Editor's Note: UTSA President Taylor Eighmy sent this email to UTSA faculty, staff and students updating them on the investigations into Monday's classroom incident.
(Nov. 14, 2018) -- Dear Roadrunners,
I am writing with an update and final outcomes of our investigations into Monday’s classroom incident.
I have received briefings on the final reports for both investigations which are summarized below. In the spirit of full transparency, and given the national attention that this incident has drawn to UTSA, I want everyone to be very clear regarding the facts and outcomes.
As noted in my last update, the faculty member was relieved of her duties as an instructor for the remainder of the semester. She will be required to undergo classroom management training with UTSA Teaching and Learning Services, at which point she will be allowed to return to teaching for the Spring 2019 semester with ongoing monitoring.
Provost Espy has accepted Dr. Grimes’s report and outlined the support and protections UTSA is providing to the student. Dr. Grimes is working with her to ensure her academics are not impacted, and she is also receiving personal support and counsel through our Dean of Students office. I was grateful for the opportunity to have met with the student and her family today and have extended my apologies on behalf of UTSA.
Let me reiterate that the results of these investigations in no way diminish my firm commitment to the work we must do to create a more inclusive campus environment. After hearing from so many students, faculty and staff regarding their feelings of marginalization, disrespect and fear, I am more convinced than ever that this is a top priority for UTSA.
We will move forward with all the action steps I listed in my last update. In addition, Provost Espy will soon send a follow-up to update the community on some of the activities we’ve already begun to increase faculty diversity at UTSA – a key component of creating an environment welcoming to all students.
This work is urgent and must be an ongoing effort. I know UTSA can be a national model for campus inclusivity, and I am committed to providing the resources, time and attention needed to reach that goal.
With appreciation,
Taylor Eighmy
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The Racial Justice Book Club was established at UTSA by members of the campus community to explore social justice following acts of racial violence across the nation over the last few years. We are reading The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas by Monica Muñoz Martinez. We will meet every Wednesday in September and October at 2 pm on Zoom.
Virtual EventThe touring ensemble of five London actors will perform Shakespeare’s _Macbeth in the UTSA Recital Hall.
Recital Hall, Main CampusSession for parents to learn about how to prepare for their children's future in higher education.
Buena Vista Street. Building (BVB 1.326,) Downtown CampusCelebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at our very own street fair - Calle UTSA. We will have activities, performances, food, music, and piñatas to break open.
Student Union Paseo"La Plática" is a space for thoughtful dialogue to build a sense of connection among the Roadrunner Community by getting to know each other better and sharing what's on our minds and about ourselves to increase to increase awareness of diverse perspectives.
Virtual EventThis September 30, the Friday Series will feature Prof. Milena Ang, who will be presenting A Tren to Nowhere: Statistic Development and the Politics of Racial, a paper co-authored with Tania Islas-Weistein where they discuss Mexico's long history of state-led development projects that contribute to economic and racial inequality. The authors argue that despite professing racial justice, official discourses surrounding the Tren Maya reproduce existing symbolic and material forms of racism.
McKinney Humanities (MH 4.01.01,) Main CampusWe invite you to learn about the process of screenwriting and explore the intersection of identity and pursuing dreams from Jorge Ramirez-Martinez and Raymond Perez, screenwriters for the Selena: The Series, released on Netflix. They will discuss their careers and writing process, including how their identities as Mexican American and gay men have shaped their professional experiences.
Virtual EventThe 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.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
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 ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
