PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2015 AUDACIOUS, AGILE, ASPIRING & AIMING TABLE OF CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN 05 06 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 11 PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION 12 OF DR. CYNTHIA TENIENTE-MATSON AGILE: FIRST-TIME 32 MILESTONES AUDACIOUS: OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES COLLEGE OF BUSINESS 42 COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT UNIVERSITY LIBRARY • OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES & RESERACH AIMING: PATHWAYS 64 TO SUCCESS TEXAS A&M-SAN ANTONIO FOUNDATION • MILITARY EMBRACING ASPIRING: 76 IN THE COMMUNITY Dear Jaguar Community, It would be hard to overstate the Texas A&M-San Antonio is fundamentally changing the progress made by Texas A&M University- higher education landscape in San Antonio. By 2030, the San Antonio since Cynthia Teniente- state is aiming to have 60 percent of the 25- to 34-year old Matson arrived last January to serve as workforce hold a post-secondary credential. This can only interim president. As we mark her one- be achieved by getting more traditionally underserved year anniversary with the institution, and first-generation students into college and making sure it is appropriate to take a moment to they graduate with high-quality degrees and little to no reflect on some of these changes. debt. In San Antonio, no institution can do this better than When Dr. Matson arrived, Texas A&M-San Antonio was – as it Texas A&M-San Antonio. had been since becoming a standalone university in 2009 – Under Dr. Matson’s leadership, we fully anticipate that the exclusively an upper-division university serving juniors and university will become a model not just for the region and seniors. But we envisioned something bigger, and luckily Dr. the state, but the entire country. Matson proved to be just the leader we needed. Go Jags! Working with lawmakers, she helped clear the path for downward expansion. This fall, the university began accepting freshmen and sophomores for the first time in its history, and is preparing to welcome its inaugural Cliff Thomas freshman class as a four-year university in fall of 2016. Chairman Following this success and others, it was fitting that, in October, we celebrated Dr. Matson’s official inauguration as the second president of Texas A&M-San Antonio. 5 Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow.” Dear Friends and - Denis Waitely Colleagues of the University Community, The New Year is another milestone in the passage of Other impactful and meaningful accomplishments time − a time of celebrations and family gatherings, but include the important financial investment and support it’s also a time for reflection, resolution and hope for the from the 84th State Legislature, which has allowed us future. I am extremely proud to present the Year 2015 in to be progressive in building this university. The launch the pages of this publication as I celebrate my first year of the digital open door policy for our faculty, staff, as president of A&M-San Antonio. The accomplishments students and alumni, serves as a platform for vital and that unfold before you would not have been possible virtual dialog with all of our stakeholders. Early last without a vision: A vision to be audacious, agile, aspiring, year, the President’s Speaker Series provided an intellec- and aiming for new heights. Thank you to all who have tual exchange with higher education experts that formed joined me on this journey: our dedicated faculty and our Academic and Student Success Initiative. staff; amazing students; alumni; the Board of Regents and especially Chancellor John Sharp. I’d like to give We have reached out to a broad range of community special acknowledgement to our community, business, leaders seeking advice about A&M-San Antonio’s role local government, and legislative leaders. On behalf of in developing the water agenda. This collaborative my family, we truly appreciate the warm Texas welcome. approach produced two noteworthy water summits, with attendance by many thought leaders. Mr. Michael As a dynamic and evolving institution, A&M-San Antonio Burke, leader of the San Antonio Water Forum, and took the critical steps necessary to develop high-im- many friends of the A&M System facilitated a thoughtful pact practices, focused on our population, to create a discussion about the role our campus should play pathway to prosperity and a super committee to lead the in education and applied research in water resource comprehensive four-year University expansion initiative. management and policy. These discussions spurred the With a robust admissions plan and a forward-looking development of our Institute of Water Resource Sciences success model, A&M-San Antonio is excitedly and aptly and Technology, approved by the Board of Regents at poised to welcome the inaugural class of first-year their November meeting. students commencing with fall 2016. 6 Vangie Flores, Dr. Matson and Mayor Ivy Taylor detonate the City of San Antonio 2016 New Year Fireworks, celebrating the first year of accepting freshman. We celebrated our first official Fiesta-sanctioned event, passage. In the words of the Honorable Henry Cisneros, Festival de Cascarónes, and opened our beautiful who addressed the audience on October 10, 2015, “this campus to record crowds. We also celebrated with over daughter of the South Side” is so proud to be home. 700 graduates and their proud families at the spring and Home at One University Way, a place where students fall commencement ceremonies. We hosted several prepare to compete in a complex global society. world-class exhibitions at the Centro de Artes featuring educational panel discussions, workshops, and a lecture As I look back on 2015, I pledge to use the experiences series. of the past to be stronger for the future. I stand ready to continue the evolution of A&M-San Antonio—building Over the past few months, the University received an innovative, comprehensive four-year university that notification from the Texas Higher Education Coordi- is destined to change the landscape of San Antonio and nating Board that our core curriculum proposal had the great state of Texas. Alongside our students, faculty, been approved, and most recently our application for staff and leadership, I will courageously step beyond level change to the Southern Association of Colleges and barriers and take on opportunities to help, listen and Schools Commission on Colleges—two truly momentous learn on behalf of this university built by the community, milestones in the history of our emerging University. Our for the community. stance within the military community has been strength- ened as we continue to lead the way in educating our What a magnificent time it is for A&M-San Antonio—2016 military personnel and veterans. A&M-San Antonio will be an inflection point for our future. As we continue is one of the nation’s Top 50 universities for military to grow, we remain a place where our community veterans pursuing higher education and is also desig- emerges as an inclusive society for all who work, study, nated as a military-embracing school exhibiting best play and visit. With every end there’s a beginning and practices in support of military students and employees. ours starts now as we open the doors to a new journey in becoming a comprehensive four-year university—for I am grateful, honored and forever inspired to serve our best days are ahead. as the second president of A&M-San Antonio. Words cannot describe the campus-wide spirit and celebra- Sincerely, tory moments of the inauguration events that helped commemorate my investiture. I am humbled to lead this university and to have participated in this historic rite of 9 10 PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE VISION STATEMENTS Brent Snow Melissa Mahan Provost & Vice President, Vice President, Student Academic Affairs Affairs Office of the Provost College of Arts & Sciences Graduates from Texas A&M University- The vision of the College of Arts & Sciences San Antonio are highly sought after by is that every graduate possesses intellectual employers for their expertise and they and professional skills necessary for career are active in developing and enriching readiness, post-baccalaureate education, and their communities. lifelong learning by demonstrating excellence in foundational knowledge in the arts and sciences, Darrell Morrison Tracy Hurley Division of Student Affairs communication skills, analytical reasoning, CFO & Vice President, Dean, College of quantitative thinking, and independent thought. The Department of Student Affairs Business Affairs Business The faculty and students contribute richly to provides an engaging environment for our intellectual inquiry and scholarship. diverse student population. We embrace an inclusive learning community with respect, responsibility and acceptance College of Business for all cultures while cultivating The College of Business develops and delivers transformative experiences that challenge high quality, innovative, specialized, and students to be their best and empowering interdisciplinary programs that are affordable them to make meaningful contributions to and accessible. Through a curriculum that a global society. has a foundation based in ethical decision- making, students will learn to apply theory and Division of Business Affairs engage in applied research to address global business opportunities. The Business Affairs division works with Eric Lopez Mirley various individuals—across campus, Dean, College of Balasubramanya College of Education & in the community, and in the state of Education & Human Dean, College of Arts & Human Development Development Sciences Texas—to achieve the mission and goals set forth by the University.