Editor's Note: UTSA President Taylor Eighmy sent this letter to UTSA faculty and staff today announcing additions to the Senior Leadership Team. The new roles will help support the university's strategic vision.
(April 11, 2018) -- Dear Roadrunners,
As I continue to align UTSA’s Senior Leadership Team with our six strategic themes, I am reaching out today to announce I will be adding two additional positions – a Vice President for Inclusive Excellence, and a Vice President for Information Management and Technology.
The decision to create a new Vice President for Inclusive Excellence was driven by input from last fall’s faculty/staff diversity survey, as well as feedback I received during my community conversation sessions over the last several months. This search will be chaired by Dr. Rhonda M. Gonzales, Interim Vice President for Student Success.
The presence of a Vice President for Inclusive Excellence at UTSA in no way releases our collective obligation as faculty, staff and administrators to do everything within our power to create an inclusive campus environment. That said, this individual will serve as a leadership anchor, helping us to shape policies, set goals and provide strategic direction for the journey toward improving our campus climate for underrepresented groups. I expect that our Vice President will work broadly with all those involved in efforts relating to diversity and inclusion on our campus, cultivating a spirit of collaboration.
The Vice President for Information Management and Technology position replaces the existing position of Vice Provost for Information Technology, expanding its scope and elevating it to report directly to me. I am very grateful for the service of Bryan Wilson, who has held the Vice Provost role on an interim basis for the last three years. Bryan will return to his previous role in OIT as Executive Director of Infrastructure Services & Deputy CIO, and I look forward to his continued contributions.
The reframing of this position reflects the growing importance of information management, systems and integrity at Carnegie R1 universities. In addition to overseeing our OIT operation, this individual will chart the technological future for UTSA. The Vice President will be charged with developing and implementing information management and technology strategic plans to ensure we are not only meeting the current needs of our faculty, staff and students, but also preparing for future technological advancements. This search will be chaired by Dr. Can Saygin, Interim Senior Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Initiatives.
More information on these two national searches—including the composition of the search committees, the selection of search firms, and the on-campus process to meet finalists—will be determined in the next few weeks. I hope to have both positions filled by the start of the fall semester.
The decision to add these areas of focus to my cabinet emulates a structure commonly found at other research-intensive universities. My goal is to shape a highly collaborative leadership team where each Vice President has multiple points of commonality and shared goals. A resistance to silos is a critical characteristic across the entire Senior Leadership Team, as organizational growth and excellence are dependent on a culture where individuals are encouraged to think beyond their areas of direct responsibility. The success of our students is at the forefront of these organizational decisions, as they should be for all decisions we make at UTSA.
With appreciation,
Taylor Eighmy
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