1999-2000 Undergraduate Catalog General Information - The University

New Mexico State University was founded in 1888 as Las Cruces College and later renamed New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In 1960, the constitution of New Mexico formally recognized the institution as New Mexico State University. Throughout its history, the university has preserved many of the traditions of its land-grant origin while also increasing emphasis on the fine arts, humanities, social and natural sciences. Today, New Mexico State University is a major institution of higher education.

The mission of New Mexico State University is to benefit society through education, research, extension education, and public service. To carry out this mission, the university has made the following basic commitments:

• to serve the educational needs of a student body of various ages, interests, and cultural backgrounds;
• to be continuously involved in basic and applied research, creative endeavors that enhance the quality of life, and all other activities that involve the extension, application, or dissemination of knowledge;
• to provide specialized assistance and information to the state and general public where unique resources exist within the institution to do so.