Initiative update and survey
Greetings,
As we are now just over a year since the launch of the President’s Initiative on Westside Community Partnerships, we wanted to provide a few updates regarding UTSA’s efforts to elevate our relationships with San Antonio’s Westside, particularly those neighborhoods adjacent to our Downtown Campus.
First, a request. We know there are many UTSA faculty and staff conducting research, teaching or service activities on the Westside, and we are interested in getting a more comprehensive view of these undertakings. If you are involved in any UTSA-related projects directly impacting San Antonio’s Westside, please take our 3-minute survey.
The Westside Community Partnerships initiative encompasses four key themes around creating pathways to economic prosperity, educational excellence, community-based research and community-campus engagement, aligning closely with UTSA’s identity as a Hispanic Serving institution. Although the pandemic temporarily slowed our progress, we are still making strides to foster meaningful relationships, opportunities and research. By way of example:
- UTSA’s Westside Community Center—now one year old—serves as a home base for community-based workshops, research focus groups, exhibits, community group meetings and trainings.
- The College of Education and Human Development is actively exploring educational partnerships and wrap-around services with Lanier High School, Tafolla Middle School, J.T. Brackenridge Elementary School, and the San Antonio ISD.
- Over the last 12 months, UTSA’s Small Business Development Center advised 127 businesses on the Westside, helping them to acquire more than $1.3 million in capital infusion (including $867K in COVID disaster recovery loans) and creating and retaining 422 jobs. In the same period, UTSA awarded $104,987 to Historically Underutilized Business for goods and services.
- Community outreach programming continues to provide additional avenues for connection. Our slate of virtual events for Hispanic Heritage Month were just one recent example, and we are looking forward to a series of activities recognizing the 25th anniversary of the César E. Chávez & Dolores Huerta March this spring.
All of these efforts are points along a pathway to fulfilling UTSA’s commitment as an urban-serving university and a driver of economic mobility for San Antonio – signaling our integral and interdependent connections to our neighboring communities. There is much more work to come, and we are grateful for your support.
