Our path toward Day 1 of integration
January 13, 2025
Colleagues,
On the heels of a new year, we face an opportune time to reaffirm our vision and commitment to building a world class university to serve our city, state, nation and beyond. Together, we’re charting an ambitious path toward becoming the third-largest public research university in Texas—making lives better through excellence in education, health care, discovery and innovation, community engagement and so much more.
Since announcing our merger last August, we have been deeply encouraged by the enthusiastic support of our San Antonio community. So many of our civic, corporate and philanthropic leaders have shared ringing endorsements, recognizing the transformative potential of our combined institutional strengths.
This optimism was mirrored in a recent annual marketplace perceptions survey conducted in December, where the general population expressed overwhelmingly positive views about the merger. Key drivers of this sentiment include the anticipated benefits of expanded opportunities for students in health sciences and enhanced collaboration across education, research and healthcare. These outcomes underscore the critical role of community support and endorsement in bringing authenticity and momentum to our shared vision for the future.
Looking forward, with your continued dedication and collaboration, we are poised to achieve SACSCOC accreditation this summer—a pivotal milestone on our journey to becoming a unified institution. On September 1, 2025 we will be officially merged as a unified premier powerhouse university defined by an inspiring brand narrative that reflects our shared vision, values and limitless potential. This is more than a merger—it is the beginning of a new era where our combined strengths will shape the future of education, research, health care and service nationally and globally.
In preparation for a well-coordinated integration process, our leaders have been hard at work—conducting research, sharing ideas, visiting peer institutions and collaborating through committee meetings to ensure we remain highly coordinated and collaborative. Since the merger’s announcement, the process has evolved significantly to enhance decision-making and increase opportunities for stakeholder input. As we move forward, we invite you to visit the integration website’s feedback page to share your ideas and stay connected. As task forces and work groups mobilize, we will regularly share new opportunities for engagement across both institutions.
Since launching four key task forces in the last few months of 2024, we have identified additional integration areas essential for accreditation and the successful launch of our new university on September 1. Task forces are actively driving SACSCOC Accreditation, Health Education Accreditation, Brand and Marketing and Communications efforts. Before the holiday break, we expanded efforts with task forces dedicated to Academic, Student, and Faculty Affairs and Enterprise Risk Management. While not an exhaustive list, these teams provide a strong foundation to achieve our ambitious goals and shape our new shared future. We expect more task forces to launch in February to support integration work.
As new task forces launch in the coming months and years, more colleagues will be invited to contribute their expertise to support key areas of focus. Your knowledge and insights remain vital to our shared success, and we deeply value your continued dedication. By staying focused on keeping our institutions strong and continuing to do what you do to operate effectively, you are helping lay the groundwork for our future as one unified, powerhouse university.
Lastly, we recognize that achieving these ambitious goals requires dedication and hard work from each of you, and for that, we sincerely thank you. Together, we’re building something extraordinary—a university that will remain standing as a beacon of knowledge, strength and innovation, essential to the well-being of our community, city and state.
With deep appreciation,
On the heels of a new year, we face an opportune time to reaffirm our vision and commitment to building a world class university to serve our city, state, nation and beyond. Together, we’re charting an ambitious path toward becoming the third-largest public research university in Texas—making lives better through excellence in education, health care, discovery and innovation, community engagement and so much more.
Since announcing our merger last August, we have been deeply encouraged by the enthusiastic support of our San Antonio community. So many of our civic, corporate and philanthropic leaders have shared ringing endorsements, recognizing the transformative potential of our combined institutional strengths.
This optimism was mirrored in a recent annual marketplace perceptions survey conducted in December, where the general population expressed overwhelmingly positive views about the merger. Key drivers of this sentiment include the anticipated benefits of expanded opportunities for students in health sciences and enhanced collaboration across education, research and healthcare. These outcomes underscore the critical role of community support and endorsement in bringing authenticity and momentum to our shared vision for the future.
Looking forward, with your continued dedication and collaboration, we are poised to achieve SACSCOC accreditation this summer—a pivotal milestone on our journey to becoming a unified institution. On September 1, 2025 we will be officially merged as a unified premier powerhouse university defined by an inspiring brand narrative that reflects our shared vision, values and limitless potential. This is more than a merger—it is the beginning of a new era where our combined strengths will shape the future of education, research, health care and service nationally and globally.
In preparation for a well-coordinated integration process, our leaders have been hard at work—conducting research, sharing ideas, visiting peer institutions and collaborating through committee meetings to ensure we remain highly coordinated and collaborative. Since the merger’s announcement, the process has evolved significantly to enhance decision-making and increase opportunities for stakeholder input. As we move forward, we invite you to visit the integration website’s feedback page to share your ideas and stay connected. As task forces and work groups mobilize, we will regularly share new opportunities for engagement across both institutions.
Since launching four key task forces in the last few months of 2024, we have identified additional integration areas essential for accreditation and the successful launch of our new university on September 1. Task forces are actively driving SACSCOC Accreditation, Health Education Accreditation, Brand and Marketing and Communications efforts. Before the holiday break, we expanded efforts with task forces dedicated to Academic, Student, and Faculty Affairs and Enterprise Risk Management. While not an exhaustive list, these teams provide a strong foundation to achieve our ambitious goals and shape our new shared future. We expect more task forces to launch in February to support integration work.
As new task forces launch in the coming months and years, more colleagues will be invited to contribute their expertise to support key areas of focus. Your knowledge and insights remain vital to our shared success, and we deeply value your continued dedication. By staying focused on keeping our institutions strong and continuing to do what you do to operate effectively, you are helping lay the groundwork for our future as one unified, powerhouse university.
Lastly, we recognize that achieving these ambitious goals requires dedication and hard work from each of you, and for that, we sincerely thank you. Together, we’re building something extraordinary—a university that will remain standing as a beacon of knowledge, strength and innovation, essential to the well-being of our community, city and state.
With deep appreciation,
Taylor Eighmy, PhD
President
UTSA
Robert Hromas, MD, FACP
Acting President
UT Health San Antonio
