Texas A&M University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Notice of Non-Discrimination
Texas A&M University is committed to providing safe and non-discriminatory learning, living, and work environments for all members of the University community. The University provides equal opportunity to all employees, students, applicants for employment or admission, and the public regardless of race, color, sex to include pregnancy[1] and parental status, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Texas A&M University will promptly, thoroughly, and fairly investigate and resolve all complaints of discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), complicity and related retaliation based on a protected class in accordance with System Regulation 08.01.01, University Rule 08.01.01.M1, Standard Administrative Procedure (SAP) 08.01.01.M1.01, and applicable federal and state laws. In accordance with Title IX and its implementing regulations, Texas A&M does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity, including admissions and employment.

The University’s response to allegations of discrimination, harassment, complicity, and related retaliation will be 1) prompt, thorough, and equitable; 2) intended to prevent the recurrence of any harassment; and 3) intended to remedy its discriminatory effects, as appropriate. A substantiated allegation of such conduct may result in disciplinary action, up to and including separation from the University. Visitors, contractors, and third parties who commit discrimination, harassment, complicity, or related retaliation may have their relationships with the University terminated and/or their privileges of being on University premises withdrawn.

The procedures for responding to allegations of discrimination, harassment, complicity, and related retaliation against students, faculty, staff, and third parties are detailed in the University’s SAP. The sanctioning guidance for substantiated allegations against employees and students can also be found in the SAP. Additional sanctioning guidance related to substantiated sex-based allegations against students can be found here: Title IX Cumulative Sanctioning Matrix. Questions about the University’s policies or procedures should be directed to Jennifer Smith, Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator at civilrights@tamu.edu.

Reporting Responsibilities
Allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, sex-based misconduct, dating/domestic violence, or stalking
All employees (except those identified below) who, in the course and scope of their employment, witness or receive information regarding the occurrence of an incident that the employee reasonably believes constitutes sexual harassment, sexual assault, sex-based misconduct, dating/domestic violence, or stalking and is alleged to have been committed by or against a person who was an enrolled student or an employee of the institution at the time of the incident shall promptly report all known information about the incident to the Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator. An employee who experiences sexual harassment, sexual assault dating/domestic violence, or stalking may report but is not required to do so. Licensed health care providers and licensed counselors acting in the course and scope of employment when a disclosure is received must report de-identified statistics but shall not report any other information. The University will terminate an employee if, in accordance with its applicable disciplinary processes, the University determines that the employee knowingly failed to make a required report, or that the employee, with the intent to harm or deceive, knowingly made a report that is false. State law also criminalizes the failure to report and may charge an individual with a Class A Misdemeanor.

Allegations of discrimination, harassment, complicity, or related retaliation other than allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, sex-based misconduct, dating/domestic violence, or stalking
All employees (except licensed health care providers and licensed counselors) who, in the course and scope of their employment, experience, witness, or receive information regarding the occurrence of an incident that the employee reasonably believes constitutes discrimination, harassment, complicity, or retaliation related to a protected class (other than allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sex-based misconduct, dating/domestic violence or stalking) shall promptly report all known information about the incident to the Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator or their supervisor. An employee’s failure to report alleged or suspected discrimination may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal. The University will terminate an employee if, in accordance with its applicable disciplinary processes, the University determines that the employee knowingly failed to make a required report, or that the employee, with the intent to harm or deceive, knowingly made a report that is false. Licensed health care providers and licensed counselors do not report any information received in the course and scope of their employment related to discrimination, harassment, complicity, or retaliation related to a protected class (other than de-identified statics related to allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking).
Students and non-affiliated members of the public are strongly encouraged, but not required, to report incidents. Confidential Resources (who report de-identified statistics only as required by law) are available to students and employees through TAMU’s counseling and medical services.

A confidential resource for all students, regardless of their campus affiliation or location, is TELUS Health Student Support (uhs.tamu.edu/mental-health/student-support). Through the TELUS Student Support Program app, students can access virtual, confidential mental health counseling, available 24/7, in Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, French or English. Support in other languages may be available upon request, depending on availability.

On the main campus, other confidential resources include:
• Licensed counselors at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Students can schedule an appointment by calling (979) 845-4427 or access crisis services through the HelpLine at (979) 845-2700.
• Licensed medical providers at Student Health Services. Students can schedule an appointment by calling (979) 458-8310.
• Licensed counselors at Work/Life Solutions Program by GuidanceResources. Employees may speak with personnel by calling (866) 301-9623.

Students and Employees at locations other than main campus may report confidentially through their counseling and health care providers. Contact information for providers at remote locations may be found here: https://titleix.tamu.edu/get-help/

Where to Report an Incident
• Designated Official: The University has designated Jennifer Smith, Associate Vice President and Title IX Coordinator to receive all reports of discrimination, harassment, complicity, and retaliation related to a protected class or status. Protected classes or statuses include race, color, sex to include pregnancy and parental status, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, immigration status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or veteran status.
• To file a report with the University, please contact:

Ms. Jennifer M. Smith, TAMU Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator
YMCA Building, Suite 108
1268 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-1268
(979) 458-8407
civilrights@tamu.edu

You may also submit a report online through the Title IX Website, which may be found at titleix.tamu.edu.
• To request disability accommodations or inquire about discrimination based on disability, you may contact Julie Kuder, ADA Coordinator, at 979-845-8116 or ADA.Coordinator@tamu.edu. Her office is located at YMCA Building, Suite 108, 1268 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843. The ADA website can be found at: orec.tamu.edu/ada/.
• To request pregnancy accommodations as a staff or faculty member, you may contact your HR professional or Employee Relations at 979-845-4141.
• To request pregnancy accommodations as a student, you may contact Julie Kuder at 979-845-8116 or TIX.Pregnancy@tamu.edu.
• To make an anonymous report, you may use the University’s online reporting form: Tell Somebody. Anonymous reports usually limit the University's ability to respond to or resolve an allegation.

Reporting to Law Enforcement
Anyone who has experienced discrimination, harassment, complicity, or related retaliation has the right to choose whether to report the behavior to law enforcement instead of or in addition to reporting to the University. The Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator can assist in making a report to law enforcement authorities. A complainant may also choose to decline to notify law enforcement.
A report to law enforcement, even to the University Police Department (UPD), is separate from a report to the University. An individual pursues administrative disciplinary remedies by reporting to the University and criminal remedies by reporting to law enforcement. Disciplinary and criminal remedies may be pursued separately or at the same time. An individual wishing to pursue disciplinary remedies and criminal remedies simultaneously should make a report to both the Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator and to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

For emergencies, call 9-1-1. For non-emergencies, contact local law enforcement:

In and around Main Campus:
• University Police Department (979-845-2345)
• Bryan Police Department (979-209-5300)
• College Station Police Department (979-764-3600)
• Brazos County Sheriff’s Office (979-361-4900)

In and around the TAMUG campus:
• TAMUG Police Department (409-740-4545)
• Galveston Police Department (409-765-3702)
• Galveston County Sheriff’s Office (409-766-2300)

To report abuse or neglect of persons aged 65 or older, persons with disabilities, or minors:

State law requires all persons having cause to believe that a child’s physical or mental health or welfare has been adversely affected by abuse or neglect to immediately make a report (even if the belief is premised upon incomplete or dated information) to any of the following:
• any local or state law enforcement agency;
• the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS); or
• the state agency that operates, licenses, certifies, or registers the facility in which the alleged abuse or neglect occurred; or the agency designated by the court to be responsible for the protection of children.
Further, all persons having cause to believe that an individual 65 years or older or a disabled person 18 years of age or older is being abused, neglected, or exploited are required to notify the DFPS at the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or www.dfps.state.tx.us/Contact_Us/report_abuse.asp.

Reporting to Outside Agencies
Individuals may file a complaint at any time with any local, state, or federal civil rights offices, including, but not limited to, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Texas Workforce Commission’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations may be referred to the University’s Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator or the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights’ Assistant Secretary, or both.

Amnesty and Immunities
A person acting in good faith who:
• reports or assists in the investigation of a report of an incident of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking;
• testifies or otherwise participates in a judicial proceeding arising from a report of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence or stalking; or,
• participates in the University’s investigation or resolution processes related to an allegation of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking
will not be subjected to any disciplinary action by the University where the person is enrolled or employed for any violations of the University’s code of conduct reasonably related to the incident. Such amnesty shall not be given for violations of the University’s code of conduct if the sanction for the violation is suspension or expulsion from the institution.
The University may, however, investigate to determine whether a report of an incident of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking was made in good faith. The amnesty will not apply to a person who reports the person's own commission or complicity in the commission of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking.

Confidentiality
The confidentiality of a complaint of sexual misconduct and all documents, correspondence, and information collected during an investigation will be maintained by the University on a need-to-know basis to the extent permitted by law.

Retaliation
Students, faculty and staff are prohibited from retaliating against a person for (1) making a good faith report of a violation of Texas A&M System policies, university rules, student rules, and or/the law; or (2) participating in any proceeding related to the investigation or resolution of such report. Retaliation includes threatening, intimidating, harassing, coercing or any other conduct that would discourage a reasonable person from engaging in activity protected under this policy. Retaliation may be present even where there is a decision of “unsubstantiated,” “insufficient information to substantiate,” “not responsible” or “not guilty” on the allegations of discrimination, harassment, complicity, or related retaliation. Retaliation does not include good faith actions lawfully pursued in response to a report of discrimination, harassment, or related retaliation. Violation of an interim, remedial, or protective measure may be considered retaliation.

Rights, Resources, and Options for Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when 1) an employee of the University conditions the provision of an aide, benefit, or service of the member on an individual's participation in the unwelcome sexual conduct; or 2) the conduct would be determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, persistent, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the University’s education program or activity; or (3) the conduct meets the definition of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking based on sex. The University also prohibits sex-based misconduct, which is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that is severe, persistent, or pervasive enough to create a work, educational, or campus living environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, abusive, or offensive.

A misconception regarding sexual assault is that most of the time the perpetrator is a stranger. However, research indicates that approximately 2/3 of sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim. Sexual assault is an act of violence; the perpetrator is asserting power and control over another person. Tactics may include force, threats, intimidation, or physical violence. Many victims struggle with identifying whether they have been sexually assaulted due to tactics such as manipulation, restraint, victim-blaming, and taking advantage of another’s level of incapacitation.

A student or employee who has been a victim of sexual harassment, sex-based misconduct, sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, or dating violence, whether it occurred on or off-campus, has certain resources, rights, and options available, including the right to a prompt, thorough, and equitable resolution. Even if you choose not to report the incident to the University or to law enforcement, you are encouraged to take steps to preserve evidence. This will ensure that evidence is available if you later decide to proceed with a criminal or university investigation. You are encouraged to go to a hospital as soon as practicable after an incident and have a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) assess you for physical trauma, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy. A SANE can also collect and preserve evidence of a sexual assault.

Resources, including advocacy and counseling services, are available through the University. Students and employees may also have access to supportive measures (e.g., “No Contact” Directives or changes in housing, parking, work location, or class schedule) that may be needed until the resolution of the complaint. Complainants and Respondents are afforded equitable opportunities to supportive measures and access to information regarding the investigation.

A student or an employee who has experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, sex-based misconduct, stalking, or dating/domestic violence, whether it occurred on or off-campus, has certain resources, rights, and options available. Please see: Rights, Resources, and Options for Complainants. Employees and students who are located at remote or branch campuses can find their Rights, Resources, and Options document under the “Get Help Now” menu on the Title IX website: https://titleix.tamu.edu/.
A student or an employee who is accused of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sex-based misconduct, stalking, or dating/domestic violence, whether it occurred on or off-campus, has certain resources, rights, and options available. Please see: Rights, Resources, and Options for Respondents. Employees and students who are located at remote or branch campuses can find their Rights, Resources, and Options document under the “Get Help Now” menu on the Title IX website: https://titleix.tamu.edu/.

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Smith
Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator
Division of Risk, Ethics & Compliance | Dept. of Civil Rights and Equity Investigations
YMCA Building, Suite 108 | College Station, TX 77843-1268
(979) 458-8407
civilrights@tamu.edu

https://orec.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/NoticeOfNonDiscrimination.pdf

http://stophate.tamu.edu/prevention
Too often, acts of hate and bias go unreported for a number of reasons ranging from a lack of trust to fear of reprisal. Some events, like racial epithets written on bathroom walls, are occasionally dismissed as “too trivial” to report. However, research suggests that these types of events tend to build into much bigger ones. Furthermore, they create a hostile, unsafe, and unwelcoming climate for the people they target and do damage to our community as a whole.

These events are highly significant. Those targeted cannot easily grow, flourish, or carry out everyday functions without difficulty, like walking to school or to their place of residence.
Filing a report allows the university the opportunity to meet the goals of creating a safe environment that supports the educational mission of the institution; to support TAMU students, faculty, and staff impacted by a bias/hate related event; and, to understand, in part, the university climate/environment.

Individuals may use the online report form to report hate/bias incidents. You have the option to fill in your contact information or submit the report anonymously. Reports submitted anonymously or with limited information may limit our ability to follow up on an incident. Once a report is submitted online, a copy is emailed to a team for appropriate review and necessary action. NOTE: Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed for every report submitted through this site. State law determines confidentiality.

Texas A&M has a Special Situations Team that is comprised of University faculty and staff charged with helping students, faculty and staff who are exhibiting concerning behavior. Once a report is submitted online, a copy is emailed to the entire team for appropriate review and necessary action. NOTE: Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed for reports submitted.
Even when there is no threat to harm, it is recommended to involve others to discuss concerning behavior.

Student affairs staff is available to serve as a resource to any individual who has a sexual harassment inquiry or complaint and to provide information about how to personally respond or support a friend who may have been involved in an incident, accommodations for those involved, and applicable grievance procedures and definitions.

Student Assistance Services connects Texas A&M students with the appropriate guidance, resources and support to address a variety of personal and academic matters. It is a helpful beginning point of contact for information about a variety of topics. Medical and mental health resources are available to address health and safety issues.

Please read the notes section first. What follows is the work that was in place during the past fiscal year.

The examples provided in this section are not intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive list of the Texas A&M University’s efforts to recruit historically underrepresented and first-generation students. Only a few examples are included to illustrate some of the compelling work that our students, faculty, and staff are engaged in on our campuses, departments, colleges, and administrative units.

Examples of national strategic partnerships and economic-conscious scholarships include Texas A&M University’s partnership with the Posse Foundation to recruit students from Houston and Atlanta. Additionally, Texas A&M has Gates and Gates Millennium Scholars. Texas A&M has a pool of scholarships, for example, the Century Scholars, which are for underrepresented Texas high schools. The Century Scholars Program is a partnership between Texas A&M University and 110 under-represented Texas high schools to enroll and retain top students from each school. This program provides both scholarship funds and access to a four-year learning community which strives to help students develop during their time in college. Each scholarship includes a one-time $1000 scholarship to be used for a Texas A&M approved study abroad experience.

Many of the colleges have a memorandum of agreements (MOA) with partner system institutions with underrepresented and/or first-generation student populations with geographic diversity. For example, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVM) is one of only two Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) programs in the country with an undergraduate program, as well as the graduate and DVM degrees. The Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) undergraduate program is the largest degree-granting undergraduate program at the university, with an enrollment of 2,355 students and over 27% of this year’s enrolled cohort are first-generation. The percentage of non-white students, is 48.2%, with 26.37% under-represented minorities (URM). BIMS added new 2+2 community college agreements this year (current total of 15) to increase the pipeline of URM and first-generation students with plans for two additional agreements in year 2019.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS) has three full-time undergraduate recruiters covering the cities yielding most of our students: Houston/College Station, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and San Antonio/Austin. Targeting these metropolitan areas and facilitating strategic recruiting programs are designed to show urban high school students that the College offers majors that serve more than just rural students who have been active in traditional agricultural programs such as 4-H and FFA. Innovative recruiting programs for high school students like Summer Training in Agriculture and Related Sciences (STARS), Hunger Summits, and World Food Prize Youth Institute are purposely held at high schools that are not thought of as traditional pipelines for the College.

The College of Architecture’s (CARC), Office of Student Services (OSS) houses academic advisors and administrative staff for the four departments. CARC recruiting staff visited the Rio Grande Valley, major Texas cities, Baltimore, MD, Atlanta, GA, and Washington, DC. Recruiting staff work with A&M Prospective Students Centers and are joined by staff and/or faculty from the departments. Departments also led their own efforts. Additionally, the Department of Construction Science hosted a series of six five-day Construction Management Academy Career Exploration Programs for high school students from five strategically chosen Texas locations; the COSC Industry Advisory Council offered first-generation students a scholarship as a recruitment incentive. CARC hosted Camp ARCH for high school students during summer 2018. CARC-DC offered 10 camp scholarships to low-income students who were from diverse backgrounds. CARC partnered with Discover U to identify the most suitable candidates. The Department of Visualization (VIZ) also hosts summer camps with scholarships for URM that attract qualified high school students.

Texas A&M University’s Division of Marketing and Communications’ (MarComm) social media team is responsible for Texas A&M’s status as a national and international leader in social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, YouTube, and Google Plus) and embeds diversity and inclusion throughout. Texas A&M won a 2018 Shorty Award, the most prestigious award for social media, for the global impact brand experience at South by Southwest and was a finalist for the social media vending machine (which used Twitter to direct students to vending machines dispensing Texas A&M items and tweeted photos of them with these items).

The examples provided in this section are not intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive list of Texas A&M’s efforts to recruit and retain diverse faculty. Only a few examples are included to illustrate some of the compelling work that our students, faculty, and staff are engaged in on our campuses, departments, colleges, and administrative units.

Texas A&M University’s Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Fellows Program is a faculty pipeline initiative that connects those advancing outstanding scholarship with relevant disciplinary units on campus. The ACES Fellows Program is administered by the Office for Diversity at Texas A&M in partnership with the College of Education and Human Development and the College of Liberal Arts (and will expand to all 16 colleges and schools). In recognition of Texas A&M University's Diversity Plan, the ACES Fellows Program is aimed at promoting the research, teaching, and scholarship of early career scholars who embrace the belief that 'diversity is an indispensable component of academic excellence' (Texas A&M, Commitment to Diversity). From this experience at Texas A&M, fellows should develop an understanding of the value of diversity and inclusion and the power that it holds for students, faculty, and staff to enrich their lives.

As a Tier 1 research and land-grant institution, Texas A&M upholds its responsibility to accountability, campus climate, equity, and scholarship by maintaining a campus that affirms equity and fosters inclusion and belonging. Significantly, Texas A&M holds itself accountable to improved campus climate and equity goals through clear, accessible measures. ACES Fellows are afforded access to invaluable academic and professional development experiences to advance their careers as scholars. A faculty pipeline program, ACES Fellows will be hired as tenure-track faculty at the conclusion of the fellowship. ACES Fellows benefit from: prescriptive mentoring, access to instructional best practices, a vast array of world-class research and productivity resources, and a robust network of renowned Texas A&M scholars from across disciplines.

In 2018, the first year for ACES, the program was marketed heavily through social media and in diversity publications, and job boards resulting in over 130 applications. After exhaustive review from the academic departments and the Office for Diversity, four candidates were hired by the College of Liberal Arts (CLLA). In 2019, we have committed to adding five more hires and will continue to add approximately five per year. These hires are in addition to a number of other diversity-hiring opportunities, such as the Provost’s Faculty Reinvestment Program which, too, has a diversity component.

In 2019, a diverse faculty exchange was established with Prairie View A&M University (PVAM), an HBCU in the Texas A&M University system. Dr. Shereece Fields was hired to be the Director of Initiatives, to facilitate faculty and student exchange between the two institutions.

Texas A&M has achieved increases in the numbers of Asian faculty and Hispanic faculty. To advertise, the colleges use diversity publications and/or job boards such as: specialty organization listservs, job banks, INSIGHT into Diversity, and Chronicle of Higher Education.

In the College of Engineering, individual departments have focused on recruiting female and under-represented minority (URM) faculty with some success. For example, mechanical engineering successfully recruited four tenure-track faculty (TTF) for September 2018, two of which were female. Additionally, in the last two years they have recruited three African American faculty members. All TTF faculty have been retained going into FY19.

University Libraries developed training to improve faculty interviewing and hosting practices. The unit is seeing more diverse candidates; better representation in the makeup of the profession; and is inviting more diverse, underrepresented minorities, and military veterans for interviews.

The Division of Finance and Administration entered into a collaborative agreement with other higher education institutions to form a regional Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC). The mission of HERC is to recruit and retain outstanding and diverse faculty and staff.

One example of a recruitment program for underrepresented non-academic staff is from the Division of Academic Affairs, diverse group of non-college units supporting the academic and research missions of the University. One of the strategies currently in place is a membership to Diverse Issues in Higher Education. This allows Academic Affairs to post open job requisitions on a national platform, with the hope to yield a more qualified, diverse pool of applicants. This is the second year we have paid for this particular membership. To measure the effectiveness, we will work with HR to determine how successful this initiative has been by examining the number of applicants (disaggregated by demographics and qualifications) that have accessed our job openings through the link on the Diverse Issues website. We will use a total of three years of data.

Several units across Academic Affairs created a list of both on and off campus affinity groups that target diverse populations and make sure our open positions are posted on their websites and/or to their listservs. We will measure the effectiveness of this goal with HR data to determine whether advertising to these specific groups give us a more diverse applicant pool — Workday data can show where the applicant accessed the position.

To help with retention of diverse faculty, professional development opportunities including mediation and conflict management are available. For example, faculty and graduate students have access to National Center on Faculty Development & Diversity (https://www.facultydiversity.org/institutions/tamu).

Launched in 2011, the ADVANCE Scholar Program is one of the activities of the ADVANCE Center and the Office for Diversity. The purpose and goal of the ADVANCE Scholar Program is to promote and advance the success of Texas A&M University women faculty of color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through mentoring with eminent scholars in their fields. In 2015, the program expanded to include women from non-STEM fields. The mentoring program matches women faculty of color at the university with an internal advocate who is a senior faculty member at the university and an external mentor who is an eminent scholar of their choosing in their field.

The internal advocates comprise the Scholar Program Advisory Committee and meet to discuss best practices for mentoring and advancing their Scholars. The internal advocates also meet with their respective Scholars and serve to broaden the Scholars’ circle of contacts within the university and to establish a sustainable professional network for them. Since the first cohort in 2011, 40 women faculty of color at Texas A&M have participated in the program. The 2016 cohort is the largest cohort including both pre-tenured and tenured faculty, representing STEM and non-STEM disciplines.

There are a wide variety of programs which support several different under-represented groups.

To specifically support retention of underrepresented non-academic staff, the Division of Student Affairs implements flexible work arrangements and wellness. For example, Student Activities facilitated a climate survey using the same Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion (DEIA) categories as their 2017 Comprehensive Program Review to provide longitudinal quantitative and qualitative data and also increased human resource related communications to staff about available professional development opportunities, services and benefits. Residence Life approached retention from an educational perspective by providing live-in staff training modules on Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion (DEIA) handling, reporting and referring to campus resources for both new and continuing live in staff at the professional and student level. Even with the challenging work schedule commitments of Student Health Services, they identified ways to provide release time for staff to attend campus diversity offerings and engage in campus/local professional organizations with diversity components. As the Veteran’s Resource and Support Center (VRSC) completed their strategic plan revision, they built on current staff well-being strategies and tactics to further enhance staff quality of work-life balance, with specific attention to the post-COVID environment.

The Department of Residence Life received a grant to inform our practice to better serve and support underrepresented student populations. Over the years, assessment has affirmed that living on campus does provide advantages to students collectively, as compared to their off campus peers. Those academic advantages are reflected in higher grade point ratios overall, greater retention rates, higher percentages of four year graduation rates, and greater percentages of students going on to graduate and professional education. The social advantages reported are the convenience and connection to campus resources, student organizations and classes; as well as an easier transition to life on campus—friends, organizations, and campus life. Those trends are affirmed by the national literature. However, when broken down out of an aggregate format, these results suggest students experience living on campus differently. When compared to their White peers, African American and Hispanic students do not appear to have the same experience living on campus at Texas A&M University.

Residence Life has also hosted Welcome Receptions at the start of each school year focused on different student identities. This includes a reception dedicated to 1st generation students (1st Gen), Black/African American students (AFAM), Latinx/Hispanic students (Aggie Familia), and students who identify as Asian, Pacific Islander, or Desi American (APIDA). The Welcome Receptions provide residents the chance to connect with their peers who identify with them as being members of a specific population, as well as Residence Life staff who share their identity or are allies. In addition to that, the receptions also have a variety of resource tables present representing departments and student organizations that support students, including Health Promotions, Counseling & Psychological Services, Disability Resources, and the libraries.

Additionally to support students from underrepresented groups, the DSA College Completion Grant is two-fold which includes (1) a research project to inform the initiative intervention, and (2) create identity-conscious spaces for on campus students.
Part I: Informed by Yosso’s six-part Community Cultural Wealth Model, a qualitative research design will engage 15 - 20 Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino undergraduate students (freshmen). Participants will be invited and interviewed as a purposive sample of the on-campus underrepresented student population at large. The interview protocol will center upon the cultural capital (assets) students bring with them to Texas A&M University (aspirations, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistance capital). Findings from this study will inform the proposed initiative and the development of untraditional interventions in housing.

Part II: Utilizing professional staff members and undergraduate upperclassmen who are passionate about supporting and serving underrepresented student populations, we will create a support network for students in their first year. Monthly identity-conscious programs will be marketed via invitation to the targeted student population. These programs may include invited faculty talks, listening sessions (opportunities for students to talk openly about their experiences at Texas A&M so far), and networking activities. In addition to these identity-conscious programs, 30 – 50 students will be provided a high impact learning practice opportunity that will include individual/direct support from mentoring departmental staff to include weekly check-ins, study skill discussions, academic and social expectations, personal issue mitigation, and experiential reflection.

For faculty from historically underrepresented groups, the university ADVANCE Center provides Administrative Fellow Program, Success Circles, and Scholars Program.

The aim of the Administrative Fellow Program is to give tenured women STEM faculty experience in College- and University-level leadership, with the long-range goal of significantly increasing the participation of female faculty in University leadership

The ADVANCE Center facilitates peer mentoring groups known as Success Circles for women faculty based on professional and personal interests. This activity functions as a complement to existing one-on-one mentoring (e.g. in departments, the Women’s Faculty Network) and facilitates the development of social connections among women faculty. Currently, peer mentoring is focused on three areas: academic writing, motherhood, and departmental leadership. See the ADVANCE Calendar for scheduling.

Launched in 2011, the ADVANCE Scholar Program is one of the activities of the ADVANCE Center. The purpose and goal of the ADVANCE Scholar Program is to promote and advance the success of Texas A&M University women faculty of color in STEM through mentoring with eminent scholars in their fields.

In 2015, the program expanded to include women from non-STEM fields. The mentoring program matches women faculty of color at the university with an internal advocate who is a senior faculty member at the university and an external mentor who is an eminent scholar of their choosing in their field.

The internal advocates comprise the Scholar Program Advisory Committee and meet to discuss best practices for mentoring and advancing their Scholars. The internal advocates also meet with their respective Scholars and serve to broaden the Scholars’ circle of contacts within the university and to establish a sustainable professional network for them. Since the first cohort in 2011, 40 women faculty of color at Texas A&M have participated in the program. The 2016 cohort is the largest cohort including both pre-tenured and tenured faculty, representing STEM and non-STEM disciplines.

To support staff from historically underrepresented groups, Texas A&M's staff mentor program is available through Human Resources - The primary objectives of the program are: To help new and less experienced employees successfully transition into their position; and to help experienced employees enhance their career potential or identify new career paths This is a voluntary program whereby mentees are paired with mentors according to various areas of interest.

Please read the notes section first. What follows is the work that was in place during the past fiscal year.

Specifically to support and prepare students from historically underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members, the Office of Graduate and Professional Students offers the Dr. Dionel Avilés '53 And Dr. James Johnson '67 Fellowship Program to support the development of high achieving scholars who show promise for distinguished careers and whose life, research experiences and/or employment background will contribute significantly to academic excellence at TAMU and will maximize the educational benefits of diversity for all students. The evaluation criteria for receiving a fellowship includes, but is not limited to the following: "A nominee may be from minority groups that historically have been under-represented at TAMU and/or in their profession; may be first generation college graduates (neither parent earned a bachelor’s degree); or may be persons with disabilities or veterans. This list is not meant to be exhaustive." https://grad.tamu.edu/knowledge-center/funding-and-benefits/the-dr-dionel-e-aviles-53-and-dr-james-e-johnson-67-graduate-fellowship-program

Multiple studies have shown the importance of students seeing and connecting with faculty and staff who share an identity with, such as ethnicity or sexual orientation. These connections contribute to the retention and academic success of underrepresented student groups. Understanding this, the Department of Residence Life has hosted networking events at the beginning of each school year for on-campus residents. These events, typically live-event with food and music, are tailored to different groups of students at A&M: AFAM (Black and African American), Aggie Familia (Latinx), First-Generation, and LGBTQA+. Each group has a night dedicated towards connecting residents with faculty and staff throughout the institution that have the same identity as them.

Due to legislation passed on June 17, 2023 by the State of Texas, Senate Bill 17, the Office of Diversity was officially disbanded on 8/1/2023 at Texas A&M University. The university is currently working to be compliant with the new state law that goes into effect on 1/1/2024 while also shifting the work formerly done by the Office of Diversity to ensure all Aggies are supported, connected, and have the resources they need to thrive while on campus. As this STARS report covers the 22-23 Fiscal Year that ended on 8/31/23, we decided to include their historical work that is still relevant as they were helping lead campus for 11 of the 12 months covered in this report and all information reported here was active. While active, the Office of Diversity served to ensure accountability and catalog all efforts, while the programs and policies largely occurred at the unit levels and still operate today. However, all websites that historically housed the university's diversity efforts are no longer online and their content is undergoing review to determine if reposting is possible while being in alignment with the new state law. For this report, we have updated this credit to reflect known changes made due to SB-17. We will update all information in our next STARS report after changes are implemented and better data is available to update all STARS credits impacted by Senate Bill 17.

The university map indicates gender neutral bathrooms, lactation rooms, and prayer rooms on campus.