January 27, 2026 Marketing and Communications Update

Howdy, University MarComm Community,

The excitement of the new semester is all around our university, so let’s continue contributing to that energy with our good work. Below is information to help you with that. Today, Texas A&M University’s new U.S. News & World Report rankings were formally announced, and it is already time to help spread the word about Aggieland Saturday.

These serve as two key opportunities to help amplify and convey our message to the world that together, we stand as a force for good.

Content Packages

U.S. News & World Report Online Program Ranking

U.S. News & World Report has officially released its 2026 online program rankings, and our news story is posted! This provides another opportunity to demonstrate Texas A&M’s national leadership and commitment to excellence.

Linked below is 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.

View the U.S. News content Package

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 an updated 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

Design Counsel

Join us! 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 campus. Each meeting dives into a new topic in marketing and communications, with lots of room to learn from one another and offer support.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 11! We will have the amazing Hailey Yamada from MarComm’s Web team speaking on accessibility, Aggie UX and all the helpful web insight you could ever hope to hear. Please RSVP using the link below.

If you have any questions, please contact Emme Benefield on Slack or Teams, or at emcmurray05@tamu.edu.

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.