August 22, 2025 Marketing and Communications Update

Important Updates

College of Medicine Renaming

On Aug. 9, the college became the Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, marking a transformative milestone. This new name celebrates a generous gift from Naresh K. Vashisht ’72, whose support empowers full-tuition scholarships, medical research and rural medicine initiatives — standing together for innovation and the good of our communities.

View the Press Release

New Guidance for Referring to Texas A&M System Institutions

Texas A&M has received updated guidance from the Board of Regents regarding how we reference other institutions within The Texas A&M University System in our communications. Moving forward, please use the term “system member” when referring to other system campuses and schools, rather than “regional.” This preferred language helps ensure clarity and consistency across all university messaging and recognizes the distinct role that each system member plays within our broader academic community. Adopting this terminology will support effective communication and reinforce our commitment to representing all institutions within the Texas A&M System accurately and respectfully.

HB 5195: Website Modernization Requirements Coming for All State Agencies

Texas House Bill 5195 sets a statewide mandate for modernizing state agency websites and online services. Over the next year, agencies must complete internal assessments and submit a website modernization plan that addresses accessibility, mobile responsiveness, streamlined digital services and reduced paperwork.

The Aggie UX web design system can help you meet these new requirements efficiently. It’s built with accessibility, mobile optimization and best practices already baked in.

Learn more about HB 5195 and how Aggie UX can support your site.

Adobe Creative Cloud Licensure Update

In follow-up to the update shared in the Aug. 8 newsletter, Technology Services worked with individual academic and administrative units to confirm needs related to Adobe Creative Cloud licenses across the university. Access to current Adobe Creative Cloud licenses will continue through Oct. 5 and, based on licensure needs provided by each unit, will then be part of a new contract beginning Oct. 6. At this time, no action is needed, and additional details will be shared broadly with the university community in September.

Activations

Branded Installations

We are in the midst of many exciting updates to branded spaces across campus. The wall outside Barnes & Noble in the Memorial Student Center (MSC) now proudly displays our new brand, while updated lightpole banners stretch across campus and down Texas Avenue, reinforcing our identity. We have also re-branded one of the campus buses to deliver our brand essence everywhere it goes, and new branded A-frame signs are appearing at key locations to welcome and inspire students, faculty and visitors. Each of these updates invites our community to experience and engage with the spirit of “Together, We Stand as a Force for Good.”

Howdy Week/First Day of School

Yesterday, members of Division of Student Affairs (DSA) and the central team stood together at Howdy Week’s Ice Cream Carnival and warmly welcomed incoming students! Thank you to the DSA team for allowing us to partner with you to start the launch of the new brand platform. The event welcomed our students with a branded entrance, hat and tote bag giveaways, and more than 2,000 cooling towels, each featuring our new brand essence.

This evening, at the President’s Picnic, there will be custom-branded Croc charms for students, with President Welsh representing them on his Crocs and socks.

See all the events occurring this weekend on Howdy Week’s website.

Next week, we are excited to continue engaging students, faculty and staff with the new brand. On Monday and Tuesday, in the MSC will be a live photo mosaic experience where students, faculty and staff can take and add their photos to bring the mosaic installation to full color. Across campus, we will be sharing stickers and temporary tattoos with messages of “Good,” “Together, We Stand,” “A Force For Good” and “Howdy,” giving every Aggie a chance to engage and wear the brand.

Through these activations, our hope is that thousands of students will discover the new brand, feel connected and be inspired to stand together as a force for good.

Thank you to everyone who helped make these events possible and for sharing the brand with the next generation of Aggies.

Fall Ready Deliverables

Over the course of the summer, we have provided you with several different resources to help you and your team prepare your unit to be fall ready. As the new semester is quickly approaching, we want to make sure that you have quick access to all these resources as you make your final preparations.

• Brand Platform Launch Presentation Slides
• Brand Platform Summer Workshop Slides
• Brand Book
• Brand Guide
• Brand Imagery
• B-Roll
• Creative Templates
• Digital Signage Templates

Community Resources Available To You

Design Counsel

Design Counsel is a collaborative space for Texas A&M’s visual storytellers to connect, share ideas and shape the future of creativity and collaboration across the university. Each meeting explores a different topic — ranging from the Brand Platform to events, activations, trademarks and licensing. Join us for our next monthly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

If you have questions, please contact Melissa Loudermilk at mloudermilk@tamu.edu or via Slack or Teams.

RSVP for Design Counsel Meeting

Aggie UX Open Office Hours

The Division of Marketing and Communications Web team hosts virtual office hours every Thursday from 10-11 a.m. This is a great opportunity to get support with Aggie UX, AUX Cascade theme or any other web-related questions. Drop in for help, guidance or a quick chat about anything related to web or Aggie UX design system tools.

When: Thursdays, 10-11 a.m.
Join Zoom Meeting | Meeting ID: 995 7531 4621| Passcode: 646167

We look forward to seeing you there! Other practical advice for creating web content, applying best practices and using the Aggie UX design system is available on the MarComm site. Be sure to sign up for Aggie UX-specific communications by joining the Aggie UX email list.

Research Communicators Network

The Divisions of Research and Marketing and Communications co-host 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.

Virtual Tours

The Demand Marketing team is proud to announce the launch of Phase II of the Texas A&M virtual tours! The initial launch included “Welcome to Aggieland,” “Student Life” and “Academic” tours. Phase II implements dedicated tours for each college/school, the Corps of Cadets and Aggieland Saturday.

View the Virtual Tours