UT System Board of Regents announces plans to integrate UTSA and UT Health San Antonio into a premiere global university to best serve Texas and the nation

AUSTIN, TX (August 22, 2024) - Today, University of Texas System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin P. Eltife and the board authorized Chancellor James B. Milliken and the UT System to work with UT San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy and UT Health San Antonio (UTHSA) Acting President Rob Hromas to integrate both institutions into one unified institution by 2025. In a related motion, the regents also unanimously voted their intent to name Eighmy as president of the new aligned university, upon the time of its approval by accrediting entities.

"Great cities and great universities make each other better. It is time to marshal the talent, size and scale of UTSA and UTHSA to multiply their roles as global leaders in education, healthcare, and innovation," Eltife said. "By bringing together all of their complementary and unique strengths, we will give Texans access to the best education, discoveries and health care imaginable, while accelerating the university's trajectory as a top U.S. and global university."

Key to Eltife's and the regents' plan was the decision to fully leverage the individual contributions of UT Health San Antonio and UTSA - both of which have been instrumental in propelling San Antonio as a leader in healthcare, biosciences, national security, and data science - to create a powerful, singular entity that surpasses the sum of its parts. UT Health San Antonio, the largest academic health research institution in South Texas, ranks in the top 3% globally for NIH funding. UTSA, a top tier (Carnegie R1) research institution, educates 35,000 students across seven colleges and interdisciplinary schools. This merger will enhance the potential of both institutions, transforming San Antonio and South Texas into a global hub of academic and research excellence.

According to the United States Census Bureau's most recent data, San Antonio, the nation's seventh-largest city and second largest in Texas, added nearly 22,000 new residents between July 2022 and July 2023 - more than any other city in America. As a critical gateway to South Texas, which is home to 5.5 million people and projected to grow to 6.1 million by 2040, San Antonio's global influence continues to expand, and the UT System is committed to a world-class university that embodies the region's rich history, vibrant culture and opportunity.

James C. "Rad" Weaver of San Antonio, Vice Chairman of the Board of Regents, hailed the action as one of the most important transformational steps the two UT institutions will take together for the long-term benefit of the city and state.

"I've witnessed the successes of UTSA and UTHSA over many years, and this merger is the catalyst that will supercharge our region as a national leader in learning, innovation, health, and economic vigor," Weaver said. "I'm very pleased that Taylor Eighmy, who has led UTSA so admirably for the past seven years, will ultimately lead the university."

The regents, chancellor and leadership of UTSA and UTHSA have expressed an enthusiastic and shared commitment to ensuring a smooth transition. Eighmy and Hromas will tap the expertise of faculty, researchers, and administrators who will serve on transition teams and working groups to ensure accreditation and other approvals, as well as streamlined, timely, strategic processes to operationalize the university.

"The impact of a unified presence is undeniable, and Texas will benefit immensely from this integration, which among many benefits, will enable greater public impact and enhanced global competitiveness," Milliken said. "This initiative is about expanding and growing to align with the needs of the region and state, and to maximize the potential of two UT institutions that exist only miles apart."

The combined institution would become the third-largest research university in Texas, with annual research expenditures nearing $470 million to go with six federally funded research and development centers. This powerhouse will be poised to achieve new heights in securing research funding, forging visionary industry and government partnerships, attracting transformative philanthropic investments, and pioneering groundbreaking innovations. It will also consistently draw top-tier faculty, staff, students, researchers and healthcare professionals from around the world.

The UT System has a proven track record of successful institutional realignments and expansions, including the creation of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and its medical school, the merger of UT Tyler with UT Health Science Center Tyler, the recent acquisition of Stephen F. Austin State University as a UT institution, the creation of a UT MD Anderson hospital and new UT Austin hospital on the UT Austin campus, and a recently announced planned expansion of UT Arlington into west Fort Worth.

This new endeavor in San Antonio will continue that legacy, drawing inspiration from premier public research institutions in other states where comprehensive academic and health science centers lead nationally, such as the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of California at Los Angeles.

To learn more about the UT System's plans for a premier global research university in San Antonio, please visit: http://www.utsystem.edu/san-antonio

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