(Jan. 2, 2019) – Thousands of Roadrunners will return to campus today to witness a fresh look in the new year. Over winter break, crews were busy installing new signage across the UTSA Main and Downtown Campuses to signify the start of UTSA’s 50th anniversary celebration.
A giant banner now hangs from the Bauerle Road Garage on the Main Campus. Bold orange and blue pole banners featuring a 1969 and 2019, a big 5-0 and an image of the Rowdy statue line campus walkways on the Main and Downtown Campuses.
To encourage the San Antonio community to join UTSA in its 50th anniversary, colorful 50th billboards will soon be displayed across the city and flags will be hung on poles along San Antonio streets.
UTSA will officially turn 50 on June 5, 2019. To commemorate the historic milestone, the university has a yearlong celebration planned that includes a slate of exciting activities and events.
The university encourages students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends to join the celebration by raising awareness of UTSA’s 50th anniversary on social media. Members of the Roadrunner community should take photos or videos of themselves in front of UTSA 50th banners and billboards, post those photos on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn channels, and bring the posts to North Paseo Building 5.102 to receive a free t-shirt. One t-shirt will be provided per person per post while supplies last.
Members of the Roadrunner community are also encouraged to share their memories with UTSA. Stories, photos and video may be submitted online, and the best memories will be featured on a 50th anniversary website set to launch on January 14.
Texas Governor Preston Smith signs HB 42 in a 1969 ceremony at the Alamo, officially founding UTSA.UTSA’s 50th anniversary website will also be packed full of archival photos, videos and stories depicting UTSA’s first 50 years and serving as a sneak peek of what’s to come. It will also include an extensive timeline featuring interesting facts about the university and a list of signature events for members of the San Antonio community who want to celebrate UTSA’s birthday.
Founded by the 61st Texas Legislature on June 5, 1969, UTSA was commissioned as a university of the first class. Until UTSA was established, San Antonio was the only major city in the nation not served by a public university. Leaders, legislators and the public knew that if San Antonio was to achieve its full potential, a nationally recognized research university was needed to offer a comprehensive array of courses and degrees.
Today, UTSA offers nearly 160 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees to more than 32,000 students through nine colleges and The Graduate School. The university has internationally respected academic programs, award-winning faculty and sophisticated science, technology and recreational facilities, along with recognized arts and humanities programs and diverse, dynamic student life. Increasingly, UTSA is recognized as a leader in higher education and research. The university is ranked among the top 400 universities in the world and one of the top four young universities in the nation, according to Times Higher Education.
As an intellectual and creative resource center and a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property for Texas and beyond, UTSA is committed to becoming an urban serving discovery enterprise that provides access to educational excellence and prepares leaders for the global environment.
Roadrunners, their families and friends are encouraged to share their UTSA 50th anniversary experiences on social media using #UTSA and #UTSA50.
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.
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 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.
