Rolando Morales
Managing Editor
University President Salvador Hector Ochoa revealed four academic programs that will be launched in the next three years on Aug. 20 in the Auditorium, where roughly 400 faculty and staff members gathered for the Convocation.
Texas A&M University-San Antonio will offer the following degrees:
- a Bachelor of Science in biomedical science in fall 2027, which has received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
- a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in Fall 2028, which received approval from the Board of Regents (THECB approval pending).
- a Bachelor of Science in health care administration and a Bachelor of Science in construction engineering technology in fall 2029.
- a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering and a Ph.D. in integrative genetics and genomics in fall 2030.
“The possibilities for our students are endless,” Ochoa said. “There are many opportunities.”
Caroleena Mancilla, president of the Student Government Association, took the podium to welcome everyone, highlighted the SGA’s achievements, their goals to help students and invited staff and faculty members to collaborate with SGA.
“We represented students not only here at A&M-San Antonio, but at the Texas A&M University System, as well,” Mancilla said. “Last year showed us what the student government can accomplish when we are active, visible and willing to take what students tell us and turn it into action.”
Ochoa unveiled the strategic plan, which comprises six goals. The theme for the plan is “We’re All In,” a motto that resounded at events the week before classes began.
The university forms committees for each goal, each led by one of the vice presidents and another leader from a functional area critical to that goal.
The goals are:
- Establish a distinctive academic identity characterized by excellence and innovation.
- Support student success.
- Increase enrollment, educational attainment and college readiness.
- Engage meaningfully with the community to expand impact and inspire affinity.
- Cultivate an employee experience that enhances satisfaction, well-being and career growth.
- Establish A&M-San Antonio as a university of choice in Texas.
Ochoa highlighted that the percentage of students in good standing increased from 87% to 90% from fall 2024 to spring 2026, and the average undergraduate GPA increased from 2.89 to 3.04.
The Public Health Education building will also open this fall.
“The other area to really expand is our health area,” Ochoa said. “While I thought that we have a great public health program, we are going to grow. With our initiative, we want to add these two programs: biomedical sciences and healthcare administration, because the same data is saying that there immediately is a shortage of health professionals.“
There was a $5,000 donation to the General’s Store by Mars. The store will expand to a resource center staffed by students. Mars and H-E-B employees volunteered Aug. 21 to assemble and distribute bags of non-perishable food items to students, according to a post on the university’s Strategic Communications site, “AM-SA Today.”
“We are excited for the new Resource Center, which will be a space in the Central Academic Building, where The General’s Store and Career Closet will be relocating to,” Sarah McBride, associate vice president for university communications, said.
McBride said there is no final commitment on other donations at this time.
Ochoa said 75% of A&M-San Antonio students come from Bexar County and 98% from Texas.
“But for universities starting its 18th year, we have students from 26 states, Puerto Rico and 35 countries,” he said.
Ochoa mentioned the university’s growth over time. In 2009, it had a 2,343 enrollment rate and 7,801 in 2026.
Berenice de la Cruz, Faculty Advisory Council president and assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, urged faculty members to speak up with any concerns.
The council is a newly constituted body that has been working to build its structure, review its committees, clarify the council’s role, and learn how to better represent faculty.
“So I want to encourage every faculty in this room to use your voice, if you have concerns, a question, an idea or a perspective that you believe university leadership needs to hear,” de la Cruz said. “Please communicate with your department’s Faculty Advisory Council representatives.”
Ochoa also mentioned achievements in sports, including:
- the first ever Red River Athletic Conference Tournament berth in program history for men’s basketball.
- the 21-7 record and first-ever National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championship appearance for women’s basketball.
- two tournament titles for the golf team: Chicken Express and The Lark Invitationals.
Jaguar athletics now has 12 sports and 220 student-athletes.
There are new men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, along with men’s and women’s cross country, with 64 new student-athletes.
The NAIA named 24 Jaguar student-athletes as NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
The cumulative GPA for 71.5% of student-athletes was 3.0 or higher, and 50 student-athletes (36.5%) earned GPAs between 3.50 and 3.99. Meanwhile, nine student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, Ochoa said.
He also expressed his gratitude to faculty and staff for their hard work and mentioned the awards the university’s Strategic Communications team received in 2026, including the Public Relations Society of America Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation Trophy for “Vendor to Vision: How A&M-San Antonio Reimagined Its Magazine.”
McBride said the university has “a lot of really great things in store for our students — from experiential learning to cool events from student life, and I just can’t wait to kick it off.”
McBride is looking forward to the students’ return and the energy they bring.
“It definitely fills the cup, fills your personal cup when you see students back,” McBride said. “I mean, that’s why we do the work.”
“Convocation is very important for our faculty and staff,” McBride said, “It gives us a good update on the progress that we’ve made over the last year.”
