One of the original finalists Texas A&M picked for the vacant vice president for Student Affairs position is openly pro-DEI. While that finalist has since been removed, the background of another suggests a pro-DEI stance.
On April 16, Texas A&M listed three finalists for the position of vice president for Student Affairs: Ainsley Carry, Cynthia Hernandez, and William Kibler. Each was scheduled to visit the campus between April 17 and April 25.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Carry currently works as “Vice President, Students” at the University of British Columbia. He has previously held similar positions at the University of Southern California, Auburn University, and Temple University.
Carry lists his pronouns on LinkedIn.
Source: LinkedIn
Carry staked a familiar place in the culture war on college campuses. He is the author of “Washington Next?: Disputed Monuments, Honorees, and Symbols on Campus.”
The book contains choice excerpts that reveal Carry’s opinion on historical monuments.
“Landscapes are never innocent or neutral,” he wrote. “Campus landscapes honor white achievement and disregard others’ contributions, namely those from Black and Indigenous communities.”
He linked the topic to “white supremacy.”
“No one wants to call out white supremacy as a factor in memorial disputes,” he wrote. “White supremacy and the systems that perpetuate it did not dissolve with the ending of slavery, the passage of the Civil Rights Act, or the integration of higher education.”
These beliefs appear to shape his view on historical landmarks and memorials. In a June 2021 social media post, he described Confederate memorials as “a threat to society.”
Source: X.
In a February 2022 forum available on YouTube, Carry discussed the “dangers of Confederate memorial landscapes and persistent racial inequalities” and promoted DEI ideology.
Confederate monuments are an especially sensitive subject at Texas A&M, given periodic efforts to remove a statue of the university’s first president, Sul Ross, who had previously served in the Confederate Army. As the original president of Texas A&M University, former governor, and Texas Ranger officer who led the raid that recovered Cynthia Ann Parker, Sul Ross is a beloved figure in Aggie lore.
Carry did not respond to a request for comment.
As of April 22, Carry is no longer listed as a finalist. Texas A&M did not respond to questions about why he was selected and then removed.
Hernandez and Kibler are still on the list.
Hernandez currently serves as vice president for student success at Texas State University. Her biography page suggests a pro-DEI stance. The page stated she has “over 25 years of progressive leadership experience” which she has used to promote “inclusive, student-centered programs.” She also lists “Latinas in higher education administration” as a primary professional interest.
A TAMU graduate, Hernandez’ LinkedIn profile shows she was previously employed by TAMU for 20 years. Her last position was associate vice president for Student Affairs from January 2016 to January 2022.
In an interesting twist, 11 months ago, Hernandez praised the hiring of Ryan Mindell as executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission. On Monday, Mindell resigned from the Lottery Commission amid multiple scandals.
Source: LinkedIn
Hernandez did not respond to a request for comment.
William Kibler is currently the acting president of the College of Southern Nevada. He has held a variety of academic positions, including a previous two-decade stint at A&M, but does not have an extensive paper trail.
Kibler did not respond to a request for comment on his stance regarding DEI.
The Office of Student Affairs has extensive authority over day-to-day campus operations. According to the February 2025 organizational chart posted to the university’s website, the vice president of Student Affairs oversees a sprawling bureaucracy with over a dozen departments.
The search committee determining who will fill the spot is led by Vice Provost Dr. Tim Scott.
Texas A&M did not respond to a request for comment.
