Opinion ID: 171442
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The DoD's Assurances of NMSU's Eligibility

Text: Prior to December 1993, NMSU met the definition of a minority institution under the Strengthening Institutions Program of Title III. The DoE designated NMSU a minority institution under this pre-1993 criteria, thereby making NMSU eligible to apply for DoD set-aside contracts. In March 1994, the DoD sent the DoE a request for a list of schools that meet the new minority institution criteria contained in Section 811 of P.L. 103-160, the FY 1994 DoD Authorization Act, including Hispanic-serving institutions. App. at 629. The DoE told the DoD that it publishes a list of U.S. Accredited Post-secondary Minority Institutions meeting this statutory criteria (i.e., 20 U.S.C. §§ 1135-5(3), 1059c(b)(1)). Id. at 717. The DoE further explained that this list was the product of a census conducted by the DoE's Office of Civil Rights, in collaboration with the National Center for Educational Statistics,... of all universities biannually in even numbered years. Id. This list included NMSU. On April 1, 1994, the DoD sent NMSU a memorandum attaching the DoE's list. The DoD memorandum stated that this list was effective immediately, and further authorized NMSU to distribute the list to the appropriate contracting activities. App. at 629. It also stated that an institution contending that they [sic] meet[s] the eligibility criteria but is not on the list, must contact the Office of Civil [R]ights with the Department of Education to obtain information on how to be included on the updated list. Id. In fact, despite the various changes in eligibility criteria, NMSU regularly appeared on the DoE's lists of minority institutions during the time period relevant to this litigation (i.e., 1994-2000). For instance, in January 1996, the DoD sent NMSU a broad agency announcement of a set-aside grant for minority institutions. The announcement cited the statutory criteria for eligibility, including 10 U.S.C. § 2323(a)(1)(C), and then stated that [t]he most recent lists of ... certified minority institutions which meet the above criteria are provided in Appendix A. App. at 886. NMSU appeared in Appendix A, on a list covering all 1995-1996 United States Department of Education U.S. Accredited Postsecondary Minority Institutions. App. at 888. The announcement acknowledged that the list was compiled by the DoE in accordance with 20 U.S.C. § 1135d-5(3), based upon data reported by the institutions through enrollment surveys. The announcement further stated that if an institution's name did not appear in Appendix A, its proposal for a set-aside would not be accepted. In August 2000, the DoD solicited grant proposals from minority institutions, including NMSU. The solicitation confirmed that the DoE maintains the list of U.S. accredited postsecondary institutions that currently meet the statutory criteria for identification as minority institutions. App. at 696. Shortly thereafter, NMSU received the DoE's updated list for the year 2000. Again, NMSU appeared on the list. In November 2000, the DoD sent a letter to the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. Once more, the DoD affirmed that it has used and continues to use the MI list provided by the Department of Education as the official list of institutions eligible to participate in the HBCU/MI programs. App. at 717. The DoD further affirmed that the list is based upon data submitted by responding institutions to the DoE. Id. at 718.