Texas A&M

Dr. Kathy Banks Becomes 26th President Of Texas A&M University

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The vice chancellor and dean of engineering begins the top job June 1.

By Texas A&M University System Communications Staff

MARCH 31, 2021

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Wednesday confirmed M. Katherine Banks as the 26th President of Texas A&M University.

Dr. Banks, currently Vice Chancellor of Engineering and National Laboratories and Dean of the Texas A&M College of Engineering, assumes her duties June 1.

President Banks also will carry the title Vice Chancellor of National Laboratories and National Security Strategic Initiatives because of her continued involvement with Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Bush Combat Development Complex at the RELLIS Campus.

Dr. Banks, who has led engineering for the past decade, was selected after a national search led by Elaine Mendoza and Tim Leach, Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Regents, and a 15-member search committee.

“After a robust national search, which drew top-notch, competitive candidates, our Board today unanimously confirmed Dr. Katherine Banks as the next President of Texas A&M University,” Chairman Mendoza said. “With her decade of accomplishments evident right here on campus, Dr. Banks will be ready and able to move forward from day one. Texas A&M is a great university and under her leadership, we are expecting it to be even greater; we are excited to see this next chapter unfold.”

“We have all worked with Dr. Banks for many years and we know what she has done to transform our engineering college, which this week the U.S. News & World Report ranked as the best in Texas,” said Chancellor John Sharp. “Dr. Banks is going to do for the university what she has already done for engineering.  She is going to be a great president.”

“I am truly honored that the Board of Regents has selected me to be the next president of this great university,” said Dr. Banks. “Crucial listening sessions will begin soon with key stakeholders across campus and beyond to gather perspectives concerning the issues, challenges, and opportunities that we face today. I look forward to working together as we take Texas A&M University to new levels of preeminence.”

Texas A&M Ranked No. 3 In National Free Speech Survey

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The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) releases 2020 College Free Speech Rankings.

By Veronica Gonzalez Hoff, Texas A&M University Division of Student AffairsOCTOBER 9, 2020

Texas A&M University ranked No. 3 in the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s (FIRE) survey of college students about their experiences with free speech on campus. FIRE collaborated with RealClearEducation and College Pulse to conduct the survey at 55 colleges nationwide.

Nearly 20,000 students enrolled in four-year degree programs responded from April 1 to May 28. According to the survey report, the rankings take into account the varied dimensions of free expression on campus.

“For an academic community to thrive, it is vital to constantly recommit ourselves to free speech and independent inquiry,” said Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young. “This is not a destination, but rather a journey that requires continual effort. The latest FIRE rankings confirm that we continue to take steps in the right direction. They are also tribute to the hard work of Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Daniel Pugh and his staff, as well as so many other members of our university community, whose daily dedication ensures that Texas A&M remains a place where we can have an open exchange of ideas and opinions.”

Five components were considered to create the scale used for ranking:

  • Openness to have difficult conversations
  • Tolerance for controversial speakers
  • Administrative support for free speech
  • Self-expression
  • FIRE’s Speech Code Rating

The rankings are designed to help prospective students and parents choose the college for them.

“All of Texas should be proud of Texas A&M University. We have worked hard to reaffirm and grow our commitment to free speech and the First Amendment,” Pugh said. “There is still much work to be done but we will continue moving forward.”

Eight of the top 10 institutions in the study also earned the highest “green light” rating for their free speech policies in FIRE’s annual Spotlight on Speech Codes report.

Texas A&M University is the first and only university in the state to earn the highest rating for free speech from FIRE. Texas A&M’s “green light” rating indicates that its written policies do not imperil student or faculty free speech. FIRE’s Spotlight database rates more than 450 colleges and universities based on the degree to which their policies protect or curtail free speech.

Texas A&M University also published a new First Amendment website this semester as part of the ongoing effort to emphasize the importance of First Amendment rights on campus under the U.S. Constitution. The new website highlights expressive activity on campus and expresses the commitment from the university to promote an environment where all five First Amendment freedoms are valued and recognized.

The website contains various resources and information related to expressive activity and policies on campus, how to file grievances related to the First Amendment on campus, and details about Texas Senate Bill 18, passed in 2019, which addresses the importance of free expression on campus.

FIRE is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending liberty, freedom of speech, due process, academic freedom, legal equality, and freedom of conscience on America’s college campuses.

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