AUGUST 21, 2023 — Editor’s note: The following message was sent today via email from President Taylor Eighmy to all faculty, staff and students:
Welcome to a new academic year! If this is your first semester at UTSA, welcome to our Roadrunner community. If you are returning, welcome back. I hope the summer months gave you the opportunity to rest and recharge for all the excitement this semester will bring.
We have many celebrations, milestones and gatherings to anticipate this year. To name just a few:
Celebrating our achievement of NRUF eligibility
As shared earlier this month, UTSA has officially met the State of Texas’ eligibility criteria and passed the audit to participate in the National Research University Fund (NRUF), solidifying our position as a university capable of tackling society’s grandest challenges. Now, we look ahead to the National Research Support Fund (NRSF) for other, additional resources contingent upon legislative policy. As mentioned, I will share updates as we learn more about these projected increases.
Completing our strategic plan refresh
As Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Heather Shipley recently shared, the strategic plan refresh committee has completed its year-long work and presented a plan to shape the university’s future. For those employees who participated in a survey, town hall or listening session, thank you for your contributions and ideas. I know you’ll all be proud to see the results, and I look forward to sharing more details on next steps in the coming months.
Breaking ground on new buildings
Earlier this month, we announced plans for Blanco Hall, a new residence hall that will expand our housing options for first-year students and sophomores on Main Campus. Additionally, at our Downtown Campus, we have plans to break ground on San Pedro II, the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Careers (IEC) building that will be home to interdisciplinary and collaborative programs in business, engineering and sciences.
Learning treasured traditions
Although UTSA is a fairly young university, our Roadrunner traditions run deep! For those new or returning students, I hope you’ll take time to immerse yourself in our community, culture and traditions. Through our traditions, you’ll quickly find why UTSA is such a special place. A great place to start is at Roadrunner Days—be sure to explore this year’s offerings.
Wellbeing services for all students
At UTSA, we take an integrated approach to student health that focuses on your wellbeing to set you up for success. I encourage you to explore our services, programs and events to help take care of your physical and mental health this semester and beyond. You may notice that the UT Health Wellness 360 front office is under construction; however, services will remain uninterrupted.
Supporting Roadrunner Athletics
As many of you know, UTSA recently joined The American Athletic Conference, elevating our Athletics program to the national stage. The increased name recognition our new conference will bring to the university will enhance the value of a UTSA degree — benefitting all students. Be sure to check out our 2023 Football schedule and other athletic events happening throughout the semester.
State of the University Address
Looking ahead, I invite you to join me at our next State of the University Address tentatively scheduled for January 22, 2024. Similar to our 2023 program, I’ll reflect on last year’s milestones, look ahead to next year’s opportunities, and explore pathways of future success for our students and university with fellow colleagues on stage.
Together, let’s make this new academic year safe, productive and fun. I wish you all a semester of new learning adventures and opportunities to grow.
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Awards for the events during undergraduate research week, including poster, oral and others, will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony.
Virtual EventDía 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, Main CampusCovidence is a systematic & scoping review tool used to streamline the process of screening and reviewing articles. Using this software, research teams can easily import studies, perform automatic deduplication, and extract data using templates. This workshop will show attendees how to start a review in Covidence, add collaborators, and get started on screening.
Virtual (Zoom)In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to Pandas, a Python tool for working with data easily. It makes it simple to organize and analyze information when data is organized and categorized, like spreadsheets or tables.
Group Spot B, John Peace LibraryEach fall and spring semester, students convene at the Main Campus at UTSA with booths, ideas and prototypes. A crowd of judges, local organizations, students, faculty and sponsors walk around and talk to the students about their projects and ask questions. Students get the real-life experience of "pitching" their project with hopes of getting funding or support to move to the next level.
UTSA Convocation Center, Main CampusJoin the doctoral candidates for the Doctoral Conferreal Ceremony and celebrate their accomplishments.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusCelebrate the graduates from the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design 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, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
