New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 5 - POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
Chapter 55 - PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION GENERAL PROVISIONS
Part 6 - GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM
Section 5.55.6.11 - CERTIFICATION OF GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES

A. The department shall create and make available a certification form to be used by institutions to request the certification of a new general education course.

B. Completed certification forms shall be submitted to the department by the institution's chief academic officer or designee only after receiving approval by the chief academic officer.

C. If the certification form is submitted on or before the deadline published by the department, consideration of the certification form shall be placed on the next NMCAC meeting agenda. If the institution submits the certification form after the published deadline, consideration of the certification form will be postponed until the subsequent NMCAC meeting.

D. The department shall conduct an initial review of the certification form to determine whether it has been correctly and fully completed. The department may request additional information from the institution for use in its initial review. If the department determines that the certification form has met the initial review criteria, the department shall submit the certification form and all supporting material to the NMCAC and require that the certification form be considered by NMCAC. If the department determines that a certification form is not correctly and fully completed, the department shall return the certification form to the institution with recommendations as to how deficiencies may be remedied. A certification form shall not be presented to the NMCAC until the department has completed initial review and determines that the certification form is correctly and fully completed.

E. In reviewing the certification form and supporting materials, the NMCAC may request more information from the institution. If additional information is requested, the institution shall submit the additional information by the deadline set by the department. If the additional information is not received by the deadline, consideration of the certification form will be postponed to the subsequent NMCAC meeting.

F. The department shall have a representative present during the advisory committee meeting to present the certification form. The department shall not make any recommendation to NMCAC regarding the certification.

G. A representative from the applicant institution shall be present during the NMCAC meeting and shall be prepared to respond to questions presented by NMCAC members.

H. NMCAC shall consider the certification form, any supporting materials, and information presented during its meeting. The chair shall conduct a roll call or written vote. Each institution shall cast a single vote. Based on the majority vote, NMCAC may approve, deny, table, or send the request to a subcommittee for further review. The vote shall be certified by the committee chair and the department shall issue official notice of the NMCAC decision to the institution within 10 business days after the NMCAC meeting.

I. An institution must receive notice of the NMCAC decision from the department before the institution publishes and makes available to students the courses it offers that fulfill the requirements of the general education curriculum. Courses that are approved to be part of the general education curriculum shall be designated as general education by a notation in the course description in the institution's course catalog.

J. Institutions will notify the department if any approved general education courses will no longer be offered at least 30 business days prior to the time the course will no longer be offered.

K. The department shall update the general education curriculum inventory to reflect all changes.