This study explores how the unique history, culture, and traditions of Texas A&M University shape students’ perceptions and understandings of diversity and diversity programs. I examine these issues through participant observation of Texas A&M’s football traditions and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with members of the student body. In response to increased media scrutiny, public pressure, and scholastic competition, the current administration has embraced a number of aggressive initiatives to increase diversity among members of the student body. The collision between decades of tradition and the administration’s vision for the future has given rise to tension between members of the student body and the administration, which I argue is due, at least in part, to the culture that began developing at Texas A&M during the middle of the twentieth century as students began reacting to the prospect of change. I conclude that this historical and cultural context continues to impact modern campus life through students’ dedication to tradition. In addition, I suggest that current students tend to assign different meanings and values to the concepts of both tradition and diversity than either faculty members or administrators do, creating tensions that have not been comprehensively examined or understood within the context of the Texas A&M community. Based on these findings, I suggest that proponents of diversity can improve the diversity project at Texas A&M University by giving students more responsibility for diversity programs, emphasizing the process (rather than the results) of diversification, attempting to eradicate all forms of intolerance and injustice on campus, and insisting on a policy of mutual respect.

Lindner, Murphy, and Wingenbach (2002), noted that agricultural education's core is communication because it is the component that spreads a variety of ideas to a large group of people and is the essential form of education needed for scholarship. Research is needed to ensure that agricultural education students are taught to write, effectively and efficiently, an argument paper that establishes the following components: coherence, audience awareness, argument, summary, sources, and grammar. The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine if the writing competencies of the Doc@Distance graduate students have changed or improved based on the recommendations made in a previous study. A census of the Doc@Distance students was taken for this study. Thirty students submitted an argument writing sample that they wrote during the orientation week of their program in August 2003. The conclusions of this study found that 68.8% of the 2004 Doc@Distance Cohort suggested inadequacy in writing an argument paper, and 71.4% of the 2007 Doc@Distance Cohort suggested inadequacy in writing an argument paper. Ending Cohort `04 demonstrated weakness in coherence, argument, summary, and grammar. Beginning Cohort `07 demonstrated weakness in coherence, audience awareness, summary, and grammar. As a result of this study, it is recommended that a follow-up study be conducted on Cohort `07 in two years to determine if writing abilities for argument papers have changed and to assess the overall changes in argument-writing for this cohort. It is recommended that a study be conducted on Cohort `10 upon admission to determine their argument-writing ability. Ending Cohort `07 and Beginning Cohort `10 should be tested to determine if a difference exists between students completing the program and students entering the program. It is recommended that undergraduate agricultural education students be tested to determine their argument-writing competencies. It is recommended to compare and contrast on-campus agricultural education students and distance education students at Texas A&M University. Finally, it is recommended that Cohorts `07 and `10 be evaluated on their competencies to write data reports, narratives, and informative and research analysis papeers.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Texas A & M University, 2004. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 31, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-179).

The purpose of this research is to see if the peer mentors make a difference in the leadership development of students, their feelings about peer mentors, the Leadership Living Learning Community, and their acclimation to Texas A&M University. Leadership is defined as an interaction between members of a group in which individuals, in the name of the group, act as agents of change, persons whose acts affect other people more than other peoples’ actions affect them. The five leadership skills studied were working in groups, positional leadership, communication, decision-making, and understanding self. A post-then methodology was utilized with self-reporting as the process by which data was collected following completion of an academic leadership learning community. The findings from years one and two participants were computed individually and then compared to see if the addition of peer mentors during the second year yielded any significant findings. The major findings for this study were as follows: Year one participants in the learning community indicated improved leadership skills after participation in the learning community for the first semester, as measured by the Leadership Skills Inventory. In addition, year two participants in the learning community indicated a similar increase of leadership skills after the first semester. Year one participants indicated a more statistically significant increase when compared to year two on their leadership skills on the individual questions, while year two participants were found to have more statistically significant findings relating to the five leadership skills or Leadership Skills Inventory scales. Responses by year two participants indicated that the peer mentors who helped them were supportive, gave positive feedback, were good role models, were knowledgeable about Texas A&M University, were easy to communicate with, and did not use peer pressure to persuade them to do anything negative.

Currently, many researchers and stakeholders believe that effective delivery systems for construction projects are key to improving project quality and value in the construction industry. Therefore, it is important that owners use the best project delivery system because there are significant consequence due to differences in contracting processes and roles and responsibilities among contracting parties. For the reason, this research aims to compare the efficiency of DB with that of CMAR, as two methods used to select or deny expectations, specifically through quantitative and qualitative analysis. In order to do that, the researcher identified performance data and benefits, drawbacks, and success factors of DB and CMAR through survey and case projects and also analyzed performance data collected from two case projects. Consequently, owners will be able to understand characteristics, differences, and success factors of two different PDSs based on the comparative study. Furthermore, this research could be used to develop a decision support system for owners to select an appropriate PDS.

This report is an in-depth analysis of the media coverage of the 1999 collapse of the Texas A&M Bonfire. The report also provides insight, through extensive interviews with journalists involved in the coverage, of how reporters handle the personal emotions associated with tragedy reporting. Through the interviews, I paint a picture of what it was like to arrive on the scene in College Station on Nov. 19, 1999 and detail some of the different strategies and philosophies journalists used to cover the event. The final part of the report is dedicated to exploring the relationship between media and communities in tragedy. The Bonfire collapse and the Columbine school shootings in Littleton, Colo., serve as case studies to analyze the effect of media on a community and vice versa. To conclude, the report attempts to paint a picture of the reality of the Bonfire coverage – its difficulties, its successes and, in some areas, where the media failed. / text

In recent decades, the use of construction manager-at-risk (CMAR) has surged as an innovative construction project delivery method in comparison to traditional competitive bid procurement methods. The conceptual pros and cons of the method are widely accepted throughout the construction industry; however, very little quantitative research exists validating such beliefs. The study presented in this technical paper empirically compares the performance of CMAR to that of the more traditional method of competitive sealed proposal (CSP) in the construction of higher educational facilities. In a study of 33 projects constructed by The Texas A&M University System, 19 procured using CMAR and 14 procured using CSP, observed results show a reduction in schedule growth and change order quantity when using CMAR over CSP. However, additional results show that CSP is more apt to result in decreased project and construction costs than CMAR. Business practices of The Texas A&M University System, statistical significance testing of research data, and practical applications of research findings are included.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Texas A&M University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-130). Also available online.

Thesis advisor: Philip G. Altbach / Thesis advisor: Karen D. Arnold / Over 200 international branch campuses (IBCs) currently exist globally and the number continues to rise (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). This study examines the strategy, structure, and motivation behind a single American IBC--Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ). Drawing from organizational theory and international higher education literature, this research reveals important considerations for institutions developing or currently operating IBCs. Findings stemmed from 27 in-depth qualitative interviews with faculty and administrators from the branch campus in Qatar, the main campus in Texas, and the host country sponsor. Multiple factors contributed to Texas A&M being poised and ready to accept the opportunity to open an international branch campus: an invitation from a host country sponsor willing to cover all expenses, existing international ambitions, and strong support from the central administration. The inception period leading up to the opening of the branch campus proved crucial for success. University administrators wisely developed buy-in among campus constituencies, negotiated important contract stipulations with the host country, ensured that the institution's existing structure could reasonably support such an endeavor, and assessed whether Qatar was a good fit. The early years of TAMUQ resembled a startup organization. The pioneering team of faculty and staff brought an entrepreneurial spirit necessary to build the institution, but they operated largely independent from the home campus in Texas. A later push for greater ties with the main campus was difficult but important for progress. Since TAMUQ is a derivative of the main campus, administrators had to consider the degree to which they would replicate and adapt various institutional elements. Academically, the curriculum is only modified slightly, but course content and pedagogy are adapted more heavily in response to the unique needs of the student population. Hiring faculty with experience teaching on the main campus is considered an important way to maintain quality, yet administrators consistently struggle to recruit faculty. Unlike other IBCs, TAMUQ has developed a robust research program through the financial support of the host country sponsor. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

This thesis is the about the life of Rudder. The emphasis of this work, however, is that Rudder was successful primarily because of his character and leadership style. Much of the study was drawn from primary sources. Secondary sources were also consulted. This thesis opens with a brief Introduction, which discusses the need for this work. Chapter 1 discusses Rudder's life prior to WW II, emphasizing particular characteristics that benefited his leadership ability. Chapter 2 examines the 2nd Ranger Battalion's transformation under Rudder's leadership and guidance. Chapter 3 chronicles the 2nd Ranger Battalion's assault on the Pointe du Hoc battery, ending in December 1944, when Col. Rudder was reassigned to the 109th Infantry Regiment. Moreover, the controversy surrounding the Ranger's mission is also examined in this chapter. Chapter 4 describes Col. Rudder's leadership with the 109th in the Battle of the Bulge. A chapter accounting Rudder's political career and leadership follows. Chapter 6 examines his term as chancellor and president of the Texas A&M University system, until his death in 1970, and the major institutional changes that he enacted during his tenure, which resulted in A&M becoming the respected research university it is today. This significance and recapitulation of Rudder's life and leadership will follow in the Conclusion.