Texas A&M University Faculty Affairs

Updates for the Week of: September 28, 2026

What's New
Upcoming Opportunities
Upcoming Deadlines

Faculty & Leadership Development Opportunities

Faculty Affairs
Please share campuswide development opportunities with faculty - Texas A&M Faculty Development Opportunities for September and October

Award Opportunity Information & Deadlines

NOTE: External Awards | Faculty Affairs Changes to External Prestigious Awards Incentives are included in updated Guidelines on the Faculty Affairs website.    

  • FY 2027-2028 Faculty Development Leave (FDL) - Call for applications distributed to Deans and the Council for Faculty Affairs Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Dean-approved applications are due to Faculty Affairs FDL portal October 1, 12:00 p.m. Please encourage your eligible faculty to apply and ensure they are aware of your college/department specific due dates. The FDL function within the Faculty Affairs portal is expected to open no later than July 1, 2026.

Please note new language within the guidelines and questions/certifications within the portal have been added to speed the export control review process and to ensure faculty recognize their responsibilities relative to activities that require Huron reporting. No requirements have changed, rather the guidelines and portal more explicitly state requirements that have been missed or misunderstood in some cases recently. 

Announcements & Reminders

Faculty Hiring and Evaluation

UPDATED! Required H-1B contingency language:

This message provides an update to the guidance shared on February 10, 2026, regarding updates to the H-1B fee contingency language included in faculty appointment letters. 

Effective immediately, please update the H-1B fee contingency language included in the Employment Eligibility and Contingencies section of (1) faculty appointment letters for new hires and (2) faculty appointment letters associated with reclassification.

Action Required: 

Please begin using the updated language below. This language replaces any prior H-1B fee contingency language provided by Faculty Affairs.

Updated Required H-1B Contingency Language (Effective Immediately)

Your employment at Texas A&M University may require nonimmigrant sponsorship. A Presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025, imposes a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025. Texas A&M University will NOT pay this fee. If the fee is imposed on your petition, this offer of employment will be revoked. If actions taken during your employment result in the imposition of this fee, your employment will be terminated. To the extent that this statement conflicts with any applicable System or member Policy, Regulation, or Rule, this statement will control. We recommend that you consult with your private immigration counsel at your own expense regarding potential implications. 

All faculty appointment letters submitted for Faculty Affairs approval after April 17, 2026, must include the updated statement above.

Please remember that offer letters must be reviewed by Faculty Affairs before being presented to candidates. Not doing so results in significant delays in the hire and increases the administrative load on all involved.

 

Administrative

There are several opportunities for faculty to learn accessibility best practices including through the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Accessibility Innovator Network and Level Access, which provides statewide accessibility training covered by the State of Texas. The Level Access Academy account is free and can be requested through the statewide digital accessibility officer by emailing  statewideaccessibility@dir.texas.gov. Academy on-demand trainings can be searched by role, by topic, and by duration, and any training completion details can be added to a TrainTraq transcript for verification. It is also recommended that faculty take System Course  2114218: Digital Accessibility Awareness  within TrainTraq.