March 9, 2026 Marketing and Communications Update

Howdy, University MarComm Community,

As we approach time off for Spring Break and the midpoint of the semester, we hope you take time to recharge. We’re excited for what’s ahead and look forward to continuing to share tools and resources that make it easier to tell Texas A&M’s story — how we stand together as a force for good for our students, our communities and the nation. Below, we have several new releases to share and a few save-the-dates.

Check Out the Value and Affordability Content Package

Learn how to align with the strategy highlighting Texas A&M’s leadership in affordability, expanded free tuition program and frozen tuition rates for students and families. Linked below is a content package with resources to help you plan ways to highlight and promote how Texas A&M is working to provide an affordable and valuable education.

View the Value and Affordability content package

Save the Date for MarComm Summit

Marketing and communications professionals from across Texas A&M are invited to participate in the 2026 MarComm Summit on June 1-2, 2026. This day‑and‑a‑half gathering will feature strategic updates from the Division of Marketing and Communications, keynote speakers and breakout sessions led by university experts from across our campuses.

Please mark your calendars and make sure to join us! Additional details and registration information will be shared in the coming weeks.

You’re Invited: Analytics Community of Practice Virtual Event

Join us for the Analytics Community of Practice meeting on Thursday, March 19, from 12 to 1 p.m. CST, hosted by the Division of Marketing and Communications. This virtual session will share techniques for using MRI Simmons’ Catalyst database to better understand our university’s target audiences:

• Demographics and Psychographics – Who are our audiences and what motivates them?
• Media Consumption Patterns – Where and how do they access information?
• Behavioral Insights – What are their daily routines? What is going on in their lives?
• Practical Applications – How do we then apply these findings to our messaging approach?

Featured presenters include:

• Kristina Ballard, Director of Marketing and Communications, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M
• Patrick Lillard, Director of Analytics and Insights, Division of Marketing and Communications, Texas A&M
• Owen Maxfield, Economics Student

Use the Microsoft Teams link to join the event. For more information or questions about the event or the community of practice, email Patrick Lillard, Director of Analytics and Insights, in the Division of Marketing and Communications.

Reminder: Digital Content Accessibility Deadline Is April 24

As mentioned in the last newsletter, we all have a shared responsibility to ensure university websites and online services meet accessibility requirements for each individual who engages with our digital content. As a reminder, digital content includes websites, online services, PDFs, social media graphics, videos and any other digital content your unit produces or publishes.

The deadline to remediate inaccessible digital assets in accordance with the June 2024 update for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Texas House Bill 5195 (HB 5195) is April 24. We encourage you to review the information shared in the Feb. 9 newsletter about these requirements and to learn how Aggie UX 2.0 can help you and your teams produce responsive, regulation-compliant websites and online services as you move forward.

Workshop: Fix Common Web Accessibility Issues With Siteimprove

Join the Division of Marketing and Communications Web team for a hands-on workshop on Monday, March 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Rudder Tower, covering the most common accessibility issues found on university websites and how to identify and address them using Siteimprove. We’ll focus on the “Big Six” content issues: headings, links, images, tables, multimedia alternatives and color contrast. Space is limited to 50 participants, so please consider sending one or two of your most active web contributors.

View more information and register

Community Resources Available to You

Design Counsel

Design Counsel is a creative space for Texas A&M’s visual storytellers — a place to share ideas, spark inspiration and help shape what’s next for creativity and collaboration across the university. Each meeting dives into a new topic in marketing and communications, with lots of room to learn from one another and offer support.

Due to Spring Break, there will be no Design Counsel held in March.

The next meeting is Wednesday, April 8, in the Memorial Student Center (MSC) 2404. Kara Humphreys and her team at the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) will be presenting on what TEEX is and why it’s so unique, the latest research on EV-Lithium-Ion battery fires and safety, new print services at their print shop and the use of AI for powerful video production on a tight budget. Please RSVP using the link below.

For more information, please contact Melissa Loudermilk at <a href=”mailto:mloudermilk@tamu.edu”>mloudermilk@tamu.edu</a> or via Slack or Teams.

Register for upcoming meetings

Aggie UX Training and Support

The Division of Marketing and Communications Web team hosts virtual office hours every third Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m. These sessions include a different demo every month for using Aggie UX in Cascade, WordPress and Figma. Other practical advice for creating web content, applying best practices and using the Aggie UX design system is available on the MarComm site, including a list of on-demand online trainings. Be sure to sign up for Aggie UX-specific communications by joining the Aggie UX email list.

View Office Hours

Research Communicators Network

The Divisions of Research and Marketing and Communications cohost a biweekly meeting for communicators to connect, share updates and collaborate around promoting Texas A&M’s research enterprise. These meetings are a valuable opportunity for everyone who attends, and we encourage you to send a representative if you do not have someone already participating from your unit, college or school.

When: Every other Tuesday, 10 a.m.

This informal virtual gathering is open to all communicators supporting research initiatives and researchers themselves. It’s a chance to ask questions, get feedback and align on research messaging across the university.

Contact Tim Doty, Assistant Vice President for National Media and Public Relations, or Rusty Cawley, Director of Research Communications, to be added to the calendar invitation.