The following was sent as a memo to the New Mexico State University campus community: I am aware of discussions to request making NMSU a sanctuary campus. NMSU values and respects diversity, so I am pleased to reiterate our commitment to providing an environment that is supportive, welcoming, and respectful for students of different religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identifications, nationalities and abilities. As a land-grant university and as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, NMSU holds strongly to the values of inclusion and access to all people. Many of the actions called for in the petition are long-standing laws or policies that require no further action on the part of NMSU. Specifically:
· NMSU does not require proof of citizenship as a condition of admission, and does not discriminate in admissions or other services on the basis of immigration status.
· NMSU respects the privacy of all its students, and does not disclose student information, except upon consent of the student or as required by law.
· In accordance with state law, qualifying undocumented students are eligible for in-state tuition and other state-funded financial aid.
One of the stated goals in Vision 2020, NMSU’s strategic plan, is to provide a diverse academic environment supportive of a global society. As part of that goal, NMSU recently initiated a special discounted tuition rate for students from Mexico.
Immigration policy is an issue about which there are widely divergent perspectives. While each member of the NMSU community is free to advocate their individual views, our public institution is a governmental entity that respects the diversity of opinion and will not declare itself a sanctuary or otherwise take a position on this or the many other important and difficult issues facing our country that do not directly involve NMSU operations. Similarly, NMSU will not ban federal law enforcement agents from our campus. Doing so would jeopardize our federal funding, as well as our ability to issue student visas to our international students and visiting scholars. Instead, we will continue to demonstrate that NMSU is a “caring community” by providing a forum for open dialogue and a welcoming climate for all of our students, faculty, staff and their families.