Message from the President
November 17, 2020
Dear UTRGV Family:
First and foremost, I hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe. I know times are still tough, but as always, I appreciate everyone’s hard work and dedication. Please know that we remain committed to your safety and success, and that we will get through this together.
As we wind down the fall semester, I’d like to provide information to help ensure that you end the year strongly and that you know what to expect when we start the spring semester on January 11.
Fall Semester
When I think about our fall semester, I am reminded of the foundation on which UTRGV was created - to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley. We have done that and more this fall!
For the first time in UTRGV history, we enrolled over 32,000 students, an increase of over 11 percent from our previous fall. We also offered 11 more academic programs (9 masters; 1 doctorate; 1 professional) this fall than we had when UTRGV started in 2015. Even more new programs are on the way and currently in the approval process, including the first School of Podiatry in the state of Texas.
In spite of these trying times, more students are choosing UTRGV and, based on our original charge from the UT System Board of Regents and the state of Texas seven years ago, we have met and will continue to meet those demands.
While this growth is unprecedented for the university and the Valley, rest assured that as we continue to expand, we will work diligently to ensure that everyone - our students, faculty and staff - is properly supported to be successful.
Part of our commitment this fall is to keep you healthy and safe during the pandemic. As you may already know, many medical experts, including our own, are expecting another surge of COVID-19 during the winter months. Therefore, we must be more vigilant than ever in following the guidelines and protocols currently in place - not only on our campuses and off-campus facilities, but also in our personal lives.
I know many of us have “COVID fatigue” and have grown tired of constantly following guidelines and of being cooped up at home. Nevertheless, please remember two things: 1) the pandemic is expected to get worse over the next several months; and 2) your strict adherence to our fall guidelines and protocols worked, as UTRGV was able to mitigate the number of COVID-19 exposures on our campuses. Please continue to do your part in keeping our community safe.
Spring Semester
Based on the information I shared regarding fall semester, please be aware that our spring semester will look fairly similar. Obviously, there are many of us who desire a return to normalcy, but the current state of the pandemic will once again force us to take necessary precautions.
In addition, please encourage our students to take advantage of our Spring Relief Package, which provides eligible students who register before December 18 with a $500 cash grant.
For our faculty and staff, our goal for spring is to once again keep our on-campus population to a minimum, so we will continue to handle your return to campus gradually and safely. As we announced in the fall, division leads and supervisors will work together in the spring to determine when and how you return to campus. All employees will have access to their offices, but we ask that you closely follow safety protocols in accessing them.
We also understand that many of our faculty and staff may need to continue working from home in the spring based on a variety of factors, including health conditions and child care. Department chairs and supervisors will continue to assist you with your situation. Please work directly with your chair or supervisor regarding your unique circumstance, and if additional information or assistance is needed, please contact the Office of Human Resources at hr@utrgv.edu.
Stay Informed
As always, as we wrap up the fall semester and prepare for the spring, I encourage everyone to visit our Commitment to Safety and Success webpage for the latest information, protocols, guidelines, videos and frequently asked questions. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with your chair or supervisor or email coronavirus@utrgv.edu.
Again, thank you for your hard work and perseverance. No one is certain when the pandemic will end and when we can return to normalcy. We are certain, however, that it will end, and when it does, we will be stronger because of it.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey