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FAQs for the 2021-2022 Academic Year


FAQs for the 2021-2022 Academic Year

Read more about NMSU Now, our plans on moving forward with confidence for the upcoming semesters!

Many courses, regardless of delivery method, will use Canvas to post the syllabus, send updates, submit assignments, and more.

A summary of the delivery methods is:

  • Face-to-face delivery: Classes will be offered in person at scheduled times. The classrooms will be set up for social distancing, and students will be expected to wear masks and follow campus COVID-19 policies.
  • Hybrid (online with required in-person attendance): Content delivery incorporates more than one modality, e.g., face-to-face and remote synchronous or asynchronous delivery. Face-to-face attendance is limited and may include alternating in-person and online synchronous or asynchronous attendance; may also provide recordings of lectures or experiential components for later reference to supplement concurrent transmission of lectures or experiential components. All students participate in all delivery modalities.
  • 100% online synchronous delivery: Classes occur on set schedules through remote delivery. Students and instructors are online at the same time, and lectures, discussions, and presentations take place at specific hours. All students must be online at that time in order to participate in the class.
  • 100% online asynchronous delivery: Students complete work independently, on their own schedule, no matter what time of day. Students are given deadlines by which they need to login and complete assignments.

We are planning to run our classes in a face-to-face delivery as much as possible in the 2021-2022 Academic Year! NMSU will continue to require compliance with campus COVID-safe practices (including social distancing, sanitizing, etc.) for all who are on campus. While many of our courses will be face-to-face, there will continue to be some courses offered in the hybrid, online synchronous, and online asynchronous delivery methods.

This is our current best plan, and we will hold to it as much as possible.

We look forward to seeing you all as a more face-to-face semester begins in August!

Read more about NMSU Now for more about our plans on moving forward with confidence for the upcoming semester.

You will see the following descriptions in myNMSU, to explain the instructional delivery method for each class:

  • CL: Classroom/Lecture (fully in-person)
  • LB: Lab (in-person labs)
  • HY: Online with Req In Person Mtgs (online with required in-person meetings)
  • ONL: Online with Synchronous Mtgs (100% online w/synchronous meetings)
  • WB: Online no Synchronous Mtgs (100% online asynchronous)
  • IND: Independent Meeting
  • PC: Practicum/Clinical
  • TD: Thesis/Dissertation

If your hybrid class only has "Online with Req In Person Mtgs" and no other notes, contact your instructor and/or the Head of the Department for more details. Additionally, if the syllabus is available on Canvas, you can look there for more information.

ADVISING

 

There are a few different ways you can schedule an appointment to meet your advisor. 

  • Book an appointment through Navigate. We've put together this guide to help you through that process.
  • Chat with our advising staff via Teams.
  • Call us at (575) 646-2941.

Every undergraduate student has an assigned academic advisor with CAASS. You can learn who your academic advisor is by logging in to Navigate.

While you can change advisors, please note that your advisor was assigned to you because they have more in-depth knowledge about your degree program. To request a different advisor, email advising@nmsu.edu providing your name, Aggie ID, and a brief explanation of why you'd like to change advisors. Or, if you're planning to change your major, you can also speak to your current advisor directly and they can facilitate the move to your new advisor.

With the pandemic still a pressing matter, the University is committed to returning to campus with safety as a primary focus. In order to keep traffic on campus at minimal levels, our office will remain remote for the foreseeable future.

All appointments take place using Microsoft Teams and we strongly encourage that you either use or have access to a computer for your appointment. We often use screen sharing, share files, and post links in the chat window. 

You'll receive a link to your advisor's Teams profile in your appointment confirmation from Navigate. Your advisor will send you a message at the start of your scheduled appointment.

For more information, view our GUIDE: Virtual Appointments.

First, there's the obvious. Have a list of questions and topics ready that you'd like to discuss.

  • Are you thinking about adding a minor?
  • Are you curious to learn how taking a semester off to complete an internship might affect your goals?
  • Are you struggling in a subject and you just need ideas to help complete your degree? 
  • Do you need help waitlisting for a class?

Next, look at your STAR Degree Audit. It's important that you know the progress you're making toward your degree.

Finally, make sure you're technically ready for your appointment. Now that we're using Teams, make sure you have a working microphone, stable internet, a computer, and anything else that may enhance your virtual appointment. If you anticipate having any technology deficits, reach out to your advisor in advance. For more information, view our GUIDE: Virtual Appointments.

Essentially, you have the same options as scheduling:

  1. Cancel your appointment through Navigate. We've put together this guide to help you through the cancelation process.
  2. Chat with our advising staff via Teams.
  3. Call us at (575) 646-2941.

Holds come in various shapes and sizes. Ultimately, you'll need to know the type of hold and who placed it on your account. Some holds affect your ability to register for classes. Others affect your ability to request an official transcript.

Not all registration holds are placed by Advising. Other sources of Registration Holds include University Accounts Receivable (UAR) and your Department. As advisors, we're only able to lift the advising holds that we've placed on your account.

To learn more about Holds, and where to find the affected process, who placed the hold on your account, and why, watch the short video below:

REGISTRATION

 

Before you add or drop a class, you should consult your Academic and/or Department Advisor. In some cases, you may also want to consult your Financial Aid Advisor, too.

There are many ways to add a class. You can use Aggie Schedule Builder, Look up Classes, or Add or Drop Classes. Each method has it's pros and cons.

  • Aggie Schedule Builder is usually your best option when you're adding classes with multiple sections, or if you're building your schedule from scratch.
  • If you only have a class or two to add and you're not quite sure what you're looking for, the search tools of Look up Classes might be your best bet.
  • If you know the CRN number for a class you'd like to take, go straight to Add or Drop Classes from the Registration tab on myNMSU.

To Drop a class, from myNMSU, go to Registration --> Add or Drop Classes. Change the None on the drop-down menu to Web Drop/Delete. Then Submit Changes.

If you are trying to register for a class that is currently full, your best option is to add yourself to the waitlist. While the class may be full today, it's possible that it might not be at a later date. Enrolled students may drop the course, the Department may increase the course capacity, and sometimes a Department may add an entirely new secion!

So, before you move along and try to find another course in it's place, try the waitlist. Disclaimer: We still encourage you to register for other courses to meet scholarship and financial aid requirements in case the waitlist does not work out in your favor. If/when you receive a notice that a course you've waitlisted has opened up, you then have the option to drop your "back-up plan."

For more information on how to waitlist a course, please watch this video:

Aggie Schedule Builder is a quick and easy tool to use to register for classes with multiple sections and when you're building your schedule from scratch. One of it's greatest strengths is that it sorts out all time conflicts for you. Additionally, it will give you a glimpse of what your schedule will look like prior to completing Registration. 

View the video below for a simple overview:

The STAR Degree Audit is a tool to help you track your progress towards earning your degree, minor, & supplemental minor. Additionally, by consulting your STAR Degree audit, you can see how the courses you're currently taking are applying toward your goals. 

You'll want to consult your degree audit before you register each semester. 

If you think you've spotted an error on your degree audit, contact your Academic Advisor and/or Department Advisor as soon as possible. They'll review your audit and request corrections if warranted.

For more information about how to use the STAR Degree Audit, visit University Student Records.

The Catalog is updated every academic year and is the source for information pertaining to academic programs; degree requirements; University policy, regulation, & procedure; and includes descriptions for all courses. 

Since programs and degree requirements change, NMSU keeps track of your catalog year so you aren't blindsided by changes that may affect your progress (adding or removing course requirements, adjusting credits, etc...). Frequently, your catalog year is the first year you attended NMSU. There are exceptions, however. Additionally, you can request to change your catalog year. Consult your Academic Advisor for more information.

University Student Records maintains the official calendars for all things Registration. Visit (and bookmark) the Important Dates for Students page.

Not sure when you're able to register? You can find when Registration opens up to you on the Registration by Classification page.

Your official and final grades are posted on myNMSU.

myNMSU > Students > Records/Degree Application > Final Grades

gif showing process in myNMSU to look up grade

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

 

General Education at NMSU provides all students with a broad foundation and common framework upon which to develop knowledge and skills, social consciousness, and respect for self and others, thus enabling them to function responsibly and effectively now and in the future. General education courses at NMSU can be identified by the G suffix.

Learn more by looking at the 2022-2023 NMSU Catalog.

You can see your progress made towards your degree along with the courses you still need to complete by consulting your STAR Degree Audit. You should also regularly check in with your academic and department advisors.

All undergraduate students must demonstrate Basic Academic Skills in both English and mathematics before enrolling in any upper-division course (numbered 300 or higher).  These requirements ensure that each student in the upper-division courses has the ability to succeed without compromising the learning experience of other students.

Learn more under Basic Academic Skills in the 2022-2023 NMSU Catalog.

The Viewing a Wider World (VWW) requirement fosters intelligent inquiry, abstract logical thinking, critical analysis, as well as the integration and synthesis of knowledge. The program strives for literacy in writing, reading, speaking, and listening. It teaches mathematical structures, acquainting students with precise abstract thought about numbers and space. The program also encourages an understanding of science and scientific inquiry, as it provides a historical consciousness, including an understanding of one’s own heritage as well as respect for other peoples and cultures. All VWW courses can be identified by the "V" suffix.

Learn more by visiting Viewing a Wider World Requirements in the 2022-2023 NMSU Catalog.

The Viewing a Wider World courses are sorted by college in the 2022-2023 NMSU Catalog.

TRANSFER CREDITS

 

Please use the Transfer Course Equivalency Search tool maintained by Admissions. This tool serves as a general guide in the evaluation of any course and is not a guarantee.

Students who have taken an Advanced Placement Exam and earned composite scores of 3, 4, or 5 may be granted credit. Credit will be treated as transfer credit without a grade but will count toward graduation and may be used in fulfilling specific curriculum requirements.

Please visit the Admissions Advanced Placement page for more information about transferability.