AgriLife Colleagues,
Several timely academic initiatives will be advanced through nine faculty task forces this spring 2021 semester. These initiatives, detailed below, are an opportunity to advance our shared mission and facilitate more transparent policies and procedures in AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Each task force will include 6-8 members with the following designations, where relevant:
- Faculty member from AgriLife Research
- Faculty member from AgriLife Extension
- College faculty member
- Member of the faculty senate Ag Caucus
- Graduate student
- Ex officio member from the AgriLife administration, such as a department head, center director, institute director, or member of central administration
- Distinguished professor
The nine task forces will generate reports with recommendations by May 15, 2021. Those interested in serving on one of the task forces below should submit a one-page expression of interest and a CV by February 5.
Task Forces #1 through #5 will be overseen and administered by a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Fellow, while Task Forces #6 through #9 will be administered by an AgriLife Vice Chancellor Fellow. These administrative fellows will serve six-month terms, participate in administrative (dean or vice chancellor) leadership meetings, and receive one month of summer salary as compensation. Faculty, including unit leaders, interested in serving as an administrative fellow should submit a one-page expression of interest, a letter of support from their supervisor, and a CV by February 5.
The Initiatives:
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Strategic Plan. With the recent or near completion of the The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M University, AgriLife and AgriLife Extension strategic plans, it is now time for the College to develop a five-year strategic plan that aligns its mission, vision and priorities with those of the relevant A&M System family members. A task force will be charged with developing a strategic plan for the College.
- CHARGE: The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Strategic Plan Task Force will develop a five-year strategic plan that aligns the College mission, vision, and priorities with those of the A&M System, Texas A&M University and AgriLife. The strategic plan should be aspirational (as opposed to prescriptive) and be consistent with scenario planning with an adaptive approach, and include a strategic map. The process should include faculty, students, staff and stakeholder input gathered through forums, surveys and similar inclusive mechanisms. Task Force 1 will brief the college administration throughout the process and provide regular updates to the college and agency community of scholars. Prior to developing the final report, the College Strategic Plan Task Force will meet with the AgriLife Research Strategic Plan Task Force to harmonize relevant areas of the strategic plan.
- Promotion Guidance for College Academic Professional Track (APT) Faculty. In 2020, a consensus one-page guidance document was generated for College tenure-track/tenured faculty in consultation with Texas A&M and the College faculty. This guidance document provides clarity, transparency, and broad guidance regarding expectations for promotion and tenure. It serves as a guidance document for faculty candidates in their career development and provides guidance for peer evaluation of faculty achievements. A guidance document for promotion of APT faculty is now needed. A task force will be charged with developing a guidance document that addresses the expectations for APT faculty, and representation of APT faculty in the review process.
- CHARGE: The Promotion Guidance for Academic Professional Track Faculty Task Force will generate a consensus guidance document for promotion of APT faculty using a similar format as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Tenure and Promotion Guidance Document. This document should provide clarity and broad guidance regarding expectations for promotion of APT Faculty (to senior lecturer, instructional associate professor, associate professor of the practice, instructional professor, or professor of the practice), inform faculty candidates in their career development, and provide guidance for peer evaluation of faculty achievements. Task Force 2 will also make recommendations regarding the merits and feasibility of including APT faculty on the AgriLife Promotion and Tenure Committee. The task force should engage faculty, department heads and College administration throughout the process.
- College Policies for Graduate Education. To advance the goals of the new Texas A&M Graduate and Professional School, support progress towards the key performance indicators, and to address numerous concerns brought to administration by faculty, a task force will be charged with developing an options report for the College that addresses policies and administration of graduate education including minimum stipend levels, funding commitment in offer letters, publication expectations, teaching assistant allocations/assignments at the college and departmental level, and graduate students serving as course instructors.
- CHARGE: The College Policies for Graduate Education Task Force will develop an options report with recommendations for the College that addresses college-level policies and administration of graduate education. Examination of peer data and benchmarks from other AAU and land-grant universities should be an important component in the process. Areas of concern are student recruitment, student success and productivity, student time to degree, stipend levels — including minimum stipends and funding commitments in offer letters — policies related to teaching assistantships and their allocation, graduate students serving as instructor of record, and the overall financial sustainability of the graduate programs. The committee is encouraged to recommend new and/or improved college-wide policies that will improve all of our graduate programs, as well as best practices that may be specific to a subset of disciplinary programs (e.g., life sciences, social sciences). The committee is also encouraged to consider making recommendations related to financing of graduate programs, including the size of our doctoral and master’s programs, the overall value of supporting master’s programs that do not generate income and/or fill a workforce need, and innovative solutions to increase the financial sustainability of the graduate programs.
- Youth Development in AgriLife. Youth Development has no single home in AgriLife, is dispersed throughout the College (e.g., ALEC, RPTS) and AgriLife Extension/4-H and may benefit from greater integration and/or coordination. A task force will be charged with generating an options report for better administration and coordination of AgriLife Youth Development academic and Extension programs. This task force will augment ongoing strategic planning in RPTS.
- CHARGE: The Youth Development Task Force will generate an options report regarding the future organization and administration of youth development academic and extension programs in AgriLife. Task Force 4 will inventory existing youth development programs and associated faculty and specialists within the College, AgriLife Research, Texas A&M Forest Service and AgriLife Extension, and generate an options report for better administration and coordination of AgriLife youth development academic and extension programs for maximal impact.
- Individualized Major in the College. Competition in recruiting the best high school students to Texas A&M, and ensuring these students stay in Texas for their education, is a high priority for the College. Outstanding, well-directed prospective students value flexibility in their curriculum and degree program. A task force will be charged with generating recommendations regarding the creation, entry requirements and administration of a “create your own major” program in the College that is built off the backbone of the University Entrepreneurship or Agribusiness Entrepreneurship minors.
- CHARGE: The Individualized Major Task Force will design a new individualized major in the College for the purpose of recruiting the best high school students in Texas to the College. Task Force 5 will generate a report that details the justification and need for the new degree, anticipated costs, and a description, proposed CIP code, entry requirements, learning outcomes, goals, purpose and administration of a new flexible major that will be built off the backbone of the University Entrepreneurship or Agribusiness Entrepreneurship minors. The report will include a list of requirements, electives and a sample four-year degree plan.
- AgriLife Research Strategic Plan. With the recent completion of the A&M System, Texas A&M, and AgriLife strategic plans, and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic becoming stabilized, it is now time for AgriLife Research to reengage the development of a five-year strategic plan that aligns AgriLife Research’s mission, vision and priorities with those of our A&M System family members. The current committee, which was paused during the pandemic, will be expanded and reengaged as a task force charged with continuing the development of a strategic plan for AgriLife Research.
- CHARGE: The AgriLife Research Strategic Plan task force will finish developing a five-year strategic plan that aligns the AgriLife Research mission, vision and priorities with those of the A&M System, Texas A&M University and AgriLife. The strategic plan should be aspirational as opposed to prescriptive, be consistent with scenario planning with an adaptive approach, and include a strategic map. The process should include faculty, students, staff and stakeholder input gathered through forums, surveys and similar inclusive mechanisms. Task Force 6 will brief the AgriLife Research administration throughout the process, and prior to developing the final report will meet with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Strategic Plan Task Force to harmonize relevant areas of the strategic plan. The task force is expected to provide regular updates to the AgriLife community of scholars.
- Promotion Guidance for AgriLife Research Faculty. In 2020, a consensus one-page guidance document was generated for College tenure-track/tenured faculty in consultation with Texas A&M central administration and the College faculty. The College guidance document provides clarity, transparency, and broad-based guidance regarding expectations for promotion and tenure. It serves as a guidance for faculty candidates in their career development and provides guidance for peer evaluation of faculty achievements. A guidance document for AgriLife Research faculty promotion is now needed to complement the College-specific document. A task force will be charged with developing a guidance document that addresses the expectations for AgriLife Research faculty.
- CHARGE: The Promotion Guidance for AgriLife Research Faculty Task Force will generate a consensus guidance document for promotion of AgriLife Research faculty using a similar format as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Tenure and Promotion Guidance Document. This document should provide clarity and broad guidance regarding expectations for promotion of AgriLife Research Faculty (to associate professor and professor) and inform faculty candidates in their career development and provide guidance for peer evaluation of faculty achievements. The task force should engage the faculty, center directors, department heads, AgriLife Research administration and the College administration throughout the process.
- The Thomas Ranch. The Thomas Ranch located in Anderson has been bequeathed to Texas A&M University. The property is a working ranch, vineyard and ballroom. A task force will be charged with generating a feasibility assessment and options report that includes a research, extension and financial plan for best use of the property.
- CHARGE: The Task Force is charged with generating a feasibility assessment and options report for the best use of The Thomas Ranch. The options report should include and detail the potential for unique research and extension programming on the property and include a financial plan. Task Force 8 should examine the potential for the property to serve as a venue to educate urban students about agriculture and rural students about the arts, as envisioned by the donor. The plan should also explore the possibility for public engagement though public-private partnerships or corporate collaborations with companies, and other innovative approaches related to the ranch’s mission, programs and finances.
- International Research and Development in AgriLife. Texas is a major agricultural exporter and has a long history in international engagement, including the legacy of Dr. Norman Borlaug. There is a significant presence of international engagement in the College, AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension, but these activities could be better coordinated, encouraged or supported. AgriLife’s funding portfolio in international research and extension could be strengthened. A task force will be charged with reviewing current AgriLife international activities and generating an options report regarding mechanisms to increase the international portfolio of College, AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension, assessment of future opportunities and faculty needs to engage in international research and development, and the ideal administrative model and coordination of international activities.
- CHARGE: The International Research and Development in AgriLife Task Force is charged with reviewing current AgriLife international activities (a summary report was generated in 2020) and generating an options report that includes: 1) mechanisms to increase the international portfolio of the College, AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension and incentivize unit and faculty participation; 2) an assessment of future opportunities and faculty needs to engage in international research, and 3) a strategic approach and options for better administration and coordination of international activities.
Thank you,
Patrick J. Stover, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor, Texas A&M AgriLife
Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Research