January 12, 2026 Marketing and Communications Update
We hope you had a restful holiday break and have returned with renewed energy for the new semester. This year marks a significant milestone. In 2026, we have the unique opportunity to tell the story of our 150-year-old public research university, built to serve.
Howdy,
We hope you had a restful holiday break and have returned with renewed energy for the new semester.
This year marks a significant milestone. In 2026, we have the unique opportunity to tell the story of our 150-year-old public research university, built to serve. We will meet this moment with a clear and confident story of impact, purpose and community, showing the world what a university built to serve can achieve.
This partnership is essential as we commemorate this moment together. Let’s make our 150th year our most impactful yet, showing the world how we stand together as a force for good.
Content Packages
U.S. News & World Report Online Program Ranking
On Jan. 27, U.S. News & World Report will release its 2026 online program rankings. This provides another opportunity to demonstrate Texas A&M University’s national leadership and commitment to excellence.
As outlined in our rankings strategy, we will highlight top-20 rankings that align with our brand platform. The focus will be on how these programs deliver a high-quality education and create a sense of belonging for students, regardless of their location. These rankings are a powerful proof point of our commitment to providing accessible, impactful educational opportunities. They show our magnitude and momentum in serving learners across Texas and the nation.
Once the rankings are live, we will provide a content package with approved messaging and creative assets for you to use. We ask that you use these resources to share the news on your channels, ensuring we speak with one unified, confident voice. Thank you for your partnership in showcasing the excellence of Texas A&M’s online education and our collective role as a force for good.
Aggieland Saturday
On Feb. 28, we will host Aggieland Saturday, our annual open house. It is our university’s front door and a critical opportunity to introduce our brand to new and vital audiences: thousands of prospective students and their families and friends. This event is our first chance to make a lasting impact, showing them what it means to be part of a welcoming, spirited community and a global force for good. It is our time to demonstrate how we can activate our brand in harmony, standing together to create an unforgettable, unified experience for every visitor.
To help you prepare, we have created a new Aggieland Saturday content package. This resource is designed to help you communicate in character and on-brand in a consistent, compelling way, with creative assets and messaging guidance tailored for this unique event. By using these tools, we can ensure every interaction feels inspiring and authentically Aggie, reflecting the character and values that define us. Let’s work together to show every visitor that they can find their home and purpose here at Texas A&M.
View the Aggieland Saturday content package
Community Resources Available to You
Meet Our Team
With the turn of a new year, we want to be sure you know who we are and where to learn more about the Division of Marketing and Communications team! We encourage you to visit our “Meet the Team” webpage on the MarComm website to learn which team members lead and support the different functional areas across the division. We are excited to hear from you as we continue our partnership and stand together to tell our story with clarity and purpose on a national scale.
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 related to marketing and communications.
Join us this Wednesday, Jan. 14! We’ll dive into 150th anniversary projects and discuss what’s ahead. Sign up using the link below!
If you have any questions, please contact Emme Benefield at emcmurray05@tamu.edu or reach out via Slack or Teams.
Register for upcoming meetings
Aggie UX Open Office Hours
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. 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.
Stay Connected
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