Task Force Charter

The Academic, Student, and Faculty Affairs Task Force is established to oversee the integration of academic, student, and faculty programs and services between UTSA and UTHSA. This Task Force is needed to create a seamless academic experience for students and faculty during the integration process. Its initial core objectives include reviewing program offerings and identifying opportunities for future growth and collaboration of undergraduate and graduate programs, ensuring compliance with mandatory reporting, accessing access to student support services, etc.

Stakeholder Groups

The primary constituencies involved/impacted by the work of this Task Force are academic departments, faculty, administrative staff, and students.

Task Force Members

Task Force Co-Chairs

Heather Shipley, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Jacqueline Mok, PhD
Vice President for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs

Members

UTSA

Lynn Barnes, Jr.
Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment
Eric Brey, PhD
Dean of the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Lynne Cossman, PhD
Dean of College for Health, Community and Policy
Jill Fleuriet, PhD
Vice Provost for Honors Education
Alex Godet, PhD
Faculty Senate Chair
Jonathon Halbesleben, PhD
Dean of Alvarez College of Business
Glenn Martinez, PhD
Dean of College of Liberal and Fine Arts
Ambika Mathur, PhD
Senior Vice Provost for Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and Dean of the Graduate School
Katie Meersman
Chief of Staff and Associate Vice Provost for Academic Operations and Strategic Initiatives
Jianwei Niu, PhD
Dean of University College
LaTonya (LT) Robinson, EdD
Senior Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Stephanie Santorico, PhD
Dean, College of Sciences
Madeline Snyder
Graduate Student Representative, College of Liberal and Fine Arts
Mario Torres, PhD
Dean, College of Education and Human Development
Aydan Villarreal
President, Student Government Association
Steve Wilkerson, PhD
Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Analytics and Integrated Systems
Tammy Wyatt, PhD
Senior Vice Provost for Student Success

UT Health San Antonio

Blanca Guerra, PhD
University Registrar
Sonya Renae Hardin, PhD
Dean, School of Nursing
Robert Hromas, MD
Dean, Long School of Medicine
TyAnthony Jones
Vice President, Student Government Association
John Kaulfus, EdD
Assistant Vice President, Educational and Student Success and Chief Student Affairs Officer
Peter M. Loomer, DDS, PhD
Dean, School of Dentistry
Fassil Mesfin, MD, PhD
Faculty Senate Chair
Gregory Quiroz
President, Student Government Association
Vasan Ramachandran, MD
Dean, School of Public Health
Gloria Salinas
Director, Institutional Research
David C. Shelledy, PhD
Dean, School of Health Professions
David S. Weiss, PhD
Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Working Groups

International Services/Visa Compliance Working Group

The International Services/Visa Compliance Working Group will explore visa requirements for faculty, residents, and students, focusing on related integration timelines. The goal of the group will be to ensure compliance in the process and to discuss the needed infrastructure to facilitate smooth transitions for all international members of the community.

Leads

Lisa Montoya, PhD
Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and Senior International Officer
Sylvia Medel, EdD
Director, Office of International Services

UTSA

Jason King, JD
Chief Legal Officer and Associate Vice President of Strategic Risk Management
Ashley Wallace
Director, International Student and Scholar Services
Rhonda Waller, EdD
Assistant Vice Provost, Global Initiatives
Financial Aid Working Group

The Financial Aid working group is established to avoid any disruptions in financial aid disbursements and ensure compliance with financial aid regulations. This group will focus on maintaining seamless financial aid operations and adhering to all relevant policies and guidelines.

Leads

Erika Cox
Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships
Ellen Nystrom
Director, Veteran Services and Financial Aid

UTSA

Lynn Barnes, Jr.
Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment
Eric Cooper, PhD
Associate Vice Provost for Recruitment and Enrollment
Diana Martinez
Director of Scholarships
Tallya Reaux
Director of Financial Aid Operations

UT Health San Antonio

John Kaulfus, EdD
Assistant Vice President, Educational and Student Success and Chief Student Affairs Officer
Evelyn Quintana
Assistant Director, Veteran Services and Financial Aid
Health Science Center Student Career Planning Working Group

The Health Science Center Student Career Planning Working Group will finalize changes to diplomas and transcripts and develop a communications plan and supporting materials for deans and their leadership teams to share with the students in their respective schools. Additionally, the team will address matters related to the full student career progression, including student recruitment, external application portals, and post-graduation documents such as board documents, etc.

Leads

Tiffany Robinson
Assistant Vice Provost and University Registrar
Blanca Guerra, PhD
University Registrar
Tim Raabe, PhD
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

UTSA

Debra Del Toro
Senior Director, Strategic Messaging and Academic Support
Emily "Emilia" Gaither
Undergraduate Student Representative
Pragyan KC
Graduate Student Representative, College of Sciences
Katie Meersman
Chief of Staff and Associate Vice Provost for Academic Operations and Strategic Initiatives
Chronika Winn
Associate Registrar, Strategic Enrollment

UT Health San Antonio

Melina Dauto Benavidez
Director of Admissions and Special Programs
Brian Cartee
Assistant Vice President Academic and Business Technologies
Robert Esterl, MD
Associate Dean for Undergrad Medical Education
Laura Hasewinkle
Senior Director, Academic Affairs
TyAnthony Jones
Vice President, Student Government Association
Ediri Metitiri
Secretary, Student Government Association
Gregory Quiroz
President, Student Government Association
David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras, PhD
Department Chair, Environmental and Occupational Health
Gloria Salinas
Director, Institutional Research
Sherlie Schickedanz
Director, Information Systems/Business Systems Services
Stefanie Seitz, DDS
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
Mandatory Student Fees Setting Working Group

The Student Fees Setting Working Group will compare mandatory student fees across institutions to recommend near- and long-term changes to benefits and perks, including any Day 1 reciprocal benefits that could be offered to students as an early win.

Leads

Sheri Hardison
Vice President for Financial Affairs & Chief Financial Officer
John Kaulfus, EdD
Assistant Vice President, Educational and Student Success and Chief Student Affairs Officer

UTSA

Lynn Barnes, Jr.
Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment
Carrie Charley
Associate Vice President for Campus Services
Ethan La Borde
Student Representative, BBA - Finance
Brian McNamara
Assistant Vice President for Academic Resource Management
Greg Yturralde
Associate Vice President for Financial Affairs and Controller

UT Health San Antonio

Janelle Braxton
Financial Aid Officer-Senior
Ana DeLeon
Supervisor, Bursar’s Office
Ryan Gallagher
Treasurer, Student Government Association
Deepu Kurian, PhD
Associate Dean for Finance and Administration
Amber Sharp
Assistant Vice President, Financial Planning Services
Angela Watts, PhD
Director, Student Success
Mandatory Integrated Institutional Reporting Working Group

The Mandatory Integrated Institutional Reporting Working Group is charged with developing a process and implementation timeline for integrated institutional reporting to external third parties such as Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), Department of Education (DOE), Legislative Budget Board (LBB), and other relevant administrative agencies at the state and federal levels, to be implemented Day 1 and beyond.

Leads

Steve Wilkerson, PhD
Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Analytics and Integrated Systems
Gloria Salinas
Director, Institutional Research

UTSA

Salma Ferdous
Director of Analysis and Certification, Institutional Research and Analysis

UT Health San Antonio

M. Mario Flores, EdD
Manager, Institutional Research
Amber Sharp
Assistant Vice President, Financial Planning Services
Graduate Academic Program Working Group

The Graduate Academic Program Working Group will review program offerings across both campuses to identify near-term opportunity areas for program growth and increased collaboration in graduate programming to be implemented no sooner than the 2027-28 academic year.

Leads

Ambika Mathur, PhD
Senior Vice Provost for Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and Dean of the Graduate School
David S. Weiss, PhD
Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

UTSA

Astrid Cardona, PhD
Department Chair and Professor of Biology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, COS
Christian Castellanos
UTSA Graduate Student
Amy Chanmugam, PhD
Associate Professor, Social Work, College for Health, Community and Policy
Ram Krishnan, PhD
Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Gabriela Romero-Uribe
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, KCEID
Zachary Tonzetich, PhD
Chair of Graduate Council, Associate Professor, Chemistry, College of Sciences
Rebecca Weston, PhD
Associate Dean, Graduate School and Professor, Psychology
Jason Yaeger, PhD
Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor, Anthropology, College of Liberal and Fine Arts

UT Health San Antonio

Anibal Diogenes, DDS, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry
Christopher Frei, PharmD
Professor and Division Head, Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Center, UTHSA and UT Austin, and Chair, Committee on Graduate Studies, PhD Program in Translational Science
Reuben Harris, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
Megan Lippe, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Natalina Martinez
Associate Dean for Finance, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Asra Noor
President, UTHSA Graduate Student Association
Tim Raabe, PhD
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
P. Renee Yew, PhD
Professor, UTHSA, Department of Molecular Medicine, and Chair, Committee on Graduate Studies, Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program, and Chair, Committee on Graduate Studies, MS in Personalized Molecular Medicine
Libraries and Collections Working Group

The Libraries and Collections Working Group will focus on integrating and enhancing library resources and collections across the institution. The goal of the group is to ensure seamless access to varied and comprehensive resources for all faculty, students, and staff, while also addressing the infrastructure and support needed to facilitate this integration. This includes updating information about each of our respective locations/collections, ensuring that students will continue to have access to current resources, and determining future access protocols.

Leads

Dean Hendrix
Vice Provost & University Librarian
Pat Hawthorne
Executive Director, Libraries

UTSA

Posie Aagaard
Senior Associate Vice Provost for Scholarly Resources
Amy Rushing
Assistant Vice Provost for Special Collections

UT Health San Antonio

Christine Gaspard
Associate Director for Liaison Services
Andrea Schorr
Associate Director of Resource Management
Faculty Lifecycle Support Working Group

The Faculty Lifecycle Working Group will review the approaches to faculty lifecycles reflecting the differentiated roles and responsibilities of faculty in a general academic environment and academic health environment. The group will identify where there are synergies and opportunities for collaboration in faculty career planning, from recruitment and onboarding through career progression and development.

Leads

Kelly Nash, PhD
Vice Provost Faculty Success, Professor of Physics, College of Sciences
Janet Williams, MD
Vice Dean for Faculty, Long School of Medicine

UTSA

Kate Appenzeller, PhD
Director of Faculty Development
Saadet Beeson, PhD
Associate Dean for Community Engagement, College of Engineering and Integrated Design
John Bricout, PhD
Department Chair, Professor, Social Work, College for Health, Community and Policy
Kimberly Garza, PhD
Faculty Senator, Associate Professor, Director, Creative Writing, College of Liberal and Fine Arts
Shannon Marlow, PhD
Assistant Professor, Management, College of Business
Bedrettin Yazan, PhD
Associate Professor, Co-Principal Investigator for Project SELFIES, Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, College of Education and Human Development
Tim Yuen, PhD
Professor, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, College of Sciences

UT Health San Antonio

Cristina Barroso, DrPH
Chair, Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, School of Public Health
Daniel Dent, MD
Chair, Department of Medical Education, Long School of Medicine
Daniel Lodge, PhD
Chair, Department of Pharmacology, Long School of Medicine
David Ojeda Diaz, DDS
Associate Professor/Clinical, Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, and Chair, School of Dentistry Faculty Assembly
Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, PhD
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions
Laura Sisk, DNP
Assistant Professor/Clinical, School of Nursing, and Chair, UTHSA Faculty Senate Committee on Faculty Status and Welfare

Timeline

The Academic, Student, and Faculty Affairs Task Force launched in December 2024.