The Texas A&M University Faculty Senate recently voted to support a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program called ACES.
The “Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellows Program is a faculty hiring program that connects early-career faculty … with relevant disciplinary units on campus,” according to the Texas A&M Office for Diversity website.
A recent lawsuit was filed that claimed the ACES program unlawfully used public funds and discrimination to hire faculty members, Austin Journal reported.
Faculty senators debated and voted 54-12 in support of the ACES program, confirming a commitment to Texas A&M’s DEI goals, according to Komo News.
Adam Kolasinski, a finance professor at Texas A&M and a member of the Faculty Senate, commented on the vote, Komo News reported.
“I believe that voting on or even debating this resolution is extremely unwise because one of the programs it endorses is subject to litigation,” Kolasinski said. “Weighing in on a program that is subject to litigation whose outcome is highly uncertain is an extremely bad idea, as we are not [a] court and we are not lawyers.”
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at Texas A&M released a report which found that the campuses fell short on hiring a more diverse faculty from 2015 to 2019.
“As an institution, Texas A&M has added a mandatory question to faculty and staff applications regarding ways they will work to value DEI for applicants,” a portion of the report read. “A question for reference checks now addresses this question as well. These are small steps, but more is needed to help ensure that DEI is valued on the campus, particularly when it comes to hiring faculty and staff.”
The Texas A&M Office for Diversity website addressed the issue.
“From this experience at Texas A&M, fellows should develop an understanding of the value of diversity and inclusion and the power that it holds for students, faculty, and staff to enrich their lives,” the website noted. “… Texas A&M upholds its responsibility to accountability, campus climate, equity, and scholarship by maintaining a campus that affirms equity and fosters inclusion and belonging.”
ACES professors are intended to become tenure-track faculty.
A June 2021 memo sent from Annie McGown, vice president and associate provost for diversity at Texas A&M, and N. K. Anand, vice president for faculty affairs, to all deans noted that the university allocated $2 million in funds for the ACES program.
“The presence of faculty of color is also integral to the university’s mission to provide the highest quality of undergraduate and graduate education and develop new understandings through research and creativity,” the memo read in part.
Many colleges under the Texas A&M system have DEI groups and committees. Texas A&M-Commerce, Texas A&M Kingsville, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and Texas A&M-San Antonio have DEI committees or DEI offices that focus on implementing the Texas A&M University System Strategic Plan within their respective colleges.
Whether the ACES program will expand to all Texas A&M campuses is unclear.
“In new hires, increase by 100% the diversity of our faculty to better reflect the diversity of our student body,” the strategic plan for 2020 to 2025 for Texas A&M reads in the Faculty Key Performance Indicators section. “Increase by 50% the retention of women faculty on the tenure track to better reflect the diversity of our student body,” it continues.
“Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment for all visitors, students, faculty, and staff by promoting a culture that embraces inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability,” the university said on its website. “Diverse perspectives, talents, and identities are vital to accomplishing our mission and living our core values.”
