How do I interpret all these NMSU acronyms?

Dear Aggie,

I am new to NMSU, and still getting up to speed with all the acronyms. Can you please help me out with this alphabet soup (ID, AT, TA…)?

~Alphabet Soup

Dear Alphabet,

I sympathize! The acronyms do turn into alphabet soup, and it is easy to lose track of them all. I am sharing a list of the ones that I encounter most frequently; I hope that it is helpful to you!

~Aggie

NMSU Acronyms (in alphabetical order)

2FA	Two Factor Authentication An ICT security system to protect our accounts. The ICT Help Desk can help you get set up with this. [ICT is defined below] https://inside.nmsu.edu/help/
AoE	Allocation of Effort The annual documentation of how faculty will spend their time (i.e. percent allocated to teaching, scholarship, service and extension/outreach). The AoE typically involves setting goals for each area in each year.
APR	Annual Performance Report Faculty complete this annually, using DM (see, we're using those acronyms :). This is part of the Annual Performance Evaluation, described in the ARP (see next acronym). https://arp.nmsu.edu/9-31/
ARP	Administrative Rules & Procedures The rules and procedures by which we operate. https://arp.nmsu.edu/
AT	Academic Technology Your go-to resource for support with learning technologies (e.g. Canvas, iClickers, Zoom and more). They also have an awesome Zoom Open Lab/Help Desk. https://learning.nmsu.edu/
CoI	Conflict of Interest Every regular employee completes an annual conflict of interest report, in which any actual or potential/perceived conflicts are disclosed, and managed as needed. https://hr.nmsu.edu/coi/
DM	Digital Measures (now properly known as Watermark Faculty Success, but we still seem to call it DM) This is the faculty activity reporting system, used to document teaching, scholarship, service and outreach/extension activities https://profile.nmsu.edu/
ICT	Information and Communication Technologies Your go-to resource for things like setting up 2FA when you get a new cellphone, unlocking your account when you get frozen out and registering a new device on the NMSU network. They also have an awesome Zoom Help Desk. https://ict.nmsu.edu/ Zoom Meeting ID: icthelpdesk
IDs	Instructional Designers IDs can help you with aspects of your online course design. Contact Dr. Beth Apodaca for more information: bapodaca@nmsu.edu
LMS	Learning Management System In our case, Canvas is our LMS.
NMSU Now	NMSU’s COVID pandemic action plan This is our go-to site for all information regarding COVID-19, vaccination requirements, and all COVID-19 policies and procedures for faculty, staff and students. https://now.nmsu.edu/
P&T	Promotion and Tenure Promotion is advancement through the faculty ranks (e.g. Assistant Professor to Associate Professor to Full Professor). Tenure is conversion to a continuous contract, in order to provide economic security and protect academic freedom. Note that college-track (non-tenure-track) faculty advance through promotion, but are not eligible for tenure. https://arp.nmsu.edu/chapter-9/ https://provost.nmsu.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources/promotion_and_tenure.html
SME	Subject Matter Expert (often pronounced “Smee”) That is you! When an ID (see above) works with a faculty member on course design and development, the faculty member is the subject matter (or content) expert.
TA	Teaching Academy Your go-to resource for invaluable professional development related to teaching and learning, as well as time management, mentoring, scholarly writing and promotion and tenure. https://teaching.nmsu.edu/
UDL	Universal Design for Learning A course design approach that makes our courses accessible to and usable by everyone (*all* learners).

Sincerely,

Aggie

NMSU Teaching Academy