More than 31,000 students at the University of Texas at San Antonio return to classes on Tuesday on the main and the downtown campuses, according to a UTSA news release.
So what’s new for students this year?
Freshmen on the downtown campus are enrolling in block courses for the first time. University spokesman Joe Izbrand said the Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday block schedules will benefit freshmen who work and go to school at the same time.
"A significant portion of students are first gens; they're the first in their family to come to college. A significant number are in the workforce, so they are trying to squeeze in college, if you will,” he said.
Also for the first time, the college of engineering will offer a doctorate in civil engineering, according to the news release.
And for students on the main campus who get the munchies, the food options are more diverse, Izbrand said.
The restaurants Slice Pizza and Wings and Rowdy’s Global Kitchen open this fall in the student union, he said.
The UTSA’s food truck, known as Rowdy Curbside, will park by the Sombrilla this year to sell its popular breakfast tacos, university officials said.
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"What we say are that students who have a variety of food options available to them are more likely to stay on campus, to stay focused on studying in between their classes,” he said. “It's just one of the ways that we look at the dynamics of how we help a student to be successful."
Campus services renovated the food court at Peace Library to make it more spacious and still includes the Panda Express, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and Steak ‘n Shake.
Brian Kirkpatrick can be reached at brian@tpr.org
