Academic Affairs | Resources for Students | Dean’s Open Office Hours

Dean’s Team Updates

Congratulations!

  • Among those we are celebrating are …
    • Our College’s two nominees for the U.S. Senator Phil Gramm Doctoral Fellowship Award both received awards! Congratulations to Danial Nayeri (Kyle), RWFM, and Leah Kocian (Mohanty), BAEN.
    • Dr. Reinaldo Cooke, ANSC, who was honored with the Ruminant Nutrition Research award by the American Feed Industry Association.

Dean’s Open Office Hours

  • Dr. Savell and Dr. Klein are holding Dean’s Open Office Hours. Please contact Jill Lee for scheduling.

Upcoming Deadlines and Dates

  • Friday, Aug. 21, Rise & Shine with AGLS.
  • Monday, Aug. 24. First day of classes for fall 2026.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 29, AGLS Career Fair.
  • Thursday, Oct. 1, 3 p.m., College Connect, for College employees.
  • Saturday, Oct. 17, 8-11 a.m., AGLS Annual Tailgate.
  • Saturday, Oct. 24, The Gardens Fall Festival.
  • Full fall semester schedule.

Faculty Updates

  • Texas A&M University Faculty Development
    • Texas A&M University Faculty Affairs provides ongoing professional development opportunities for faculty at every career stage. Faculty members are encouraged to regularly seek new ways to enhance and advance their careers at Texas A&M.
  • The Texas A&M University System has enhanced the Ethics Point portal for students to report concerns about course content. Faculty should be aware of the various resources available for supporting productive classroom discussion when difficult situations arise.
  • From the Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence:
    • The Center for Teaching Excellence has a formal Faculty Mentoring Academy to promote a culture of mentoring across Texas A&M University. For more information, visit the center’s page for the faculty mentoring academy.
    • The Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence offers a series of dynamic workshops tailored to empower faculty instruction and to create a more enriching classroom learning environment. Explore a diverse range of 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 Marketing and Communications for an introductory and exploratory call to discuss ideas, opportunities and more. Email Laura Muntean if interested.

General Academic Affairs

  • The Fall 2026 Teaching Assistant Institute is required for new TAs who serve as recitation leaders, laboratory instructors or full responsibility lecturers. The standard sessions are occurring the week of Aug. 17, and there is a make-up session on Saturday, Sept. 12. Click here for more information. The Teaching Assistant Institute (TAI) is a university-mandated one-day face-to-face workshop with additional online modules designed to prepare graduate students for college classroom teaching. TAI is offered every year at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters and is required for new TAs.
  • Changes to Student Rule 7: 7.5 Extended Absences: Please read the rule carefully. If an instructor plans to use the Extended Absences rule, they should include a syllabus statement explaining how they will use it and which activities in their course are participation-based. The following is a draft syllabus statement:
    • Participation-based instructional activities (insert relevant types) are core components of this course and support key learning outcomes. Suitable alternatives are not available for these activities when absences occur. Therefore, in accordance with Student Rule 7.5.1, absences totaling 20% or more of class sessions are considered excessive and will result in a grade of F for the course.
  • Abbreviated Syllabus template: The final version is live as of Aug. 14. This is for CARS proposals only. This is a great time to review and consider adding permanent learning outcomes to your major courses in CARS. These will have to go through the CARS workflow, but once done, they will be autoloaded into Simple Syllabus for everyone who teaches the course.
  • Tentative Syllabus Review Timeline for spring 2027:
    • The university will send Syllabus Review Guidance on Thursday, Sept. 17.
    • Simple Syllabus will open on Friday, Oct. 2.
    • According to the guidance we received, all course sections should be zeroed out until initial syllabus review is done. Please do not zero out sections until course/room scheduling is complete. We expect additional clarification on this new step.
    • Exception requests are due to the university on Friday, Oct. 16; this means they are due to the College a week earlier, on Friday, Oct. 9.
    • The departmental memo and list of spring 2027 courses are due to the College on Monday, Oct. 26 (the College memo is due to the president Monday, Nov. 2).
    • Preregistration begins Thursday, Nov. 5.
  • Respondus LockDown Browser will flag the use of Ask Gemini. Here is a statement to use in advance of an assessment to tell students you do not want them to use AI tools to complete an assessment: “You are not allowed to use AI tools to complete this assignment in Canvas.”
  • Barnes & Noble book adoptions. Please ask your instructors to indicate their need for books and other course resources by completing the book adoption process for each course being taught in fall 2026. Adoption support is available by email at [email protected] or phone at (877) 713-6697.
  • Responsible Conduct of Research, RCR, Training is required for all researchers, including undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral trainees, within 6 months of joining a research group per 15.99.99.M0.04 Responsible Conduct of Research. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences requires a minimum of CITI training + 4 hours of VPR RCR training for all thesis-option master’s and doctoral students, regardless of funding source, and CITI training for all undergraduate students. Visit the Vice President for Research’s Office Responsible Conduct of Research website to learn more.
  • Graduate handbooks must be maintained by all departments and IDPs. Graduate handbooks must be available to all graduate students and faculty in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
  • Stacked courses. Going forward, CARS requests for stacked courses will require the requester to list the UG learning outcomes and attach both the UG and GR syllabi in the proposal for the UG version of the stacked course. Likewise, for the GR version of the stacked course proposal, the proposer will provide the GR learning outcomes and attach both the UG and GR syllabi.
  • The Administrative Burden and Process Improvement Initiative is designed to reduce unnecessary administrative complexity, improve institutional processes, and ensure faculty and staff have the time, resources and support needed to focus on their core academic responsibilities. Share your burdens at the online form.
  • The U.S. Department of Justice has issued an Interim Final Rule extending the ADA Title II digital accessibility compliance deadline to April 26, 2027, for institutions of our size. Federally funded grants and programs are subject to a May 11, 2027, compliance deadline under Section 504.
  • Digital accessibility makes sure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can access and use online content. The University has consolidated many Digital Accessibility Resources at https://lms.tamu.edu/digital-accessibility.
  • Free digital accessibility training: Texas A&M employees can build their digital accessibility skills through the Academy by Level Access, which offers more than 70 self-paced courses designed to help employees develop practical skills for creating accessible websites, documents, instructional materials and digital services. Texas A&M employees must have an Academy account before registering for training. Email [email protected] to request an account. 
  • Tech Tuesday Digital Accessibility Series, May to September. Tech Tuesday is featuring a Digital Accessibility series led by Texas A&M AgriLife Educational Development and Engagement, EDE. The series focuses on creating accessible and inclusive digital content and is open to all Texas A&M AgriLife employees. Each month includes one virtual session and one in-person session to support flexible participation. Registration is required through AgriLife Register. Learn more here.
  • Open Access Education Resources reduce the cost of education for students. To learn more about resources available to Texas A&M University faculty on developing and using Open Education Resources, please visit the University Libraries OpenEd Department.
  • 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 for courses selected by leadership for the Accessibility Initiative 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.
  • Texas A&M accepts the TOEFL iBT test to meet university English Language Proficiency Requirements. The Office of Admissions and the Graduate and Professional Council approved new TOEFL iBT scoring requirements for international graduate students for Admission, Verification (to register) and Certification (for teaching).
    • For ELP Admission and Verification, the university requires a TOEFL iBT overall score of 4.5 and a minimum of 4.0 on all individual skills sections, and for ELP Certification Requirement levels, a speaking score of:
      • 5.5-6.0 for Level 1 Certification (to hold a GAT/GAL position without restrictions),
      • 4.5-5.0 for Level 2 Conditional Certification (to hold a GAT/GAL position for one semester only), and
      • 4.0 for Level 3 Verification only (Ineligible to hold a GAT/GAL position).
    • The university will accept previous TOEFL iBT scores (under the previous scoring scheme) as long as they remain valid (up to 2 years after the original exam date).
  • Undergraduate Student Math Placement Exam process. There is now a single Math Placement Exam, MPE, for students who are required to demonstrate readiness to enroll in MATH 147/151/171. The passing score is 22. The MPE is optional for all other students.
  • Prerequisites for CHEM 119. The prerequisites for CHEM 119, effective fall 2026, are completion of at least 90% of the ALEKS chemistry preparatory module; or grade of C or better in MATH 140, MATH 150 or equivalent; or score of 22 or higher on Texas A&M math placement exam. 
  • Advancing learning through evidence-based undergraduate teaching: The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning at Texas A&M University (CIRTL@TAMU) is facilitating a weekly Local Learning Community on Zoom. Visit the CIRTL site to learn more. 
  • 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.
  • All Texas A&M AgriLife employees now have access to the TAMUS AI Framework — a secure platform hosted by The Texas A&M University System. It is designed to support research, teaching and administrative tasks with advanced AI tools. Access it at tamus.ai, where you can log in with your AgriLife AgNet ID and explore AI-powered capabilities in a compliant environment. Within the framework, TAMUS AI Chat offers an easy-to-use interface for faculty, staff, researchers and students — including AgriLife — to interact with AI securely. All conversations remain within the TAMUS environment and comply with university data protection standards — your data is never shared externally or used to train outside models. For more details, visit https://docs.tamus.ai/docs/prod/.
  • Subscribe to the Graduate Advisors Listserv if you are a staff or faculty member working with graduate and professional students, and stay informed.
  • From the University Staff Council:

Student Success and Development

  • Students can obtain professional attire for interviews and career preparation by scheduling an appointment at the AGLS Career Closet. Students may be able to keep their professional items, depending on availability.
  • AGLS Pocket Pantry. College students experience food insecurity at a higher rate than the general adult population in the U.S. Anyone aware of a student, staff or faculty member in need of food resources can recommend the AGLS Pocket Pantry located on west campus in the Kleberg building, suite 109. The pantry 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]. 
  • Mental health support for students:
    • Aggie Peer Connect is an in-person community space housed in the Student Services Building.
    • For free after-hours support, students can connect with professional counselors at TELUS Health at 1.866.743.7732. 
    • 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.
    • College employees and partners concerned about a student can refer them to Ms. Molly McCann, an embedded mental health professional in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students can make an appointment to visit Molly or to connect with the broader team of mental health professionals on campus. They can also contact Molly at [email protected] or 979.458.4584.

Information and Resources for Graduate Students

  • Graduate handbooks must be maintained by all departments and IDPs. Graduate handbooks must be available to all graduate students and faculty in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
  • Graduate employee travel. If traveling to a country designated as a foreign adversary for personal reasons, graduate students are required to submit the Certification of Personal Travel to a Foreign Adversary in Workday. Pre-travel notification is submitted using the Certification of Personal Travel to a Foreign Adversary questionnaire in Workday. Upon return, graduate students must complete the report “Request Process: Certification of Personal Travel to a Foreign Adversary” in Workday. Graduate students should not engage in any university business while traveling in foreign adversary nations for personal reasons, including accessing university systems or meeting with collaborators for work-related purposes. These requirements are based on institutional compliance protocols and apply to all personal travel to such countries, per GA-48. Additional information regarding these requirements can be found on the Division of Risk, Ethics and Compliance dedicated webpage. 
  • Friday, Aug. 21, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Memorial Student Center, 2nd floor: New Graduate Student Orientation, NGSO, by invitation, intended for new, incoming graduate and professional students.
  • Monday, Aug. 24, 3-5 p.m., outside Nagle Hall, Graduate and Professional School Howdy Social. Open to all current graduate and professional students (invitations will be sent via email). This is a great opportunity to build community and kick off the semester.
  • The Academy for Future Faculty, AFF, is committed to preparing outstanding future faculty in STEM disciplines. AFF seminars are open to everyone in the Texas A&M academic community. Participants may attend a few seminars or complete the requirements for an AFF Fellow certificate.
  • The University Writing Center has several programs for graduate students.
    • Writing Cafe for graduate students on the first Friday of every month in the Evans Library Grad Lounge, Room 611. Coffee, tea and snacks are provided. If you need a block of time to complete writing to start the month off strong, this program is for you. Registration is not required.
    • English conversation appointments can help with speaking needs. You can book a conversation appointment for up to 45 minutes at the writing center. You can bring topics of discussion or they will provide some. Learn more or book an appointment.
    • Graduate Student Workshops, online workshops on writing and presenting at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays several times a year. Register for them.
  • Emergency aid: Graduate students experiencing unexpected, unforeseen and urgent financial hardships can receive emergency aid. Information on the emergency aid application process is available on the Aggie One Stop Emergency Aid webpage. To access the application, students must first speak with an enrollment services advisor. International students must contact International Student and Scholar Services at [email protected].
  • From International Student and Scholar Services, ISSS.
  • 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.

Student Recruitment 

  • Prospective Student Information Sessions occur weekly on Fridays. Students can register for a visit with a recruiter at https://recruiter.tamu.edu/.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council

Save the Date!

People greeting each other at the The Shirley & Joe Swinbank '74 AgriLife Center

College Connect

  • Thursday, Oct. 1
  • 3 p.m.
  • The Shirley & Joe Swinbank ’74 AgriLife Center

All College of Agriculture and Life Sciences employees are invited to join us as we recognize recipients of the Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Awards and the Association of Former Students College-Level Teaching Awards.

We will also recognize College faculty who have received promotion and/or tenure, and we will welcome all new College faculty.

Professional Services Updates

AgriLife Administrative Services

Employee Wellness

See upcoming opportunities to learn about numerous wellness topics in the AgriLife Employee Wellness August Newsletter.

Professional Development

Visit AgriLife Administrative Services

AgriLife Educational Development and Engagement

Building a more accessible AgriLife

The new AgriLife Accessibility Hub serves as a central resource for digital accessibility guidance, training and tools. While this hub is a work in progress, it is a great starting point in understanding digital accessibility. Explore quick-start guides, accessibility testing resources, and best practices designed to help employees create more accessible digital content and support inclusive communication across AgriLife. Click here to go to the AgriLife Accessibility Hub!

LEAD AgriLife Cohort 3 Celebrates Graduation!

After three sessions of learning, reflection and shared experiences across Texas, the LEAD AgriLife Cohort 3 completed their program and celebrated graduation!

From College Station to Austin to San Antonio, cohort members spent the year exploring what it means to lead with purpose, build trust across teams and use their influence to strengthen the work of Texas A&M AgriLife. Along the way, they built connections with colleagues from across the AgriLife enterprise and turned leadership concepts into practical tools they can carry back into their roles. 

Click here to read the full recap!

Visit AgriLife EDE

AgriLife Information Technology

AgriLife Information Technology (AIT) continues to provide College employees with technology resources, services and learning opportunities that support teaching, research and administrative work across Texas A&M AgriLife. 

  1. Managing multiple Microsoft accounts is about to get easier. New resources, guidance and training opportunities are being introduced to help employees reduce sign-in confusion and better manage AgriLife, Texas A&M University, Microsoft 365 and personal accounts using browser profiles. Browser profiles can help keep accounts separate while making it easier to access the resources you need throughout the workday. Additional communications, training opportunities and support resources will be shared with College employees throughout the fall semester. Employees can learn more about upcoming resources designed to simplify Microsoft 365 sign-ins by visiting Something Better Is Coming for Microsoft 365 Sign-Ins.
  2. VISION is now available to Texas A&M AgriLife researchers. VISION is The Texas A&M University System’s artificial intelligence platform designed to support research, experimentation, advanced AI workloads, data analysis, literature review and other research-focused activities. Researchers can explore available capabilities and documentation and access requirements through VISION Now Available to Texas A&M AgriLife Researchers.
  3. Artificial Intelligence Resources for Texas A&M AgriLife are now available. AgriLife IT has launched a centralized AI Resource Hub that provides information about Microsoft Copilot, VISION, the TAMUS AI Framework, AI requirements, training opportunities, research resources and frequently asked questions. The site serves as a central location for employees and researchers seeking approved AI tools, guidance and learning resources. Visit the hub at Artificial Intelligence Resources for Texas A&M AgriLife.
  4. Featured AgriLife Aspire eLearning Course: Sway Essential Training. Learn how to create and share interactive presentations, reports, stories, and other engaging content using Microsoft Sway. This course covers creating Sways from scratch or from existing documents, customizing layouts and styles, embedding rich media, improving accessibility, and sharing content with both internal and external audiences. Access the course at Sway Essential Training.

Additional resources, technology news and training opportunities are available on the AgriLife Information Technology Intranet site.

Visit AgriLife IT

News: Our Mission in Action

  • Read the latest news of our faculty, staff and student accomplishments in research, teaching and service at AgriLife Today, Texas A&M AgriLife’s digital magazine and newsroom.
Visit AgriLife Today

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