The College
The Morrill Act of 1862
The foundation of the College of Engineering traces its roots to the Morrill Act of 1862. This act provided for a land grant institution in each state and territory. In 1889, the Roley Act sanctioned by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature created the Agriculture College and Experiment Station to replace Las Cruces College as New Mexico's land grant university. Courses were offered in civil engineering and mechanics.
In 1890/91, the name was changed to the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (NMA&MA) to reflect equal status between agriculture and engineering. NMA&MA graduated its first engineering student in 1896 in mechanical engineering. Although NMA&MA continued to offer engineering courses, a formal School of Engineering was not established until 1914. According to the 1915/16 catalog, the School of Engineering had Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Irrigation Engineering Departments. In 1922, Chemical Engineering was added to the offerings. With Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical Engineering as the core, the number of departments within the School fluctuated over the ensuing years.
Accreditation
The growth and commitment to quality within the School of Engineering directed that the departments seek accreditation in 1937. The Engineers Council for Professional Development, later to be called ABET, accredited the Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering Departments in 1938. Because of its small size, accreditation of the Chemical Engineering Department by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers did not occur until 1967. In 1948, an Agricultural Engineering Department was formed and administered jointly by the Schools of Agriculture and Engineering until 1986 when it was fully placed under engineering and merged with civil and geological to become the Civil, Agricultural, and Geological Engineering Department. Agricultural Engineering received ABET accreditation in 1960 while Geological Engineering, introduced into the civil program in 1972, received ABET accreditation in 1985. In the early fifties, the Electrical Engineering Department was the first to offer a master's degree followed in quick succession by the Civil and Mechanical Departments. The three departments added a Ph.D. program in 1961 with a commitment to make the School of Engineering a first class research institution.
Growth of Academic Departments
In 1960, NMA&MA changed to New Mexico State University and the School became the College of Engineering. Engineering Technology was introduced as a department in 1963 offering associates degrees in civil, electrical, and mechanical technology. Engineering Technology began offering Bachelor of Science degrees in 1971 receiving TAC ABET accreditation in 1974. Meanwhile, the Industrial Engineering Department came into existence in 1969 and was awarded ABET accreditation in 1971. Electrical Engineering became Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1973. Surveying, in 1991, was the last department to be added to the College of Engineering. However, the lineage of the Surveying Department extends as far back as the beginning of the university which then offered land surveying and leveling as part of its curricula. In 1992, Surveying received accreditation by the Related Accreditation Commission of ABET.
To fulfill its land grant mission, the College of Engineering established a strong Cooperative Education (Co-op) program and Engineering Research Center (ERC). The Co-op program was started in 1929 and continued until 1936 when the Great Depression (GD Link 2, GD Link 3) intervened. In 1952, with the support of White Sands Proving Ground, the Co-op program was revived and, since then, has seen phenomenal growth and success.
Engineering Research Center Established
The Engineering Experiment Station, as the ERC was formally known, started in 1930 and was not formalized into a separate entity of research administration within the college until 1957. In the decade of the 90's, the ERC experienced rapid expansion becoming a catalyst for excellence that saw the College of Engineering achieve top ranking in the nation in research expenditures per faculty member and place second in the nation in research impact during the period 1993 to 1997.
We are very proud of our long and notable history in the College of Engineering. It is with this firm foundation in history and tradition and the university mission that we move forward and plan our future direction and impact.
With pride in its heritage and cognizant of the contribution to this heritage by the many cultures native to southern New Mexico, the NMSU College of Engineering is dedicated to provide the best engineering education possible to all who seek it. Despite extensive growth from its inception, the College (office is located in Goddard Hall), reflective of its beginnings, continues to convey a "small college" atmosphere through an open door way of thinking that promotes one on one interaction between faculty and students. Friendliness, professionalism, and a supportive environment are the foundation of our College of Engineering culture, a culture committed to students , their organizations and activities.