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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img width="623" height="129" style="width:6.4916in;height:1.3416in" id="img854769" src="cid:image001.png@01DB98B5.F18B91C0"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">March 24, 2026<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">As we move through the heart of the spring semester, I want to begin by recognizing the exceptional work taking place across Academic Affairs. The energy, focus, and commitment you bring to our students
and to one another continue to define the strength of this division. From the classroom to advising, from research to service, I see daily evidence of a community that is deeply invested in student success and institutional progress. Thank you for the care
and professionalism you demonstrate in all that you do. I have a number of updates to share:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Civil Discourse Day – April 7</span></b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">.
</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">I encourage you to support and participate in Civil Discourse Day on April 7, a university-wide initiative hosted at the Rayburn Student Center and supported by the Texas A&M University System, which has selected East
Texas A&M as one of three pilot campuses for this important work. Designed as a student-centered learning experience, the Civil Discourse Symposium will focus on developing essential skills across disciplines—critical thinking, respectful dialogue, active
listening, and thoughtful engagement with differing perspectives—while providing opportunities for students to interact with public officials and apply these skills in real time. The day will feature Texas state representatives, leaders from the A&M System
Chancellor’s Office, and nationally recognized voices including ABC News journalist John Quiñones and PBS’s
</span><em><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif">The Open Mind</span></em><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> host, Alexander Heffner. I invite you to consider ways to integrate the symposium into your courses through discussions, reflections,
assignments, or extra credit opportunities tied to communication, civic engagement, or leadership outcomes, and I hope you will join us alongside your students. Your engagement is essential to the success of this initiative and to advancing our shared commitment
to preparing students for informed, constructive participation in civic life. Additional details and the full schedule are available at
</span><a href="https://www.etamu.edu/civil-discourse-symposium/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">https://www.etamu.edu/civil-discourse-symposium/</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt">.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Strategic Plan Action and Accountability Team (A Team).
</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">I want to express my sincere appreciation to the A Team for their thoughtful and sustained work this year under the leadership of Co-Chairs Dr. Beth Jones and Autumn Johnson, alongside committee members Sarah Baker,
Brittany Beck, Jennifer Faunce, Stephen Harwell, Dr. Daniel Hsiao, Gina Lowe, Arthur Lumzy, Donna Russell, and Dr. Dan Su. The team has made meaningful strides in advancing the implementation and visibility of our strategic plan. A key accomplishment has been
the comprehensive redevelopment of the Strategic Plan website, which now clearly aligns institutional metrics with their respective strategic goals. This work enhances transparency and provides a more coherent framework for understanding institutional priorities.
Equally important, the team has established meaningful, measurable outcomes for each metric by analyzing historical performance data and setting annual benchmarks across the life of the plan. These metrics and targets will soon be shared through an internal
platform, further strengthening our culture of evidence and continuous improvement. Collectively, this work positions departments and individuals to better understand their contributions to institutional goals while reinforcing accountability for results.</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">AI Learnathon.
</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">As you might know, the Texas A&M University System’s AI Learnathon launches on March 27, providing all East Texas A&M faculty and staff access to three Google AI certificates at no cost. This initiative
represents an important opportunity for our institution to build foundational AI capabilities across academic and administrative units. The three certificates are practical, beginner-friendly, and can be completed in approximately 21 hours by April 30. Watch
for more information to come!</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Provost Fellowship.
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;font-weight:normal">You should have recently received an email with this year’s call for applications for the Provost Fellowship. Now in its fourth year,</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">
t</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">he Provost Fellowship is a strategic faculty development initiative designed to cultivate leadership capacity, advance institutional priorities, and support high-impact academic innovation. Through a competitive
application process, selected fellows will engage in a structured experience in the Provost Office that includes mentorship, applied project work aligned with divisional goals, and opportunities to contribute to key academic and administrative initiatives.
The program is intended to both recognize emerging and established leaders and to build a strong pipeline of talent prepared to take on future leadership roles within the university. See the recently released call for applications with additional details on
eligibility, expectations, and timelines. The deadline for submission is March 31, 2026.</span><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">D2L Access for Tenure and Promotion (T&P).
</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">In an effort to support faculty and your success in the tenure and promotion process, plans are moving forward to provide all tenure and tenure-track faculty with access in D2L to their individual tenure and promotion
portal. This early access will allow faculty to begin developing and organizing dossiers well in advance, helping to ensure a more thoughtful, thorough, and streamlined preparation process. Additional details and timelines will be shared soon. Although for
now we will continue to work in D2L, I have asked Dean Lanee Dunlap to begin exploring digital platforms that may be better suited for this process, along with the potential cost. I’ll make sure to keep you updated as we learn more.</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Vice President for Research and Economic Development (VPRED) Search Update.
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;font-weight:normal">As you most likely are aware, Dr. Brent Donham will be retiring this fall. The university is working with WittKiefer to conduct a national search for this
position; I am pleased to be chairing the committee. The deadline for application submissions was last week, and the committee is beginning their review of applicants, with April 14-15 currently planned for first-round zoom interviews. We are on schedule to
invite finalists to campus the last two weeks of April and possibly the first week of May. Make sure to watch for updates, as it will be important that Academic Affairs has a strong voice in this process. The committee and I will want to know your feedback
on each of the candidates that visit our campus. More to come!</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Department Head (DH) Council Initiatives.
</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Under the leadership of Dr. Maria Carlson, the DH Council continues to make important progress on several fronts. Current efforts include the development of a comprehensive Department Head Handbook as well as the
design of a structured mentoring program for department heads. These initiatives are intended to strengthen leadership capacity, promote consistency in practice, and support both new and continuing academic leaders in their roles.</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Department Head Policy Update.
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;font-weight:normal">Please note that the newly revised</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">
</span></strong><a href="https://inside.tamuc.edu/aboutus/policiesproceduresstandardsstatements/rulesProcedures/12faculty/general/12.99.99.R0.08.pdf"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Department Head</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
procedure has been finalized and posted. I encourage all department heads and faculty to review the revised document to ensure alignment with current expectations and practices.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Faculty Advisory Council (FAC).
</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Following consultation with FAC leadership, Dr. Tami Morton as the presiding officer, recommended that the current FAC membership terms transition to a calendar-year cycle rather than the academic year. This would
require the current FAC members to continue through December of 2026. I am supportive of this adjustment, and agree that this will help to improve continuity of work and alignment with institutional planning timelines. Elections and new appointments will take
place in the Colleges during Fall of 2026, with newly constituted membership beginning February 1, 2027. Please reach out directly to Tami with any questions. My appreciation to the current FAC members for their dedication to this work on behalf of all of
us.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Post-Tenure Review (PTR) Procedure.
</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">I want to thank the PTR Review Committee, chaired by Dr. Maria Carlson and including members Drs. Bryan Rank, Cynthia Ross, Jeff Kopachena, and Ruiliang Yan, for the revision of this important procedure. As a
reminder, faculty had an opportunity to give feedback at a recent zoom meeting, and still
<span style="color:black">have an opportunity to provide feedback on the current policy revision through a</span></span><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSSIvmb6dvifzHeNyj-MVpvsMk-PSL_lXQX5zS0OT43ach5g/viewform"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black;text-decoration:none">
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#1155CC">brief survey</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"> that will remain open until April 3. Make sure to participate in this procedure review process; your voice
matters. If there are questions, please contact Dr. Webster Garrett or </span><a href="mailto:Michelle.Woodard@etamuc.edu"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Michelle.Woodard@etamuc.edu</span></a><a name="_Hlk224834452">.</a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Faculty Success Center – Navigate Workshop.
</span></strong></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Faculty Success Center will host Michael Gulden, Program Director of Student Success Analytics and Academic Testing, for the first session in the EAB Navigate
Series. This workshop will provide both a technical overview of the platform—particularly alert reporting—and a discussion of the underlying philosophy and pedagogy supporting its use in advancing student success.
</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Faculty and staff who are new to Navigate are especially encouraged to attend.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:.5in"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Date:</span></strong></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
April 1, 2026<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:.5in"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Time:</span></strong></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
3:00 PM<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:.5in"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Location:</span></strong></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
BA 343 (with Zoom option available)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk224834452"></span>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Leadership Transitions and Recognitions.
</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Please join me in thanking Dr. Sri Beldona, our inaugural Chief Academic Officer at Dallas, for his leadership and commitment over the past year. Sri has played a critical role in advancing the Dallas campus, and
we are grateful for his many contributions. He will be leaving us on May 8 to serve as Dean of the College of Business at another institution. We wish him continued success in his next chapter.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:.5in"><strong><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">I am pleased to welcome to the Lion Family Aaron Bryant as our new Chief Marketing Officer. Aaron has already begun to elevate the visibility of our faculty and academic programs,
and I look forward to his continued partnership with Academic Affairs.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">And of course, I looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at the Spring Convocation, Wednesday, March 25, honoring Dr. Tracy Henley, Regents Professor!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Thank you again for the dedication, expertise, and care you bring to this work. The progress we are making as a division and as an institution is a direct result of your efforts. As we continue through
the semester, I encourage you to stay focused on what matters most: supporting our students, advancing our mission, and working collaboratively to build a stronger future for the university.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">It is good to be a Lion!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">tvh<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="623" height="129" style="width:6.4916in;height:1.3416in" id="img522693" src="cid:image002.png@01DB98B5.F18B91C0"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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