How to Edit This Handbook

Policy note. This handbook is a living document and does not replace official NMSU, College of Engineering, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Graduate School, funding-agency, immigration, employment, or university policies. When conflicts arise, official policies and written funding/appointment letters take precedence.

Where the Handbook Lives

The handbook lives in the manual/ folder of the website repository. Each page is a Markdown file with front matter at the top.

Example:

---
layout: manual
title: Page Title
summary: One sentence summary.
---

## First Heading

Page content goes here.

Adding a New Handbook Page

1. Create a new Markdown file under manual/.
2. Use layout: manual in the front matter.
3. Add the page to _data/manual_navigation.yml.
4. Build the site locally before publishing.

Local Preview

Use the VS Code task:

Terminal > Run Task... > Jekyll: serve site

Then preview:

http://127.0.0.1:4001/manual/

Writing Style

• Write for a future lab member who needs to act.
• Keep pages specific and maintainable.
• Prefer checklists, examples, and links over long essays.
• Avoid storing passwords, private data, unpublished sensitive results, or confidential collaborator information.
• Include dates or version notes when guidance may become outdated.