Dear colleagues,

At NMSU, we are committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful community where hazing and bullying have no place. Within our athletics program, our fraternities and sororities, and other student organizations on campus, we have done impactful work through robust training protocols and student support structures to address problems of hazing and bullying. This includes our participation in the National Hazing Prevention Consortium and our ongoing review of our existing policies and infrastructure regarding reporting and response.

It is important to acknowledge that this culture encompasses both athletics and academics. It goes beyond areas like Greek life and clubs. It extends to the classroom and to the workplace. In order to effectively address this issue and its impact on the well-being and success of our students, faculty, and staff, we must approach this as a system-wide transformation. That is why we are creating a new position at the system level for a hazing prevention coordinator. We must invest in the personnel and tools to affect systemic change for the entire NMSU community.

As part of this broader commitment, we are implementing mandatory training for all faculty and staff to ensure that every member of our university community understands their role in fostering a safe and inclusive environment. This training will focus on recognizing and addressing hazing, bullying, and other behaviors that negatively impact our campus climate, while also equipping faculty and staff with the tools to respond effectively when concerns arise.

Coupled with some organizational changes in the President’s Office designed to ensure that our Office of Institutional Equity has the resources and oversight it needs to be a key element of this transformation, these changes will promote a positive culture at our university, and I hope that each of you will contribute to the success of this effort.

This commitment to a strong, inclusive community was also evident last week in Santa Fe, where NMSU was well represented during the festivities. Our faculty, staff, and student leaders demonstrated a deep sense of pride and dedication to the well-being of New Mexico, exemplifying the values that make our university community remarkable. We are NMSU.

Lakshmi N. Reddi
Interim Provost
New Mexico State University