or individuals for handling violations of the Student Code of Conduct. All activities shall be monitored by a central administrative authority to ensure fairness and consistency. All discipline sanctions imposed campus-wide will be reported to the Coordinator of Student Judicial Services for record-keeping purposes.

The University attempts to handle discipline matters at the lowest possible level by recognizing a variety of hearing officers. Each Hearing Officer is a University Official who is an administrator, faculty member, graduate assistant, or staff member. Hearing Officers adjudicate cases when violations are alleged. The Hearing Officer is authorized to exercise active control over the proceedings in order to elicit relevant information, to avoid needless consumption of time, and to prevent the harassment or intimidation of witnesses.

Disciplinary regulations at New Mexico State University are set forth in writing in order to give students general notice of prohibited conduct. These rules and regulations should be read broadly and are not designed to define prohibited conduct in exhaustive terms. It is recognized by New Mexico State University that students are adults and are expected to obey the law and take personal responsibility for their conduct. A student is therefore subject to two sources of authority, civil-criminal authority and University authority.

Violation of any municipal ordinance, law or regulation of the State of New Mexico, or law or regulation of the United States which may cause harm or endangerment to self or others, or somehow compromises the educational mission of the University, may result in disciplinary action. The University does not normally take disciplinary action for off-campus violations, but it retains the right to act in special cases. Disciplinary action imposed by New Mexico State University may precede, and be in addition to, any penalty that might be imposed by an off-campus authority. When accused of a violation, the student has the right to review the evidence against him or her, but this does not necessarily mean the right to confront a witness. Attorneys will not be allowed to attend or participate in hearings.

The procedures to be followed in matters of academic and nonacademic misconduct differ and are outlined in the following sections. In exceptional cases of academic misconduct, the "Procedures for Dealing with Cases which May Result in Expulsion or Degree Revocation" will be followed instead, and are located in the Administrative Policy and Procedures Manual or may be obtained in the Office of the Vice President for Student Success.