Committees

The Audiovisual Surveillance Technology (AVST) Committee, established by the Chief Operating Officer, oversees the management of AVST systems and ensures they meet operational standards and apply surveillance controls consistently. The committee is chaired by the Chief Operating Officer or a designee and includes representatives from Technology Services; University Police; Facilities and Energy Services (FES); Transportation Services; Finance and Business Services; Emergency Management; the Division of Risk, Ethics and Compliance (DREC); and the Division of Research.

Operational Standards

Texas A&M University and System Member agencies may use AVST to enhance the security of property, facilities and people, as authorized by university Standard Administrative Procedure (SAP) 51.99.99.M0.01- Audiovisual Surveillance.

These standards outline how approved AVST equipment may be installed, moved and used and the conditions under which live feeds can be viewed or recordings reviewed or released. 

Operational Definition

AVST includes cameras and/or audio devices installed on Texas A&M-owned or -controlled property — indoors or outdoors — that are connected to the Texas A&M network and used for surveillance. This also includes equipment used to operate, monitor or record video and audio.
All AVST installations for surveillance must be reviewed and approved by the AVST Committee, except for the following uses:

• Broadcast media (e.g., news reporting, sports coverage, public performances)
• Online communication (e.g., videoconferencing or collaboration tools)
• Academic/instructional purposes (e.g., research, teaching, coaching)
• Investigatory use by law enforcement or System Internal Audit
• Non-surveillance uses where individuals are:
  • Informed and consenting or
  • Not identifiable (e.g., sensors, art installations, multimedia projects)

The AVST Committee may review any use of AVST to ensure compliance. Surveillance equipment may be actively monitored or left unmonitored.

Access and Handling Guidelines

Access to AVST footage is restricted and only granted when necessary for official business, criminal investigations or system maintenance. All use must comply with federal and state laws, as well as Texas A&M University policies. Surveillance must never target individuals based on race, gender, religion, disability or any other protected characteristic.

Live monitoring systems must be accessible to University Police and Emergency Management to support emergency response.

Recorded Footage Access

AVST recordings may only be reviewed for official business, documented criminal investigations or system maintenance. 

1. Routine Business Use
   • Authorized departmental staff may access footage for standard operational needs.
   • Once authorization has been granted, routine access as part of assigned duties does not require additional documentation.
2. Criminal Investigative Access
   • Requires a formal report to University Police.
   • For urgent matters, contact University Police directly by phone.
3. System Maintenance
   • Access is allowed for maintenance or troubleshooting by system administrators.

Footage must not be used to monitor attendance, resolve personnel disputes or investigate criminal behavior without a formal report or safety concern. Users must not conduct criminal investigations — instances of suspected criminal activities must be reported to University Police. 

External Exporting and Releasing Footage

As per SAP 51.99.99.M0.01, AVST data/recordings may only be released for review in accordance with university procedures, including investigations by University Police, authorized university officials, subpoenas/court orders or public information requests. 

All requests, approvals and releases must be documented by the department managing the AVST system.

Requests outside of routine or investigative use must be submitted to the AVST Committee for consideration by emailing avst@tamu.edu.

Required Training for AVST Authorized Users

Employees who operate, maintain or have direct access to AVST equipment, live feeds or recorded data must complete AVST Operations Training (TRAINTRAQ -2111557: Audio Visual Surveillance Technology (AVST) Operations Training - NIS). This online course, developed by the AVST Committee, covers standards and ethical use of AVST.

Departments must:

• Assign the training to authorized users.
• Ensure that new hires or newly assigned users complete it before access is granted.
• Require completion annually or when a new version is released.

The AVST Committee may assign a member to periodically verify that training has been completed.

Equipment Installation, Use and Standards

Approval Requirements

All new AVST installations, relocations or removals must be approved by the AVST Committee, as required by SAP 51.99.99.M0.01. Requests must be submitted through AggieWorks (for installation/relocation) or Laserfiche (for removal). Departments are encouraged to consult with security experts (University Police, etc.) before submitting requests.

Each request must:

• Include a justification for access to live or recorded video.
• Include a signature by a dean, department head or authorized designee.
• Identify a primary contact for coordination.

The AVST Committee reviews requests based on safety, privacy and operational needs. Review and approval may require up to several weeks; departments should plan installation timelines accordingly.   

Appropriate Use of AVST

Surveillance cameras may be used when they support:

• Protection of people, property, facilities or sensitive data
• Monitoring building access points
• Routine operations where AVST replaces or supports an on-site observer
• Authorized monitoring (e.g., Becky Gates Children’s Center)
• Emergency response

Monitoring must never be based on personal characteristics such as race, gender or disability. Intentional monitoring is only appropriate when necessary for safety or essential operations.

Approved Camera Locations

Surveillance cameras may be installed in areas such as:

• Access-controlled entry points
• Locations with alarms (e.g., exits, cashier stations)
• Spaces with sensitive data or technology
• High-traffic public areas (e.g., lobbies, corridors, entrances)
• Sensitive operations (e.g., labs, medical storage, select agents)
• High-value property areas (e.g., rare book collections, campus stores)

Event-related surveillance must be preapproved by University Police, with privacy concerns addressed.

Signage for AVST Equipment

Clear signage must be posted at all main entrances to buildings or immediate area of monitoring for active AVST installations. Signs will read:

“This area is subject to electronic surveillance and may or may not be actively monitored.” 

Approved signage and template are available from the Texas A&M FES Graphics Shop.

Prohibited Uses

AVST must not be used for:

• Monitoring private areas (e.g., restrooms, residence rooms)
• Violating reasonable expectations of privacy
• Observing employee performance unrelated to safety/security
• Monitoring students for academic dishonesty outside approved testing centers
• Routine academic or student performance monitoring
• Installing nonfunctional or “dummy” cameras

Public Safety Access

All installations must include credentials granting campus public safety departments, including University Police and Emergency Management, independent access to live and recorded footage, where applicable. 

Maintenance and Changes

• Inoperable cameras must be repaired or removed within 60 days. If repair/removal timeline is to exceed 60 days, documentation should be provided to the AVST Committee outlining the reasons for the delay.
• If the original purpose for an AVST installation changes or becomes invalid, departments must request new approval or remove the equipment.
• The AVST Committee must be notified of all removals.

Security of AVST

Units using AVST equipment must protect it from unauthorized access or tampering, while following university policies and operational needs. Unauthorized use must be reported to the department head. Future access may be revoked or denied.  

Cameras and related devices should be secured to prevent unauthorized viewing. Access must require a secure login (e.g., SSL). While video encryption isn’t required, reasonable steps should be taken to reduce the risk of data being intercepted.

Retention of Recorded AVST Material

Surveillance recordings must be stored securely and only accessed by authorized individuals. These recordings are considered temporary and should be kept for at least 30 days but no more than 90 days. Recordings exceeding 90 days must have written justification or documented exception approval from the AVST Committee. If recordings are needed for an investigation or legal case, they may be kept longer but must be deleted once no longer required. University Police-managed recordings are exempt from this rule.

Questions of Concerns Regarding AVST

If you have questions or concerns about AVST operational standards or implementation, email the AVST Committee at avst@tamu.edu. The committee will review your message and respond accordingly.

Event Coordination Committee

The Event Coordination Committee is charged with reviewing and approving special events that significantly impact campus operations at Texas A&M. The committee meets monthly to enhance coordination amongst university partners, including Athletics and affiliate organizations, by reviewing upcoming large-scale special events, identifying resources needed to support events, deconflicting the special-events calendar and providing overviews to the Event Executive Committee.

High-profile events and events not receiving approval consensus of the coordination committee will be elevated to the Event Executive Committee for awareness, evaluation and approval. Members include a broad representation of departments responsible for planning or supporting large-scale events on campus.

Event Executive Committee

The Event Executive Committee is charged with reviewing the reputational, operational and financial implications of large-scale special events, including those that are anticipated to be high-profile, impactful and/or of national significance. The executive committee is focused on the effects of events that consume university resources, including personnel and facilities, or large-scale and/or high-impact events in the Bryan/College Station area.

The executive committee meets quarterly to discuss implications of upcoming large-scale and/or high-impact special events that require executive leadership awareness, review and approval. From this process, the executive committee will provide recommendations to the university’s President for final approval. The committee is chaired by the university’s Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President for Operations. Committee membership includes the President and key university leadership, including Athletics and affiliate organizations.

Additional information related to the events permitting process can be found on the University Center and Special Events webpage.

The Executive Facilities Committee (EFC), administered through Facilities and Energy Services, represents the interests of faculty, staff and students with members from the research office, student affairs, faculty senate and more. The committee meets monthly to discuss requests that require additional review and to formally accept items that can be expedited for completion. All projects that are approved to move forward will be posted online following the monthly meetings.​

Depending on the scope of a project, the EFC may or may not need to provide additional review. Items that are considered routine maintenance or a request to update a space allocation within the same division will likely be approved at the facilities staff level. For more intricate projects – like reassigning of space to a different division or reconfiguring an office space – will require additional review by the EFC due to funding requirements, executive leadership approval and potentially Board of Regents approval.​

Throughout the process, regardless of how simple or complex a project, facilities staff will offer guidance from start to finish on the project request workflow, including scale of project, budgetary and timeline planning and any additional approvals needed.

The Transportation Services Advisory Committee (TSAC) meets on the first Wednesday of every month with a charge to:

• provide advice and input to Transportation Services concerning policy, user fees, or other issues that affect the campus community;
• evaluate service levels and demands for new services in relation to their associated costs and the necessity of a self-supporting financial condition for Transportation Services; and
• develop a consultative process and communication plan to assure the campus community is kept informed about policy and price changes, in advance of implementation, to allow sufficient time for input from the campus community.

Learn more about TSAC, including committee membership, and review past meeting minutes and presentations through Transportation Services.