Texas A&M To Save, Reallocate $8.2 Million For Academic Mission

Texas A&M Interim President Mark Hussey has announced plans to save the university $8.2 million annually by eliminating vacant non-faculty positions and reallocating those funds to strategic priorities tied to the institution’s academic mission.

“Effective today, I am implementing an institution-wide elimination of all vacant non-faculty administrative staff positions for Texas A&M University,” Hussey said in a memorandum distributed to the university’s top administrators and deans. “I believe this action will further strengthen and enhance the university’s core mission of teaching, research and engagement/outreach.”

He said that all the budgeted funds from the eliminated positions will be transferred to the Office of the President, where decisions for reallocation will be made in consultation with the Office of the Provost and other personnel directly involved in the university’s academic mission. Hussey also noted that none of the eliminated positions are housed or located in academic departments. He said there will be no impact to the health, safety and security of the university’s students, faculty, staff or visitors.

The steps announced by Hussey will further solidify Texas A&M’s long-standing position as the most administratively efficient public university in the state, university officials note, adding it is the entity with the lowest administrative cost for any part of state government—3.6 percent of the total operating budget.

“Keeping our administrative costs this low is part of our commitment to our students, their parents, and the taxpayers of Texas to treat their dollars with respect,” said John Sharp, Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System.

Hussey’s memo also outlined strict procedures for filling any requested non-faculty positions in the future.