(May 17, 2018) – In an email sent today to UTSA faculty and staff, President Taylor Eighmy provided updates on presidential, strategic, tactical and operational initiatives underway to support UTSA’s strategic vision.
The task force continues to monitor feedback received as a result of the three community town hall meetings held in April. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to continue submitting thoughts and ideas regarding the initiative as it progresses. Plans are in the works to hold another town hall one evening this summer.
The Campus Experience Sub-Group is currently assessing the services offered at the Downtown Campus and prioritizing the most critical needs. The Housing Sub-Group is actively investigating options for student residential living around the Downtown Campus. The work of the Curriculum Sub-Group is currently focused on developing and implementing a series of strategies to increase UTSA’s academic course offerings at the Downtown Campus beginning in fall 2018. Additionally, UTSA will pilot shuttle service to and from the Downtown Campus in the fall. The shuttles will leave Main Campus in the mornings and return later in the afternoons.
Following a review of proposed projects, consultants from EAB have recommended that the Student Success Task Force prioritize several high-impact, low-effort tactics for the duration of 2018. They include establishing coordinated campus care processes for students who will be part of the LEAD and SOAR 2018 summer academies, as well as for the university’s first-generation and transfer students. Consultants from EAB will return to campus May 29 and 30 to assist in launching those initiatives. In the next couple of weeks, the task force will draft a plan to address projects beyond 2018.
Finance and Budget Modeling Task Force
Huron Consulting continues to work with UTSA to refine tools that can be used in the budget redesign. Briefings for each dean and their financial staff have been completed, and additional meetings are being scheduled to continue to refine the tool toward building the final model. Next month, the task force will host a panel discussion featuring deans and administrators from other universities sharing insights into their institutions’ budget redesigns. Forums for department chairs are also in the works to gather feedback on budget redesign plans. A pilot program to provide deans and vice presidents with budget-to-actual online reporting will launch this month, preparing them to monitor their budgets under the new model. Also starting this month, Huron will conduct an academic portfolio financial review with every college and provide resources and tools to support the transition to the new budget model.
SACSCOC 2020 – Racing to Reaccreditation
The SACSCOC Steering Committee has expanded to include a Director for Accreditation and Process Improvement, a Project Coordinator for Accreditation and an Institutional Research Analyst II to assist with assessment. These individuals are part of a permanent team that has been formed in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness to focus on university accreditation efforts and ongoing process improvement. They will work closely with the university-wide SACSCOC 2020 team.
Weighted Student Credit Hour Optimization Committee
The Weighted Student Credit Hour (WSCH) Optimization Committee completed its work to explore and develop strategies to maximize resources from formula funding for student success initiatives and related infrastructure development. The recommendations developed by the subcommittees have been compiled into a final report. This initiative is now closed, and the strategies are in the process of moving into the implementation phase within smaller unit-based groups.
National Security Collaboration Center
The NSCC continues to receive government and industry support, with Accenture and the 25th Air Force (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) joining others in their commitment to partner with UTSA. NSCC partnership organizations, UTSA, CyberSecurity San Antonio and Accenture hosted former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director David Shedd for a networking event and lecture on "Decompiling the Government, Getting Technologists and Policymakers to Speak the Same Language" on May 10. Industry, government and policy makers from across San Antonio attended the event. President Eighmy, leadership and faculty are slated to promote the NSCC during visits and a UTSA-hosted reception in Washington, D.C. June 5-6.
Dreamers Center
Interim program manager Courtney Balderas-Jacob has been hired to the permanent position of Assistant Director of the Dreamers Center as of June 1. Now that the staffing for the Dreamers Center is complete, this initiative is closed and the center has entered normal operations as an office within the Student Affairs division.
Behavioral Intervention Specialist Roseanne McSweeney is actively working with members of the BIT Team to respectfully, confidentially and professionally respond to behavior concerns brought forward by members of the UTSA community. Now that the BIT office has been established and is running under normal operations, this initiative is now closed.
Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Task Force
The newly established Title IX Services office has a new name: the Office of Student Advocacy, Violence Prevention & Empowerment. The name change better reflects the goals and services of the office. Jessica Muniz, director and prevention coordinator, is in the process of hiring a confidential advocate to round out staffing for the office.
Learn more about the UTSA Strategic Plan.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.
Various LocationsDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main CampusFiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.
UTSA Southwest CampusJoin the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event is to achnowlege the graduating seniors and induct the new cohart of scholars to our program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140,) Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
AlamodomeThe 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.
