Texas A&M system board of regents report on DEI audit & approval of a five year capital plan & projects in Brazos County

This podcast contains comments from the May 21, 2026 Texas A&M system board of regents meeting.Business at the May meetings of the Texas A&M system board of regents included a report on the system's compliance with the state law banning programs dealing with DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). The chairman of the regents audit committee Mike Hernandez of Ft. Worth and the system's chief auditor Amanda Dotson said the system will be employing state direction on the system's processes. Dotson says the system received notable violations, which she described as not the most severe that the state could have issued. And Hernandez told system CEO's he appreciated how they have complied with the state's DEI ban.Among regents votes, was approving the system's capital plan for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Documents from the system shows at the flagship campus, over the next five years there are 15 new capital projects totaling $588 million dollars. Eight of the 15 involves a total of $100 million dollars of infrastructure. Another $22 million will be going into Evans Library, renovating the sixth floor starting next year and the second floor the following year. There is a $220 million dollar engineering education and research complex that is slated to start in 2028 along with a $135 million dollar west campus vivarium...which the A&M website says provides for the procurement, housing, and care of laboratory animals.The same A&M system document shows four capital needs on the flagship that are unfunded...$295 million dollars for the first phase of housing on west campus, $150 million for a west campus student services and library building, $100 million for Duncan dining hall, and $75 million for a ninth parking garage.Click HERE to read and download the Texas A&M University's capital plan for FY 27 through FY 31 as approved at the board of regents May 21, 2026 meeting.The regents gave the green light to proceed with three building projects in Brazos County...a $30 million dollar exterior renovation of A&M's 112 year old academic building, a $30 million dollar expansion of the satellite utility plant #1, and a $14 million dollar hangar at the RELLIS campus that is part of the Bush Combat Development Center.Click HERE to read and download information about the Academic Building renovation.Click HERE to read and download information about the satellite utility plant #1 expansion.Click HERE to read and download information about the RELLIS campus hangar.