Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.70
Liaison Kelly Wellman
Submission Date Dec. 2, 2021

STARS v2.2

Texas A&M University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.33 / 2.00 Michael Hardy
Assistant Vice President for Government Relations
Office of Government Relations
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Local advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
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Regional advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
The University advocates for support and funding of exceptional items in Texas Legislative House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1, specifically the funding for the Texas Sea Grant College Program to improve the understanding, wise use and stewardship of Texas coastal marine resources.

National advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
The university signs onto letters of support with other agencies and institutions of higher education in support of funding appropriations for agencies whose research funding focuses on energy challenges that could radically improve U.S. economic prosperity, national security, and environmental well-being. Last year, Texas A&M signed onto a letter of support of FY19 funding for ARPA-E, whose research funding focuses on the challenges discussed above. On the state level, we have promoted a one-pager (attached as an additional document) to elected officials and online to seek continued state funding in public policy on the Texas Sea Grant College Program, which seeks to improve the understanding, wise use, and stewardship of Texas coastal and ocean resources. We also support a series of social media efforts to promote the state support of the Texas Sea Grant Program.

International advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
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Optional Fields 

A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
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None
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
Not applicable since Texas A&M University is a public university.

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
2020.6.26_87th_LP_SEA_GRANT_V.4_RJ.pdf

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.