6.20 Administrator Rights and Responsibilities

A. Policy Statements

NMSU’s academic and non-academic administrators are entrusted with the day-to-day management and stewardship of this academic enterprise.Through delegations from the Board of Regents to the President and to the provost and chief academic officer and from these officials to the individual administrators, NMSU’s administrators are vested with the power, authority and responsibility to make important decisions on behalf of the institution and to lead the faculty and staff who are critical to our success. Great responsibility is placed in the hands of these individuals, and accordingly, they are to be held accountable for upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct, good judgment, inclusiveness, fairness, loyalty and dedication to the duties of their position. Accordingly, the following principles govern the employment of academic and non-academic administrators:

1. Those administrators who report directly to the President or to the provost and chief academic officer, as well as those who hold the title of Vice President, Associate Vice President and Assistant Vice President, serve at the will of the President and may be removed from their positions at any time, without cause or implication of criticism.
2. Those individuals holding faculty positions who accept an administrative role of any type hold such administrative appointment at the will of the provost and chief academic officer, and may be removed from their administrative positions at any time, without cause or implication of criticism, but in such cases the individual may retreat to a nine-month faculty position, in the academic department in which their tenure was granted or their discipline is represented, at a salary commensurate with the salaries of other faculty of the same rank in their discipline in such department.
3. Removal of at will employees from administrative positions shall be final, without any right of appeal or further recourse.
4. As an exception to this Policy, the Athletic Director and athletic coaches may be hired on a contract basis for a period not to exceed five years.

B. Authorization

The Regents of New Mexico State University authorize the Office of Human Resources, in coordination with the President and

Provost and Chief Academic Officer, to formulate and amend the Administrative Rules and Procedures (Rules), in accordance with RPM 1.10 and ARP 1.10, to support the policy stated above.

C. Reservation of Authority

Any proposal or document purporting to establish any other employment relationship, or create additional employment rights for individuals holding the positions described in this policy shall be effective only upon approval of the Board of Regents.