Aerial view of TAMU

Leads Assigned to Quick-Look Actions

General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III
Interim President

October 20, 2023

Members of the Aggie Family,

I wanted to update you on the next phase of the quick-look assessment. Since we last met on Oct. 4 to discuss my final decisions, I have assigned leads for action items within the final report. The actions, associated leads and deadlines are now available online.

Many of the leads are already hard at work on their assignments, bringing in faculty and staff for feedback as needed. Please be responsive if you are asked for input by these individuals. Your thoughts and insights are vital as implementation plans are developed.

I’ve also heard a bit of confusion related to the centralized functions and the concept of operational control within our academic units. I define operational control as the management of the day-to-day activities and tasks—what the colleges/schools are working to achieve. The deans should be directing this, which means they need operational control over the leads for the various service areas (Finance and Business Services, Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness, Technology Services, and Marketing and Communications). Those leads will then work with the centralized service unit to execute the vision of the dean. This approach aims to take the benefits of centralization and marry them with the benefits of a distributed model.

Additionally, during the meeting earlier in the month, I mentioned a few “science projects” that need further study before we can come to a final decision. These future projects will be led by Joe Pettibon, vice president of planning, assessment and strategy. Below is a quick rundown of where we stand on those:

  • Space Allocation Study: A small team has been formed to review how to enable better utilization of physical spaces, including efforts to locate units in close proximity to better serve our faculty, staff and students. The space allocation study will also consider opportunities for addressing future needs that should be considered in any capital projects. The team will reach out to colleges/schools and divisions soon to identify areas for review beyond those already referred to the team.
  • Capacity Study: In January 2024, we will begin reviewing our current infrastructure, teaching capacities and staffing levels in an effort to identify the current and future capacity of enrollment on the main campus, as well as any near-term adjustments required to better serve the entire university community.
  • Student Experience Study: In conjunction with the capacity study, we will simultaneously begin reviewing the current student experience and develop a plan for how to elevate that experience so it is consistent with who Texas A&M University is and what we value. This study will further inform our capacity study.

Finally, I'll plan to provide monthly progress updates on the actions so that you know where things stand. I think it’s important to note that not everything we have set in motion is going to be a perfect solution, and that’s okay. We can celebrate success where we got it right, constantly reassess areas where we’re struggling and pivot in those areas that just don’t seem to work as envisioned. I appreciate all you do for Texas A&M and in supporting our mission.

As always, you can reach out to me at president@tamu.edu with any questions or additional thoughts you may have.

Thank you and Gig ’em!

r/mark
General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, Interim President