Centurions Meeting Recaps

The Centurions convened on the campus of The University of Texas at San Antonio on March 31 for the group’s annual Spring Meeting and Luncheon.

The highlight of the four-hour experience was Centurions Chair Kevin Zlotnik surprising UTSA leadership who oversee the university’s student success programs with a $25,000 joint contribution from the Centurions and the UT System’s Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee to benefit the First to Go & Graduate program.

Much of the Spring Meeting was centered around the theme of first-generation students – students who are the first in their families to attend college – and efforts to improve retention and graduation rates of this growing segment of students who make up 45 percent of UTSA’s enrollment of 34,000.

The Centurions heard from several UTSA leaders, including Tammy Wyatt, PhD, vice provost student success, and Jaclyn Shaw, interim vice president, research, economic development and knowledge enterprise, about the university’s commitment to serving as a model for the modern urban university and embracing its Hispanic serving identity.

Staff from the Student Success office briefed the Centurions on several of its programs, including other first generation programs, Bold Scholars and Mentor a Student, followed by an enlightening student panel discussion that featured five first-generation students who talked about their experiences at UTSA and the assistance those programs provide.

The Centurions then toured the UTSA campus, including the Student Success Center, Whataburger Resource Center, Tomás Rivera Center for Academic Excellence, Academic Innovation Center and College for Health, Community & Policy Student Success Center.

The Centurions gathered in September 2022 for the Fall Meeting and Luncheon at Bauer House, the Chancellor’s residence in Austin. Centurions heard from and engaged with the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Archie Holmes and Chief of Staff for Academic Affairs Lydia Riley.

Chancellor Milliken welcomed new members and provided Centurions with the latest information on the UT System and UT institutions, including:

• Addressing workforce needs through micro-credentials; and meeting urgent workforce challenges in cybersecurity, including a commitment to doubling the number of women in cyber-related fields by 2030
• Creating greater diversity within faculty and staff at UT institutions
• Expanding the research mission, such as the landmark educational and research agreement with the Army Futures Command that will spur new medical inventions and techniques that will save lives and eventually also serve civilian medical needs
• A healthy financial review and forecast
• A review of the Permanent University Fund (PUF)
• An encouraging philanthropy report 

Following the meeting, Centurions had an opportunity to mingle and mix with members of the Chancellor's Council Executive Committee.