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The end of the year is a time when many emotions are naturally present. Regardless of what you are feeling, reflection can be a useful way to validate your unique experience. Reflection also can help create space for thankfulness while also providing insight that can inform how you move forward into the next year.
Here in the Office for Diversity, we have a lot to be thankful for! We are proud to celebrate all of Texas A&M’s efforts to address racism, bias, and discrimination with the receipt of the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.
We feature Dr. Troy Harden, Professor of Practice and Director of the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute (RESI) at Texas A&M University and celebrate Texas A&M’s first cohort of Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faulty Fellows who have all transitioned successfully to tenure-track positions at Texas A&M University. As we near the end of the year, what are you thankful for this season?
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ADVANCING ACCOUNTABILITY, CLIMATE, AND EQUITY2021 HEED AWARD
Texas A&M University has received the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award with the Diversity Champion distinction from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the third consecutive year. The HEED Award is the only national honor recognizing U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Please join us in celebrating those whose efforts are helping to move us in the direction of our land-grant mission and the achievement of Texas A&M's Diversity Plan goals. Read more about this recognition in Texas A&M Today.
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Native American Heritage Month begins November 1st! Learn more about conversations and events happening in regard to indigenous American identities and cultures.
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ADVANCING EXCEPTIONAL SCHOLARSHIPACES Fellows Receive Tenure-Track Positions
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ADVANCING EXCEPTIONAL SCHOLARSHIPACES Faculty Fellows Applications Open
Texas A&M University’s Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellows Program is a faculty pipeline program that connects those advancing outstanding scholarships with relevant disciplinary units on campus. In recognition of Texas A&M University's Diversity Plan, the ACES Faculty Fellows Program promotes the research, teaching, and scholarship of early career scholars who embrace the belief that diversity is an indispensable component of academic excellence. ACES Faculty Fellows are hired as Visiting Assistant Professors with the expectation of transitioning to tenure track (pending departmental review) at the end of the fellowship period. The ACES Faculty Fellows Program is a two-year (24 month) fellowship for early career Ph.Ds. Fellows begin their appointment Fall 2022.
The ACES Faculty Fellows Program is funded by the Office of the Provost, and administered by the Office for Diversity at Texas A&M in partnership with the following unit(s): The Bush School of Government and Public Service, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Education and Human Development, College of Engineering, College of Geosciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Medicine, College of Science, Galveston Campus, School of Law, and the School of Public Health. The Office for Diversity has created a marketing toolkit with graphics and content to assist in ACES Faculty Fellows Program application promotion. Applications are now open!
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ADVANCING ACCOUNTABILITY, CLIMATE, AND EQUITY
Dr. Troy Harden is a Professor of Practice and Director of the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute (RESI) at Texas A&M University. We spoke to Dr. Harden about his scholarship that addresses issues relating to racial equity, community violence, and social trauma.
Dr. Harden has over 25 years of experience working...
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ADVANCING CAMPUS CLIMATE AND EQUITY
NOVEMBER 2021 SEMINAR
The Enhancing Diversity Seminars are designed to engage the campus community in dialogue around topics and issues related to diversity, campus climate, equity, and inclusion. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are all welcome and encouraged to participate. The final Fall 2021 seminar will be held virtually on November 18, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. CT. REGISTER https://tx.ag/enhds
The November 18, 2021 presentation will feature Dr. Cinthya Salazar. Dr. Salazar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University and an Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellow. The presentation “Undocufriendly “does not equal” Undocuserving -- Undocumented College Students’ Perceptions of Institutional Support,” addresses the findings of a qualitative study that examined the extent to which an undocufriendly campus setting was actually fostering undocumented students’ success and meeting their needs.
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Veterans Day is November 11 and a day to honor America's veterans - alive or deceased- for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
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ADVANCING CAMPUS CLIMATE
A week-long celebration, November 8-12, 2021, honored first-generation students, faculty, and staff who are the first in their immediate family to earn a four-year degree. First-generation students make up close to 25 percent of the undergraduate population at Texas A&M. The Office for Diversity celebrated the first-generation staff and faculty through a social media campaign. We continue to recognize the accomplishments and dedication of all first-generation students. Follow the Office for Diversity on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using @AggieDiversity.
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|  | “Despite having to overcome many obstacles and challenges, as a first-generation college student, I am grateful for the opportunity to pave the way for those to come after me, giving them the inspiration to find what they love and do it with all their heart.” - Lawren Walker '22
| |  | “To me, being first-generation means taking a chance navigating the unknown. I’m proud to take advantage of the opportunities my parents paved the way for me to have!” - Darby Salge '19
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|  | “As a first-generation college student, I know what it feels like to be the first to venture outside the family norm. I am privileged to have the opportunity to counsel others on how to use their unique perspectives to successfully navigate paths unknown.” - Dr. Annie McGowan
| |  | “As a daughter of Mexican immigrants whose parents did not even attend high school, I had to figure out what my professional identity would look like, something that continues to evolve as I navigate two very different cultural worlds. With that said, know this…your career is not separate from you…it is an extension of you. But it does not define you. You define you.” - Dr. Lizette Ojeda
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CONNECTING THOSE ADVANCING ACCOUNTABILITY
Dr. Cynthia Werner, Director of ADVANCE, Dean of Faculties presented to the Diversity Operations Committee during their October meeting. She discussed the summary and recommendations from the ADVANCE COVID-19 Project, Differential Impacts of COVID-19 on Scholars at Texas A&M University. Dr. Werner shared how COVID-19 has been the perfect storm to exacerbate inequities. For example, she discussed the underrepresentation of Black, LatinX, Indigenous faculty and graduate students, and women in STEM disciplines. She noted that campus climate issues disproportionately affect faculty from underrepresented identities. Impacts on any given scholar are very nuanced and vary depending on the intersection of identities and other factors. For more information on Dr. Werner’s study, please contact her at werner@tamu.edu.
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INNOVATIVE PRACTICESVirtual Speed Consultations
Dr. Annie McGowan, Interim Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Dr. Jennifer Reyes, Assistant Vice President for Diversity held virtual speed consultations on October 5, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on October 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. More than twenty members of the Diversity Operations Committee (DOC) participated in the virtual consultations. The sessions offered DOC members an opportunity to ask questions and share best practices for the completion of their units' Diversity Plan Accountability reports. The objective of these reports is to provide campus-wide units with a platform to present information and key data regarding their successes and challenges with advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in 2021, as well as their strategies and plans to continue to do so.
Diversity Plan Accountability reports were submitted on November 8, 2021.
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Senator Matthew Gaines’ Contributions to Texas A&M to be Honored with Art Installation
Article Courtesy of Veronica Gonzalez Hoff, Division of Student Affairs, Texas A&M University
In 1862, Sen. Matthew Gaines played a role in the creation of what is now home to the largest student body in the United States, Texas A&M University. On Nov. 19 at 3 p.m., a persistent effort by students, faculty and staff spanning nearly 30 years will acknowledge the Texas senator with the dedication of a bronze sculpture in his honor in the heart of Texas A&M University.
The statue of Gaines will be located…
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- Nov. 1-30: National Native American Heritage Month
- Nov. 8: First-Generation College Celebration
- Nov. 9: Step In Stand Up Mini Session: Green Dot Bystander Intervention, Office of the Dean of Student Life
- Nov. 9: Step In Stand Up Mini Session: STAND Up Trauma-Informed Care, Office of the Dean of Student Life
- Nov. 10: The Other Side of the Border Speaker Series, Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day
- Nov. 12: Women’s Leadership Conference, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University
- Nov. 15: CEHD-Critical Conversations in Diversity Matters Speaker Series with Dr. Ebony McGee, Meeting Information
- Nov. 15: STAND Up Trauma-Informed Care: Full Training for Students, Office of the Dean of Student Life
- Nov. 16: Von’s Vision, A.P. Beutel Health Center, Texas A&M
- Nov. 17: Aggie Allies Workshop, Offices of the Dean of Student Life, Texas A&M
- Nov. 18: Enhancing Diversity Seminar Series - Undocufriendly "does not equal Undocuserving -- Undocumented College Students’ Perceptions of Institutional Support, Office for Diversity
- Nov. 19: Senator Matthew Gaines Statue Dedication
- Nov. 19: 2022 Black History Month: Call for Events – Form – Black Student Alliance Council, Texas A&M
- Nov. 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance
- November: Brazos Valley Worldfest Virtual International Film Series, Dates throughout the month
Send December events to Crystal Carter at c.carter@tamu.edu by November 30 for consideration in the December newsletter.
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Texas A&M has issued COVID-19 guidance to enhance the safety of those returning to campus. Free testing is available for all students, faculty, and staff who have symptoms or have been in close contact with known or suspected cases. The tests provided through this program are mouth swab tests that do not require assistance. More information can be found at the Student Health Services website.
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Texas A&M University
Office for Diversity
Jack K. Williams Administration Building
1360 TAMU
College Station, Texas 77843-1360
Phone: (979) 458-2905
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