This Is UTSA This Is UTSA ___________________22-24 Dr. Ricardo Romo __________________25 NCAA Host Institution _____________26 Commissioner’s Cup Champions _____27 Roadrunner Athletic Fund __________28 Cheer & Dance _____________________29 This Is San Antonio ______________30-31 NCAA Compliance _________________32 This Is UTSA n 1969, San Antonio was a 250- year-old city famous for its historic Spanish missions, the River Walk and Imilitary bases. The University of Texas at San Antonio existed only in the minds of the visionaries who pushed for its creation that year by the Texas Legislature. Today, the city and its only public university have reached levels of maturity not even dreamed of 40 years ago. With a population of more than 1.2 million, San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States and UTSA is among the fastest-growing universities in the nation with an enrollment of more than 28,500 students. Today, UTSA is on its way to becoming one of the preeminent public research universities in Texas, a leader in research, education and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, it embraces multicultural traditions, serving as a center for intellectual Mathematics, Humanities and Social Sciences and Multidisciplinary and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socio-economic Studies. One year later, the John Peace Library Building, which also development for Texas, the nation and the world. served as the new administration building, opened. History James W. Wagener was named UTSA president in 1978, and in the Governor Preston Smith founded the University of Texas at San 1980s, four new colleges were put in place and new undergraduate Antonio on June 5, 1969. The university has come a long way in its first programs were offered in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering. 40 years. Administrative offices for the first UTSA president, Arleigh Later in the decade, the College of Sciences and Mathematics was B. Templeton, were reorganized to form the College of Sciences and Engineering. UTSA’s set up in 1970 in athletics teams also began competing as San Antonio’s only NCAA HemisFair Park Division I sports program. a n d a rc h i te c t s Ford, Powell and More than 12,000 students enrolled at UTSA in this era and a recital C a r s o n , I n c . , hall, University Center, and the first on-campus residence facility, began developing Chisholm Hall, opened. The Institute of Texan Cultures, a museum a master plan for dedicated to the cultural groups that settled Texas, also became a the campus. part of UTSA during this period. Samuel A. Kirkpatrick became the school’s fourth president in 1990. I n 1 9 7 3 Pe t e r T. F l a w n w a s The concept for a UTSA Downtown Campus emerged in 1989 when appointed UTSA’s the Texas Legislature expanded higher education services into the second president South Texas border region.UTSA received $71.5 million, with $20 and by this time, million designated for the creation of a downtown campus. The more than 670 site selected for the Downtown Campus was the vacated Fiesta s t u d e n t s h a d Mall. San Antonio restaurant chain Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Enterprises enrolled in graduate bought the property in 1993 and donated it to UTSA. In January level courses taught 1994, with a permanent downtown campus under construction, the b y 5 2 f a c u l t y members. UTSA’s earliest students attended college at the Koger Center office park. Master’s degrees were offered in business administration, education, bicultural-bilingual studies, English as a second language, environmental management, Spanish, biology, mathematics and systems design. In 1973 construction began on UTSA’s campus of 600 acres at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Loop 1604 near the northwestern edge of San Antonio. In 1975, with growing enrollment, the university established five colleges: Business, Fine and Applied Arts, Sciences and University Center 22 2008-09 UTSA Roadrunners Basketball This Is UTSA Development of new doctoral programs, which are designed to address the socioeconomic concerns of the region, is occurring at a rate unmatched by other Texas institutions. In 2000, UTSA offered four doctoral programs. In fall 2008 there will be 20, to include studies across disciplines in biology, computer science, chemistry, physics, environmental science, engineering, English, culture, education, business, applied statistics, applied demography, and anthropology. Student Life During the last five years, students at UTSA have supported the expansion of the University Center, the Recreation and Wellness Center, parking facilities and additional on-campus housing. UTSA Downtown Campus As the campus environment at UTSA continues to shift from university offered classes at Cypress Tower on Main Street. Downtown commuter to residential, new student housing is coming on-line. enrollment exceeded 900 students in its first semester. Operations Chaparral Village, a $45 million, 1,000-bed housing complex, opened began at the Frio Street Building in 1997. in 2004. In November 2006, construction began on the $39,182,000 Laurel Village project. The first phase opened for the 2007-08 school Other facilities constructed or opened during the 1990s included the year, with living quarters for 206 residents. In summer 2008, Phase II Engineering-Biosciences Building, Business Building, a campus visitor was completed with an additional 470 beds and a total project covering center, and a computer lab. The University 185,000 square feet. The two complexes have Center also tripled its original size during that increased on-campus residential housing to time. accommodate more than 3,600 students. Ricardo Romo became UTSA’s fifth president Expansion of the Roadrunner Café dining in 1999 and was the first Hispanic president facility was completed in May 2008, and a in the university’s 30-year history. Academic new food services provider will bring Wendy’s, reorganization the following year included a Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Taco Cabana and move to six colleges — Business; Education other dining options to campus during the and Human Development; Engineering; Liberal 2008-09 academic year. and Fine Arts; Sciences; and Public Policy. A full-service Starbucks opened at the A School of Architecture, Honors College University Center in Spring 2008. The and The Graduate School were subsequently forthcoming expansion of the University developed. Center, scheduled to open in Fall 2008, adds seven new meeting rooms, a lounge, New construction and additions to the a ballroom and additional office space for campuses completed in the late 1990s and student organizations. early 2000s include the Downtown Campus Durango Annex, home of the UTSA Institute A new phase of the Recreation and Wellness for Economic Development; a $19.3-million Center opened in Fall 2007. The $45.7 million Recreation and Wellness Center; Child project renovated 14,505 square feet and added Development Center; the Main Building, a $52 124,710 square feet, housing a two-court million facility on the 1604 Campus; and the gym, indoor track, weight room, lazy river, $23 million Margaret Batts Tobin Laboratory swimming pool and counseling center. Building that will be used to study emerging infectious diseases. In Fall 2007, UTSA students approved an athletics fee referendum to Academic Strength support the expansion of the university’s athletics programs. This is UTSA serves more than 28,500 students in 64 bachelor’s, 44 master’s and 20 doctoral degree programs in the colleges of Architecture, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Honors, Liberal and Fine Arts, Public Policy, Sciences and in the Graduate School. As the region’s largest generator of engineers, artists, business professionals, teachers, scientists and technology managers, UTSA has produced more than 76,000 graduates since awarding its first degrees in 1974. While continuing to strengthen its undergraduate academic offerings through such initiatives as the Learning Communities and expanded student success program, UTSA has made the commitment to become a premier public research university and is recruiting outstanding faculty and students and forming strategic collaborations with both public and private partners throughout the region, state and nation. San Antonio skyline from UTSA Downtown Campus 2008-09 UTSA Roadrunners Basketball 23 This Is UTSA UTSA has also established the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases. The center focuses research efforts on cholera, AIDS, SARS, Legionnaire’s disease, Lyme disease and food-borne diseases, as well as microorganisms that may be used as biological weapons. The center has been of particular importance in light of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Additionally, cyber security has become a major area of research at UTSA. The Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security was designed to leverage San Antonio’s security strengths as part of the solution to the nation’s homeland defense needs. CIAS continues to earn national support, with federal funding of $6.4 million in 2008. In 2004, UTSA became a major center for demographic research with Campus Recreation Pool & Lazy River the creation of the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research. State Demographer Steven Murdock moved to UTSA as seen as a first step to the establishment of an NCAA Division I football the director of the institute. He was later selected by President George team at UTSA. Additionally, the university will receive a portion of W. Bush to become the head of the United States Census Bureau. the city venue tax for the development of a new athletics complex on Karl Eschbach, who succeeded Murdock at the institute, now serves a 125-acre tract recently acquired near the 1604 campus. as state demographer. UTSA currently sponsors 16 sports: baseball, men’s and women’s UTSA: Making an Impact on the Community basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, UTSA is a crucial component of the state and regional economy.