Nov. 4, 2019 — Editor’s note: The follow message was distributed to students, faculty and staff today from President Taylor Eighmy and LT Robinson, senior vice provost for student affairs and dean of students.
Dear Roadrunners,
We are writing to let you know about a new Texas state law regarding free speech on university campuses and how the law affects us here at UTSA.
On Sept. 1, 2019, a new law went into effect regarding Protected Expression on Campus. The law will have several noticeable changes for Texas public university campuses, including:
Most of the intended outcomes of the new law are already in practice at UTSA. We have a strong commitment and moral obligation to protect the principle of free speech, and readily welcome members of the university community and beyond to engage in respectful expressions on campus.
Over the next few months our Office of Student Affairs and Office of Legal Affairs will work to formally incorporate the new law into our policies and procedures. By March 2020 we anticipate finalizing appropriate revisions to our policy on Peaceful Public Assembly as the overarching free speech policy on campus. We are also working on appropriate changes to UTSA’s Student Code of Conduct and other relevant policies and procedures.
It’s important to us that this policy work be done collaboratively with input from you—our students, faculty and staff. The Office of Student Affairs will engage students and student organizations to discuss and address any concerns that may be shared throughout this process.
Likewise, our Respectful Discourse Initiative will educate and foster dialogue within the university community regarding policy changes.
We are confident that the proactive measures we are taking in this area will enable UTSA to serve as an exemplar for creating an institutional culture built upon respect for others. We encourage you to visit our Civic Discourse and Engagement page for ongoing updates regarding these efforts and for additional resources.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
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The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.
Various LocationsDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main CampusFiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.
UTSA Southwest CampusJoin the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event is to achnowlege the graduating seniors and induct the new cohart of scholars to our program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140,) Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
AlamodomeThe 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.