SACSCOC approves merger of UTSA and UT Health San Antonio

JUNE 16, 2025 - Editor's note: The following message was sent via email from UTSA President and UT Health San Antonio Acting President Taylor Eighmy to all faculty, staff and students.

I'm excited to share some outstanding news. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), our institutional accreditor for quality assurance in higher education, has officially approved the merger of The University of Texas at San Antonio and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Even more affirming, our submission was reviewed favorably by SACSCOC.

This milestone is an important part of our journey and incredibly positive news. It marks a significant step forward in our integration and a powerful endorsement of our bold and visionary path. The strength of our submission reflects the immense time, effort and ideation of so many colleagues across our institutions. I am deeply grateful to each and every one of you for your contributions, and I'd especially like to recognize and thank our Integration Steering Committee, task forces and SACSCOC working group.

Though we will receive formal notification from SACSCOC no later than June 26, we have been granted permission to share this news with you now.

What this means

SACSCOC is the accrediting body that ensures the quality and integrity of institutions that award degrees in higher education. As a trusted authority, SACSCOC serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices for its member institutions across the U.S. and approved international sites. Its rigorous standards support continuous improvement and help safeguard the value of the degrees we award.

What's next

• A substantive change site visit team from SACSCOC will visit our newly merged university, likely in October or November 2025. The purpose of this visit is to affirm that we remain in compliance with all accreditation standards.

• After the visit, likely in spring 2026, we will address any follow-up items requested by SACSCOC.

• We will be requesting that the SACSCOC Board of Trustees affirm our continued accreditation status as one merged institution at its June 2026 meeting.

A new university for a new era

This news affirms our direction and pursuit of a visionary future. We are combining two superb institutions to form a new transformational university-one that is nimble, creative and unlike any other in Texas or the nation.

With more than 17,000 faculty and staff, 40,000 students, over 350 academic programs, and as home to the region's only academic health center, we stand at a historic inflection point-a moment to shape a university unlike any other, one firmly rooted in excellence.

Excellence defined by:

• education that advances transformational student access and success

• health care through world-class clinical care that truly makes lives better

• discovery through a world-class research enterprise that drives innovation and translates into meaningful impact

• cross-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together the liberal arts, sciences, engineering, health professions and biomedical research to meet the challenges of the 21st century

We will create a model public research university for the nation-an institution that champions social mobility, improves health and powers discovery for the public good. What we are building together will be an exemplar for the UT System, for Texas and for the nation.

Thank you for everything you've done to help us reach this pivotal moment. Let's celebrate this milestone together while we continue to lean into our ambitious future and build something truly extraordinary.