New Mexico State University is committed to providing a safe and harassment-free environment for its students, employees, and visitors, as well as equal employment opportunities in all areas of occupation. It is also committed to protecting the assets of the university, students, employees, and individuals connected with the university. A key component in achieving these commitments is ensuring that employees are trained on their responsibilities related to applicable state and federal codes, laws, and regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Strategic & Essential Training (SET) Program
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Policy/Enrollment | Technical/Browser/Access | Training Central Procedures | Other
Review this short video of how to navigate Training Central and complete SET. Also, check out the SET Overview in LinkedIn Learning.
** Training Central has moved to cloud-based platform. Due to the implementation, 2025 Annual SET enrollments were delayed. New Employees hired after Jan 1, 2025 who have not completed the Onboarding SET in Canvas will be enrolled in the New Employee SET curriculum, containing both the Onboarding and Annual requirments. New Employee enrollment will begin following the Annual enrollments for existing employees.**
Policy/Enrollment Questions – General
In a nutshell, all NMSU employees must complete SET curriculums. If you have an NMSU email address, Aggie ID number, and receive a paycheck from NMSU, you must complete SET curriculum.
Q. Who do I contact if I have questions about policy, training content, or requirements?
a. Each training module includes contact information for questions regarding policy or the content contained in the module.
b. Additionally, you can contact the Center for Learning & Professional Development with questions about training requirements. Call (575) 646-7444 or e-mail trainingcentral@nmsu.edu.
Q. Do I need to complete the training if I am about to retire, a student employee, or a temporary employee?
a. The Strategic & Essential Training program is mandatory for all employees employed at the time of enrollment regardless of hours worked or future termination date.
b. Training is required for student employees (this includes Graduate Assistants, Teaching Assistants, and other student workers like student aides and work-study students).
c. Temporary employees (including adjunct faculty) must complete SET requirements during their contract term. Training Central accounts may be deactivated at the end of an employee’s contract.
Q. I’m an affiliate. Why do I need to complete the SET program? I’m not employed by the university.
a. In accordance with ARP 2.55 – NMSU Recognition of Affiliated Individuals, affiliates are included in the SET curriculum(s) as of January 2021. Affiliates are not university employees; however, they are responsible for NMSU resources, have access to student records, and in some instances, oversee the work of NMSU employees. This close relationship between the university and its affiliates requires that we ensure everyone is aware of the regulations, policies, and procedures of the university.
Q. I work at one of the community colleges or extension offices. Why do I need to complete the SET program?
a. All NMSU employees, regardless of location, need to complete the SET curriculums. Community colleges, extension offices, and research centers are part of the university system and employees are considered NMSU employees.
Q. I’m a new/returning employee. When will I be enrolled in the SET program?
a. New employees will have their Training Central accounts activated within 48 hours of their start date (assuming Banner employment record is complete and NMSU email account has been set up). New/returning employees will be enrolled in the appropriate SET curriculum(s) following activation of the account. New/returning employees will receive an email notification from Training Central with instructions for completing the training. If the current SET curriculum(s) have already been completed, they do not need to be repeated.
Q. I’ve taken training on these subjects in the past. Do I still need to complete the new curriculum?
a. Yes; SET modules are required annually for all employees. We appreciate you taking the time to complete the training in the past and hope that this refresher will help reinforce what you previously learned. Some modules may contain a pre-test that allows you to by-pass the module content if you pass the pre-test. Due to regulations and risk to NMSU for non-compliance, not all modules will contain this option.
Q. What happens if I don’t complete the training by the deadline?
a. Supervisors will be monitoring employee’s completion of the training and will determine appropriate action if the training is not completed on time. The SET program is a condition of employment in accordance with NMSU ARP 6.89.
Q. I am on approved leave (FMLA, Sabbatical, Military, etc). Do I need to take the training?
a. If you believe you may need a workplace accommodation for a disability, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity at (575) 646-3635 or visit https://equity.nmsu.edu.
If you are currently on approved, long-term continuous leave (block FMLA, Sabbatical, Military, etc.), you are not required to complete the training until you return to work. Please work with your supervisor upon your return to work to agree on a reasonable completion date within 30 days of your return to work. You and your supervisor will continue to receive notifications regarding incomplete training; please disregard these notifications until you return to work. Note: those on short-term leaves of absences (such as annual and sick leave, etc) are required to complete training by the target date.
Q. Why do new employees have more modules to complete than current employees?
a. The New Employee SET Curriculum allows new employees to hit the ground running by providing important, compliance information needed at the start of employment. Additionally, the New Employee SET Curriculum includes the Annual SET curriculum required of all employees each calendar year.
Q. Do returning employees have to take the New Employee SET Curriculum?
a. No. Employees who previously worked for NMSU and have a break in service do not need to complete the New Employee SET Curriculum. They will be enrolled in the Annual SET Curriculum when they return to work if they have not previously completed the current year’s training (Note: the Annual SET Curriculum year runs January through December).
Q. Why are employees who are hired after the November 1st black-out period not enrolled in the Annual SET Curriculum?
a. The Annual SET curriculum year runs from January to December. Employees hired on or after November 1st are not enrolled in the current year Annual SET curriculum to prevent them from being enrolled in two (2) Annual SET curricula at the same time and to allow time for the updating and implementation of the upcoming Annual SET modules. During the black-out period, new employees will be enrolled in a modified version of the New Employee SET curriculum that does not include the Annual SET topics.
Technical/Browser/Access Questions
Review this short video of how to navigate Training Central and complete SET.
Our Training Central provider, Cornerstone, offers some great dynamic help references for additional information on using the system. Help can be found on the Navigation menu in Training Central.
Q. Who do I contact if I have technical or browser issues while taking the training?
a. Training Central utilizes NMSU's Single Sign-on and utilizes pop-up windows. Technical browser and access support is being addressed by the IT Help Desk. Call 575-646-1840 or e-mail help@nmsu.edu.
Q. I tried to launch the training and get a blank screen (or nothing happens).
a. Security settings in your browser are preventing the page from displaying properly. Pop-up blockers should be turned off or add *.csod.com as a safe site in your internet browser. Additionally, ensure your Java application is up to date. You can download the latest Java version.
Q. I’m off campus. Do I need to use VPN?
a. If accessing Training Central from off-campus (e.g. home computer), NMSU VPN is not required but is highly recommended.
Q. I’m on campus and using a wireless connection. Can I still access the training?
a. Yes. If you are using a campus wireless connection, use the AggieAir-WPA2 wireless. This is an encrypted connection and is more secure than AggieAir and AggieGuest. AggieAir and AggieGuest should only be used with the NMSU VPN.
Q. I’m traveling and can’t get to a computer.
a. You have 30 days from the time you are enrolled in the Annual SET Curriculum to complete the training (14 days to complete the Onboarding portion in the New Employee SET Curriculum). Training can be accessed from non-NMSU computers by logging in through NMSU VPN.
Q. I don’t have a computer where I work. I need help accessing the training. What are my options?
a. The Center for Learning & Professional Development has computer labs available for employees in the Las Cruces area. Please call ahead at (575) 646-7444 to schedule a time to use the lab. Employees outside the Las Cruces area should contact your local IT or administrative support areas for assistance.
Training Central Procedural Questions
Review this short video of how to navigate Training Central and complete SET.
Q. How do I complete training?
a. You can launch the training by logging into Training Central with Single Sign-On (SSO) or using your NMSU email address and password. Click on Learner Home. You’ll see the curriculum listed. Click the Open Curriculum link to view the training. Click Launch to start a module. Modules open in a new window. Also note that some training modules will only be available once previous modules are completed.
Q. I took the training. How can I verify it is marked completed?
a. In order for the training to be marked complete, you must view all slides in the module and correctly answer the questions in the training. Do not close your browser until instructed to do so in the module.
b. You can verify the training modules were successfully completed by viewing your Transcript from the Learner Home in Training Central. Note that by default, the transcript shows active trainings. To view completed trainings, change the Filter by Training Status from active to completed.
c. You will receive email notification when the curriculum is completed (all modules successfully completed).
Q. I completed the training. Now what? Do I need to print my certificate of completion?
a. Thank you for completing the training requirements. It is not necessary to print a certificate of completion or notify the Center for Learning & Professional Development (CLPD) of completion. Your supervisor has access to your training records in Training Central and has also received notification regarding your completion.
b. Now that you have completed the training, please take a moment to complete the evaluation and let the content owners know about any suggestions you have for improving the training
Other Questions
Was your question answered? If not, let us know.
The Center for Learning & Professional Development (CLPD) is responsible for administering the Strategic & Essential Training program. Questions related to the training program can be directed to trainingcentral@nmsu.edu or by calling (575) 646-7444.
If you have questions regarding the training content, please refer to the contact information included in the training module.