Faculty Advocacy

Texas A&M University supports faculty teaching and research through advocacy measures including academic freedom, shared governance, transparency and equitable working environments, among others. In collaboration with the Faculty Ombuds Officer, the Associate Provost for Faculty Advocacy seeks to amplify faculty voices and advocate for meaningful faculty representation on committees, governing bodies, and in departments and colleges.

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Roles of the Faculty Ombuds Officer and Associate Provost for Faculty Advocacy

Both the Texas A&M Faculty Ombuds Officer and and the Associate Provost for Faculty Advocacy are here to support the Texas A&M faculty. Although the roles for both positions are related, and may at times overlap, there are distinctions that are important to highlight.  

• As defined by the position at Texas A&M University, the Texas A&M Faculty Ombuds Officer serves as an independent, confidential, and impartial resource for faculty. In this capacity, the ombuds officer is working with individual faculty members (or possibly a small group) to resolve problems or complaints related to workplace conflicts. If a resolution cannot be achieved, the ombuds officer may refer that person to another office or otherwise provide the faculty member with information regarding their options for additional actions they can take.

• The Associate Provost for Faculty Advocacy has a broader mission. Although this position will work with individual faculty members if they have concerns or complaints related to being a faculty member, one focus will be to work with faculty and administrators to identity possible patterns of behavior within a unit (e.g., climate), structural issues (processes or procedures), or campus-wide issues (workload, academic freedom, shared governance). 

We do not expect faculty to know which of us to come to see to address an issue that you are having. If you have a concern but are unsure who to see, reach out to us both. Contact either or both of us, and we will figure the issue out with you. It is very likely that some issues require the services of both offices.

Additional Faculty Support

Faculty Ombuds

The Faculty Ombuds Officer serves as an independent, confidential, and impartial resource for faculty. The primary responsibility of the ombuds officer is to raise and clarify issues and concerns, identify opinions, and request assistance to informally resolve workplace conflicts.

Faculty Accountability & Responsibility

Faculty Affairs provides guidance and support to faculty who experience issues within their roles associated with the university. Whether internally or through the formation of peer evaluators, Texas A&M faculty should feel confident in the advocacy framework built to support them.

Academic Freedom Council

The Academic Freedom Council is an advisory body primarily responsible for evaluating complaints or grievances that pertain to academic freedom and provide advice and feedback to the provost and the president by identifying, reviewing, and reporting on problems concerning academic freedom both locally and nationally.