The
people who comprise the community that is New Mexico Tech are guided by
certain values as they perform their daily tasks. More than mere rules
or operating procedures, our institutional values are qualitative and
idealistic. They are our most fundamental touchstones that measure the
worth of what we do. They are:
Creativity is possible in virtually all endeavors. It calls for curiosity, adaptability, and resourcefulness. It requires imagination and often diligence. But whether the task is being performed by a carpenter, a secretary, a graduate student, or a regent, creativity is an expected part of this value.
Excellence speaks for itself. New Mexico Tech is known for the high quality of its education and research, but we aspire to a new level of excellence in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. At this new level, we expect that creative excellence will be rewarded at New Mexico Tech.
Integrity is honored as a fundamental value at New Mexico Tech. Dishonesty, cheating, and plagiarism have no place in a respected institution of higher education. But real integrity goes further than these negatives; integrity means having the courage to defend the truth, to act fairly and honestly in all our endeavors, and to be responsible citizens of the community.
New Mexico Tech is a place where people care about each other. That sense of caring we call collegiality. It means being open with others, sharing with them, and collaborating with them for the good of the Institution. Collegiality also means mentoring: acting as a guide and advisor to a colleague, a student, a fellow staff member.
It means caring about the community--the campus community, the community of Socorro, the larger community of the State of New Mexico. And collegiality means valuing diversity, realizing that persons of a race or gender or ethnicity or nationality different from our own have importance, both because they are human and because their experiences are different from ours and are therefore valuable.
Service
As a community of learners, New Mexico Tech also acknowledges a responsibility to serving society, especially since learning helps meet not only individual needs, but also those of the larger community. Service is a source of motivation and inspiration to those who practice it, reflecting both a capacity for relating to others, as well as deep-seated concern for the quality of human life. The social benefits of service are further fulfilled through the expansion of knowledge by teaching, scientific investigation, technology transfer, and economic development.
New Mexico Tech has been, is, and will continue to be at the forefront of science and engineering research and education. Creating an open environment which also develops and fosters tomorrow’s leaders in those and other fields is of paramount importance. Leadership involves moving everyone toward a shared perception of our university’s vision, mission, and outcomes, toward a common understanding of where New Mexico Tech is now and where it should be heading, and toward an increased commitment to those ends. By engaging, enabling, and empowering others throughout the university, members at all levels and in a variety of areas can take on leadership roles. Strong, effective leadership is best exemplified not through methods of control, but through positive influence.
New Mexico Tech brings its academic and research resources to bear on key issues in promoting regional and state economic prosperity and technology development. In addition to preparing the workforce of tomorrow through academic rigor and practical research experience, the university provides strategic support, technical assistance, technology transfer, and development and implementation of bold new research initiatives, enabling technologies, and training programs to bolster both public and private sector success and competitiveness. Furthermore, New Mexico Tech is committed to integrating diversity into all facets of its work, since the intrinsic value of understanding and respecting similarities and differences among all groups is central to fully achieving the university’s comprehensive academic, research, and outreach goals and objectives.