Strategic Academic Initiatives

Providing guidance on data-driven planning and decision making

Leading strategic campus-wide academic initiatives and assuring institutional accreditation and academic compliance.

Strategic Academic Initiatives

Providing guidance on data-driven planning and decision making

Leading strategic campus-wide academic initiatives and assuring institutional accreditation and academic compliance.

What we do

Strategic Academic Initiatives (SAI) facilitates program and operational improvement and assists with efforts that strengthen cross-campus, data-driven planning and decision making. Additionally, our office ensures academic program alignment with institutional policy and external compliance requirements, including UT System, The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), NC-SARA, and State Authorization. SAI supports undergraduate curriculum management, including the administration of internal approvals and coordination of necessary external approvals.

SAI manages the university’s accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Maintaining accreditation enables UT to receive federal funding and indicates a commitment to dedicating sufficient resources, programs, and services to achieve the mission. We have primary oversight for academic and non-academic assessment.

students in graduation caps and gowns

Accreditation

The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, professional, masters, and doctorate degrees.

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students meeting and interviewing

Assessment

The assessment and evaluation processes produce information to help programs and units investigate barriers, identify areas for improvement, and recognize best practices.

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Students in a classroom watching a lecture

Testing & Evaluation Services

TES provides a broad range of professional and academic testing and evaluation services to members of the university community and residents of the state of Texas and beyond.

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Note about Memoranda of Understanding Templates

The Business Contracts Office and the Office of the Vice President for Legal Affairs have approved these MOU templates, thus review is no longer required when using as written.

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Faculty Awards

Annually, nearly $2 million in awards are distributed across The University of Texas at Austin.

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost administers the selection of nine university-wide teaching awards and the Sidney E. Mezes Award, which provides financial support to faculty members who may be in need of assistance due to unexpected circumstances.

Faculty Awards

2021 Blunk Professorship, Dads’ Teaching Fellowship, and Academy of Distinguished Teachers Awards Announced

Every year, the Blunk and Dads’ awards recognize outstanding contributions to undergraduate teaching at UT Austin. The UT Austin Academy of Distinguished Teachers is emblematic of sustained excellence in undergraduate teaching.

About the staff

Strategic Academic Initiatives staff support all units reporting to the office of the executive vice president and provost through a portfolio of policies and procedures that facilitate operational improvement.

Linda Neavel Dickens

Associate Vice Provost

Jeff Freels

Director of Academic Policy and Research

Tiffany Willis

Assistant Director and Accreditation Manager

Jordan Watzlavick

Senior Software Developer/Analyst

Morgan Ginther

Project Coordinator

Emily Payne

Project Coordinator

Raj Sankaranarayanan

Postdoctoral Fellow in Curriculum and Assessment