(Aug. 20, 2019) -- To further realize its vision to provide world-class educational, economic and cultural opportunities to underserved communities in San Antonio’s urban core, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) today announced its intention to establish a community center in San Antonio’s historic Westside neighborhood. The new center will serve as a hub for UTSA to foster meaningful relationships with Westside residents and business owners that drive educational access, lifelong learning and economic opportunity.
UTSA is actively pursuing a prime location where area residents and their families can receive a variety of potential services including after-school tutoring, college admissions advising and preparation and, longer-term, adult education programs to encourage lifelong learning. The university will partner with Westside community groups and organizations to help shape the center’s services.
To support small business owners, the center will serve as an access point for entrepreneurs who want to work with UTSA. The university has a longstanding tradition of supporting Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) vendors. The UTSA Institute for Economic Development also offers an array of services to foster growth of small and medium-sized businesses.
“UTSA is committed to improving the quality of life of San Antonians by providing increased access to educational and economic mobility,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “This community center will serve as a model for how we extend our connections deeper into San Antonio’s neighborhoods to provide access to education, university services and other programs.”
To support the Westside neighborhood’s rich cultural traditions, the center will also collaborate with the City of San Antonio, City Council District 5 and local community leaders to promote arts and culture programming.
“This is a phenomenal opportunity for UTSA, our west side neighbors and community leaders to collaborate in a mission of preservation with positive growth,” said Kristi Villanueva, president of the West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. “This joint effort will further a strong economic driver for current and future west side neighbors.”
As part of its master planning process, UTSA is working with the National Association of Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB), a nationally recognized non-profit organization specializing in research and data-driven strategies to support equitable neighborhood development.
NALCAB is currently undertaking a research study on the issues impacting vulnerable populations near the UTSA Downtown Campus. The results of that study will help the university shape the programming at its new community center and the campus.
UTSA expects to identify the location for the center in the coming days and begin offering programming and services later this Fall.
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Come meet student organizations and learn about different volunteering opportunities at the Spring 2025 Get Involved Fair.
HSU Ballroom (HSU 1.104-1.106,) Main CampusGet Involved Fair is an opportunity for currently active student organizations to connect with the UTSA community. These organizations are able to communicate who they are and what they do to individuals seeking opportunities to get more involved with the university and their peers.
Assembly Room (1.338), Buena Vista Street Building, Downtown CampusThe Whataburger Resource Room at the Roadrunner Pantry has joined efforts with the campus community to put together the Move In Market! Come shop for some great items for your dorm room or apartment to get you started and set up for success.
H-E-B Student Union Ballroom (HSU 1.104-1.106,) Main CampusA Linguistics Time Capsule that was buried in 2000 will be opened and shared. It contains the predictions of UTSA linguistics students as to how the language would change by January, 2025. Students and faculty who contributed will be invited to the opening to participate in sharing their predictions and discussing how accurate some predictions were.
Denman Room (SU 2.01.28,) Main CampusHave you ever received an email invitation to publish in a journal you have never heard of with promises of lightning-fast peer-review and publication times? If so, you’ve probably heard of predatory publishing. During this workshop, participants will discuss this pervasive problem in academic publishing and how to spot the red flags through real-life examples.
Virtual (Zoom)Upon completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to: explain the history of Creative Commons, summarize the role of copyright law in the creation of Creative Commons, differentiate between different CC icons, identify the different layers and elements of CC licenses and tools, and list factors to consider when choosing a license for your project.
Virtual (Zoom)Join us for Coffee with Vets, a casual social event where veterans can come together, connect, and share camaraderie over a cup of coffee. This is a perfect opportunity to unwind, meet fellow veterans, and build community in a welcoming and relaxed environment.
Veteran Lounge (JPL 4.03.04,) John Peace Library, 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.
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 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.
