Thank you for the extraordinary efforts that went into making a challenging spring semester a success and exhibiting professionalism and resiliency in the face of adversity. We are fortunate to have so many outstanding staff members in Enrollment & Academic Services, and I encourage you to recognize your coworkers for their efforts this year with a nomination for the Tradition of Excellence Awards. Nominations are due by July 13.

Speaking of exceptional staff members, congratulations are in order for Dolores Gonzales, Career Center; Gloria Masso, Office of Admissions; and Erin Porter, Scholarships & Financial Aid, who received President’s Meritorious Service awards in the individual category. It is great to see Enrollment & Academic Services staff members recognized on the university level for their contributions to Texas A&M and our students. Thank you for your service and congratulations on being award winners.

We will be holding our second Enrollment & Academic Services Town Hall Zoom meeting on June 12. Join me on Friday at 8:30 a.m. as we discuss the spring semester, current happenings in the division and look forward to the fall. As we continue classes online this summer, our summer enrollment is up 16 percent compared to last year, with 28,094 people enrolled on the fourth day of class this month and 24,228 at this time last year. Thank you for being part of the team that makes these milestones possible.

Gig’em!

Joseph P. Pettibon IIVice President for Enrollment & Academic Services

Howdy!June 2020

President’s Meritorious Service Awards Ceremony10

Enrollment & Academic Services : Summer 2020

June 2020

4

July 2020

EAS Town Hall with Vice President Joe Pettibon

Independence Day

Tradition of Excellence Nominations Due

4-5 Summer II/10-Week Finals

August 2020

16Provost’s Fall Kick-Off and the Tradition of Excellence Awards

12

September 2020

Ring Day25

First Day of Fall Classes19

Summer I Finals

First Day of Summer II Classes

29

30

13

Enrollment & Academic Services : Summer 2020

Dr. Lisa Blazer will join the Division of Enrollment & Academic Services as Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services on July 1.

As a member of the division’s leadership team, she will oversee and support the Office of Admissions, Scholarships & Financial Aid, International Student Services, the AppeltAggieland Visitor Center, the Career Center, and the Office of the Registrar. Blazer will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic enrollment management plan for the university, inclusive of recruitment, retention, and graduation of students at all levels with focus on elevating the academic quality and socioeconomic diversity of enrollment.

“I’m looking forward to working with the Enrollment & Academic Services team and the university community to develop a strategic enrollment plan that will enhance and transform education and student success at Texas A&M University,” Blazer said. “We already have an exceptional and strong history of student success. This is our opportunity to enhance and expand our footprint even more by strategically building on the university's Decade of Excellence. I am thrilled to be a part of the team and ready to continue this incredible legacy into the future! Whoop!”

Blazer has held positions of leadership in higher education in the areas of financial aid, enrollment management, and student affairs. She most recently served as Senior Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation at the University of Texas – San Antonio, leading a new workforce initiative and new enrollment initiatives for the downtown campus.

Blazer earned her Ph.D. in organizational leadership and master of arts administration in organization development from the University of Incarnate Word, San Antonio, and a bachelor of arts degree in piano performance from Missouri Baptist University.

Lisa Blazer Joins A&M Staff

Lisa Blazer

President’s Meritorious Award Recipients RevealedOn May 5, President Michael Young announced the recipients of the 2020 President’s Meritorious Service Awards. An anonymous committee, comprised of representatives from across campus, had the difficult task of selecting the award winners from an extraordinary group of nominees.

The President’s Meritorious Service Awards recognize and reward staff for their commendable service to our great university. Recipients of this highly prestigious award have demonstrated their commitment to the Aggie core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service.

Three members of the Enrollment & Academic Services staff were among the 25 individuals, two supervisors and two teams that received 2020 President’s Meritorious Service Awards.

Congratulations to:Dolores Gonzales, Career Center, Division of Enrollment & Academic ServicesGloria Masso, Office of Admissions, Division of Enrollment & Academic ServicesErin Porter, Scholarships & Financial Aid, Division of Enrollment & Academic Services

All university employees, as well as Chartwells and SSC Service Solutions employees, are invited to the award ceremony honoring these outstanding staff members. The ceremony will be held on Monday, August 10, at 10 a.m. in MSC Bethancourt Ballroom. A reception with refreshments will be held following the ceremony.

Each individual recipient will receive a $1,000 award, a commemorative plaque and a lapel pin. Teams will be recognized with a plaque for departmental display and members of each of the teams will receive an award of $200, a framed certificate of recognition and a lapel pin. Each recipient of the Supervisor Award will receive a $1,500 award, a commemorative plaque and a lapel pin. The President's Meritorious Service Awards program is sponsored by the Office of the President and The Association of Former Students and coordinated by the Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness.

Enrollment & Academic Services : Summer 2020

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Join

Vice President Joe Pettibon

for the Enrollment & Academic Services

Town Hall

June 12, 20208:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m

via Zoom

https://tamu.zoom.us/j/93058573926?pwd=alA3cVNkeUlmdVdXYUtGT

XV5SXlFZz09

Meeting ID: 930 5857 3926

Password: 880153

One tap mobile:

+13462487799,,93058573926# US (Houston)

PITO

Connect with the Team

Microsoft Teams is available for chat, online meetings and collaboration on your TAMU-issued computer. Teams works best on the computer you are in front of (have at home) for everything including meetings and calls.

Go to https://portal.office.com to log into Office 365 and download Teams (and other Office 365 apps if you wish) on your personal devices.

Teams works great on mobile devices. Obtain the app through your mobile device’s app store.

Teams works fine for chat and collaboration only (not calls) on the computer you are remoting into (on campus computer), but PITO advises “Quitting” on your home computer. It doesn’t log you out automatically like Zoom does, and it seems to have an effect on your remote session.

Keep Zooming

Zoom is working fine from remote computers or locally. If you have any sound issues, the PITO Service Desk line, (979) 458-5205, is taking calls. Please leave a message if there is no answer.

Need Help?

ServiceDesk Plus, https://sdp.tamu.edu, will not work on computers that are off campus. If you need assistance with a TAMU-owned computer that is being used off campus, use https://servicedesk.as.tamu.edu instead.

PITO staff are still working requests and have great remote access capabilities on and off campus so please reach out if you are experiencing any issues.

Return to Campus Reminder

As we move back to campus, kiosk keyboards should be removed or put behind the computers and turned off. If you remove keyboards and mice, please label them.

QR codes can be created for signage so visitors can check in with their phones. Please open an SDP request if you need one.

Be safe! PITO’s mission is to help you with your mission!

Enrollment & Academic Services : Summer 2020

Former Student Career Services is actively reaching out to Texas A&M Club leaders and local Reveille Club networking groups to raise awareness of proven resources and tools in place to help Former Students identify, understand and compete for employment opportunities in the “Hidden Job Market.” The team provides networking webinars for Former Students on the First Monday and Third Wednesday of each Month.

Paul Pausky and Debbie Jackson participated in The Association of Former Student’s graduation celebration, creating a short-video spot to highlight Former Student Career Services. Paul was also featured in The Association’s news, speaking about Career Advice in a COVID-19 Environment.

Career CenterSince Spring Break, the Career Center has successfully moved all operations to the virtual environment. Career Center staff had more than 5,000 advising contacts with students, including more than 1,400 appointments and nearly 500 walk-ins. We have also hosted more than 70 programs with more than 3,000 attendees. In addition, we have continued recruiting activities throughout thespring semester, hosting campus interviews and employer presentations virtually. Thank you to all the members of the Career Center staff who worked so hard to make this possible!

The Career Center’s Professional School Advising team has been working closely with the professional programs both in Texas and across the country to collect information about S/U grading policies, acceptance of virtual courses for pre-requisites, and options for entrance exams that have been delayed.

The Career Center staff are continuing to work closely with students who may be unsure about their internship and full-time offers, providing information on best practices, facilitating communication and virtual interviews, and helping those students who have lost their offers. They are also connecting with departments across campus to identify more opportunities for students to gain experience. The Career Center Employment Services team is helping the students who had their offers pulled by directly contacting them and providing more information about Career Center resources and services, distributing their resumes to any approved employer who asked for resumes or who has positions posted within HireAggies. In addition, these students are being connected with their career advisors for further assistance, including support in identifying alternate learning activities that will help them gain experience in their field of interest. Finally, we are continuing our development efforts and connecting with employers nationwide to support all of our students, working with state and national professional organizations, leveraging our collaborations across campus, and using data to identify industries with the greatest potential for growth and hiring.

Taylor Henderson, Amarette Renieri, and Paige Hellman completed a webchat with New Student and Family Programs on April 8 regarding Career Center resources and how programs have adapted virtually in light of COVID-19. More than 200 parent/family members tuned in to the live Zoom and Facebook Live webchat.

Debbie Jackson and Paul Pauskyhelped celebrate Aggie grads in May.

Roland Block, Abdullah Abdul Kader, Amarette Renieri, Brad Collett, and Elizabeth Windon helped support the Student Engineer’s Directed Internship Program this summer and had more than 400 students join their Zoom workshop to learn more.

Marilyn Yeager and Cami Hernandez Merhar were recognized for their length of service during the Career Center’s End of Semester meeting. Cami was recognized for two years of service, and Marilyn received an award for her 15 years of service to the Career Center.

Though the 2020 NASPA Annual Conference was cancelled, Paige Hellman, Whitney Hinze, Taylor Henderson, Amarette Renieri, and former Career Center employees Maritza Garza-Smith and Jasmine Zenn were invited to present “Women Empowering Women in Student Affairs” at the 2020 NASPA Virtual Conference for Emerging Professionals.

Bradley Matthews was asked to do an interview for Texas A&M Diverse Issues for his work with Aggie Allies and LGBTQ+ on campus. His interview will be featured in the June edition.

Several members of the Career Center staff were selected to be Hullabaloo U instructors, including Rachel Ciomperlik, Meredith McDowell, Whitney Hinze, Patti Edgar, Bradley Matthews, Paige Hellman, Amaretter Renieri, Des Wilson, Elizabeth Windon, and Taylor Henderson.

Enrollment & Academic Services : Summer 2020

Dolores Gonzales was recognized twice this semester for her dedication and outstanding service to the Career Center and Texas A&M University, being awarded the Career Center’s Employee of the Semester and the President’s Meritorious Service Awards.

Career Center (continued)

Patricia Alexander supported the Education Career Fair as it moved from a physical to a virtual event, promoting it campus wide and through directing communication to 5,000 College of Education and Human Development students by way of the CEHD Undergraduate Student Council. She also collaborated with the American Association for Education and Employment on preparing for virtual presentations.

Career Center staff members (L to R) Whitney Hinze, Aaron Longoria, and Amarette Renieri are 2020 Fish Camp Namesakes.

Dolores Gonzales

Being recognized for their support in helping Aggies reach their career goals, Aaron Longoria, Whitney Hinze, and Amarette Renieri have been selected as 2020 Fish Camp Namesakes.

Flourish this Summer!

Flourish at Texas A&M is providing virtual programing this summer. A variety of programs are offered for the whole family including group exercise classes, coffee chats, travel exploration, art classes, gardening seminars, cooking demonstrations, support groups and much more. The Flourish calendar is searchable, and each day’s activities are listed on Facebook. Many

programs are recorded and are accessible to fit your schedule.

Learn more at https://flourish.tamu.edu/calendar.

Flourish at Texas A&M | flourish@tamu.edu

Enrollment & Academic Services : Summer 2020

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Parade Held for Erin Porter

Congratulations to Erin Porter for being selected as a 2020 President's Meritorious Service Awards recipient. Some of the Scholarships & Financial Aid staff did a drive-by parade to surprise her with the news.

Rocketbooks Launched

The Scholarships & Financial Aid office at Texas A&M recently received a $2,100 grant from the Aggie Green Fund. This fund is coordinated by the Office of Sustainability, and is given to projects to help students, staff, and faculty implement creative environmental projects on campus. Our Sustainability Committee in Financial Aid submitted a grant request to purchase reusable notebooks called Rocketbooks.

Using an erasable pen and microfiber cloth, these notebooks will be utilized for several years and reduce our budget for Legal Pads and Sticky Notes. The best part about Rocketbooks is the ability to take a picture and upload your notes to a digital platform like iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneNote, or several others. You can also send them via email.

With the grant, the Scholarships & Financial Aid office was able to purchase 65 Rocketbooks. The office also bought multiple pens, cloths, spray bottles, and a few covers to use for business travel. This will be enough for almost all full-time staff members to use in the office.

Scholarships & Financial Aid would like to thank the Office of Sustainability and the Aggie Green Fund for their assistance in purchasing these Rocketbooks! The office of Scholarships & Financial Aid hopes other offices on campus will be inspired to get Rocketbooks as well.

Erin Porter

Rocketbooks are reusable, sustainable notebooks.

By taking a photo, Rocketbooks notes are able to be uploaded for cloud storage.

Enrollment & Academic Services : Summer 2020

Admissions

Reed Named Executive Director of Admissions

Congratulations to Chris Reed who was recently appointed Executive Director of Admissions! Reed served in an interim role since July 2019 overseeing Admissions, Recruitment, Operations, Customer Service, Counseling and International Student Services. With more than 16 years of admissions and enrollment management experience, he holds a master’s in education administration from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s in communications studies/speech communication and rhetoric from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.

While the Coronavirus pandemic has caused uncertainty throughout the admission cycle, under Reed’s outstanding leadership, it isanticipated that Texas A&M University will reach its admissions targets for the year.

Welcome Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2024!

This fall we are preparing to roll out the maroon carpet for more than 11,000 new Aggies! The Admissions office began the 2019-2020 admission cycle with freshman applications reaching near record highs as more than 49,300 students applied for admission. It was an extremely competitive year with just more than 22,800 students offered full admission to the university.

Virtual Admitted Student Events

It’s no secret the past few months have been a rollercoaster of fast changes. Life happens over Zoom and social distancing is now part of our daily vocabulary, but that doesn’t mean the world has stopped moving. In an effort to stay connected with admitted students, the Office of Admissions hosted several virtual activities.

The first-ever virtual admitted student reception for 60 Central Texas admitted students was held on April 23. President Young served the guest speaker and current students participated on a student panel. Everyone received an Aggie wellness box.

On April 24, Texas A&M recruiters safely delivered more than 80 Aggie care packages to admitted students from the Brazos Valley.

Central Texas admitted students who attended the first virtual reception

received an Aggie wellness box.

President Michael Young spoke at the Central Texas welcome reception in April.

Brazos Valley admitted students received care packages in April from A&M recruiters.

Enrollment & Academic Services : Summer 2020

Admissions (continued)

What’s Ahead for 2020-2021

In an effort to help students struggling with the anxiety caused by COVID-19, the Office of Admissions has made some changes to the admissions timelines for the upcoming cycle. The biggest change is pushing back the application opening date. The ApplyTexas and Coalition applications will open August 1 for students applying for the spring and fall 2021 semesters. While the application will open later, the deadlines have not changed…yet. The application deadline is October 15 for spring 2021 and December 15 for fall 2021 admissions. However, because of SAT and ACT test cancellations, freshman applicants will also have the opportunity to submit December test scores to complete their admission file.

Texas A&M Hosts SEC Enrollment Managers Meeting

Representatives from all 14 SEC schools joined TAMU Admissions (virtually) for the annual SEC Enrollment Managers Meeting hosted by Texas A&M’s Office of Admissions. This collaborative group came together to discuss the changing world of higher education and the unique challenges facing enrollment because of the Coronavirus. The meeting was led by Executive Director of Admissions Chris Reed, and topics discussed included: COVID-19 Crisis and Impacts, Campus Visits and a College Board Presentation.

Traditionally, these meetings are an opportunity to showcase the hosting SEC institution; however, since our enrollment management counterparts were not able to come to Texas A&M, we sent a little bit of Aggieland to them. Each attendee received a Gig’em Boxpacked full Aggie swag. One of the topics discussed was whether or not A&M would have the opportunity to host the event again next year on campus. While no final decision was made, all of the attendees seemed excited about the chance to visit Aggieland and enjoy more Texas Aggie Brand jerky from Rosenthal Meat Science & Technology Center.

Enrollment & Academic Services : Summer 2020

Guess the Location

Where can you find this dragon on the Texas A&M

campus?

HINT: Near a famous tree, a replica bell and a dome.

Email your answer to jhancock@tamu.edu

by July 15.

All correct submissions will be entered in a drawing.

Look for the answer and winner in the next EAS Newsletter.

Spring 2020 Newsletter Trivia Winner

Congratulations toHolly Kozlowski

from the Office of the Registrar!

She correctly identified Mirabeau B. Lamar, who is considered the

"Father of Texas Education."

Call for Nominations: Tradition of Excellence Awards

Texas A&M University is known for its traditions, and in that spirit the Division of Academic Affairs is seeking nominations for extraordinary division staff to be honored with Tradition of Excellence Awards.

The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. July 13, 2020.

About the awards:

Established in 1997 with the generous support of the Association of Former Students, Tradition of Excellence Awards recognize and reward superior service in the Division of Academic Affairs. Awards are presented to staff who have made distinguished contributions to Texas A&M University through their outstanding dedication, initiative, achievements, enthusiasm, and attitude in their work. Nominations are now open and can be made by individuals or groups within Texas A&M or the Texas A&M University System. Self-nominations are also accepted.

Help Texas A&M University continue its legacy of recognizing excellence by nominating an exceptional Academic Affairs Division staff member or team.Award categories:

• Tradition of Excellence Staff• Tradition of Excellence Team• Tradition of Leadership Excellence• Tradition of Advancing Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion

Deadline for nominations:July 13 at 5 p.m.

Nomination forms and additional information: For eligibility information, a list of previous recipients and nomination forms, visit: http://provost.tamu.edu/Special-Events/Tradition-of-Excellence-Awards.

Updates for Tradition of Excellence AwardsAll Academic Affairs personnel are invited and encouraged to attend the Provost’s Fall Kick-Off on September 16, 2020. The Tradition of Excellence Awards will be presented at this event. Please make time to nominate employees who embody our values and demonstrate excellence.

Attire: Your best boots and jeans, Western wear or work attire.

Division of Enrollment & Academic Services

Jack K. Williams Administration Building1248 TAMUCollege Station, TX 77843-1248