Integration Updates
November 2025:
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.
Previous Updates:
The merger prospectus was reviewed and approved by the SACSCOC Board in June 2025.
The Task Force submitted the prospectus to SACSCOC in March 2025. SACSCOC will vote to approve the prospectus at their June 2025 Board meeting.
Members focused on finalizing a prospectus for submission by mid-March 2025.
Based on positive feedback on the new, combined mission statement through each institution’s shared governance process, the university presented the statement to the UT System Board of Regents for approval on November 20, 2024. The new mission statement was approved, marking a key milestone.
