Pres. Young Encourages Faculty To Further Commit To Transformational Learning, Discovery

Transformation and evolution, with an eye always on the institution’s core values, was the message Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young delivered to faculty Monday.

The Faculty Forum at Rudder Theatre brought faculty together with Young to discuss future plans for the university, key issues on which to focus, and opportunities to further enhance teaching and grow research.

Young noted Texas A&M offers a unique environment and therefore requires the asking of additional questions:  What are our values? Why do we matter? What makes our campus unique?

“I do think how we bolster and support our uniqueness is as important as anything we do here,” he told those in audience as well as, via live streaming, faculty at various off-campus sites. He said the focus should be on “self-conscious intentionality of the work we do, coupled with excellence, integrity, service…it’s about living lives of meaning and impact.”

It all starts with the faculty, Young asserted, saying faculty can connect students to meaningful opportunities which will create citizens who are engineered to solve problems and “leave the world better than they found it.”

Young pointed out that Texas A&M scores well in many rankings, including graduates who are in high demand, the number of national merit scholars, and low student debt.

“This is an amazing place,” he noted. “How do we build on that and make it even better?’

Recognizing challenges and finding solutions is key, Young said, and that includes adapting to changing funding streams, managing costs, enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration and hiring more faculty.

“We need to grow our faculty,” he noted, pointing out that because the student body has grown significantly, the faculty also needs to grow. He noted, however, the faculty has grown by 9 percent in the past few years.

And, he said, retaining and supporting the faculty who are already here is critical.

Maintaining partnerships, and forging new ones, will also enhance the learning environment, Young noted, saying, “We have a strong and cooperative relationship with the System and the Chancellor right now; we know that will continue.”

Campus expansion is another key issue for Young, who said current academic facilities will be enhanced and more constructed as the university’s needs continue to grow. He said he plans to improve information technology, putting resources into areas that will help faculty use technology to make teaching more robust.

What educators do, he said, hasn’t changed for the last thousand years; what has changed, due to technology, is howit’s done. He said educators must be aware that students today are acquiring, processing and organizing information differently than they were 20 years ago.

Varied and robust learning opportunities are available and beneficial to students, Young noted, such as capstone projects, study abroad, structured internships and entrepreneurial experiences. “Those kinds of experiences transform lives,” he explained.

Another university focus must be diversity and inclusion, Young said referring to the issue as a “moral and ethical imperative.” Creating an optimal educational environment for everyone is imperative to the success of faculty and students alike.

And improved communication, both internal and external, will also be emphasized in future planning, Young said. “We need to tell our story better,” he noted, adding it’s important that faculty is featured on a national stage. He said as part of the effort, a search is underway now for a new Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.

An outline of Young’s comments at the Faculty Forum can be viewed here.