A Message from UTSA President Ricardo Romo
January 25, 2013
Dear Friends,
The start of 2013 brings a new session of the Texas Legislature, with lawmakers gathering to address the state's many needs including higher education. I will be spending time in Austin during the session meeting with legislators to help them understand UTSA's needs and point of view. I also wanted to share some of those thoughts with you.
There are four key areas I am focused on: funding for faculty and student support programs, paying for new facilities to support our student population, financial aid resources for students, and state matching funds to attract more research initiatives. These directly affect student access and success.
Currently, UTSA has a student-faculty ratio of 26:1. UTSA's enrollment has grown by more than 39 percent over the last decade, placing a significant strain on available resources. Greater funding would help us hire new faculty and expand support services that enhance student success.
Another important issue is how we pay for new facilities. As we advance to Tier One status, it is vital that we have the classrooms and laboratories to accommodate enrollment growth. UTSA was built for 21,000 students, but we now have more than 30,000 students. We are asking the Legislature to approve revenue bonds to provide a much-needed $92 million experimental science instructional building.
Last biennium, UTSA experienced a 30 percent reduction in state-funded TEXAS grants, which provide student aid. With 70 percent of our students receiving financial support, we are hopeful that TEXAS grants funding will be restored.
Finally, we are seeking additional state funding through the Texas Research Incentive Program, or TRIP, to help match private financial gifts used to recruit faculty, provide graduate fellowships and build research capacity. This is critical for our progression toward Tier One research status.
These are a few of the issues of importance to our university and our city that we will be watching in the days ahead. I am tremendously grateful to the Bexar County Legislative Delegation for all its efforts on behalf of UTSA and to the entire San Antonio community for its continuing advocacy. Investing in UTSA is investing in our community.
Go, 'Runners!
Best wishes,
Ricardo Romo
President
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Events
Fiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.
UTSA Southwest CampusJoin the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event is to achnowlege the graduating seniors and induct the new cohart of scholars to our program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140,) Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome