Texas A&M University Faculty Affairs

Updates for the Week of: August 3, 2026

What's New
Upcoming Deadlines
Upcoming Opportunities

Faculty & Leadership Development Opportunities

Faculty Affairs

Center for Teaching Excellence

Office of Distance and Digital Education

Award Opportunity Information & Deadlines

To support your unit in developing a culture of recognition or to get tips on applying for award, view the Awards 101 Faculty Development Series recording

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.

 

SAPs & University Rules Open for Comment

None currently.