Beginning in the Fall 2018 semester, UTSA students taking classes at the Downtown Campus will have more options to create their course schedules and reduce their need to travel between the Downtown and Main Campus to fulfill degree requirements.
These curriculum enhancements are part of the Presidential Initiative on the Downtown Campus to provide an all-inclusive learning experience to students in the College of Architecture, Construction and Planning, College of Public Policy and College of Education and Human Development.
“This is an initiative driven by Dr. Eighmy’s desire to expand enrollment and opportunities for our student at the Downtown Campus,” said Lisa Blazer, UTSA interim vice president for strategic enrollment and co-chair of the curriculum task force for the presidential initiative on the downtown campus. “Our ultimate goal is to allow our undergraduates to complete their entire degree at the Downtown Campus, which has already been in place for graduate students in certain academic programs.”
As part of the curriculum changes, incoming first-year students pursuing degrees in either the College of Public Policy or College of Architecture, Construction and Planning can now enroll in a full-time schedule at the Downtown Campus.
One option is to register for a block schedule, according to their chosen academic pathway. The block courses are offered on a two-day schedule, Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday, so that students can take a full course load and have every Friday off.
“We want to provide great options and flexibility for our students,” Blazer said. “Most of them [students] work and have other obligations outside of school. We want every UTSA student to succeed. Expanded course scheduling supports that goal.”
In regards to academic pathway block schedules, Blazer believes it will be highly beneficial for students.
“We want students to be able to come downtown for all of their courses in one day so that they don’t have to drive back and forth between the Downtown Campus and the Main Campus to attend class,” Blazer said. “We are also working to keep the hours the classes are being offered between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. so that the students can avoid rush-hour traffic.”
In addition to the academic pathway block schedules, which are open only to incoming first-year students, the colleges have worked to increase the number of Downtown Campus courses that are offered on a two-day schedule and are open to all continuing students.
With more students attending the Downtown Campus, additional services are being provided to the campus. The Curriculum Task Force is ramping up the services provided by dining, advising, tutoring, supplemental instruction, peer mentoring and UTSA One Stop Enrollment Center.
The curriculum sub-group is now looking at course offerings at the Downtown Campus for the Spring 2019 semester.
