The creation of the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University, the decision -making proces

The Aspirations Committee Report, the Century Council Report, the Boards' Blueprint for Progress, and the Self-Study Report in 1963 all gave President Rudder the outline to change the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas into the second largest university in the state. The Aspirations Committee was the internal study while the Century Council performed the external review of the College. There were similar recommendations from both of these early studies that included allowing women to enroll and increasing the support of research activities by the faculty in all disciplines but particularly those in the School of Arts and Sciences. The Board of Directors took these suggestions and created their "Blueprint" to make the A. and M. College of Texas a premier institution of higher education. When the Self-Study Report was completed in 1963 this reinforced the decree from the Board of Directors. The emergence of the College of Liberal Arts was the culmination of the committee reports of the early sixties, that stressed the establishment of a stronger humanities and social science presence at Texas A&M. It is no coincidence that the limited admission of women in 1963 and making the Corps of Cadets non-compulsory in 1965 occurred near the same time as the creation of the College of Liberal Arts. This was a dynamic period for the University when programs on and off campus were both expanding and dividing. The separation of the College of Arts and Sciences allowed the liberal arts to pursue their own identity. The science departments were anticipating greater funding and resources if they split away from the social sciences and humanities. Since the formation of the School of Arts & Sciences in 1924 this academic component of Texas A&M has continued to contribute to the intellectual and cultural diversity of a campus bound to agrarian tradition.