Why we refer to the UT San Antonio “academic campus” and “health campus”

As UT San Antonio moves forward as a unified university, it is important that we communicate clearly about the different operational environments that exist across our institution. To help employees understand which policies, processes or resources apply to them, we will use the terms “academic campus” and “health campus.”

This operational distinction will be used in internal communications to faculty and staff to provide clarity and to ensure that employees receive accurate information. “Academic campus” will refer to operations of the university’s academic colleges and institutional offices that began as “UTSA,” and “health campus” will refer to operations of health professional schools, health research and patient care that began as “UT Health Science Center at San Antonio,” also called “UT Health San Antonio.”

Why this distinction matters to our faculty and staff

While the university goes through a multi-phase integration process, it is important to understand that our operational systems remain distinct in key areas, such as:

• Human resources policies, procedures
• Holiday schedules
• Benefits administration
• Payroll and timekeeping systems
• Academic calendars and schedules
• Emergency procedures
• Student and academic services, programs and events
• Compliance and regulatory requirements
• Operational policies tied to clinical environments

Because these areas may differ, identifying whether operational information applies to the academic campus or the health campus helps prevent confusion and ensures employees know which guidance is relevant to them. This allows us to communicate clearly while continuing to move forward together as one unified university.

Why we are not using the term “legacy”

You may have previously heard references to “legacy UTSA” or “legacy UT Health San Antonio.” While this terminology was sometimes used early in the integration process, it is not representative of our UT San Antonio brand or the future-facing trajectory of our university. Instead, referencing the academic campus and health campus provides clearer, more constructive language that helps define the distinct functions, policies and operations within our unified university while reflecting the full strength and complexity of our integrated enterprise.

Integration guidance and resources

As the important work of integration progresses, guidance will continue to be provided for consistency and clarity in communications to our university community.

For more information about the UT San Antonio integration process, please visit UT San Antonio Together, where you can find the Integration Insights monthly digest and additional integration news and updates.

For guidelines and resources for the unified university, visit the UT San Antonio MarCom Studio, which includes a comprehensive Brand Toolkit with logos and communications templates that support official university communications.