Agenda Item Style Guidelines

  1. Times New Roman, 12 point. (A minimum of 11.5 point is permissible in order to fit the item on one page.)
  2. One-inch (1”) left & right margins.
  3. One-inch (1”) top & bottom margins (however, it is preferable to fit item on one page, if possible, so these margins may be reduced to .5” if necessary).
  4. Inside address on Minute Order page should read:

    5. Members, Board of Regents
    The Texas A&M University System

  5. Subject lines on both Briefing and Minute Order pages should read identically and briefly reflect the action requested of the board.(Refer to agenda item listings from previous Board meetings for sample Subject lines.)
  6. Justify all paragraphs on Briefing and Minute Order pages with no paragraph indentations and one space between paragraphs.
  7. The Minute Order itself is justified, bolded, with open and close quotes, and indented one-half inch (.5”) from left and right margins with a .5” paragraph indent.
  8. Do not insert an underscore after the Agenda Item No. reference. A field will be created in this area later for a number to be added.
  9. If an attachment to the agenda item is for informational use only (such as a map) and not considered to be critical supporting information for the Minute Order action itself, make a reference to the attachment within the Briefing page or on the Minute Order page, such as “as shown in the Attachment.” Do not leave spaces or an underscore after referring to an Attachment as no letters/numbers are assigned to Attachments.
  10. If an attachment to the agenda item is critical documentation in support of the Minute Order action requested, reference to it must be made within the bolded and quoted Minute Order itself as an Exhibit (followed by at least seven spaces so a field can be created later for its assigned letter). Any Exhibit reference elsewhere within the Briefing or Minute Order pages should be referred to as “the Exhibit” only and not followed by any spaces or underscore.
  11. Briefing and Minute Order pages should routinely be no more than one page each, if at all possible.

    If it is absolutely necessary that the Briefing be two pages, indicate at the bottom, centered: Page 1 of 2, Page 2 of 2. The header on the second page should read (left flushed):

    Agenda Item No.
    Agenda Item Briefing

    Should the Minute Order also be two pages, the pagination starts over with: Page 1 of 2, etc. The header on the second page should read (left flushed):

    Agenda Item No.
    Date (same date as indicated on the first page of the Minute Order)

    Avoid beginning the second page of the Minute Order with signatures only. Some text should be brought over from the previous page to begin Page 2.

  12. If there is more than one page to the Attachment, those pages should be numbered in the style mentioned above, as well. Only the first page of the Attachment should have the following header, ATTACHMENT TO ITEM, right flushed, in all caps.
  13. If there is more than one page to the Exhibit, those pages should be numbered in the style mentioned above, as well. Only the first page of the Exhibit should have the following header, right flushed, and in all caps:

    14. ITEM
    EXHIBIT

  14. Do not paginate your Tenure and/or Emeritus submissions. The System Office will compile all of the members’ entries and number them consecutively as one submission.
  15. If a System Policy or Regulation is referenced in any part of the agenda item, the number of the Policy/Regulation followed by a comma and the correct name of the Policy/Regulation are to be italicized; i.e.,

    System Policy 25.07, Contract Administration
    System Regulation 60.01.01, Association with Affiliated Fund Raising Organizations