Over the past two weeks, the Texas A&M University administration has come under criticism for decisions made without students being consulted ahead of time. I take full responsibility for decisions made within the Division of Student Affairs that did not involve student input in advance. Decisions made without student notification, nor involvement, have led to misinformation and concern among our student body that could easily have been avoided with some open and transparent dialogue with students before decisions were made.

As a former student of Texas A&M, I love my alma mater and value our sacred traditions and all for which our beloved university stands. I also understand the importance of communicating with our students and have learned a hard lesson about what can happen when decisions concerning students are made without student involvement.

Working and collaborating with Texas A&M’s incredible students are the reason why I am at Texas A&M as the new Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA). I truly care about our students and endeavor every day to do all I can to help make their A&M experience as rich and rewarding as mine was when I was a student. But I obviously must do better at communicating with our students – especially when decisions I make involve them directly.

It's been said by many — “to whom much is given, much is required.” I have tried to live by that standard my entire career, whether leading military service members in both peacetime and war, or serving students at my alma mater for the past 11 years. I am committed to ensuring that the mistakes I have made in communicating with students in my early tenure as the VPSA are not repeated in the future. I have learned from these mistakes and will strive to be more intentional about collaborating with students in future decisions.

I value our students at Texas A&M, and pledge to do all I can to continue to serve them to the best of my ability every day. I hope we can move forward together as a university, and continue to make Texas A&M the best place in the nation to live, learn and grow.