Texas A&M goes through its first semester without an organized body representing faculty members.
The website of A&M’s chief academic officer, the provost, posted on November 14th the continuing work to create a new faculty advisory council. State lawmakers this year replaced independent faculty senates with councils that are controlled by the board of regents and university administrators. The provost’s website says the goal is for the new council to hold their first meeting by February.
The website of the future Texas A&M faculty advisory council has no information when some members of the new council will be elected and when some will be appointed. State lawmakers decided the leadership of the new council will be named by the president. The president will also appoint one member from each college or school. Faculty will select the remaining members. The maximum size of the new advisory body is 60.
The provost also reported on what three committees are doing until they disband with the start of the advisory council. There is a transition team deciding the process of naming council members. There is a group that is overseeing the upcoming review of A&M’s core curriculum and general education requirements. And the third committee is reviewing and advising all curricular matters previously managed by the faculty senate until that body was eliminated by state lawmakers.

