University launches initiatives to advance student success

NOVEMBER 6, 2024 — UTSA Academic Affairs today announced the official launch of three task forces aimed at enhancing student success and promoting a supportive campus environment: 

• Advancing Open Educational Resources
• Enhancing Wellbeing
• Expanding Peer Mentoring and Leadership Programs

The initiatives are among this year’s priority projects, announced earlier this semester by UTSA Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Heather Shipley, and reflect the university’s commitment to creating accessible, holistic resources that empower students in all aspects of their academic and personal lives.

“These task forces represent UTSA’s dedication to fostering an environment where students can thrive,” said Shipley. “We are focused on cultivating a supportive and equitable learning environment and ensuring that our students have the support they need to reach their highest potential.”

“These task forces represent UTSA’s dedication to fostering an environment where students can thrive.”

Advancing Open Educational Resources

The Advancing Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative seeks to expand free, customizable learning materials across UTSA, making learning more affordable and accessible for all students, while enhancing teaching and learning experiences. 

The initiative builds on the university’s commitment to supporting student success and removing barriers to higher education. Since 2016, UTSA Libraries has been a leader in OER advocacy, helping save students more than $13 million through programs like the Adopt-A-Free-Textbook grant. 

“By removing the financial and accessibility barriers associated with high-cost, commercial textbooks, OER helps foster a more equitable and engaging learning environment for students,” said Dean Hendrix, UTSA vice provost and university librarian.

Faculty also benefit from the flexibility offered by choosing open educational resources.

“Using OER gives faculty more freedom to innovate in their teaching, while also ensuring that students have immediate access to their course materials,” said Melissa Vito, UTSA vice provost for academic innovation.

Co-chaired by Hendrix and Vito, this task force will assess current OER use, identify expansion opportunities and recommend strategies for integrating the adoption of high-quality, low-cost instructional materials across UTSA, particularly in core-curriculum and high-enrollment courses. 

Enhancing Wellbeing

The Enhancing Wellbeing initiative builds on UTSA’s longstanding commitment to student well-being. Recent advancements demonstrate the university’s focus on student physical and mental health, such as the Wellness 360 partnership with UT Health San Antonio, and the 24/7 virtual TimelyCare platform. Additionally, UTSA Wellbeing Services offers many programs, services and resources focused on prevention, education and advocacy.

Co-chaired by LT Robinson, UTSA senior vice provost and dean of students, and Tammy Wyatt, UTSA senior vice provost for student success, the new task force seeks to further these efforts by developing new opportunities that align with the eight dimensions of well-being: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual.

“We’ve made considerable progress in supporting student well-being, and it’s important to continue to expand our efforts to ensure we’re meeting the evolving needs of our community,” said Robinson. “Our goal is to foster a campus culture where every student feels empowered to seek the support they need to succeed — academically, socially and emotionally.” 

Well-being is foundational to student success, added Wyatt.

“We are committed to making UTSA a leader in this space by integrating multidimensional aspects of well-being into the core of our academic and campus culture,” said Wyatt. “This task force will ensure every student, regardless of their background or experience, has access to the tools they need to thrive.”

The task force will assess current programs, policies and practices, identify gaps and develop strategic recommendations to enhance resources and foster a campus environment that actively supports student well-being. 

Expanding Peer Mentoring and Leadership

The Expanding Peer Mentoring and Leadership Programs initiative aims to strengthen UTSA’s support for students’ personal, academic and professional growth.

UTSA offers a range of established programs that provide peer mentoring and leadership development, supporting students in their first year, as first-generation or transfer students, or through specialized university-wide and college-specific initiatives.

Co-chaired by Wyatt and Jill Fleuriet, UTSA vice provost for honors education, this task force will evaluate existing programs and national best practices to identify growth opportunities that align with the Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose classification criteria. Through this review, they will develop recommendations for establishing scalable, impactful peer mentoring and leadership opportunities that all students have access to from enrollment to graduation.

“This initiative will help our students connect with mentors who can guide them through the unique challenges of university life and beyond,” said Fleuriet. “Our goal is to build students’ skills and confidence, fostering a culture where students feel both supported and equipped to lead and contribute meaningfully to UTSA’s vibrant campus life.”

All three task forces, which are comprised of student, faculty and staff representatives, will deliver their recommendations in the spring of 2025, with implementation beginning in either late spring or over the summer.

— KC Gonzalez and Rebecca Luther