AFSA offices to relocate to library

The Registrar’s Office and the Office of International Services will begin the process of moving to the Briscoe Library Jan. 19.

The relocation is the first phase of an initiative to gather offices from the Division of Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs (AFSA) into a single location, helping to better serve students and faculty. After the initial move in January, the offices of Financial Aid and Student Life will also be relocated to the library.

“The division has had a long-held vision to consolidate the location of diverse AFSA units to optimize the delivery of academic support services and programs we provide for the faculty, students and staff,” said Jacqueline Mok, PhD, vice president of Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs. “Moving these services into one location not only strengthens collaboration and cultivates greater synergy of common interests, but also advances the division’s commitment to academic, faculty and student success.”

With this relocation, the Briscoe Library will house a broad array of comprehensive academic, faculty and student services, said Owen Ellard, senior director of libraries.

“The library has really evolved from just being a place where you go to get books and study,” he said. “The idea is that the library will become a service center with multiple services to enhance student and faculty success. With AFSA services all in one place, they can work together to serve students and faculty in a more coordinated, dynamic way.”

Many aspects of the relocation, such as utilizing flexible work environments, are made possible by the technology and adaptations initially brought on by the pandemic, which required many virtual modifications to service delivery, said Andrea Marks, senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of UT Health San Antonio.

“One of the silver linings of the pandemic is that we have successfully adapted the delivery of services to our new normal,” Marks said. “This relocation and consolidation of AFSA services will provide improved services to our students and faculty, eliminating silos and creating efficiencies along the way. This is the first of several planned consolidations intended to improve our effectiveness and I’m grateful to our AFSA colleagues for taking the lead.”

The newly vacated space in the Medical School Building will return to the president’s space inventory to be assessed for its optimal use over the next several months, Marks said.

The moving process of these offices will not cause any interruption to the services they provide, Ellard said.



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