Texas A&M University-Texarkana is one of 19 colleges and universities from around the United States that has been invited to participate in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) led Student Success Equity Intensive. This transformational experience, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is specifically for institutions committed to student success and closing equity gaps for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students.
TAMUT’s Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Kathryn Montgomery and Assistant Vice President for Student Success Liz Patterson are serving as Campus Team Leads for this important program. This initiative requires campus-wide commitment to addressing systemic challenges and identifying solutions for enhancing equitable student outcomes. Starting this fall, Texas A&M University-Texarkana will work with a cohort of institutions on identifying and closing equity gaps for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students. The TAMUT team will work together to understand students’ experiences, review data, and engage others on campus in transformation. The team will also receive personalized coaching from AASCU that is aligned with the university’s current needs and specific goals.
“Texas A&M University-Texarkana is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all that we do as an institution,” said A&M-Texarkana President Dr. Emily Cutrer. “Being selected to participate in this initiative is an honor, and we look forward to partnering with the AASCU and the other institutions as we learn how to improve the experience and success of all Texas A&M University-Texarkana students.”
The 19 institutions selected to participate in the program represent rural, urban, and suburban areas across the country. Of those, 11 are Hispanic-serving institutions and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions. The selected institutions serve 228,843 students, with an average Pell Grant eligibility of 42%.
