Texas A&M president Katherine Banks spent more than one hour earlier during November’s faculty senate meeting fielding questions on a variety of topics.
The first question was whether administrators recognize the stress employees and students have had since her reorganization of the university. Banks said “I think I can unequivocally say that we all respect and are very appreciative of the time, effort, and energy that the faculty community has spent on the MGT path forward changes.”
When asked about future budget changes related to the reorganization, Banks said “we’re evaluating our budgeting process now. Faculty Senate has a representative on that committee that will assess the current budgeting model.” She also says that the A&M’s chief financial officer, who “believes we may have a plan of action by this summer but we wouldn’t implement it in year one. We would probably have some sort of phased approach over a two year period.”
Banks was asked about deferred maintenance, which she says is budgeted for $30 million dollars this year. She was asked about the future of A&M’s academic building and said that the “iconic structure” “needs a great deal of tender loving care” that will probably involve a fundraising campaign.
Regarding personnel matters, Banks plans to begin searches for a permanent provost and a dean of the college of architecture next spring. And next spring will be an assessment of the selection process for the dean of A&M’s new college of arts and sciences. Additionally, search committees have been established for the next deans of A&M’s colleges of engineering and nursing, and candidates for the dean of the business school were interviewed last week.
Click below for comments from Katherine Banks during the November 14, 2022 Texas A&M faculty senate meeting.