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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Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28)Professor Swisher is Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on risk factors in adolescence and the transition to adulthood (e.g., neighborhood poverty, exposure to violence, parental incarceration) and their consequences for health and well-being across the life course. Recent work has focused on educational mobility and, in particular, challenges faced by first generation college students.
Virtual EventJoin UTSA for a virtual screening of “Hap Veltman’s San Antonio Country” with the filmmaker Noi Mahoney. See the story of the extraordinary life of Hap Veltman and the nightclub that kick-started San Antonio’s gay civil rights movement. Professor Derek Robertson will lead a discussion with the filmmaker, followed by audience Q&A. Free and open to the UTSA and entire San Antonio community.
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Virtual EventSecure your vaccine ahead of time by registering for an appointment. Walk-in appointments will also be available while supplies last. The vaccines available are the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen.
Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28)San Antonio Pride Parade featuring make-up tutorials, Peace Love Pride Wedding, special guests. More details to come.
Virtual EventUTSA Campus Recreation will be doing a giveaway in celebration of Pride Month. The first 51 patrons to come to the Rec will win a free t-shirt!
Campus Rec, Main 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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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.
