Functional Integration

• Finance launched eleven working groups with kickoff focused on leading change and discovery work.
• Administration & Operations (A&O) launched four public safety focused discovery groups and drafted a preliminary charter for a parking‑reciprocity sprint.
• A&O, Compliance, Facilities, and Strategic Planning partnered with the Integration Management Office (IMO) on change management planning to support teams and encourage staff engagement during transition.
• Compliance and Finance leaders continue integration readiness through guided reviews of current state organizational and budget information.

• Finance partnered with IMO on change management planning to support teams and encourage staff engagement during transition.
• Facilities and Strategic Planning leaders continue integration readiness through guided reviews of current state organizational and budget information.
• Operational leaders from A&O, Compliance, Facilities, Finance, and Strategic Planning partnered with the IMO team to establish initial integration plans and structure to support the work of capturing continuity priorities, opportunities, and quick wins.

• Operational leaders started the initial integration readiness phase of listening, learning, and building trust with teams to seek to understand current state before launching discovery validation and design efforts.

• Andrea Marks brings together the integrated Business Affairs and operations division for the first time, hosting a virtual town hall to celebrate this milestone. Read more about the next phase. 

• Government Relations Strategy – Completed aspirant peer data collection to inform benchmarking and strategic positioning.
• Government Relations Operations – Established bi-monthly cabinet updates to ensure consistent alignment and communication.
• Government Relations Integration – Developed a comprehensive work plan to unify academic and health campus Government Relations teams and coordinated closely with the Office of Research and Innovation to align federal relations efforts.
• Community Engagement Transition – Partnered with the Office of Research and Innovation to successfully transition the Westside Community Center to a new reporting unit.

• Functional Integration Team (FIT) has launched, members include Carlos Martinez, Gilbert Loredo, Jaymie Mangelsdorf, Jason Hassay, Albert Carrisalez, Pete Arguello, Hilda Lopez and Cynthia Rocha.
• Five working groups have been established to focus on key priorities:
  • Administrative Operations: develop and implement administrative processes and practices in the office that are efficient, comply with institutional policies, and ensure oversight, accountability, and sustainable over the long-term.
  • Advocacy & Relationship Building: develop a strategic plan to guide and strengthen UT San Antonio’s advocacy efforts at the local, state, and federal levels, and key campus stakeholders. The purpose is to design an approach that cultivates and maintains strategic relationships to advance the university’s mission, priorities, and reputation before elected officials, staff, and key government offices. The working group shall include an approach that establishes OGR as the trusted resource to the campus community on emerging issues, legislation, and regulations. Recommend roles, workflows, and tools needed to support the plan. The resulting plan will align with the UT San Antonio’s strategic plan, mission and values.
  • Early Knowledge & Communications: develop an Early Knowledge System to monitor, gather intelligence, and analyze local, state, and federal governmental activities and policy shifts that have the potential to impact the university’s strategic goals.  Recommend roles, workflows, and tools needed to sustain the system and ensure leadership receives timely, forward-looking intelligence for proactive decision-making.
  • The Future of Westside Community Center: review the future of the Westside Community Center and, in collaboration with the Office of Research and Innovation and appropriate academic units, develop a plan to determine the best approach to advance the university’s priorities.
  • Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPI): design a comprehensive performance framework for the Office of Government Relations (OGR) that defines key outcomes, benchmarks best practices, and develop balanced metrics. Recommend data collection methods and establish reporting processes to provide leadership with regular, actionable insights for accountability and continuous improvement.