Beyond The Degree Plan

The road to graduation is long, winding and can look very different for each student at Texas Tech University. But in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, students do not have to travel that road alone. With a tradition of prioritizing student success, the college’s advisors make sure students are supported academically and personally.  

A Personal Touch

Kayla Rathmann, who has served as an advisor for the Department of Animal Science for almost a decade, sees advising as more than just helping a student put their schedule together, but as an opportunity to make an impact in a student’s life.

“We have people in place, like our staff advisors, to make sure that the students feel like they're taken care of,” Rathmann said. “I think that’s very important to us.”

For Rathmann, the relationships she builds with her students are not something that ends when they graduate. She looks forward to keeping in touch with her former students and seeing how they succeed in the world.

“That's why I love building relationships with my kids so much at this stage, because it definitely carries on for life,” Rathmann said.

In addition to advising over 250 students, Rathmann also coordinates the scholarship and internship programs, teaches a senior seminar class and helps with department outreach events. Despite the many roles she has taken on, Rathmann maintains an open-door policy with her students.

“My door is open if they have questions,” Rathmann said. “I’m always available for them.”

Aniston Patschke, a junior animal science major, credits Rathman for not just academic assistance, but also for career mentoring.

“She was the one pushing me to join all of the judging teams,” Patschke said. “That’ll look really great on a vet school application.”

Patschke said that nudge from her advisor to join the meat judging team opened the door for a unique internship opportunity helping run a livestock judging contest in Australia.

“My door  is always open if they  have questions. I'm always available for them. ” 

She said her relationship with her advisor does not stop at academic and career advice, but it has a personal aspect as well.

“You definitely don't get as close with your advisors anywhere else on campus,” Patschke said. “I think that's what's special about the Davis College.”

Excellence in Advising

Diann Merriman has been the lead academic advisor for the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences for almost 14 years. Merriman, a Texas Tech graduate herself, has seen the academic advising process for Davis College evolve and improve throughout her many years with the department.

“The college has transitioned to hiring a lot more professional advisors dedicated specifically just to advising,” Merriman said. “We have student success specialists and the Bill Bennett success team.”

Despite the operational and staff changes over the years, Merriman said that the core values and mission of Davis College advising remain the same.

“There's a lot of support for students but the nuts and bolts of it is the students’ relationship with their advisor,” Merriman said.

Merriman takes pride in the students that she mentors and finds fulfillment through her students’ successes. Merriman also has a role in Red Raider Orientation where she has the unique opportunity to begin building a relationship with students before they even register for classes.

“We meet with the students on that second day when it's time to discuss their program, plan their fall courses, help them get registered,” Merriman said. “We help them understand the tools that are available to them.”

 Merriman puts great value in these relationships and finds her success in the success of her students, from meeting them for the first time at Red Raider Orientation to their graduation.

“They're coming in not sure what's going on, and by the time it's all said and done, they're confident in their skills,” Merriman said. “They walk out of here ready to take on the world.”

It is not just about academic success for Merriman, but she also takes great pride in the personal successes of her students and seeing them flourish outside the classroom.

“I try to keep in touch with a lot of the students as they moved on through their lives,” Merriman said. “Watching them start their families, start their careers, and seeing them succeed, it's just amazing.

As lead advisor, Merriman also provides support to other advisors not just in her department but also to the rest of Davis College. Merriman has began providing support for recent Texas Tech graduate and new academic advisor for the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications, Denver Drake.

“I have talked to her quite a few times, and I make myself available if she has any questions,” Merriman said. “I think she's very capable.”

This personal approach to her role garnered Merriman the attention of Texas Tech’s president and resulted in not one, but two awards for her work. In both 2017 and 2025, Merriman received the President’s Excellence in Academic Advising award.

“I was honored to be nominated by our department chair to be considered for the award,” Merriman said.

Once again, a member of the Plant and Soil Science Department will be honored with this award. Merriman said Alicia Thomas, PhD., has been nominated by their department chair for this year’s award, a testament to the impact Davis College advisors are making.

This unique and lasting impact is Merriman believes makes Davis College the standard on Texas Tech campus.

“Davis college is the best college on Texas Tech campus,” Merriman said. “So much support, such a family atmosphere, so many opportunities to involve the students and their families.”

“They're coming in not sure what's going on, and by the time it's all said and done, they're confident in their skills. They walk out of here ready to take on the world.”

For Merriman, Davis College is more than just another place to get a degree and get out. It is a place where you are seen, valued and invested in.

“People know their names, people can recognize their faces, and there are so many opportunities to network and socialize,” Merriman said.

Merriman said that she is confident in the future of Davis College. She believes that they have the right people in place in every department in order for the college to continue excelling.

“We have so many good, strong advisors that I feel that this college is in good shape for many years to come,” Merriman said.

From the Top Down

The support for advising stems from the Davis College dean’s office. Robert Cox, Ph.D., associate dean for academic and student programs, said every student in the college is seen, heard and guided toward success.

“The Davis College has a really strong focus on the student and on the student experience in general,” Cox said. “We have the reputation of having the best advising across campus.”

Supporting student success through advising is at the forefront of the college’s priorities, Cox said. Once a month, he said a council of the college’s advisors gather to share thoughts and concerns and discuss how they can be better set up to invest in their students.

“But what we really want is to make sure that students have access to advisors, and that those interactions with the advisors, both academic and career kind of advising that those interactions are positive and supportive and really lead from success to success,” Cox said.

Another way Davis College sets itself apart is through the Dr. Bill Bennett Student Success Center. This one-stop shop for students offers career advice, scholarship help and personal support from one of the many specialists on staff. Cox said he sees this as physical manifestation of the Davis College’s efforts toward student support and success.

“The Dr. Bill Bennett Student Success Center is the most knowledgeable, professional and supportive Student Success Center on campus,” Cox said.

Davis College strives to provide more than just a quality education, he said, but also a community that supports students academically.

“Every step along the way, through advising, also through classes, through undergraduate experiences, whether those are student organizations, student research, internships, that every step along the way is like feeding into that pipeline of success,” Cox said.

Cox said that Davis College leadership is always looking to innovate and find new ways to continue supporting their students. Recently, they have turned their focus to their students’ careers after college and making sure that they are set up for success.

“We have a database of potential internship employers,” Cox said. “We're going to have staff members who, anytime a student would like an internship, they can come visit with that staff member.”

Cox said that he is proud of not only what Davis College has accomplished but what its former students have achieved at home and abroad. Cox wants to use that history of excellence as a springboard into the future and to help Davis College continue to reach new heights, evermore.

“You can go almost anywhere in the United States and find folks who have been very, very successful graduating from the Davis College,” Cox said. “There's that legacy of success, and we want to make sure that we're protecting that legacy and advancing it.”