University provides May update on strategic initiatives

(May 17, 2018) – In an email sent today to UTSA faculty and staff, President Taylor Eighmy provided updates on presidential, strategic, tactical and operational initiatives underway to support UTSA’s strategic vision.

Downtown Campus Task Force

The task force continues to monitor feedback received as a result of the three community town hall meetings held in April. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to continue submitting thoughts and ideas regarding the initiative as it progresses. Plans are in the works to hold another town hall one evening this summer.

The Campus Experience Sub-Group is currently assessing the services offered at the Downtown Campus and prioritizing the most critical needs. The Housing Sub-Group is actively investigating options for student residential living around the Downtown Campus. The work of the Curriculum Sub-Group is currently focused on developing and implementing a series of strategies to increase UTSA’s academic course offerings at the Downtown Campus beginning in fall 2018. Additionally, UTSA will pilot shuttle service to and from the Downtown Campus in the fall. The shuttles will leave Main Campus in the mornings and return later in the afternoons.

Student Success Task Force

Following a review of proposed projects, consultants from EAB have recommended that the Student Success Task Force prioritize several high-impact, low-effort tactics for the duration of 2018. They include establishing coordinated campus care processes for students who will be part of the LEAD and SOAR 2018 summer academies, as well as for the university’s first-generation and transfer students. Consultants from EAB will return to campus May 29 and 30 to assist in launching those initiatives. In the next couple of weeks, the task force will draft a plan to address projects beyond 2018.

Finance and Budget Modeling Task Force

Huron Consulting continues to work with UTSA to refine tools that can be used in the budget redesign.  Briefings for each dean and their financial staff have been completed, and additional meetings are being scheduled to continue to refine the tool toward building the final model. Next month, the task force will host a panel discussion featuring deans and administrators from other universities sharing insights into their institutions’ budget redesigns. Forums for department chairs are also in the works to gather feedback on budget redesign plans. A pilot program to provide deans and vice presidents with budget-to-actual online reporting will launch this month, preparing them to monitor their budgets under the new model. Also starting this month, Huron will conduct an academic portfolio financial review with every college and provide resources and tools to support the transition to the new budget model.

SACSCOC 2020 – Racing to Reaccreditation

The SACSCOC Steering Committee has expanded to include a Director for Accreditation and Process Improvement, a Project Coordinator for Accreditation and an Institutional Research Analyst II to assist with assessment. These individuals are part of a permanent team that has been formed in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness to focus on university accreditation efforts and ongoing process improvement. They will work closely with the university-wide SACSCOC 2020 team.

Weighted Student Credit Hour Optimization Committee

The Weighted Student Credit Hour (WSCH) Optimization Committee completed its work to explore and develop strategies to maximize resources from formula funding for student success initiatives and related infrastructure development. The recommendations developed by the subcommittees have been compiled into a final report. This initiative is now closed, and the strategies are in the process of moving into the implementation phase within smaller unit-based groups.

National Security Collaboration Center 

The NSCC continues to receive government and industry support, with Accenture and the 25th Air Force (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) joining others in their commitment to partner with UTSA. NSCC partnership organizations, UTSA, CyberSecurity San Antonio and Accenture hosted former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director David Shedd for a networking event and lecture on "Decompiling the Government, Getting Technologists and Policymakers to Speak the Same Language" on May 10. Industry, government and policy makers from across San Antonio attended the event. President Eighmy, leadership and faculty are slated to promote the NSCC during visits and a UTSA-hosted reception in Washington, D.C.  June 5-6. 

Dreamers Center 

Interim program manager Courtney Balderas-Jacob has been hired to the permanent position of Assistant Director of the Dreamers Center as of June 1. Now that the staffing for the Dreamers Center is complete, this initiative is closed and the center has entered normal operations as an office within the Student Affairs division.

Behavior Intervention Team

Behavioral Intervention Specialist Roseanne McSweeney is actively working with members of the BIT Team to respectfully, confidentially and professionally respond to behavior concerns brought forward by members of the UTSA community. Now that the BIT office has been established and is running under normal operations, this initiative is now closed.

Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Task Force

The newly established Title IX Services office has a new name: the Office of Student Advocacy, Violence Prevention & Empowerment. The name change better reflects the goals and services of the office. Jessica Muniz, director and prevention coordinator, is in the process of hiring a confidential advocate to round out staffing for the office.

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