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Texas A&M faculty in Qatar slam decision to close Middle East campus

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Texas A&M faculty in Qatar slam decision to close Middle East campus


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Faculty at Texas A&M University’s Qatar branch are slamming the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents’ abrupt decision last week to wind down the Doha campus after more than two decades.

At a Texas A&M faculty senate meeting Monday, several professors from Qatar called for more answers and a clear transition plan for staff and students there, many of whom they say are devastated by the decision.

“Our students can’t understand how local Texan politics can unilaterally determine a weighty decision about a very successful campus that excels in education without any discussion or negotiation,” Brittany Bounds, a history professor at the Qatar campus, said at the meeting.

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She noted the move is especially confusing to the campus community since the school renewed its contract with the state-run Qatar Foundation in 2021, extending the teaching agreement for another 10 years.

Regents voted 7-1 Thursday to cut the contract. The university system pledged to continue teaching current students at the school until the campus officially closes in 2028.

In a press release sent after the vote, the system said the board decided to reevaluate the university’s presence in Qatar this fall “due to the heightened instability in the Middle East.”

“The Board has decided that the core mission of Texas A&M should be advanced primarily within Texas and the United States,” Board of Regents Chair Bill Mahomes said. “By the middle of the 21st century, the university will not necessarily need a campus infrastructure 8,000 miles away to support education and research collaborations.”

The university opened the Qatar campus in 2003 to boost engineering education and research in the Middle East, a major oil and gas region. More than 1,500 students have graduated from the program and it currently enrolls 730 students, according to the university. All campus operations are paid for by the Qatar Foundation, which is controlled by the country’s government. A&M is a public institution and no state funding or tuition revenue can be used to pay for the campus’ operations.

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Texas A&M is one of six American universities that has a location in Doha’s Education City, including Virginia Commonwealth University, Georgetown University and Northwestern University. The University of London ended its contract with the Qatar Foundation in 2020 as part of changes it made to its academic priorities.

Administrators told faculty on Monday that they alerted the Qatar Foundation a month prior that regents would discuss the contract at their Feb. 8 meeting. But faculty told The Texas Tribune they did not expect the board to cancel the contract and were caught off guard by the decision.

“We assumed that it was a conversation that needed to be seen publicly, but we had no idea that the regents would actually vote to close this campus,” Bounds said. “Waking up to a flurry of messages and emails on Friday morning was disorienting; I felt kicked in the gut.”

Texas A&M President Mark Welsh III held a town hall meeting Sunday morning to answer pre-submitted questions from faculty and students about the board’s decision. He said A&M officials would be visiting the Doha campus to discuss a transition plan.

A transcript of the meeting provided by Texas A&M shows university leaders had few details to share about the transition plan, saying they were still determining what the decision means for ongoing research projects and faculty appointments.

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Professor Mohammed Al-Hashimi described the town hall as a “one-way broadcast” rather than a real dialogue.

“Attendees found themselves unable to voice their concerns or provide feedback, effectively resulting in a sense of this continued disconnection and frustration,” he told A&M faculty during Monday’s meeting.

Faculty members who spoke to the Tribune said communication from Texas and Qatar administrators has been sparse since the board vote, and that some faculty were reprimanded for attempting to hold group listening sessions for Sunday’s town hall.

One faculty member in Qatar who spoke to the Tribune on the condition of anonymity because of fears of retaliation said faculty watching the town hall in Qatar were laughing at the lack of specifics by the end of the meeting.

N.K. Anand, vice provost of faculty affairs, told faculty that administrators met with the president of the Qatar Foundation on Monday. Anand said he will travel to Qatar in early March to meet with faculty, staff and students there to hear their concerns. A full transition team will travel to the campus in May, he said.

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Anand confirmed the school will not admit freshmen in the fall, stating the Qatar Foundation will decide where freshman applicants will attend school instead.

Bounds and other faculty said they are also not convinced by the regents’ reasoning to close the campus because of heightened instability in the Middle East amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The professors argued instability in the region was never an issue before. Similar skepticism was also expressed by the Qatar Foundation, which accused the university in a statement last week of falling victim to a “disinformation campaign aimed at harming the interests” of the foundation.

A Washington, D.C.-based think tank called The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, which describes itself on its website as a center “dedicated to the academic study of antisemitism,” sent a letter to U.S. officials in January alleging that Qatar had “substantial ownership” of weapons development rights and nuclear engineering research being developed at the Texas A&M campus, which they claim is a threat to national security. The letter came a few months after ISGAP released a 17-page report in which it alleged it had discovered a “disturbing relationship between Qatar and Texas A&M University.”

Texas A&M denied the accusations about its research but also insisted the report from ISGAP was not a factor in the regents’ decision-making process. During the town hall Sunday, Welsh said the “disinformation campaign” had “no influence whatsoever on their decision.”

Yet many faculty say they want more answers from the regents about why they made this decision now, and so quickly.

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“One has the feeling that [Welsh] is being given a job to enforce a decision he never would have made,” the faculty member in Qatar who spoke on the condition of anonymity said. “That’s the general feeling. That the regents were on a very different agenda from everyone else in the university system.”

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Northwestern University – Medill School of Journalism, Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.


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Texas A&M baseball vs Tennessee live score, updates highlights from College World Series Game 1

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Texas A&M baseball vs Tennessee live score, updates highlights from College World Series Game 1


Texas A&M baseball is two games away — perhaps three — from achieving a historic first for the program.

With two victories over the No. 1 national seed Tennessee baseball team in the College World Series championship series, the No. 3 seed Aggies will have won the program’s first CWS title. But that is a prospect easier said than done, as Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle is likely aware.

Texas A&M is 1-4 all time vs. Tennessee under the Aggies coach, whose Vols counterpart, Tony Vitello, actually served as his recruiting coordinator at TCU from 2011-13. Schlossnagle’s only victory over Tennessee came in the 2023 SEC Baseball Tournament, and the Vols defeated the Aggies 7-4 in the 2024 edition of the tournament.

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MORE: Watch Texas A&M vs. Tennessee in CWS with Fubo (free trial)

Moreover, Texas A&M is dealing with several injuries as it heads to the biggest stage afforded the sport, including likely top-10 draft pick Braden Montgomery. Jace LaViolette hurt his hamstring vs. No. 2 national seed Kentucky on Monday but returned and was able to play vs. Florida in the CWS semifinals on Wednesday.

If the Aggies are able to take the series vs. Tennessee, no one will be able to say it was unearned. With that, follow along for live scores, updates and highlights from Game 1 of the College World Series championship series:

Texas A&M baseball vs Tennessee score

Teams 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Tennessee
Texas A&M

Texas A&M baseball vs Tennessee live updates, highlights

This section will be updated closer to first pitch, scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

Pregame

4:07 p.m.: Texas A&M fans have packed the Aggies’ hotel before they head out to the stadium. Here’s a look:

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2:40 p.m.: An interesting stat for Texas A&M: The Aggies had not made a national championship in football, baseball or basketball since 1939 until now.

2:16 p.m.: Another hype video, but Tennessee edition:

2:14 p.m.: Texas A&M released a hype video ahead of game one of the national championship series:

What channel is Texas A&M baseball vs Tennessee on today?

Game 1 of the CWS championship series will air on ESPN. Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Kyle Peterson (color analyst), Chris Burke (color analyst) and Kris Budden (sideline reporter) will broadcast the game.

Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a cable login), ESPN+ and Fubo, the last of which carries the ESPN family of network and offers a free trial.

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MORE: Buy College World Series tickets with StubHub

Texas A&M baseball vs Tennessee start time

  • Date: Saturday June 22
  • Time: 6 p.m. CT

Game 1 of the College World Series between Texas A&M and Tennessee is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. CT from Charles Schwab Field Omaha.

Texas A&M baseball vs Tennessee betting odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday at noon CT

  • Spread: Tennessee (-1.5)
  • Over/under: 11.5 runs
  • Moneyline: Tennessee (-185) | Texas A&M (+140)

Texas A&M baseball schedule 2024

Below is Texas A&M’s postseason schedule. For the Aggies’ full 2024 college baseball schedule, click here.

Bryan-College Station Regional

  • Friday, May 31: (3) Texas A&M 8, Grambling 0
  • Saturday, June 1: (3) Texas A&M 4, Texas 1 (11 innings)
  • Sunday, June 2: (3) Texas A&M 9, Louisiana 4

Bryan-College Station Super Regional

  • Saturday, June 8: (3) Texas A&M 10, Oregon 6
  • Sunday, June 9: (3) Texas A&M 15, Oregon 9

College World Series

  • Saturday, June 15: (3) Texas A&M 3, Florida 2
  • Monday, June 17: (3) Texas A&M 5, (2) Kentucky 1
  • Wednesday, June 19: (3) Texas A&M 6, Florida 0

CWS championship series

  • Saturday, June 22: (3) Texas A&M vs. (1) Tennessee
  • Sunday, June 23: (1) Tenessee vs. (3) Texas A&M
  • Monday, June 24*: (3) Texas A&M vs. (1) Tennessee

* If necessary

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

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College World Series 2024: How to watch Tennessee vs. Texas A&M game Saturday

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College World Series 2024: How to watch Tennessee vs. Texas A&M game Saturday


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The matchup for the Men’s College World Series championship finals is set.

No. 3 Texas A&M (52-13) will take on No. 1 Tennessee (58-12) in a three-game series this weekend to determine the national champion.

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The Volunteers advanced after they dispatched the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles Wednesday in a 7-2 victory. Tennessee raced out to a three-run first inning and coasted the rest of the way in what was a team effort that saw five different players record at least one RBI. The Aggies, meanwhile, dominated Florida in a four-hit, 6-0 shutout victory. Starting pitcher Justin Lamkin struck out nine and allowed just three hits in five innings of work.

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: NCAA baseball tournament field bracket, schedule

Here’s what you need to know about Game 1 of the Men’s College World Series championship finals:

What College World Series games are on Saturday?

The 2024 Men’s College World Series championship finals kick off Saturday in a game between No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 1 Tennessee:

  • No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Tennessee, 7:30 p.m. ET

How to watch College World Series game Saturday

Game 1 of the Men’s College World Series championship finals Saturday will be broadcast live on ESPN and streamed online on ESPN+.

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When are the Men’s College World Series championship finals games?

Here’s the full schedule of the Men’s College World Series:

  • June 22: MCWS Final Game 1, 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
  • June 23: MCWS Final Game 2, 2 p.m. ET | ABC
  • June 24: MCWS Final Game 3 (if necessary), 7 p.m. ET | ESPN



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“Texas wine is having a moment”: North Texas winemaker breaking new ground

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“Texas wine is having a moment”: North Texas winemaker breaking new ground


NORTH TEXAS — If you love wine, lean in. About an hour’s drive north of Dallas, a tree-lined, dirt and gravel road bends around a curve revealing a lush and lovely surprise, the Edge of the Lake Vineyard and Winery. It’s 100 windswept acres along Lake Ray Roberts. 

“It’s more than I thought it would be initially,” says owner Fred Cummings, “but I now know it could be more than it is.” 

Dr. Fred Cummings Edge of the Lake Vineyard and Winery owner

CBS News Texas

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Dr. Cummings is the MD turned winemaker. He says he’s known since he was a child that he wanted to be a doctor, but it was his grandmother’s wisdom that planted something in his spirit about the soil. 

“She had a grapevine in her backyard and a fig tree,” recalls Cummings. “She says, `Fred’- I must’ve been about nine years old…just come back from Germany. And she picked up some dirt and said, ‘God didn’t make any more of this, so get some’.” And I said, Yes, ma’am.” 

And so he did, ultimately purchasing a former pig farm that became his family’s lakefront home. Then when the kids grew up and away, his wife Mary pushed him to do more with the property. So in 2010, he began to plant grapes. 

“The best grape that we grow on this property is actually grenache, but we grow grenache, tempranillo, and albarino,” explains Cummings. 

It took some years before he turned out a wine-worthy, award-winning harvest. Still, there was something else flourishing on those vines. Cummings says his proudest moment in his winemaking journey was, “my son coming to help me.” 

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Fred Cummings and son Christopher McIntosh
Fred Cummings and son Christopher McIntosh are winemakers at  the Edge of the Lake Vineyard and Winery in North Texas.

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That would be his son Christopher McIntosh. He’s the vineyard’s winemaker. McIntosh admits that he needed some convincing, but now loves every moment. 

“It’s ours. We get to take it from fruit to glass- every bit of our work goes into each bottle. I get to share that process with- not only my father but the rest of my family. My wife works here, my daughter works here. My sister-in-law works here, my mother-in-law works here. So it really is a family operation which makes it even more special.” 

McIntosh says picking a favorite is like picking a favorite child, but just between us, the grenache has become the winery’s award-winning standout. 

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“I like to tell everybody we trick our vines into thinking they’re in the Mediterranean with all this lakefront property,” shares McIntosh with a laugh. “So yeah… that’s our favorite grape. We use it in three different wines. We make a rosé with it, we make a younger grenache, and then we make our estate grenache reserve.” 

Looking out on Lake Ray Roberts, the views are gorgeous, the tasting room polished and modern, the tasty tidbits and artisan cheeses just perfect for sampling. But the true test of a wine is in the sampling. And a tasting room full of visitors insist that  the Edge of the Lake Vineyard and Winery does not disappoint. 

“So it’s very hard work,” explains McIntosh. “But again, every bottle that’s turned out is a show of success. And the biggest show of that is when somebody tastes something and they just smile in awe of what what you put in a bottle for them.” 

Edge of the Lake Vineyard and Winery awards

CBS News Texas

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And while the wine is smooth and the hospitality wonderful, “We need a bigger place,” admits Cummings. “And we’ve had a few struggles trying to get that done.” 

Dr. Cummings can admit to navigating some bitter realities, Black winemakers are almost non-existent. According to Bloomberg, Black winemakers represent less than one percent of the industry. 

When asked if race has been a barrier in his winery’s growth, Cummings responded, “A little bit.” 

“It has been a little bit. And when you talk about that, I’m a guy that believes that I can do my best and it’s good enough for anyone to appreciate. And that’s how I approach my medical career. I approach wine the same way.” 

 And then a stray thought makes him pause and he adds with a wry smile, “Get more push back on the wine, than we have on treating people… so.” 

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When asked what advice he’d share with other minority entrepreneurs contemplating stepping into a space that perhaps the world suggests they do not belong, Cummings replies, “I’ve heard that so many times. I ignored it because I knew I was good enough. No one’s going to tell you that you’re good if you sit in the shadows. You’ve got to step out there.” 

And the Edge of the Lake Crew looks to make even more strides. They’ve got 15 acres planted now and hope to plant as many as 60 of the lake side acres with grape vines. They’re also looking for local support to help make the area a wine destination. 

Edge of the Lake Vineyard and Winery property

CBS News Texas


“You think that you can do this and have a little small thing,” shares Cummings, “but it grows just like the vines grow, the industry grows, and the business grows and you’ve got to be able to expand with it or you kind of get squashed.” 

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He admits to thinking about his grandmother often as he contemplates what he’s built and how much more he’d like to see it grow. “You know, she was a small one, but really had determination. And coming out of her upbringing and slavery, if you will. And she wanted her kids and her grandkids to do something, so she was always pushing us forward.” 

And Cummings believes the harvest for the entire industry can be grand. 

“Texas wine is having a moment and we need to really grab hold of that and take advantage of it now, not next week, not last, but now.” 

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