(Sept. 5, 2017) -- UTSA President Taylor Eighmy today responded to the Trump Administration’s decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), assuring UTSA students of the university’s full commitment to their privacy, their rights and their goal to get a top quality education.
In a publicly released statement, Eighmy said:
“DACA students have enriched our university and our community. They know of no other home than the United States, and they have worked hard to get their education. They are eager to become productive members of society, contributing to our economic well-being as scientists, doctors, engineers and teachers.
As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, UTSA proudly embraces diversity and inclusion. DACA students have helped build a campus culture where everyone is welcomed and everyone belongs. Perhaps most importantly, they have persisted against the odds and succeeded, demonstrating the core American values of educational advancement, determination and hard work. We are working closely with our congressional delegation to seek relief through legislation that maintains DACA status and opportunities. We will be working closely, in coordination with community partners, to bring support and provide resources to our own DACA students and DACA students throughout San Antonio.”
Eighmy sent a letter to the 36 members of the Texas Congressional delegation and the state’s two U.S. Senators, urging them to take Congressional action to protect DACA students, also known as DREAMers. In the letter, he wrote:
“I would encourage you to support and call for immediate passage of legislation that would codify DACA protections into law and mitigate the disruption that DACA termination would otherwise have on these young people’s lives.
One such effort is the BRIDGE Act, which would provide temporary relief from deportation and employment authorization to DACA recipients or DACA eligible individuals while Congress debates legislation addressing a permanent solution.”
Across UTSA’s campuses, President Eighmy will be working closely with key areas to ensure that the university continues to meet the unique needs of its DACA students. These areas include Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Admissions, Financial Aid and Counseling Services. Students are encouraged to contact the Student Affairs Ombudsperson, Carol Gonzalez, at 210-458-4040 for assistance.
While UTSA will comply with its legal obligations, it does not track the number of DACA students that are enrolled at the institution and, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), does not release the personal information of its students, outside of public directory information.
Students who are currently enrolled at UTSA that want to restrict access to some or all of their public records need to file a Restrict Student Directory Information Request form, available on the Office of the Registrar website.
UT System Chancellor William McRaven also issued a statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision, saying:
“These students consider themselves to be Americans and Texans, proud of the state they see as their home. They, like others, have served our nation with distinction in their academic pursuits, in our nation’s military, and as productive members of society. This service should be applauded and honored. Our nation should recognize the potential in these students, granting them the opportunity to pursue their education and enter the workforce in this country.”
Read more about President Taylor Eighmy's thoughts on DACA.
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UTSA Downtown CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
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 promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
