JULY 30, 2021 — Editor’s note: The following message was sent today via email from President Taylor Eighmy, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy and Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Business Affairs Veronica Salazar Mendez to all faculty, staff and students:
As you know, we are in the midst of a surge in the COVID-19 Delta variant across much of our nation, including here in San Antonio. The new guidance from the CDC and efforts by the City and County yesterday to advocate for masking and vaccinations have many of us thinking about what life will look like in the weeks ahead with our new academic year on the horizon. Your health and well-being are paramount and we want to share our current thoughts about this development.
We are closely monitoring the pandemic situation and communicate daily with our Public Health Task Force Expert Advisory Group, our colleagues at UT Health San Antonio, our colleagues at UT System, and relevant state and federal agencies. We, along with our colleagues at UT Health San Antonio, rely on pandemic models like the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation COVID projections for Texas. Data presently suggest this surge will continue through August and early September, but be smaller overall than prior surges last winter and fall. Most importantly, the model indicates the direct positive impacts of masking.
We are extending the telecommuting agreements that have been in place over the summer until August 6, and perhaps longer if conditions warrant. Those of you who have been working remotely and were planning to report in-person to work on Monday are still free to do so, but it is not required unless requested by your supervisor or department chair. Please continue to communicate with your supervisor/chair around fall work modality planning. Other than the extended telecommuting agreement, there are no additional changes to our current summer term operations.
We continue to strongly urge all Roadrunners to get vaccinated and to wear masks while in indoor public campus spaces. On-campus COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and confirmed case report tracking are continuing this summer and through the fall.
Watch your inboxes for information on an upcoming town hall for faculty, staff and students where you can learn more about UTSA’s preparations for the fall semester. In addition we encourage you to attend our August 12 community conversation on Variants and Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fiction—this event is free and open to all, so please share widely with your family and friends.
We will update you periodically as we approach the start of the semester, knowing that this situation is fluid. In the meantime, please be extra vigilant about practicing hand hygiene, masking up, and monitoring your own health.
Most importantly, stay home if you are sick.
In the face of these challenges, we appreciate all you continue to do to keep our community safe.
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The 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 CampusStop by to ask questions or learn about how you can become involved in Wellbeing Services events and programs.
Window Lounge (SU1.02.00C,) Student Union, Main CampusArt of Wellbeing is a weekly workshop provided by Wellbeing Services! Join us as we use different art mediums each week as a way to improve our overall wellbeing!
Magnolia Room (SU2.01.30,) Student Union, 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.
