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On Wednesday, Interim President Mark Welsh III of Texas A&M University addressed the faculty and staff in College Station, stating that the university will mostly continue with the unpopular organizational changes implemented by his predecessor.
However, he assured that he and his administration will closely oversee the changes and consistently gather feedback from faculty and staff. This is to ensure that the new policies are effective as intended and to evaluate whether any adjustments or abandonment may be necessary in the future.
Welsh explained that the process of changing out of something is just as disorderly as changing into it, and it is equally challenging. He elaborated on his decision to maintain the ongoing changes without reverting them.
On Wednesday morning, Welsh convened a meeting with over 600 faculty and staff members to discuss the outcomes of his staff’s comprehensive two-month evaluation of former President M. Katherine Banks’ significant organizational restructuring, known as The Path Forward. Launched in 2021, this initiative comprised 41 modifications, such as the reconfiguration of administrative offices, consolidation of specific colleges, centralization of services, and introduction of fresh academic programs.
The changes were heavily criticized by faculty and staff for being poorly planned and rushed, resulting in confusion among students and employees and having a negative impact on morale.
After being appointed as interim president in late July, Welsh wasted no time in instructing a team to assess the consequences of Banks’ modifications. The team consisted of Joe Pettibon, the vice president for planning, assessment, and strategy; Matt Fry, the associate vice president for research; Deborah Wright, the associate vice president for budget and planning; and Tim Scott, the vice provost for student success. Embarking on a comprehensive campus-wide tour, they conducted over 100 sessions with faculty and staff to gather their insights. Subsequently, the team synthesized their discoveries and suggestions into a comprehensive report.
The report published a few weeks ago revealed that Banks’ changes were heavily criticized by faculty and staff. They were considered disastrous, causing unnecessary confusion and significant disruption for both students and faculty.
According to the summary of the report, our employees faced challenging situations and experienced limited success due to the rapid and extensive changes in structures and systems. Additionally, the lack of communication and transparency further exacerbated these issues, resulting in numerous instances where processes were either slowed down or completely halted, and where it was difficult to identify points of contact.
The reorganization resulted in raised concerns from almost all respondents regarding the difficulty of accessing teaching spaces and staff offices. Faculty members were either relocated to different departments across campus or lost spaces where they used to gather with colleagues.
The changes had a significant impact on certain departments, particularly the university library. According to the report, approximately 25% of librarians decided to depart from the university instead of complying with the new regulations that terminated their tenure.
Welsh guided faculty and staff through a detailed review of the recommendations made by his team, explaining his final decisions and the reasoning behind each choice.
Welsh stated that he sought a wider range of input regarding the report. He informed the audience that his office had received over 2,500 comments in response, which played a crucial role in shaping his ultimate choices.
Among his decisions, he proceeded with establishing a school dedicated to visual and performing arts, as well as implementing a journalism program. The latter had faced uncertainty due to the unsuccessful recruitment of Kathleen McElroy as a journalism professor.
Welsh also delegated certain administrative responsibilities to department heads and faculty members. Furthermore, he announced that the university would carry out a space allocation survey and relocate the bachelor’s of science degree program from the college of arts and sciences to the veterinary medicine school, addressing a significant concern for students.
Welsh’s announcement primarily focused on two significant changes. Firstly, he emphasized the reelevation of the provost position, highlighting the intention to clearly establish the provost as the second-highest position at Texas A&M. Secondly, Welsh mentioned the reinstatement of certain offices under the provost’s authority.
The provost’s office underwent reorganization by the banks, resulting in the establishment of the vice president of faculty affairs role. This decision set Texas A&M apart from most universities, as provosts are commonly regarded as the primary academic authority. Following the restructuring, several faculty members expressed concerns about the reduction in their advocacy.
Welsh announced that the position of vice president for faculty affairs would be rebranded as the vice provost for faculty affairs, with the individual now reporting directly to the provost.
Welsh also said the university would conduct a capacity study to determine how to best respond to and plan for the university’s continued growth. Over the past decade, the flagship university grew from 49,861 students in 2011 to 77,496 this fall.
“He stated that numerous stressors are related to growth.”
The positive response to Welsh’s choice to persist with several initially unpopular changes can be largely attributed to his inclusive approach towards faculty in discussions and the transparent communication he employed while explaining his decisions.
In a statement following the meeting, Faculty Senate President Tracy Hammond expressed that he consistently offered explanations for all decisions. This approach allowed individuals to comprehend the reasoning behind each decision, even if they personally disagreed. Hammond admitted to disagreeing with at least one recommendation, but ultimately felt at ease with the final decision.
Welsh expressed his preference for receiving input on the way forward from faculty rather than relying on an external consulting company. This remark was met with enthusiastic cheers from the audience.
Faculty and staff heavily criticized Banks for excluding them from the decision-making process and not adequately explaining the rationale behind various changes.
Banks resigned in July amid internal turmoil after The Texas Tribune reported on the failed negotiations to bring McElroy to Texas A&M. An internal review revealed Banks was intimately involved with the renegotiation of McElroy’s job offer, which was watered down amid concerns from university regents over McElroy’s diversity work in newsrooms and her perceived liberal leanings. Banks had previously told faculty she was unaware of the conversations happening behind the scenes.
However, well before the summer scandal, Banks and the Path Forward encountered opposition from faculty and students who consistently expressed apprehensions regarding the university’s trajectory under her guidance, as well as the administration’s communication of its vision.
Banks served as the dean of Texas A&M’s engineering school before Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp tapped her in 2021 to become president of the College Station-based university, which has 12 colleges and two branch campuses in Galveston and Qatar.
Shortly after, she decided to engage the services of MGT Consulting to conduct a thorough evaluation of Texas A&M’s organizational framework and offer suggestions for improvement. Eventually, she revealed a total of 41 recommendations and initiated their implementation since the previous year.
The restructuring at Texas A&M University involved the amalgamation of the College of Liberal Arts, College of Science, and College of Geosciences into a unified entity known as the College of Arts and Sciences. Additionally, the university established the School of Performance, Visualization, and Fine Arts, which brought together performance studies, dance, and visualization programs in a single department. However, not all changes were well-received, particularly the restructuring of the university’s libraries, which faced significant criticism.
According to Welsh, the majority of librarians expressed their desire to continue with the existing system, despite the widespread frustration caused by the alterations in university libraries. This is primarily because they have been deeply affected by the changes and wish to avoid further modifications.
Welsh stated that despite ongoing efforts to revamp the libraries, the university would allocate an additional $3.3 million to the operating budget of the library system. This includes reinstating $2.4 million that had been previously deducted from the library budget, as well as an additional $990,000 for salary adjustments.
In addition, the banks gave their approval to a restructuring plan for Texas A&M’s Qatar branch. This plan involves altering the eligibility of faculty members to conduct research, modifying faculty contract terms, and consolidating school leadership under a single dean. Detractors have voiced concerns that these modifications will pose challenges in attracting and retaining highly skilled faculty members at the Middle East campus.
On Wednesday, Welsh informed the faculty that they are currently in the process of preparing a report containing recommendations concerning the external campuses. Additionally, they expressed their intention to release the recommendations to seek feedback from the concerned parties before reaching final decisions.
Welsh addressed the faculty and staff, emphasizing that the conversation must persist. However, he highlighted the need to shift our focus from the past to the future by looking through the windshield instead of the rearview mirror. It is crucial that we advance the conversation and integrate it into our regular practices. This is essential for the university’s functioning.
For quite some time, professors have been expressing their concerns about the lack of sufficient faculty involvement in the approval process of these changes by Banks.
At the start of the 2022 academic year, the Faculty Senate approved a resolution that said “shared governance is no longer functioning as envisioned by faculty at Texas A&M University.”
After a span of eight months, a highly regarded faculty organization on campus expressed significant apprehensions regarding the leadership of the Banks, as per the survey findings from a poll conducted by the group at the prestigious university.
In December, the poll was arranged by the group following a letter written by Karen Wooley, a highly regarded chemist from Texas A&M, warning Banks about the significant disruptions and potential harm to the esteemed institution’s integrity resulting from the numerous changes implemented by Banks since assuming the presidency in 2021.
Hammond noted that Welsh’s presentation on Wednesday showcased a noticeable departure from the previous administration’s approach to engaging with professors and staff.
“The faculty is beginning to sense a shift in their behavior, feeling more at ease and relieved,” she stated. “It appears that we are finally progressing together as a unified unit, as we should have been doing from the start.”
Disclosure: Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
