Message from President Wells

Sept. 24, 2020

Faculty, Staff, and Students,

New Mexico Tech has recorded its first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 on campus. The individual who has tested positive is a student and is quarantined. New Mexico Tech is following all safety and health protocols and is working in conjunction with the New Mexico Department of Health. We’re performing contact tracing for this individual, and, as a precautionary measure, two campus classrooms have been closed and are being disinfected.

Now more than ever, it’s imperative that faculty, staff, and students honestly assess their own health every day, including taking their temperature and noting health changes that might be related to COVID-19 symptoms. If you have symptoms, stay isolated until you’re able to get tested. This is imperative. We have proper protocols, and we have a plan. It’s online at nmt.edu/covid19/Resilient%202. pdf. I encourage everyone to take the time to read and review the plan and protocols for your own health and safety, as well as that of others. It is your responsibility to be informed and do your part for the health of our campus and our community.

As always, maintain proper social distance, wear a mask or appropriate face covering at all times on campus, and repeatedly wash hands.

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please adhere to the following protocols. These symptoms include fever, dry cough, chills, repeated shaking with chills, shortness of breath, muscle pain, loss of taste or smell, or sore throat. These protocols are available at nmt.edu/covid19/Resilient%202. pdf

Students: If students develop such symptoms during the course of the day, they should report it immediately to the NMT Student Health Office at (575) 835-5094, go to their on/off campus residence, and seek medical attention as advised. If students develop symptoms in the evening or over the weekend, they should contact the NMDOH COVID-19 Hotline at 855-600-3453 and follow their instructions.

Faculty/Staff: Contact their supervisor and not come to work. Likewise, if employees develop such symptoms during the course of the day, they should report it immediately to their supervisor, return home, and seek medical attention.

Quarantine definition: It means staying physically in your room, apartment, or house. Do not go to work, classes, the Socorro community at large, athletic events, gym, or other gatherings for 14 days. Limit contact with other people as much as possible. This includes limiting close contact with people living in your residence. Wash your hands with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand rubs after coughing, sneezing, or throwing a used tissue in the garbage. Avoid sharing household items. Do not share drinking glasses, towels, eating utensils, bedding, or any other items until you are no longer asked to self-isolate. Keep your surroundings clean. While the virus is not spread very well from contact with soiled household surfaces, try to clean surfaces that you share with others, such as door knobs, telephones, and bathroom surfaces (or any other object that you sneeze or cough on) with a standard household disinfectant wipe. Wash your hands after cleaning the area. 

Please note: If you are a supervisor (for example: faculty member overseeing a class, dean, department chair, or staff supervisor), if an individual (student, staff, or faculty) discloses to you that they have tested positive for COVID-19, been exposed to COVID-19, and/or are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, you are required to fill out the New Mexico Tech COVID-19 Case Reporting Form at the following link: Click Here. 

Classrooms where someone has tested positive for COVID-19 have been temporarily closed, and those classes will be held online until further notice. Instructors who normally hold classes in these classrooms are messaging their students with further instruction. Students with questions regarding the status of their classes should direct their questions to their instructors.

We will keep the New Mexico Tech community updated on a regular basis. It is critical that you understand we are following state-approved protocols to keep everyone safe, and it is also critical that you do all you can by following all of the procedures described in our plan to keep you and everyone around you safe.

Be resilient, stay smart, stay safe,

Stephen G. Wells

President

New Mexico Tech