Medallion, Mace & UTSA Ring

Presidential Medallion

The medallion is worn by the University President at official ceremonies such as commencements, convocations and inaugurations. It symbolizes the authority and responsibility vested in the President. The medallion is inscribed with the words, “Presented by the UTSA Development Board in honor of the University’s 25th anniversary—1994.” On the obverse side is the University seal. Handmade by James Avery Craftsman, Inc. of Kerrville, Texas, the medallion weighs 12 ounces, is four inches in diameter and is made of brass.

University Mace

The mace traces its roots to the medieval period when it was a weapon used by mounted knights in western Europe. It has been a symbol of scholarship and integrity for universities since the 11th century. Today, the University Marshal carries the mace to indicate the solemnity of the occasion and the confirmation of the academic process. The mace is a gift from the Alumni Association to the University. The mace, made of wood, stainless steel and gold plate, was designed and crafted by Tim Bailey, a Houston sculptor who earned his M.F.A. from the University in 1986.

UTSA Ring

Sponsored by the UTSA Alumni Association since 1996, the Official UTSA Ring serves as a symbol of pride and accomplishment. The ring represents a lifelong link with fellow classmates and alumni. Students who have achieved junior or senior status are eligible to wear the ring. The UTSA ring is held overnight inside the Alamo before being issued to students, thus forever linking UTSA alumni to the proud and rich history of Texas. Students receive their Official UTSA Rings in the presence of friends, family and university dignitaries at the Official Ring Presentation Ceremony held each fall and spring semester.

Hail UTSA

Hail UTSA

From our hills of oak and cedar

To the Alamo, Voices raised will echo As, in song, our praises flow. Hail Alma Mater!

Through the years our loyalty will grow. The University of Texas San Antonio

UTSA Fight Song

Go, Roadrunners, Go!

On to vict’ry with all your might. Fight, Roadrunners, Fight! For the Blue and the Orange and the White. We fight for U-T-S-A

Alma Mater proud and strong. Win, Roadrunners, Win!

And unite in our battle song. (Repeat for second verse)

Founded by the 61st Texas Legislature and enacted on June 5, 1969, UTSA was commissioned as a university of the first class. Today it has internationally respected academic programs, award-winning faculty, and sophisticated science, technology and recreational facilities, along with recognized arts and humanities programs and a diverse, dynamic student life. It is also an intellectual and creative resource center and a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property for Texas and the world.

UTSA offers nearly 160 degree programs to over 32,000 students, including more than 4,200 graduate students, and has an alumni network of more than 130,000 Roadrunners. It is a university of first choice for students from Texas, across the nation and 87 countries. More than 60% of students are from underrepresented minorities, and 45% of undergraduates are first-generation college students.

UTSA employs over 1,300 faculty members in areas such as health, cybersecurity, socialeconomic transformation, and fundamental futures. Ninety-nine percent of tenured and tenure-track faculty members have doctorates or terminal degrees. Their research, which leverages San Antonio’s unique knowledge ecosystem, is funded by federal, state and local agencies and private foundations. The university has 78 endowed faculty positions. Thirty-six percent are funded at $1 million or more.

Until UTSA was established, San Antonio was the only major city in the nation not served by a public university. Leaders, legislators and the public knew that if the Alamo City was to achieve its full potential, it needed a university offering access to excellence through a comprehensive slate of courses and degrees.

In the 1970s the university’s first two presidents, Arleigh B. Templeton and Peter T. Flawn, worked diligently to hire faculty, develop a curriculum and library, and finalize plans for a campus to be built on 600 acres near the junction of Interstate 10 and Loop 1604 in northwest San Antonio. At the time of construction, from 1972 to 1976, the campus was the largest university project in the country, comprising seven major buildings.

In summer 1973 UTSA admitted 671 graduate students and began classes taught by 52 faculty members in leased facilities at the Koger Center. Master’s degrees were offered in business administration, education, biculturalbilingual studies, English as a second language, environmental management, Spanish, biology, and mathematics and systems design. In 1974 enrollment reached 1,171, and 82 students received master’s degrees in the first Commencement, held in August.

In September 1975 UTSA began classes at the Main Campus with more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The first Commencement ceremony with both undergraduate and graduate students took place in December 1976 with 46 receiving bachelor’s degrees and 184 receiving master’s degrees.

Throughout the 1980s UTSA experienced rapid growth while James W. Wagener served as president. New buildings were added and new degree programs were developed. In February 1986 the UT System designated the Institute of Texan Cultures part of UTSA. The museum is located at the university’s Hemisfair Campus.

In 1990 UTSA’s fourth president, Samuel A. Kirkpatrick, began a new phase of university history by initiating a comprehensive strategic planning process and securing funds for construction. In 1997 UTSA opened the Downtown Campus adjacent to Interstate 35 in the Cattleman Square Historic District.

In 1999 Ricardo Romo became UTSA’s fifth president, ushering in an era of community engagement and academic excellence. A native of San Antonio, Romo expanded the university’s commitment to providing access to higher education. Under his leadership UTSA acquired 125 acres near the Main Campus for the Park West Campus to accommodate athletics facilities, and the Downtown Campus increased to 18 acres. The university also expanded its Student Union and campus housing.

In 2010 UTSA installed one of the world’s most powerful electron microscopes and opened the first bookless library on a U.S. college or university campus. The university also received its largest gift from an individual—now valued at an estimated $30