Office of the President   2017   August   A truly special honor and privilege
Office of the President
Office of the President
Message from the President

A truly special honor and privilege

July 25, 2017
Office of the President

Dear Colleagues,

This afternoon, the UT System Board of Regents afforded me a truly special honor and privilege—the opportunity to serve as your next president. I cannot wait to begin this journey with you.

I believe that great cities are synonymous with great universities. This rings particularly true for UTSA and San Antonio. Though UTSA is a young university, it has advanced as a National Research University Fund (NRUF)-eligible and Carnegie Community-engaged institution and, today, it is poised for greatness. UTSA has all the ingredients to be the preeminent discovery and learning institution that shapes our city, our state and the nation.

Although I have much to learn about UTSA, I know that these three fundamental ideas hold true: we can shape our future as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and great discovery enterprise; we can chart a course as the new urban serving university; and we can advance and grow academic and scholarly excellence.

As I begin my service at UTSA, I am looking forward to working with you on these and other initiatives.

Our important work will include tackling student success and strategic enrollment, developing multicultural leadership opportunities, identifying new resources and partnerships, and completing the journey to NRUF and Carnegie R1 designation. These closely align with the Blueprint UTSA strategic plan.

Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working at exceptional public research universities and have benefitted tremendously from the friendships that were made, the challenges that were overcome and the dreams that were realized. Public research universities are noble enterprises that serve society by preparing future leaders and generating new knowledge that changes the world.

My wife, Peggy, and I are very much looking forward to making San Antonio our home, and I expect to be on campus full time beginning September 1. Until then, I will be visiting on several occasions and meeting with as many of you as I can. 

Best Regards,

Taylor Eighmy, Ph.D.
UTSA President