Message from the President
April 5, 2019
Dear Campus Community,
As the national conversation on a possible border closure continues to evolve, we want to share an update and reaffirm our support for all of our students, staff, and faculty, who are critical members of our university family. We are committed to supporting those of you who are affected by the current border situation. Our commitment to serving our students, staff, and faculty in Mexico remains steadfast. As you know, we recently opened a new UCentral location in Matamoros, a community we consider our own.
We have been monitoring the situation closely and have been working with a variety of public and private agencies on a regional response. According to the latest national news reports, there will be no immediate border closure, but there will continue to be significant delays as officers are moved from the bridges to assist border patrol. We know the lines are already unwieldly but they may well get worse. This puts an undue burden on those in our campus community who frequently cross the border. We strongly encourage faculty and supervisors to work carefully and sensitively with those whose situations are affected by these issues.
If you are affected, please communicate directly with your faculty members and/or supervisors about your specific situation. We stand ready to support you and to find a way together to navigate these difficult times.
For those of you who continue to struggle with the uncertainty of our current situation, a number of resources are available to help support you even as national policy continues to develop.
- For students, the Student Life and Dean of Students office is there for you. Confidential support for personal issues or concerns is also available through the Counseling Center.
- For faculty and staff, confidential support for personal issues or concerns is available through Human Resources in cooperation with the UT Employee Assistance Program.
- The DREAM Resource Center is available to connect students, faculty, and staff to campus and community resources.
- For those who may require temporary housing, please contact the Housing and Residence Life administrative office to make arrangements.
As this fluid situation unfolds, we will be in touch about further developments. Please know that everyone on our campus has our strongest support.
Guy Bailey
President