Notice of Right to Inspect Records - 2025
Notice of Right to Inspect Public Records
By law, under the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA), NMSA 1978, Sections 14-2-1 to -12 (1941, as amended), every person has the right to inspect public records maintained by New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. New Mexico Tech is responsible for making its public records available for inspection. However, New Mexico Tech is not required to create a public record for inspection.
Submitting Requests:
A person desiring to inspect public records may submit a request to the records custodian orally or in writing. Written requests may be submitted in person or sent via U.S. mail or email. However, the procedures and penalties prescribed by the Act apply only to written requests. Requests to inspect public records of New Mexico Tech should be submitted to the records custodian at New Mexico Tech Business Operations Wells Hall Room 106A 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801 Phone 575-835-5374 email: foi@nmt.edu
Information needed to process a request:
Contact information: A written request must contain sufficient contact information for the person making the request, including: name, mailing address, email address, and a telephone number. This information must be provided to be a valid request per NMSA 1978 § 14-2-8(C).
Description of Records: The request must describe the records sought in sufficient detail to enable the records custodian to identify and locate the requested records.
Procedures for Requesting Inspection:
The records custodian shall permit inspection at a location determined by NMT and during regular business hours, immediately or as soon as practicable, but no later than fifteen (15) calendar days after the records custodian receives the inspection request. If inspection is not permitted within three (3) business days, the person making the request will receive a written response explaining when the records will be available for inspection or a final determination will be issued. If any of the records sought are not available for public inspection, the person making the request is entitled to a written response from the records custodian explaining the reasons inspection has been denied. The written denial shall be delivered or mailed within fifteen (15) calendar days after the records custodian received the request for inspection.
Broad and Burdensome Requests:
If the records custodian determines that a written request is excessively broad or burdensome, IPRA states that the Custodian may have “an additional reasonable period of time” to complete the request; however the Custodian will still provide the requester with a notice within 15 days with a written explanation.
Narrowing requests: If your request is deemed excessively broad or burdensome, you may be able to reduce the time required to process your request by narrowing your request. Please work with us by clarifying what you need and provide us with additional information so that we can identify the records in which you are interested.
Multiple pending requests: If a request is deemed broad and burdensome and the requester has multiple requests pending, we recommend requesters advise on how they would like us to prioritize their requests. If we do not hear from the requester about how they would like their requests prioritized, then the request will be assigned to a staff person who will begin working on partial productions in the normal course and scope of their work. This does not affect the requester's rights under IPRA.
Production of Records:
New Mexico Tech will provide a copy of a public record in an electronic format if the record is available in an electronic format, in the format available, and an electronic copy is specifically requested. Requests for larger productions including productions of emails and video files will be placed on an external storage flash drive only. If possible, New Mexico Tech will provide the electronic record in the file format in which it exists at the time of the request. Copies prepared for pickup will be held for ten (10) days. After that time, they may be destroyed for records-management purposes. However, this does not affect the requesters right to inspect or obtain the records. If the requester still wishes to receive copies after the ten-day period, they should contact the records custodian to arrange for re-release of the records or to confirm that they still desire the records.
Cost:
New Mexico Tech may charge a reasonable fee for copying public records in paper form and for providing public data pursuant to IPRA. The records custodian may request that applicable fees be paid in advance, before the copies are made. A receipt indicating that the fees have been paid for making copies of public records will be provided upon request to the person requesting the copies. Although other fees sometimes apply, the most common fees are as follows:
The fee for paper copies is $1.00 per page as authorized by NMSA 1978 § 14-2-9(C)(2).
New Mexico Tech may charge the actual costs associated with providing electronic records to a storage device, as well as for the actual costs associated with transmitting copies by mail or via other methods. NMSA 1978 § 14-2-9(C)(3) and (4).
The fee for flash drive is $18.60, which includes the cost of mailing the drive certified mail. If the files exceed the size of the flash drive the requester will be charged for any additional drives. Pursuant to NMSA 1978 § 14-2-9(C)(3) and (4).