PART 1: AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE

Authority:
This policy is issued by the President, pursuant to Regents Policy 4.00 C(3) for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the members of the NMSU community and is based on information provided by the New Mexico Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control, and the American College Health Association.

Purpose:
To mitigate the health risks presented by communicable diseases, this policy establishes requirements for new, re-admitted and transfer students, to include dual-credit students. These students are required to have certain immunizations/vaccinations and to provide documentation of complete immunization/vaccination history. Screening for tuberculosis and further treatment, if determined to be positive, is required for international students or as otherwise required by individual programs. This policy also outlines emergency authority for NMSU Administration in case of a communicable disease outbreak.

PART 2: KEY POLICY STATEMENT(S)

1. Requirement of certain Immunization/Vaccination and complete Vaccination History:
   1. New, re-admitted and transfer students, to include dual-credit students, at any campus must provide immunization documentation during enrollment. The documentation must be obtained from a medical provider, pediatrician, school nurse, or state registry.
   2. Immunizations and Vaccinations:
      1. There are certain immunizations/vaccinations required, comparable to the NMDOH requirements for K-12 school entry. For a current list of both NMSU required vaccinations and optional or recommended vaccinations, always refer to the Student Handbook. Please note these lists are subject to change.
      2. NMSU reserves the right to unilaterally remove or add required immunizations and documentation.
      3. Students should consult a health care provider to determine individual need for each optional immunization/vaccination.
   3. Individual academic programs may require additional immunizations/vaccinations as condition of enrollment. Please verify with program coordinators to determine if any additional vaccinations are
      required.
2. Requirement of Tuberculosis (TB) Screening:
   1. Required for all international students and those students enrolled in specialty programs requiring TB screening.
   2. If a student has not been screened prior to arriving at NMSU, screening will be required upon arrival at NMSU.
   3. Students may also provide documentation of screening if it was completed within 6 months before arrival at NMSU.
   4. A positive TB test will require referral to the university's Aggie Health & Wellness Center for further medical evaluation and/or treatment.
3. Students can request an exemption from requirement subject to review and approval:
   1. Medical Exemption: If a student has a medical condition that may qualify them for an exemption, the student may seek an exemption by submitting a request to the immunization verification vendor portal. The exemption request must include supporting documentation from a licensed medical provider.
   2. Religious Exemption: If receiving an immunization/vaccination is contrary to the student's sincerely held religious belief, the student may seek an exemption by submitting a request to the immunization verification vendor portal. The exemption request must include a written affirmation or attached affidavit, that their religious beliefs, held either individually or jointly with others, do not permit the administration of vaccine or other immunizing agents.
   3. NMSU Global Campus Students: Students enrolled in an online degree program are not required to provide immunization documents. No further action is required for NMSU Global Campus students and enrollment will be verified each academic period.
   4. Any decision made related to an exemption request may be appealed by the student to the Dean of Students.
4. Non-Compliance:
   1. If the documentation is not provided by the start of the academic period, the student's account will be placed on hold until immunization documentation has been received.
   2. A restriction will be placed on registration for subsequent academic periods until the documentation is submitted through the vendor portal.
5. Authority During an Emerging Communicable Disease Outbreak: NMSU may promulgate rules and regulations specifying diseases against which vaccinations may be required in the event of a public health emergency, such as an outbreak or a pandemic that has been declared by appropriate public health authorities.
6. Roles and Responsibilities:
   1. Aggie Health & Wellness Center
      1. Serves as the primary contact and liaison for student immunization and TB screening.
   2. Dean of Students:
      1. Processes and reviews student appeals.
      2. May contract with third-party vendors to perform tasks related to the exemption process and will be responsible for oversight of third-party vendors.

PART 3: KEY PROCESS ELEMENTS

1. Student Online Submission Process:
   1. Students must submit immunization and TB screening documents through the immunization verification vendor online portal as part of the enrollment process.
   2. Students requesting a medical or religious exemption must submit the request through the immunization verification vendor online portal and include applicable supporting documentation. All exemption requests must be submitted and approved prior to enrollment.
   3. For all submission requests, the Student Handbook will contain a link to the portal including guidance for submission.
2. Appeal: All appeals must be in writing and submitted via email to dos@nmsu.edu. The Dean of Students may uphold, modify, or reverse the decision. The decision of the Dean of Students is final and binding.
3. Student Records Management:
   1. Submission requests are managed by the immunization verification vendor upon submission by the student resulting in an approval or denial.
   2. The information provided to the immunization verification vendor is securely sent to the NMSU Banner student record.
   3. After the secure transfer of information, the Banner Student Record will be marked as compliant or non-compliant for the immunization record requirement. If non-compliant, the student account will automatically be placed on hold and registration for subsequent semesters will be prevented.
4. TB Testing Process:
   1. If TB screening is required, the student is responsible for contacting Aggie Health & Wellness to arrange the screening.
   2. Aggie Health & Wellness Center provides verification and tuberculosis testing (if applicable)
5. Cyclic Review: This policy will be reviewed for updates annually.

PART 4: DEFINITIONS

1. Dual-Credit Student: Qualified and motivated high school junior and senior students can enroll in approved college level courses – receiving college credit from NMSU, as well as elective high school credit from their high school, simultaneously.
2. Immunization Documentation: Acceptable forms of documentation are defined as Vaccination/Immunization record, immunization card or book, state immunization registry printout of a history of all vaccines received as a child or adult.
3. Student Account on Hold: A hold means that a student is restricted from enrolling in classes and/or obtaining academic transcripts at New Mexico State University.

PART 5: CROSS REFERENCES

1. Administrative Procedures: Located in the Student Handbook
2. Applicable Federal law/regulation:

   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).MMWR (28 January 2011).
   General Recommendations on Immunization CDC ACIP Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule United States 2020

3. Applicable State law/regulation:

   NM Statute 24-5-1 (2019) is NM immunization regulation statute
   NM Statute 24-5-3 (2021) is NM exemption statute 
   New Mexico Childcare/Pre-School/School Entry Immunization Requirements

4. Related Policies (RPM or ARP): 
5. Other References:

   American College Health Association (ACHA) (Feb. 2021).Immunization Recommendations for College Students
   American College Health Association (ACHA) (Feb. 2021).Tuberculosis Screening and Targeted Testing of College and University Students

PART 6: RELATED INFORMATION

Related Information: Contact the Dean of Student's office for additional information not covered in this policy.
Responsible Office and Position Title: Office of the Dean of Students
Direct Line: (575) 646-1722
Email: dos@nmsu.edu