Sept. 27, 2019 -- Editor's Note: UTSA Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Students LT Robinson sent this email to UTSA faculty, staff and students today.
Dear Roadrunners,
I am writing with updates on the efforts of the President’s Initiative on Preventing Sexual Assault and Misconduct as well as information on upcoming educational programs. We have made much progress over the last several weeks to further our comprehensive approach to preventing and responding to sexual violence on campus.
System Improvements
Campus reporting has been centralized in Maxient, a comprehensive database streamlining referrals and information for behavioral issues, including sexual assault and misconduct. Several campus partners, including Student Conduct and Community Standards, Student Activities, EOS/Title IX, Campus Recreation and the Behavioral Intervention Team, completed the onboarding process. Additionally, Title IX staff and the hearing officers that adjudicate violations of the UTSA Student Code of Conduct completed training on trauma-informed care.
Effective this semester, UTSA is the first university in the nation to implement the Tracy Rule, the most comprehensive misconduct rule in the NCAA attaching student-athlete eligibility to behavior.
As part of our membership in the Culture of Respect Collective, action plans are being developed to align with the CORE Blueprint, comprised of six key proactive pillars focused on challenging and removing unwanted behaviors on campus.
Advocacy and Support
The Office of Student Advocacy, Violence Prevention and Empowerment has been renamed the UTSA PEACE Center (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Consultation and Empowerment), is now a part of the Office of Inclusive Excellence, and has been relocated to the Recreation Wellness Center near Student Health Services and Counseling. These changes align with the best practices in sexual violence prevention and position the center to provide support to all students, faculty and staff survivors of sexual violence.
The PEACE Center is staffed by a director and a prevention specialist who are charged with creating educational campaigns and trainings about sexual violence, misconduct, consent and healthy relationships. The center also includes a student advocate to assist students who have been victims of sexual violence and/or intimate partner violence by providing crisis intervention, safety planning, reporting option education and emotional support. Students do not need to report incidents to authorities in order to receive assistance from the student advocate, and all meetings and services are confidential. Please contact the PEACE Center for more information on these new service areas.
The UTSA Student Ombudsperson continues to serve as a respondent advocate in compliance with Title IX regulations.
Programming and Training
There are several events this fall featuring sexual violence prevention topics, including consent education, bystander intervention, healthy relationships and #SetTheExpectation. I encourage you to attend as many as possible. Traditions like Rowdy Wing Fling and National Night Out bring our community together and provide opportunities to expand our knowledge about these important topics. Mark your calendars for Monday, October 14 as Take Back the Night joins the Homecoming event lineup for the first time.
I hope you will consider exploring the many training opportunities available on campus, including Bringing in the Bystander and offerings by Human Resources. Making time in your schedule to complete these trainings is an important step toward a greater understanding of sexual assault and misconduct issues. 
We can all take steps to contribute to campus-wide community safety by being aware of available support and services. As a reminder, faculty and staff are required to report any disclosure of sexual violence to the Title IX Coordinator. It is important to tell students about your obligation to report prior to hearing a disclosure and to provide them with options. Students can visit the student advocate for support (without reporting), or choose to report to either the Equal Opportunity Services/Title IX Office or the UTSA Police Department. I encourage you to review the resources available on the Safe Campus website and familiarize yourself with referral options.
Thank you for everything you do to help create a safe environment for all our Roadrunners.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
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This event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main CampusAt this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusJoin us for a tribute to Willie Velásquez, honoring the legacy of Willie Velásquez, a pivotal figure in shaping the history of Latino and Hispanic participation in the American voting process. Delve into his life and contributions as a champion of Latino voting rights. Moderated by UTSA's Teresa Niño, the event will feature influential voices, including Jane Velásquez, María Antonietta Berriozábal, Dora Oliva, and Anthony Gonzales.
Buena Vista Building, Gregory Luna Room, Downtown CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
