Undergraduate Educational Initiatives Model
Objective
As the flagship agriculture and land grant institution in Texas, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS) at Texas A&M University is dedicated to creating a pipeline of highly qualified and diverse students and preparing them in the agriculture, food, natural resources and life sciences. To accomplish this, we aggressively recruit high school students that exemplify the A&M reputation of excellence and represent the state’s ethnic diversity. For an illustration of the Undergraduate Educational Initiative, go to page 5 for a better understanding of this comprehensive plan.
Purpose:To matriculate future leaders that represent the state's ethnic diversity, ensure retention and assist in their development for success and community education empowerment. The College will perform these functions by focusing efforts on:
- COALS Outreach
- Educational Development
- Professional Development
Please click on each section of the chart below to view more information.
Closing the Gaps by Moving Every Texan Forward, a state mandated report in 2001 by the office of the governor stated that by the year 2040, 59 percent of the Texas population will be Hispanic, 24 percent will be Anglo, and 8 percent will be Black. By the same year, 67 percent of the college-age population between the ages of 18-24 will be Hispanic.
As the state's demographics change, universities of higher learning must address the issue of ethnic diversity. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, as the flagship agriculture and land grant institution of Texas, is willing to positively address the educational situation of the fastest growing population in Texas. COALS is committed to helping prepare students to become an integral part of the work force of the state's future by fostering a stimulating learning environment of discovery and scholarship that prepares students for leadership roles in our diverse technology-driven society. Our objective is to matriculate future leaders, ensure retention, and assist in their professional development for personal success and community education empowerment. Our ultimate goal is to develop solutions to sustain and improve diversity initiatives at the University-level as well as within the College.
To accomplish this we have developed the COALS Undergraduate Educational Initiative supported by a series of innovative programs aimed at addressing complex diversity issues through systematic programming. The COALS Undergraduate Educational Initiative is made up of three interdependent components: COALS Outreach, Educational Development, and Professional Development. This will include on-going programs developed by COALS as well as collaborative efforts with other TAMU departments. It was developed to address issues associated with retention, student development, community and parent outreach, as well as develop programs for faculty, staff and students in the College.
Keep in mind, many of the departments in the College also are very proactive in their recruitment of students and this model supports their effort. The initiative lays the foundation and is a "road map" for the College to implement programs utilizing COALS faculty, departmental staff, and students.
In pursuit of the missions in COALS and Texas A&M University, this diversity educational initiative will assist us in developing our work and begin a dialogue with leaders to meet the educational needs of underrepresented students. Furthermore, providing students, parents and educational professionals about information and opportunities in agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources is extremely important to the sustainability of the industry we call - agriculture. We hope you join us in the journey of "opening doors" for young people in Texas for Texans.
For additional information, contact
Edward W. RomeroAssistant Dean
Academic Dean's Office
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M University
109 Kleberg Building
College Station, TX 88843-2402
(979) 845-3712
ewromero@tamu.edu
Lilly Sanchez-Saqib
Academic Dean's Office
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M University
109 Kleberg Building
College Station, TX 88843-2402
(979) 845-3712
lsanchez-saqib@ag.tamu.edu
