College Update – January 2025

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Congratulations! | Upcoming deadlines and dates | Open office hours

Dean’s Team Updates

Congratulations!

  • College faculty, staff and students were honored with Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence at AgriLife Connect. Read about their accomplishments.
  • Dr. Chad Nelson, instructional associate professor and MAYD Program Director in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, was honored as a 2024-2025 recipient of the Provost Academic Professional Track Faculty Teaching Excellence Award.
  • Dr. Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman, instructional associate professor in the Department of Entomology, and Dr. Sushil Paudyal, assistant professor of dairy science in the Department of Animal Science, were honored by the APLU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Award with National Teaching Awards.

Dean’s Open Office Hours

  • Dr. Savell and Dr. Klein are holding Dean’s Open Office Hours. Please contact Jill Lee for scheduling or if you have any questions.

Upcoming Deadlines and Dates

Faculty Affairs

  • Teaching Community of Practice: Spring 2025 meetings for the Teaching Community of Practice will be held on Jan. 29, March 27 and April 16. An RSVP will be requested in advance of each event, as lunch will be provided. Interested faculty who have not previously joined the community should complete the online survey and then contact Dr. Craig Coates or Gabrielle Sullivan for more information.
  • Bites & Insights Faculty Development Series: The Bites & Insights Faculty Development Series will continue throughout the spring 2025 semester. Sessions will be held Feb. 5, Feb. 27, March 19, April 10 and April 23. Calendar invitations have already been sent to faculty, with more details and a link to RSVP to be provided in advance of each event. Contact Dr. Craig Coates or Gabrielle Sullivan with questions.
  • Faculty development lunches: The Dean’s Office will be hosting faculty development lunches throughout the spring semester. Calendar invitations were sent to faculty earlier this month and the full schedule (pdf) is available on the AGLS Faculty Affairs Intranet page, login required. More details and a link to RSVP will be sent in advance of each event.  
  • From the Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence:
    • Center for Teaching Excellence has a formal Faculty Mentoring Academy to promote a culture of mentoring within and across Texas A&M University. For more information, visit the center’s page for the faculty mentoring academy.
    • The Center for Teaching Excellence proudly offers resources to empower faculty instruction and to create a more enriching classroom learning environment. Explore diverse topics, including peer feedback and collaboration engagement during lectures and ethical behavior in mentoring. 
  • Texas A&M encourages faculty to elevate the impact of their work by joining colleagues in publishing articles in The Conversation. The format is opinion pieces and requires the expert to have recent, peer-reviewed published research. Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications is happy to work with you to get you connected with the right editors at the right times. Please reach out to AgriLife MarComm for an introductory and exploratory call to discuss ideas, opportunities and more! Email Laura Muntean if interested.
  • Texas A&M University Faculty Affairs provides ongoing professional development opportunities for faculty at every career stage. Faculty are encouraged to regularly seek new ways to enhance and advance their careers at Texas A&M.

General Academic Affairs

  • John J. Koldus III Award: Nominations are due Thursday, Feb. 6, 5 p.m. CST. Faculty and staff recipients are recognized for their strong interest in overall student development and success. Learn more and submit a nomination.
  • President’s Meritorious Service Awards: Nominations are due Wednesday, Jan. 29. The awards are given in recognition of outstanding staff and students who have demonstrated their commitment to the Aggie Core Values of Excellence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Respect and Selfless Service. 
  • International Travel Guidance update: The Texas A&M System Research Security Office updated the list of countries of concern to mirror the countries in the Governor’s Executive Order GA-48 and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s adversaries list: China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Russia and the Venezuelan political regime of Nicolas Maduro. According to the latest guidance from the Office of General Counsel, AgriLife will not approve new travel requests for professional purposes to these adversarial countries. Personal travel is not impacted at this time.
  • Peer Learning Assistant Grants: The College has partnered with the College of Arts and Sciences to offer Peer Learning Assistant, PLA, Grants, an initiative to pilot innovative uses of undergraduate students to help facilitate active learning in the classroom. These pilot grants will support the exploration of models that aim to improve student success by using specially trained peer learning assistants to facilitate active learning activities during the designated class time. More information, including the program timeline and informational sessions, will be announced soon. Interested faculty should contact Dr. Craig Coates.
  • Spring 2026 faculty-led study abroad program proposals, including programs that will travel during winter break and May, will be due Saturday, Feb. 1. Faculty-led study abroad programs are those where more than 50% of contact hours occur off-campus internationally. Contact Dan Putnam if you are interested or have questions.
  • Doctoral Education Program update: The Texas A&M University System will sunset the Doctoral Education Program. The program will not accept new participants after May 15. All participants accepted into the program by May 15 will continue to receive funding until May 31, 2028.
  • The Educational Development and Engagement Instructional Design Consultant team provides comprehensive support for College of Agriculture and Life Sciences courses. Services include full-service accessibility renovation to redesign courses for optimal accessibility, video captioning in partnership with the Disability Resources Office, Canvas troubleshooting assistance and Universal Design for Learning consultation. These efforts have made College courses, including the 12 largest in the University’s Core Curriculum, fully accessible, benefiting over 15,900 students. For more information and resources, please visit the team’s intranet site for the College! If you have a problem accessing the intranet site, please use online instructions to gain access.
  • ARCS is the new system graduate students use to submit non-course requirements. Phase II is now in development and will bring degree plans and associated petitions into ARCS when implemented.
  • An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching: The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning at Texas A&M University (CIRTL@TAMU) is facilitating a weekly, Zoom-Local Learning Community for the National-Level Massive Open Online Course. Visit the CIRTL site to learn more. 
  • Libraries Workshops: Various workshops supporting curriculum and research by the University Libraries.
  • Disability Resources Testing Center: Instructors should complete the testing agreement for a student needing testing accommodations as soon as possible and send exams to the testing center at least three days before the exam. Learn more at Texas A&M Disability Resources.
  • Subscribe to the Graduate Advisors Listserv if you are a staff or faculty member working with graduate and professional students, and stay informed.

Student Success and Development

  • AGLS 125: The College is excited to invite applicants for instructors and peer mentors for our fall 2025 first-year experience, AGLS 125. This course has been approved by the University as a Hullabaloo U course, a required experience for all incoming students. The University provides instructors and peer mentors $500 each, access to classroom supply funds and, most importantly, the opportunity to mentor our next class of Aggies! Instructors can use the $500 funds for professional development, and students receive the funds directly into their student account.
    • In addition to the development experience and terrific mentorship opportunity, the College provides professional development workshops for instructors and peer mentors, Canvas content for the semester, and several social opportunities to connect with students and others involved in AGLS 125. The estimated weekly time commitment is approximately 3-4 hours for instructors and 2-3 hours for peer mentors, both estimates include time spent in the classroom.
    • More information and the application link for peer mentors. Peer Mentor applications are due by Monday, Feb. 24.
    • More information and the application link for instructors. Instructor applications are due by Monday, March 3.
  • Early registration for parenting students: According to Texas S.B. 459, which took effect Sept. 1, 2023, the university provides early registration for parenting students as it does for other populations of students. The early registration date for parenting students to self-certify is Friday, Feb. 28.
  • Undergraduate Research Scholars: 25 students are currently participating in the College Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. The full list of scholars, their research project titles and faculty mentors is online. Students interested in participating in academic year 2025-26 will be invited to apply later in spring 2025. Current participants will present the results of their research at a public symposium on Wednesday, April 30.
  • A Pocket Pantry is available at Suite 109 in Kleberg. It is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays when the university is closed.
    • Ongoing support is provided by the Texas A&M Foundation and a generous donation from Lennox International Inc. The pantry is available for students, faculty and staff in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who are experiencing food insecurity.
    • Visitors interested in using this resource can scan the QR code posted on the entrance and check in with the reception desk. Those with questions, or those needing additional support, please email [email protected]. 
  • Algebra Video Series is a resource for students to ensure they are prepared for their math and statistics courses at Texas A&M. You can explore the Algebra Series online.
  • Mental health support for all students:
    • University Health Services offers mental health support options for Texas A&M University students 24 hours a day. 
    • During normal business hours, individual counseling, group counseling, and a variety of health and wellness workshops provide growth opportunities through both in-person and virtual formats.
    • Around the clock and regardless of location, the TELUS Health Student Support app provides 24/7 access to professional counseling in multiple languages via app, telephone and web, in addition to mental health assessments, a mental health content library and access to virtual fitness sessions — all free and confidential. Also, University Health Services maintains a robust library of mental health-focused self-help content to help students navigate challenges related to anxiety, depression, relationships and more.
    • HelpLine will officially transition to Aggie Peer Connect in April. Until Aggie Peer Connect launches, students can continue to access University Health Services resources and support options via the TELUS Health Student Support app, mental health self-help resources, mental health workshops and group counseling. If your department has materials that reference HelpLine, including syllabi, printed and digital resource listings, and other informational items, please work to remove the references to the HelpLine and replace them with Aggie Peer Connect.
    • The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has an embedded licensed professional counselor. Ms. Molly McCann dedicates her time to the wellness of students in AGLS, with an office located at BCBP 103C. Contact her at [email protected] or 979.845.5032.
  • Prospective Student Information Sessions occur weekly on Fridays – students can register for a visit with a recruiter at https://recruiter.tamu.edu/.

Resources for Graduate Students

  • Wednesday, Jan. 22: Registration deadline for the 2025 Life Sciences Graduate Recruitment Symposium, which will take place Friday, Feb. 7, 2-8:30 p.m. See the announcement, registration and instructions for graduate students to submit abstracts for poster presentations. 
  • The Graduate and Professional Student Government, GPSG, is looking for graduate student representatives from your departments to serve in various capacities. Please visit the GPSG website for more information.
  • From the Center for Teaching Excellence:
    • Center for Teaching Excellence English Language Proficiency, CTE-ELP, programs provide training and testing for international students. Current teaching assistants who are not language-certified are required to participate in the CTE-ELP program.
    • Graduate Student Professional Development in Teaching, GSPDT: Take advantage of resources from the Center for Teaching Excellence in collaboration with the Graduate and Professional School. Visit GSPDT to learn more.
  • The University Writing Center hosts the Writing Cafe for graduate students on the first Friday of every month in the Evans Library Grad Lounge, Room 611.
  • If you would like to have support for your writing, consider joining a POWER Writing Studio and/or a POWER Writing Group. Fill out a request form online.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council

Save the date!

People walking on a chilly day

Walk Across Texas

Saturday, Jan. 25 – Friday, March 21
  • When: Register by 11:59 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3
  • Where: Anywhere

Walk Across Texas is a free, eight-week program for teams of up to eight people working together to reach the 833-mile goal, the equivalent of walking across Texas. The program encourages Texans of all fitness levels to develop a habit of regular physical activity in a fun and rewarding way. Teams compete to see who can log the most miles. Walking, jogging, biking, swimming, aerobics, dancing, cleaning house, gardening or any form of exercise counts. Create a team for Walk Across Texas Brazos County and join the AgriLife Employee Wellness League. 

Professional Services Updates

AgriLife Administrative Services

Employee Wellness

  • Learn to Live January Webinars
    • Habit Change/Building the Good, Breaking the Bad: We live much of our lives without even thinking. Exciting new findings show that we can build new healthy habits and break old ones with less effort to improve our lives. Join The Learn to Live Clinical Team to learn how to take your next big step toward a better life.
      • Click on the link below or scan using access code: BETTERME
      • Thursday, Jan. 16: 12-12:30 p.m. CST/1-1:30 p.m. EST
    • Promoting More Helpful Self-Talk: Advanced strategies to address the core of your thinking: Our self-talk influences our emotions and impacts our overall well-being. Join us for an enlightening webinar that delves into transforming the core beliefs that silently drive our self-talk. In this interactive session, you’ll learn advanced strategies to shift the core beliefs underlying our negative self-talk to feel more capable, valuable, and confident.
      • Click on a link below or scan using access code: BETTERME
      • Tuesday, Jan. 21: 4-4:30 p.m. CST/5-5:30 p.m. EST
      • Friday, Jan. 31: 11-11:30 a.m. CST/12-12:30 p.m. EST
    • Voya Financial Webinar: Teacher Retirement System of Texas, TRS — How to make the most of it
      • What is TRS? How does it work?
      • What benefits am I eligible for based on my age and years of service?
      • Will my TRS benefit be enough for my retirement?
      • Join our presentation to help you develop a TRS plan/strategy to ultimately make an informed decision.
      • Thursday, Jan. 23, noon CST
      • Zoom Meeting Link
      • Meeting ID: 234 001 8536 
      • Passcode: 495962 
      • RSVP: [email protected]

Professional Development

Visit Administrative Services

AgriLife Educational Development and Engagement

The Educational Development and Engagement, EDE, Instructional Design Consultant team provides comprehensive support for College of Agriculture and Life Sciences courses at Texas A&M University. 

Services include: 

  • Full-service accessibility renovation to redesign courses for optimal accessibility
  • Video captioning in partnership with the Disability Resources Office 
  • Canvas troubleshooting assistance 
  • Universal Design for Learning, UDL, consultation

These efforts have made AGLS courses, including the 12 largest in the University’s Core Curriculum, fully accessible, benefiting over 15,900 students. 

For more information and resources, please visit the Canvas Courses intranet site! If you have problem accessing the intranet site, please use online instructions to gain access.

Visit AgriLife Educational Development and Engagement

AgriLife Marketing and Communications

Web | PDF Use Guidelines 

A new page on the intranet provides a comprehensive guide on best practices for using PDFs on AgriLife websites. This resource offers key insights for approved PDF use, optimizing PDF accessibility, file management and user experience across our platforms. Learn more about AgriLife PDF use guidelines. 

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