Editor’s Note: This message was sent via email from UT San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy to all faculty and staff.
Welcome to a new academic year! The beginning of each semester always brings great excitement; however, this fall is especially momentous given our forthcoming merger with UT Health San Antonio. In just one week, we will officially begin a new era for our university community, launching as UT San Antonio — the third-largest public research university with one of the most comprehensive academic health science centers in the state of Texas.
UT San Antonio will create impact that reaches far beyond our city. Together, we are going to serve as a model of excellence in education, research and innovation, and healthcare. Together, we are going to measure ourselves by the opportunities we provide. And together, we’re going to accomplish bigger, bolder things.
As we near this historic day and begin to immerse ourselves in our new university identity and narrative, I encourage you to explore all the various activations, pop-up events and receptions we’re hosting to celebrate our journey ahead. For quick reference, please see my August 21 message to the campus community or visit our merger celebration calendar of events directly to learn more. Lastly, please check your inboxes for an invitation to our faculty and staff receptions happening next week; I hope you’ll join us.
Beyond all the excitement around the integration, grounding ourselves in our continued commitment to student success remains steadfast. To start the semester with your best foot forward, I invite you to revisit our programs, organizations and avenues of well-being support to help you feel engaged across our growing campuses. We have a variety of resources available to you through our Employee Success Center, and I hope you’ll make time to explore these professional development opportunities, well-being and wellness initiatives.
Lastly, as you’re all aware, we continue to face a rapidly evolving landscape in higher education, especially around federal funding and the future of our national research enterprise. Please know we are continually monitoring updates at both the federal and state levels and will continue to keep you apprised of new details as they emerge. We also plan to host various divisional town halls in the coming months to address these issues directly and capture any questions, concerns or ideas you may have as we work through these challenging times together. Please keep an eye out for forthcoming details on these opportunities for shared dialogue.
Thank you, as always, for sharing your talents with our university, especially as we drive towards extraordinary growth and transformation. I’m excited for the future and grateful for your ongoing dedication to the work that got us here. The very best is yet to come!
