The Data Behind Student Success at Texas A&M

Student Affairs programs are often centered on goals that include increasing leadership skills or building community. This is easy to see in action when students are engaged in workshops, making connections with new friends or gaining experiences that go on resumes.

The Texas A&M Division of Student Affairs goes beyond these cues to examine the underlying data to understand how students are impacted as a whole. At the core of this work is the division’s department of Student Affairs Planning, Assessment & Research (SAPAR).

As one of the few student affairs assessment offices in the country, SAPAR partners with student organizations and teams across the division to analyze student outcomes. Topics range from professional growth, leadership development, student belonging and wellbeing. From survey design and data collection to analysis and reporting, SAPAR tailors each project so that staff and students can understand a program’s highlights and its opportunities for growth.

Empowering Student Leadership

Every fall and spring semester, Aggies across majors and class years come together for the Level-up-2-Lead Summit. Hosted by the Department of Multicultural Services (DMS), students receive marketable skills and leadership development by participating in interactive workshops and small-group discussions. Through these learning opportunities, students reflect on their leadership styles and personal strengths that can be applied in a group project for class, a student org meeting or even later in their careers.

SAPAR developed a post-event survey to better understand how students perceived their leadership skills and to obtain feedback about the program.

The study found a striking result: Across the fall and spring summits, 98% and 100% of students agreed that the experience helped them identify areas for growth and feel more confident in their ability to lead and influence others.

“Based on student feedback, the department plans to continue offering interactive and application-focused learning experiences,” said Dekia Greene, student development specialist in DMS. “The findings also support continued investment in coaching, workshops and keynote speakers that provide students with practical leadership tools and strategies.”

Tapping into Aggie Core Values

Student Life’s Aggies Choose campaign is an initiative that promotes responsible and safe student alcohol consumption at Texas A&M. With college students facing pressures on what they “should do” to fit in, the campaign encourages students to define success for themselves. By reinforcing personal choice, mutual respect and the Aggie Core Values, the campaign helps students feel empowered to make their own informed decisions on alcohol consumption.

As part of the fall 2025 campaign, SAPAR conducted a pre- and post-survey to identify existing student perceptions of drinking, in addition to evaluating the effectiveness of the campaign’s messaging. The study revealed that many students closely connect alcohol-related decisions with the university’s culture and traditions.

Subsequent outreach activities to students emphasized the role of personal choice and how there are countless ways to be an Aggie without the pressures of drinking. Students learned about the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption, and some committed to a “Party Smart Pledge,” stressing that whether students choose to drink or not, everyone can promote alcohol safety.

“As the campaign moves into the next phase, the team is excited to continue building on that foundation through stronger data collection, message testing and additional research with student populations such as first-year students, student-athletes, and fraternity and sorority students,” said Buck.

A Community for Grad Students

Grad Camp, coordinated by the Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG), fosters connections for graduate and professional students before classes begin.

“Whether it be transitioning from Texas A&M undergrad to a graduate program or adjusting to a new time zone, graduate and professional students are undergoing their own complex transition,” said Dr. Melanie McKoin Owens, assistant director in Student Life.

Welcoming this smaller group of Aggies, Grad Camp introduces Texas A&M resources and creates a space for students to connect.

Since 2009, GPSG has worked with SAPAR to assess the experience of counselors and campers who attend Grad Camp, refining the program to meet the evolving needs of students. Based on feedback from the 2025 Grad Camp, 97% of surveyed students agreed or strongly agreed they were more knowledgeable of Aggie traditions, connected to the Texas A&M graduate community and informed about campus resources. Building on the importance of connections, GPSG decided to add a student panel to share perspectives from a variety of academic disciplines.

This theme of community also shows up in other programs dedicated to graduate and professional school students. SAPAR worked with the Career Center to analyze the effectiveness and student learning of the Individual Development Plan (IDP) Career Exploration series, which is an eight-week summer program that helps master’s and doctoral students map out their career pathways.

From the survey, program participants shared they would have benefited from more engaging breakout sessions. In response, this year’s program incorporated additional breakout sessions and small-group discussions that encouraged collaboration and deeper engagement among students.

“We created and shared a lookbook with information on all of the 80 participants, which facilitated meaningful peer connections,” said Christine Garcia, career development specialist in the Career Center. “Two students in similar graduate programs began working together on assignments for the program and had great conversations as a result.”

By using assessment as a built-in channel for feedback, Texas A&M students and division staff continue to make improvements to programming, ensuring that resources remain effective and relevant to each new class of Aggies. Through a collective commitment to excellence, the Division of Student Affairs delivers the best student experience in the nation, inspiring Aggies to challenge themselves, grow and set out to be a force for good.