A. The community college board of a community college may award the appropriate degree upon the completion of a curriculum organized for that purpose and approved by the commission on higher education [higher education department]. An associate degree or certificate may be awarded only to students as recommended by the faculty, the chief academic officer and the president of the community college as having completed satisfactorily the prescribed course of study.

B. The community college board may award an appropriate certificate upon completion of an education curriculum and program leading to alternative certification for degreed individuals pursuant to Section 22-10-3.5 NMSA 1978 [repealed] or certification of educational assistant and coursework in elementary and secondary education professional development. The curriculum and program leading to alternative certification or certification of educational assistant shall be approved by the state board of education.

History: 1953 Comp., § 73-33-11, enacted by Laws 1963, ch. 17, § 11; 1980, ch. 53, § 7; 1985, ch. 238, § 12; 1999, ch. 219, § 3; 2001, ch. 299, § 1.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 73 repealed 22-10-3.5 NMSA 1978, effective April 4, 2003. For provisions of former section, see the 2002 NMSA 1978 on NMOneSource.com.

Laws 2005, ch. 289, § 29 provided that all references to the commission on higher education be construed to be references to the higher education department.

The 2001 amendment, effective June 15, 2001, designated the former section as Subsection A; and added Subsection B.

The 1999 amendment, effective July 1, 1999, substituted "Degrees and certificates" for "Titles" in the section heading and in the second sentence; substituted "commission on higher education" for "board of educational finance" at the end of the first sentence; and substituted "chief academic officer and the president" for "chief academic administrative officer" in the second sentence.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 15A Am. Jur. 2d Colleges and Universities §§ 1, 5, 31.

Student's right to compel school officials to issue degree, diploma, or the like, 11 A.L.R.4th 1182.

14A C.J.S. Colleges and Universities § 41.