NOVEMBER 7, 2022 — UTSA is joining institutions across the country this week in celebrating its first-generation student population by hosting First-Gen Fest. Organized by the UTSA First-Generation & Transfer Student Programs (FGTSP) office in collaboration with other areas across the university, the festival takes place Monday, November 7 through Friday, November 11 and includes a series of events for students, faculty and staff that support, empower and celebrate first-generation students.
First-generation college students are a core part of the Roadrunner community, representing nearly half (45%) of UTSA’s student population. The university’s first-generation and transfer student programs are nationally recognized.
In 2019, FGTSP was designated a “Program to Watch” by Excelencia in Education. That same year, the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) named UTSA a top university for its programming efforts to create a supportive and empowering campus for first-generation and transfer students.
Students who are the first in their family to go to college have an advantage at UTSA to connect with a strong support network and academic support programs so they can confidently chart their path toward graduation. Programs include First to Go and Graduate (F2G&G), First-Gen STEM Scholars, First-Gen Living & Learning Community and the First-Gen Second Year Experience.
As a result of these programs and other student success initiatives, UTSA has seen substantial gains in first-gen student graduate rates and degrees awarded over the past five years. The six-year graduation rate has increased 14%, from 37% in 2017 to 51% in 2022. Additionally, the number of degrees awarded annually to first-gen students has increased 15%, from 2,215 in 2017 to 2,539 in 2022.
“UTSA is proud to recognize the resiliency, unique experiences and outcomes of our first-gen students,” said Tammy Wyatt, vice provost for student success. “These trailblazers are charting a new path to change the trajectory of their lives and that of their families and communities and it is an honor to be at a university that wholly supports them.”
The Roadrunner community is invited to celebrate National First-Gen Celebration Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8 at Central Plaza on UTSA Main Campus. This signature event will include prizes, food, games and activities to celebrate our first-gen students, faculty and staff.
Other events include a career exploration workshop, a first-gen family social, sessions dedicated to exploring first-gen identity and first-gen veteran identity, a holistic health day with wellness activities, and a workshop about generational wealth.
UTSA hosts First-Gen Fest in conjunction with National First-Generation College Celebration Day, which falls on or around November 8 each year to acknowledge and elevate first-generation college students. First-Gen Fest has been held annually at UTSA since 2017.
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In partnership with Metro Health, HCAP will host a lecture discussing the life and body of work of Dr. Fernando Guerra, longtime director of the Metropolitan Health District.
Buena Vista Theater, Downtown CampusJoin our team to reflect on the students’ achievements and challenges during the semester and explore techniques, strategies, and tools to address growth mindset, self-reliance, and what it takes to keep students committed and on the path to success
Multidisciplinary Studies (MS 240) and VirtualThis course will introduce you to this popular graduate program, providing a review of UTSA’s Employee Educational Benefit program and MPA info. Free lunch will be provided!
Mesquite Living Lab, Main CampusDía 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 is a party with a purpose! The annual art-focused fundraising celebration provides operating support for UTSA Arts, which is dedicated to community arts education for children and adults, public-facing performances and exhibitions, and arts-based research and partnerships to enhance the accessibility of the arts for the public.
UTSA Southwest, 300 Augusta, San Antonio TX 78205This year’s UEA ceremony will be an in-person event that will take place from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25 in the H-E-B Student Union Ballrooms (HSU 1.104/1.106) on the UTSA Main Campus. The ceremony will feature UTSA President Taylor Eighmy, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Myron Anderson, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Business Affairs Veronica Salazar and representatives from Staff and Faculty Senate.
H-E-B Student Union Ballrooms (HSU 1.104/1.106), Main CampusSan Antonio’s treasured Asian Festival returns on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Downtown Campus. In observance of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month the one-day performance, entertainment, and food event will celebrate the diverse Asian diaspora represented in South Texas and San Antonio. Come and enjoy one of San Antonio’s premier family-friendly events, with hands-on activities and opportunities to learn through experience.
UTSA Downtown 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 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.
