12.50 Art, Archives and Other Collections

A. Policy Statements

The acquisition, ownership, display and professional preservation of NMSU’s collections of art, archival records, cultural artifacts and natural history specimens are integral to the support of the teaching, research, and community engagement components of the university’s mission. Decisions and the administrative rules and procedures regulating the acquisition, management, and de-accession of art, and other cultural, historic or scientific objects or collections shall give due consideration to a variety of stakeholder perspectives and concerns, consistent with applicable state, federal and international laws.

B. Rulemaking Authorization

The Board of Regents authorizes administration, including but not limited to the directors of the university museum, art gallery, library archives; and directors and curators of the natural history collections and other university museums, to promulgate and amend the Administrative Rules and Procedures (Rules) to implement this policy. Such rules shall include but are not limited to provisions relating to each of the following:

1. Designation of a specific department or unit to serve as custodian for each collection, or object if not part of a collection, and the specific responsibilities of each custodian.
2. Approvals necessary to acquire additional objects, or collections, by gift, loan or purchase, and the appropriate documentation and record keeping for such acquisitions.
3. Approvals necessary for de-accession of objects, collections or any item from a collection.
4. Requirements relating to appraisals for various purposes, care and preservation, displays, inventory and insurance protocols, loans of objects or collections (both outgoing and incoming), and research access.

C. Reservation of Authority

Notwithstanding the foregoing authorization, the following actions or events will require prior approval of the Board of Regents, and may also require additional approvals based on state, federal or international law:

1. Funding for the acquisition, restoration or preservation, or improvements required for the proper display or handling of any item or collection which will require expenditure of additional NMSU funds in excess of those budgeted.
2. Acceptance of donor gifts which in the opinion of administration will adversely impact the stewardship of the university’s existing collections or includes onerous or lengthy restrictions or commitments regarding the display or deaccession of the gifted object(s).
3. Deaccession of items, collections or pieces from a collection which requires formal action by the Board of Regents and/or additional action by other state entities or offices;
4. Deaccession of an individual item, a collection, or any part of a collection which in the opinion of the majority of the members of the official custodian and fellow scholars has extraordinary monetary, historical, cultural, scientific or historical value and significance.

D. Repeal of Related Policies

By previous action of the Board of Regents on October 21, 2015, the contents of the former NMSU Policy Manual were replicated in the Administrative Rules and Procedures of NMSU (the ARP) and remain in full force and effect. Upon adoption of this policy, Policy 2.03 is repealed from the Regents Policy Manual, but shall remain in effect in the ARP until amended or repealed.