University Archives houses the permanent valuable non-current records of the University. These records provide a historical, administrative, legal, and financial record of the institution and its many parts. The Archives also keep a copy of student theses and professional papers, as well as, books written by or about alumni and faculty members or about the University.
Contact: archives@nmhu.edu or 505-454-3255
Nestled against the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a chain of the Southern Rockies, is the historic city of Las Vegas, New Mexico, the home to New Mexico Highlands University, a state-supported institution offering bachelor's and master's degrees in a variety of disciplines. With the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in the 1870s, civic leaders decided that this booming region needed an institution of higher education, and in 1893, the Territorial Legislature established New Mexico Normal School.
The school opened in 1898 under the guidance of a young educator and anthropologist, Dr. Edgar Lee Hewett, who was to take a prominent place in New Mexico history as founder of both the Museum of New Mexico and the Institute of American Archaeology in Santa Fe. From a charter class of 92 students and six faculty members, the institution quickly progressed and, in 1899, the name was changed from New Mexico Normal at Las Vegas to New Mexico Normal University. Because of expansions in academic offerings, the school was referred to in the New England Journal of Education as “one of the best normal schools in the country.”
By 1901, enrollment had surpassed 300. The growth of the institution increased with the admission of New Mexico into the Union in 1912, and in 1917 the school became a four-year teacher training college. Over the next decades accreditation was achieved, buildings were added and graduate work was introduced in several departments. From its territorial beginnings, the school flourished with statehood and in 1941 was renamed New Mexico Highlands University, a name derived from its beautiful Northern New Mexico terrain.
Today, Highlands is known for its multiethnic student body, small classes, research activities, student and faculty achievements, and opportunities for students to combine study with real-world experience. Through distance education, Internet courses, and on-site faculty, Highlands also offers degree-completion and graduate programs through its Centers in Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Farmington, and Albuquerque.
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is a federal law that protects the privacy of students. Materials that contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) about specific students may be unavailable to researchers in compliance with this law. Examples include grade reports or documents containing social security numbers. Under FERPA, universities are allowed to make available directory information pertaining to students.
Directory information at New Mexico Highlands is student’s name, address, email address, telephone listing, field of study, photograph, date and place of birth, major field of study, grade level, enrollment status, dates of attendance, participation in officially recognized activities, and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; degrees, honors, and awards received; and the most recent educational agency or institution attended. Written requests from student to have directory information withheld must be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar by the last day of registration per semester and will be maintained for the remainder of the academic year or until revoked by the student in writing. In accordance with 14-3-15.1NMSA, New Mexico Highlands University does not release directory information for commercial or solicitation purposes. For more information, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 505454-3455 or Registrar@nmhu.edu.
All theses and professional papers generated by NMHU students as part of a Master's degree requirement are cataloged and maintained in perpetuity. A circulating copy is available from the third-floor stacks and a reference copy is held in University Archives.
University Archives collects and maintains published materials written by or about NMHU students and faculty.
This collection includes copies of the official student newspaper. With some lapses, there was a campus newspaper published from 1914 to 2008. The newspaper has had three titles, the Trigonian News (1914-1923), The Candle (1927-1973), and La Mecha (1973-2008). The collection is not complete. It includes many duplicates.
Minutes are available for NMHU governing bodies and committees that document the university's decision-making process. Recent minutes are available on the NMHU website, and archived minutes are available from the University Archives upon request.
New Mexico Highlands University first published a yearbook in 1911 under the title El Crepusculo. The title was changed to Southwest Wind in 1912. During the years 1976-1979 the Southwest Wind was published as an arts magazine, rather than a traditional yearbook. Southwest Wind ceased publication after the 1985 issue.