Diversity and Inclusion
At Texas A&M University, we believe diversity is an indispensable component of academic excellence. Everything from classroom discussions to research topics are viewed through a fuller lens when students and faculty form varying ethnic heritages, socioeconomic backgrounds, geographic residencies and cultural experiences are part of the conversation. The Graduate and Professional School facilitates several awards, professional development opportunities and research models to create and maintain a climate that affirms diversity of persons as well as a diversity of views.
You can learn more about how we support diversity in graduate and professional studies at Texas A&M on this page, or you can visit the Office for Diversity page for more university-wide initiatives and resources.
A Message from the Dean
Dr. Fuhui Tong
Interim Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional
School
Diversity among our graduate student body is essential for Texas A&M to continue its ascent into the upper echelon of the world's graduate schools and for us to foster the creativity, discovery and innovation we need to meet tomorrow's most pressing challenges.
Fuhui Tong, Ph.D.
2020
Higher Education Excellence In Diversity (Heed) Award
Insight Into Diversity, 2020
2020
Diversity Champion, 2 Years Running
Insight Into Diversity, 2020
Up to $10k
Awarded For Each Diversity Matters Seed Grant
Office of Diversity
Diverse Voices Share Their Stories
Aggie Voice
Aggie Women in Entomology - Promoting Women in STEM
Now more than ever, diversity and inclusion are important to foster and consider. Aggie Women in Entomology (AWE) is just the organization to do so. AWE aims to provide opportunities for women to develop their skills in leadership, mentorship, and excellence. AWE is open to undergraduates, graduates, postdocs, and faculty. Allies of women are also welcome. I spoke with the current president of AWE and PhD student, Jaclyn Martin. She said that AWE benefits its members in many ways such as providing opportunities such as organizing a symposium to highlight women’s research at the Annual Entomological Society of America’s national meeting. This symposium is an excellent way to give AWE members a chance to invite, correspond, and network with other women in STEM (particularly with a focus on entomology). When asked, she said that her favorite part of being in AWE is working with peers in entomology and other STEM fields. She gets to meet other fabulous women scientists. Additio
Aggie Voice
International Teaching Aggies
I have always been passionate about teaching and that is what sent me to Texas A&M University to pursue a PhD in English Literature with a specialization in Shakespeare pedagogy. I taught briefly as an assistant teacher at the University of Ghana, Legon before coming to A&M for my PhD training. One of the reasons I picked the A&M program was its emphasis on teaching training. Unlike other universities, A&M’s English PhD built into its core program an extensive teaching system for all PhD students, and from your first semester to your last (if you don’t get a dissertation fellowship) you will be given the opportunity to explore your teaching potential and improve on the rough edges before you go into the job market. So, I picked A&M because I knew I will have ample opportunity to hone my teaching skills for life as a full-time professor after I am done with my program.
Diversity by the Numbers: Demographic Data
A commitment to diversity means a commitment to the inclusion, welcome and support of individuals from all groups, encompassing the various characteristics of persons in our community. Theses characteristics include race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, socioeconomic background, religion, sexual orientation and disability. As we harness the power of diversity, we will provide students, faculty and staff a university experience rich in perspectives and opportunities to learn from each other.
Recruitment Partnerships
Texas A&M cultivates partnerships with minority-serving institutions to improve recruitment efforts among students from underrepresented groups. These include the FAMU Feeder Program, TAMUCC, the GEM Fellowship and many more.
Explore PartnershipsCampus Climate Survey Data
Results from the 2016 Graduate Student Campus Climate Survey
In the spring of 2016, the Graduate and Professional School partnered with the Graduate Student Campus Climate Guiding Committee to facilitate the second assessment of university-wide graduate student campus climate. All master's and doctoral students (College Station campus) were invited to take the survey, and a total of 1,532 (12%) of enrolled graduate students responded. The 2016 survey results helped identify strengths and challenges related to graduate student campus climate.
Diversity & Excellence in Aggie Life
Highlights from the HEED Award celebration where Texas A&M was recognized as a Diversity Champion.
Celebrating & Supporting Diversity
Funding
Texas A&M's Graduate and Professional School is committed to recruiting and supporting underrepresented students throughout their graduate and professional education. Providing financial awards to acknowledge excellence and ensure students can focus on their studies is a key aspect of that support.
Avilés-Johnson Fellowship
Previously named the Graduate Diversity Excellence Fellowship, the Dr. Dionel Avilés '53 and Dr. James Johnson '67 Graduate Fellowship Program seeks to increase the diversity of the graduate student population at Texas A&M University. The program is named for Dr. Dionel Avilés and Dr. James Johnson, who became the first Hispanic-American and African-American, respectively, to earn a PhD at Texas A&M University, The Fellowship program also aims to support the development of high-achieving scholars who show promise for distinguished careers and whose lives, research experiences and/or employment backgrounds will contribute significantly to academic excellence at Texas A&M and will maximize the educational benefits of diversity for all students.
Pathways-To-The-Doctorate
Pathways-to-the-Doctorate is an initiative borne out of the Texas A&M Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CDEI). CDEI created a Pathways-to-the-Doctorate Committee and charged it with creating initiatives to boost applications from -- and the enrollment of -- students from underrepresented populations in Texas A&M graduate and professional programs. To accomplish this goal, the Pathways-to-the-Doctorate Committee created Collaboration Grants and Fellowships.
Learn more about the Pathways-to-Doctorate Fellowships Committee
Learn more about the Commision on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Learn More about Pathways-to-the-Doctorate Collaboration Grants and Fellowships Explore Funding OpportunitiesResearch Models
Texas A&M's commitment to increasing diversity in graduate and professional programs and academia extends past our campus. We pursue grants and partnerships that allow us to develop replicable, transportable, evidence-based models for sustainable strategies to remove barriers for students from underrepresented populations who are earning advanced degrees.
Resources for Current Students
Featured Student Affairs Resources
The Division of Student Affairs at Texas A&M includes 17 departments that are dedicated to inspiring and preparing students for a life of learning, leadership, service and citizenship in a global society. Supporting diversity and inclusion is a focal point for many of these departments, because fostering a community that embraces our differences strengthens outcomes for all students.
Multicultural Services
The Department of Multicultural Services provides multiple educational and developmental services for underrepresented and underserved racial and ethnic populations, and diversity education programs that foster inclusive learning environment for all students.
LGBTQ+ Pride Center
The LGBTQ+ Pride Center at Texas A&M University strives to create a thriving environment supporting the success of every student through the education, advancement and championing of the broad spectrum of sexual, affectional and gender identities in the spirit of the Aggie Core Values.
Women's Resources Center (WRC)
The WRC strives to enhance the campus climate for women through visibility, advocacy, support and programming. The Center advocates by educating campus and community constituencies on women’s issues and functions as a resource and referral center.
Disability Resources
Disability Resources offers accommodations coordination, evaluation referral, disability-related information, assistive technology services, sign language interpreting and transcription services for academically related purposes.
Veterans Resources and Support Center
The Don & Ellie Knauss Veteran Resource & Support Center provides personalized and notable support to all Aggie student veterans and military-affiliated dependents by identifying, developing and delivering uniquely tailored resources and programs.
ACE Awards
The ACE Awards acknowledge and honor students, faculty and staff who demonstrate a commitment to the Texas A&M core value of RESPECT by promoting respectful treatment of others, affirming and encouraging individuals to take pride in their social and cultural identities, and including all their definitions of the "Aggie Family."
Find A Constituent Network
It's never too early to start exploring how you can stay connected with Texas A&M after you complete your program. There are Constituent Networks for every interest -- find one that resonates with you to learn how to get involved.
Connect With A NetworkFeatured Office For Diversity Resources
The Office for Diversity provides resources and tools for individuals, groups and units who support inclusion at Texas A&M. You can visit their website to learn more about their mission to advance accountability, campus climate and equity across the university while resisting racism, bias and discrimination.
Diversity Matters Seed Grants
For students, faculty, and staff
The Diversity Matters Seed Grant program supports research projects designed to make a positive impact on Texas A&M University’s Diversity Plan goals of accountability, campus climate and equity.
ACES Fellows
For Early Career Scholars
Texas A&M University’s Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Fellows Program promotes the research, teaching, and scholarship of early career scholars who embrace the belief that diversity is an indispensable component of academic excellence.
ADVANCE Scholars
For Faculty
The ADVANCE Scholars Program is a faculty mentoring program designed to promote and advance the success of tenure-track faculty who have been historically underrepresented at Texas A&M University and in higher education.