UTSA’s new inclusivity statement
Dear Roadrunners,
These last few months we have witnessed communities locally and around the nation rising up and coming together to fight for a new future based on equality and systemic change.
As mentioned in President Eighmy’s email last June, we have work to do to be exemplary in building an environment of inclusive excellence and have been working toward creating change on our own campus. One of these efforts—the development of a UTSA’s new inclusivity statement—has been underway for the better part of a year. After an extensive development process involving students, faculty and staff, this summer we invited the community to offer feedback on the statement’s draft, which was then integrated.
We are very pleased to share the final statement with you today:
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 ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
The statement articulates the concept of inclusive excellence as fundamental to UTSA’s identity and aspirations, and is the result of a broad participatory process involving many dedicated members of our community. Now more than ever, the notions it expresses signal our intentionality, both in recognizing our history and our collective commitment to change.
Our thanks to UTSA’s Inclusive Excellence Advisory Board and the Provost’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council for their leadership and the pivotal roles they played in bringing this statement to fruition. The time and dedication they put toward involving hundreds of voices and perspectives in the shaping of this statement are to be commended. We invite you to read more about the statement’s development process on UTSA Today.
Our inclusivity statement now appears alongside UTSA’s mission, vision, core values and destinations on the university’s website, functioning as another elemental aspect of UTSA’s higher purpose and responsibilities as San Antonio’s largest public research university.
As always, thank you for your support—especially during these challenging last six months—as we continue to work toward making UTSA an inclusive learning community ready to help move our nation forward.
Sincerely,
President's Cabinet and University Leadership Council
Taylor Eighmy, President
Myron Anderson, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence
Bernard Arulanandam, Vice President for Research, Economic Development and Knowledge Enterprise
Lynn Barnes Jr., Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment
JoAnn Browning, Dean of the College of Engineering & Interim Dean of the College of Architecture, Construction & Planning
Lisa Campos, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Athletics Director
Lynne Cossman, Dean of the College for Health, Community and Policy
Margo DelliCarpini, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development
Taylor Edwards, President of the Student Government Association
Kimberly Andrews Espy, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Jill Fleuriet, Acting Dean of the Honors College
Juan B. Gutiérrez, Chair of Department Chairs Council
Dean Hendrix, Dean of Libraries
Joe Izbrand, Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications and External Affairs
Sean Kelly, Interim Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts
Matt Keneson, Chair of Staff Senate
Kendra Ketchum, Vice President for Information Management and Technology
Chad Mahood, Chair of the Faculty Senate
Ambika Mathur, Dean of the Graduate School & Vice Provost for Graduate Studies
Rod McSherry, Interim Vice President for University Relations
Veronica Mendez, Senior Vice President for Business Affairs
Lisa J. Montoya, Vice Provost Global Initiatives
Karl Miller-Lugo, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations
Anne Peters, Associate Vice President for University Marketing and Special Projects
LT Robinson, Senior Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Gerry Sanders, Dean of the College of Business
Heather Shipley, Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs and Dean of University College
David Silva, Dean of the College of Sciences
Melissa Vito, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation
Tammy J. Wyatt, Vice Provost for Student Success
