quote:

---

The responsibilities of The A&M System Board of Regents are to:

• Oversee the administration and set policy direction for the System's 11 universities, seven state agencies, two service units and health
  science center;
• Ensure a quality undergraduate and graduate education experience for all students;
• Promote academic research and technology to benefit the state of Texas and the nation;
• Disseminate programs of the A&M System across the state through outreach and public service efforts; and
• Support the state legislative and higher education leadership to position Texas at the forefront of higher education nationally.

---

Which of these responsibilities is the board currently attempting to meet? The board is not attempting to act on any of the responsibilities set forth in their mission statement. This is simply a power play by an insurance salesman, a convenience store owner, Perry's current defense attorney, and 6 other cronies to demonstrate that they are not beholden to the opinions of former or current students. I would not be surprised to find that the decision to change the seal is a direct retaliation for the push back they received in attempting to name the Academic Building after our felon governor.

Is changing the university seal really that important in the grand scheme of things? Of course not, but this is a "death by a thousand cuts" situation. Every bit of policy which the BOR is allowed to sneak by slowly chips away at the identity and traditions of this institution and diminishes the value of our degrees.

quote:

---

quote:

---

The responsibilities of The A&M System Board of Regents are to:

• Oversee the administration and set policy direction for the System's 11 universities, seven state agencies, two service units and health
  science center;
• Ensure a quality undergraduate and graduate education experience for all students;
• Promote academic research and technology to benefit the state of Texas and the nation;
• Disseminate programs of the A&M System across the state through outreach and public service efforts; and
• Support the state legislative and higher education leadership to position Texas at the forefront of higher education nationally.

---

Which of these responsibilities is the board currently attempting to meet? The board is not attempting to act on any of the responsibilities set forth in their mission statement. This is simply a power play by an insurance salesman, a convenience store owner, Perry's current defense attorney, and 6 other cronies to demonstrate that they are not beholden to the opinions of former or current students. I would not be surprised to find that the decision to change the seal is a direct retaliation for the push back they received in attempting to name the Academic Building after our felon governor.

Is changing the university seal really that important in the grand scheme of things? Of course not, but this is a "death by a thousand cuts" situation. Every bit of policy which the BOR is allowed to sneak by slowly chips away at the identity and traditions of this institution and diminishes the value of our degrees.

---

To be fair, a few of the other 50 items (the seal approval was #51) on the consent agenda that they rubber-stamped had more to do with their mission statement.

I don't think renaming the flag room (or any of the other random conference rooms in various buildings on various campuses) has much to do with their mission either.

Ugh...this really angers me.

Still can't believe this happened.

Sometimes the leadership of TAMU is brilliantly forward thinking (move the SEC, Dr. Gates, Gen Rudder). And sometimes they do things that decidedly stupid and not well thought out.

This is the latter.

An example from MIT:

"The MIT seal is a historical symbol that should be reserved for ceremonial use, such as on diplomas or certificates. It is available in red, black, and white (for use on a red or black background). The design of the seal may not be modified. Learn about the history of the seal.
The MIT logo is the Institute's primary symbol and should be used on all print publications, websites, and stationery."

At least it isn't THIS bad! (from the MIT logo link posted above)...

Bad bull

Makes me want to puke

Lets make a stand, everyone where these to the game!!!!!!!!! http://teespring.com/texas-a-m-bring-back-the-seal#pid=2&cid=2122&sid=front

^ link doesn't work

quote:

---

Lets make a stand, everyone where these to the game!!!!!!!!! http://teespring.com/texas-a-m-bring-back-the-seal#pid=2&cid=2122&sid=front

---

"Wear" is the game?

This totally pisses me off to no end.

No more money donations.

15,000 people, in two days, took the time to fill out a form saying this new seal sucks balls. That alone should tell you that you fricked up pretty bad.

quote:

---

quote:

---

Just stumbled upon this if anyone is interested:

https://www.change.org/p/texas-a-m-board-of-regents-change-the-texas-a-m-seal-back-to-the-traditional-seal?recruiter=52090090&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-reason_msg&fb_ref=Default

---

VORED!!

---

Vored

quote:

---

Lets make a stand, everyone where these to the game!!!!!!!!! http://teespring.com/texas-a-m-bring-back-the-seal#pid=2&cid=2122&sid=front

---

I clicked on the link and there is nothing there. I see Jason Cook and his licensing office have sicked their lawyers on you. This should be covered under fair use though since you are practicing political speech.

For those who aren't aware, the original idea was officially proposed by Terry McDivitt, the new Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications.

She was initially hired by the University 6 months ago. She has no prior association with Texas A&M, and in 6 months she's gotten the board of regents to approve a change to an iconic bastion of our beloved university that has been stamped on EVERY diploma (and countless multitudes of other official documents) since 1947.

6 months to try to needlessly change 68 YEARS of tradition and history.

http://www.tamus.edu/marcomm/

quote:

---

The Texas A&M University System
301 Tarrow, 7th Floor
College Station, Texas 77840-7896
(979) 458-6018

---

her twitter account: https://twitter.com/mcdmedia

I just sent this email to Terry McDevitt (TMcDevitt@tamus.edu). Feel free to copy/paste into your own email.
(Although you will need to change (a) "since my freshman year in 2008" in the second to last paragraph to reflect whenever it was that you became an Aggie (b) the signature at the end and (c) you might need to change "diplomas" to "diploma" in paragraph 2)

*I started with Kenneth_2003's email on this thread and added my own thoughts.*

quote:

---

Dear Ms. McDevitt

I need to voice my concerns about what I perceive as your meddling in affairs that required no change (in colloquial terms, "attempting to fix what was not broken"). The statement released by the Board of Regents does not diminish my concern. I do not see the seal of the University, nor that of the TAMU System as a branding or marketing tool. The block TAM is our logo. Logos are for everyday use. We wear them on t-shirts, we paint them on the football field, they're stuck to the bumpers of our vehicles.


The seal on the other hand is more reserved. It's use is restricted to official business. It adorns my diplomas, and is embossed on an official transcript. The T-Star, along with the rest of the seal has its roots in the Seal of the great state of Texas. It's a shared symbolism, a physical representation of the symbiosis that is shared between the school/system and the state. I know of no school in the country that incorporates their logo in their seal. The two items are separate. They have separate function, separate meaning, and entirely separate uses. Contrary to your opinion, there is no benefit in "branding" to combine the two.

You stuck this item in as item 51 on the consent agenda. You felt this change was so trivial it deserved no debate, no discussion, and no vote. Merely approval by consent. This is absolutely unacceptable. In fact, it is so unacceptable that the Texas A&M University student senate unanimously passed "The Preserving Tradition Resolution" which requests the Board of Regents to "revert the official seal of Texas A&M University to its former state". If you are familiar at all with the student senate (or with politics in general), you will understand that any unanimous vote carries with it strong, unyielding, and unified support. Additionally, current and former students alike have expressed their opposition to the change in the official seal by signing an online petition (https://www.change.org/p/texas-a-m-board-of-regents-change-the-texas-a-m-seal-back-to-the-traditional-seal). In less than 3 days, just shy of 15,000 individuals have signed the petition.


As the Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communication, I am sure that you are well aware of the reaction of Aggies on social media to this issue. I urge you: listen to them. You have been associated with our university for six months; I have been an Aggie since my freshman year in 2008; others have been Aggies their entire lives. This may not seem like a major issue to you or to the Board of Regents, but to the Aggie network, it is a critical issue of identity.


I close with a quote from a Good Bull Hunting article about the history of the T-star seal. (http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2015/4/30/8519979/searching-for-answers-the-texas-a-m-university-seal)

quote:

---

Why remove the five-point Lone Star of Texas in favor of a logo designed in [Oregon by Nike]? Why make the block ATM logo the symbol for the University system, when many of our system schools have never once used that symbol on their campus? Why remove 68 years of tradition from buildings and floors - tradition that's worth installing on foreign islands? Why hear the disapproval of thousands of Aggies who worked equally as hard as you to earn that seal on their diplomas, and decide that you know better? Why make a decision like this unilaterally without consulting students or internal A&M media departments? Why?

---

Sincerely,

mid90 '12 & '14

---

I emailed her.

quote:

---

quote:

---

Lets make a stand, everyone where these to the game!!!!!!!!! http://teespring.com/texas-a-m-bring-back-the-seal#pid=2&cid=2122&sid=front

---

I clicked on the link and there is nothing there. I see Jason Cook and his licensing office have sicked their lawyers on you. This should be covered under fair use though since you are practicing political speech.

---

I predict that guy is going to do something to shame himself royally before it's all said and done. Self promoters usually do.

quote:

---

quote:

---

quote:

---

Lets make a stand, everyone where these to the game!!!!!!!!! http://teespring.com/texas-a-m-bring-back-the-seal#pid=2&cid=2122&sid=front

---

I clicked on the link and there is nothing there. I see Jason Cook and his licensing office have sicked their lawyers on you. This should be covered under fair use though since you are practicing political speech.

---

I predict that guy is going to do something to shame himself royally before it's all said and done. Self promoters usually do.

---

Which guy?

Mr. Bevel

I am class of '93 and wasn't the T-star started at that time. I have now grown accustomed to it, and agree with many of you for why the change. There are much greater things to change. I must admit since a student at TAMU I have never understood the T-star and thought why didn't they use ATM in the center. It was like the star was hiding something or star was meant to tell everyone TAMU is THE SCHOOL in Texas.

Signed petition

The issue is not about changing the seal ~ it is about the lack of thought and consideration by the system regents not to consider input from university student organizations, former students, or faculty which the seal represents.

This change was brought to you by Therese McDevITT that has this academic seal on her diploma;

quote:

---

I am class of '93 and wasn't the T-star
started at that time. I have now grown accustomed to it, and agree with
many of you for why the change. There are much greater things to
change. I must admit since a student at TAMU I have never understood
the T-star and thought why didn't they use ATM in the center. It was
like the star was hiding something or star was meant to tell everyone
TAMU is THE SCHOOL in Texas.

---

T-Star on the Seal has been around since 1963.

I believe the star with T has been since 1957, star alone at least 50 years before that. The seal just reflected the name change of the school in '63. This is from memory on a phone so others feel free to correct or clarify.

quote:

---

**** our regents. How did these retards get in charge?! Time to flood their email inboxes with angry grams!!!!!

---

This old army is not thrilled to the gills!

Hell just put a TAM football helmet on the diploma.

Not.

quote:

---

Are you guys really this upset about something so trivial?

---

It isn't trivial .

14k signatures.

Almost 15,000 now!