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Regents Approve $70M To Launch UTSA’s Downtown Campus Expansion

UTSA's downtown campus
Provided | UTSA
UTSA's downtown campus

The board of regents for the University of Texas System Thursday approved a request for $70 million from the system’s permanent fund to add two new buildings to the University of Texas at San Antonio downtown campus.The funding will be used to build a National Security Collaboration Center and a School of Data Science. Total cost for the two buildings is estimated at $90 million.

The collaboration center will be a hub for cybersecurity partnerships with government and private agencies, building onexisting infrastructure downtown.

According to a university news release, UTSA plans to move its computer science, computer engineering, statistics, information systems and cyber security programs downtown once the School of Data Science building is complete.

“Establishing a School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center in the heart of San Ant conio’s urban core will attract more critical mass to our community — more businesses, more investors, and more talent,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy in the news release.

Provost Kimberly Espy said the facilities will be the first step to implementing Eighmy’s vision for doubling or tripling enrollment in UTSA’s downtown campus.

“It’s really realizing his vision in concrete terms. We’re putting a stake in the ground, and we’re looking forward to that,” Espy said.

Epsy added that it made sense to start with cybersecurity.

“Talk about a problem of national — well actually international — import, and so timely with respect to the kind of opportunities that we can provide,” she said.

The locations for the two buildings are still being finalized, Epsy said, and word of when UTSA will break ground will come at a later date.

Camille Phillips can be reached at Camille@tpr.org or on Twitter @cmpcamille

Camille Phillips can be reached at camille@tpr.org or on Instagram at camille.m.phillips. TPR was founded by and is supported by our community. If you value our commitment to the highest standards of responsible journalism and are able to do so, please consider making your gift of support today.