Let me try to interpret for those that are not familiar with corporate bullshiitise, the language that this report was written in.
I will start with the loudest message, at the end of the reports high-level findings, which is the clearest and loudest. Every other recommendation is a way to enact this one.
Quote:
Large portions of the interview and survey audiences were conflicted about the university's culture and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Some survey respondents believe the DEI efforts are ineffective, resulting in an inability to recruit underrepresented student, faculty, and staff populations. Others have questions about the effectiveness of resources invested in DEI that could be used to invest broadly in education-focused endeavors for the entire student population. High-level recommendations:
Invest in recruitment efforts by creating an Office of Undergraduate Recruitment. The office should be overseen by the new Academic and Strategic Collaborations unit, which will work to increase engagement with both the local community and Texas at large. Clear success metrics must be defined and reported regularly.
Ensure Student Affairs focuses on its critical role in the development of the whole student. Students who participate in Student Affairs programs and services should expect to become well-trained leaders, understand the value of being accountable to the larger campus community, and uphold the Aggie Core Values.
Message: we have told you before, DEI is the new way of the future. You didn't listen. Now, we are about to bring the hammer.
1) The Academic and Strategic Collaborations unit will screen every applicant for job postings to make sure that they are compliant with our DEI policies. You WILL NOT hire another teacher or professor without their seal of approval. Dissent from the office of the president will not be tolerated.
2) You WILL meet our DEI quotas. Unsatisfactory performance on these quotas will be reported directly to Emperor Sharp.
3) Student leadership positions WILL be held by DEI favored students. Students WILL be indoctrinated with the importance of DEI. The Aggie Core Value WILL include DEI as the most important things to Aggie Honor. Emperor Sharp has said so. It must be done.
Quote:
The consultant team consistently found the university's operational structure is decentralized, resulting in ineffective use of talent and resources.
We need to get rid of a lot of middle-management administrators. Also, the central office of the University needs more power. Why? Oh, you know why.
Quote:
Strengthen the effectiveness and consistency of the overall operational structure by expanding the role of the President's office.
The President's office is about to transfer a lot of favored administrators out of college budgets and into the presidents office. Also, historic bastions of power, like, for example, the Office of Research, are about to lose a lot of decision making authority. How much depends totally on you, Mr. / Mrs. / Xhe Dean.
Quote:
Centralize the Information Technology, Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness, Facilities, Marketing and Communications, and Finance units across the university to increase effectiveness and clarify responsibilities.
College deans are about to lose a lot of power when it comes to decisions about IT, HR, staffing hierarchy, major lab equipment purchases, building hours, raising money for buildings, and independent budgeting. All your base are belong to us. Don't piss us off.
Quote:
Inconsistent transparency and a lack of strong operational analytics and performance metrics across units, colleges, and campuses creates operational inefficiencies as well as unclear responsibility and accountability necessary for operational success.
...
Gather data on day-to-day operations of operational units and implement a system of continuous improvement build on performance analytics to understand where misalignment or ineffective use of resources exists.
The office of the President is about to start looking over the shoulder of college deans much more rigorously. The head of performance management in the Office of the President is about to become one of the most powerful positions on campus, from a political perspective. We don't like some of you. You WILL give us more ammo to help get rid of you if we want to. You will assist us with this.
Quote:
Centralize the Division of Marketing and Communications to ensure effective and consistent branding and communication efforts take place across all operational and academic units.
Hey, faculty. Get the hell off of Twitter. [Ok, this one kind of makes a lot of sense.]
Quote:
Invest in staff development and succession planning to allow leadership to continue improving campus operations.
Tenure / schmenure. Faculty is getting too comfortable and feudalistic. Favored new blood is about to get more power. We are looking for a certain kind of new blood. DEI is an important part of that.
Quote:
Increase the university's direct support of the faculty by creating a Faculty Affairs unit that reports directly to the President and will focus exclusively on faculty issues.
You don't like our new DEI focus.
Pobrecita. Extranas a tu mami mucho? Our university will receive direct support of DEI. If you don't like it tell Faculty Affairs.
Also, Anthropology department. Sit down and STFU. If you have a problem, contact the head of Faculty Affairs.
Faculty Affairs will be staffed with Top Men. Any problems with DEI will be routed to the Academic and Strategic Collaborations unit of the Office of the President. For all other problems, we will have Top Men in Faculty Affairs look directly into it.
Quote:
The academic foundation of the campus could be developed around four large units: AgriLife, Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Texas A&M Health, with strong connections to other applied academic units.
I am about to force upon you the role of Super Dean, who will be made up of four of my close allies and wield unprecedented power. All important decisions regarding anything will be made by this office, as directed to the Super Deans. However, all of the fallout from decisions will be the fault of the faculty.
All of the decisions of this office that are going to be unpopular with faculty or donors will be the fault of the faculty, thanks to the decision of the Super Deans, which are heads of the faculty. However, the Super Deans will be told exactly what to do by the President's office. It's the best of all worlds.
Quote:
Refocus the provost unit on academic services and student success to further the university's academic mission.
All of the research grant money, and University / Corporate partnerships will be handled by the Office of the President. Provost is about students, not research, or anything else that has to do with bringing money into the University. All of the issues that have any political pull at all will be handled by the Office of the President.
Quote:
Rebalance the university's investment to ensure that the four large academic units mentioned above correspond in terms of support and there is appropriate investment in targeted academic units of strategic interest.
Hey colleges, you will all quietly support our diversity campaigns, or you will be nixed from getting any money. Also, Anthropology, sit down and STFU.
Quote:
Realign several academic units to allow for focus on mission, increase student success, and better meet student needs.
Hey deans! Some of you are getting the ax. Get your CV's in order. You know who you are.
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This is a giant FU to all of the fiefdoms within the University. There is going to be a giant power cram-down. It might actually create some efficiencies, but, I guarantee you, that is not the primary motivation here. This University is likely to get a lot of money from some of the good research that has happened here in O&G, genetics, bio-pharma. It would be a waste to let all of that new found political power to be wasted at the college level.
Also, BTW, we are not woke enough. Get on board, or get your budget slashed, and ultimately get replaced.
Been there, done that and got the damn tshirts. 
