Another spring enrollment record has been set at Texas A&M. The total for all locations is 63,599. That’s up from last spring’s 61,640. This spring’s number in College Station, 58,921, is also a record.
A Bryan school board member who is also speaker-elect of the Texas A&M faculty senate is this year’s representative on the A&M system’s chancellor’s academy of teacher educators. Julie Harlin was nominated by faculty, students, and staff and selected by past academy members. Dr. Harlin is an associate professor in the department of agricultural leadership, education, and communications.
The chancellor of the Texas A&M system told state lawmakers Wednesday he would be proposing to the board of regents a new financial aid source. John Sharp told the joint interim committee on higher education formula funding, that the criteria for the proposed Regents’ Grants includes a student/family adjusted gross income between $60,000 and $100,000 per year. The initiative will be funded with $3 million per year from the Available University Fund for the next 10 years.
Texas A&M news release about spring 2018 enrollment:
A total of 63,599 students are attending Texas A&M University for the spring 2018 semester, a record for spring enrollment.
The figures are from the Office of Data & Research Services at Texas A&M and are those officially reported to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In spring of 2017, 61,640 students were enrolled.
At the College Station main campus, enrollment for the spring totals 58,921 students, also a record.
Official enrollment is based on the number of students on the 20th class day.
Texas A&M posted a record enrollment of 68,625 students for the fall 2017 semester, remaining the largest university in Texas and among the national leaders.
Spring enrollment figures are traditionally lower than the fall semester because many students graduate in December.
The enrollment figures include student at the main campus in College Station, the branch campuses in Galveston and Doha, Qatar, the Health Science Center and other sites throughout the state.
Texas A&M system news release about the chancellor’s academy of teacher educator selections:
The Texas A&M University System honored 10 inductees to the 2018 Chancellor’s Academy of Teacher Educators.
Established in 2011, the Chancellor’s Academy of Teacher Educators honors individuals from Texas A&M System Universities who have made significant contributions to the field of teacher education and highlights the role of the A&M System in producing K-12 teachers for the state of Texas.
“On behalf of The Texas A&M System and the Chancellor’s Century Council, congratulations to all of tonight’s honorees and thank you for your service to this state and nation,” said Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. “I have no doubt that the future will be brighter for it.”
Each year, university faculty, staff and students are invited to nominate any full-time faculty member who has had a significant impact on the preparation of teachers. Inductees are then selected by past Academy members.
Honorees receive a $1,000 stipend, provided by the Chancellor’s Century Council, a commemorative medallion and a certificate honoring their commitment and dedication to those who are teaching the next generation.
This year, 10 professors from members of the A&M System were honored.
Dr. Julie Harlin, Texas A&M University
Dr. Vicky Johnson, Tarleton State University
Dr. Cleveland Lane, Prairie View A&M University
Dr. Marie Lassmann, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Dr. Runchang Lin, Texas A&M International University
Dr. Mienie Roberts, Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Dr. Jana Sanders, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Dr. Pamela Webster, Texas A&M University-Commerce
Dr. Edward Westermann, Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Dr. Kevin Williams, West Texas A&M University
Texas A&M system news release about the chancellor’s proposed Regents’ Grant initiative:
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp on Wednesday announced a new initiative that will help Texas A&M System students facing significant hardships stay in school and graduate on time without incurring additional debt.
Chancellor Sharp made the announcement as part of his testimony before the Joint Interim Committee on Higher Education Formula Funding.
Through their work with the Governor’s Commission to Rebuild Texas, which is focused on the state’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey, Texas A&M System leaders have identified an important gap in financial aid programs. Students who come from families with income that is too high to allow them to qualify for federal Pell Grants, but too modest to provide a cushion in case of unexpected expenses like those incurred in the wake of Harvey, are particularly vulnerable to having their progress toward a college degree derailed.
“We do not want our hard-working students to be forced to take out extra loans or lose valuable time toward their degree because of unanticipated issues with things like medical expenses, job loss, or natural disasters,” Sharp said. “One of the core functions of our universities is to get students to graduation with a degree that allows them to be highly productive members of society, and our new Regents’ Grant initiative will eliminate some of the pitfalls that have threatened the progress of too many of our bright students.”
Pending approval from The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the Texas A&M System’s new Regents’ Grants will provide these students with an additional source of one-time grant funding that can help them overcome financial hardships. To be eligible, students must meet certain criteria, including a student/family adjusted gross income between $60,000 and $100,000 per year. The initiative will be funded with $3 million per year from the Available University Fund for the next 10 years.
Chancellor Sharp told the committee members that this initiative will prevent students facing financial challenges from adding to their debt by taking out additional loans and that he anticipates that it will lead to an increase in graduation and retention rates at System institutions.