The University of Texas at Arlington has become just the fourth institution in the state to achieve designation as a Texas Tier One university, a significant milestone of excellence in academics and research that brings with it access to the state’s National Research University Fund.

The first university to achieve Texas Tier One designation in more than three years, UTA reached or exceeded rigorous benchmarks of quality established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for at least two consecutive years.

The summer Class of 2021, totaling more than 3,000 candidates, walked across the stage at College Park Center this week. The ceremonies on Wednesday and Thursday were the first at the center since December 2019. You can watch the virtual ceremony Saturday, Aug. 21, through the UTA Commencement website.

All employees who come to any UTA campus in any capacity, regardless of vaccination status, are required to submit a viral test (antigen test or nucleic acid amplification test such as a PCR) by Wednesday, Sept. 8. Read about the policy.

Free on-campus testing options are available.

The COVID‑19 Health Portal is now available in MyMav to upload the results of your required COVID‑19 test.

Please continue to monitor your UTA email and the UTA COVID‑19 Information website for updates.

Watch the video where public health experts Erin Carlson and Becky Garner explain why getting a COVID‑19 vaccine is beneficial for you and your community.

UTA has walk-in-only, on-campus COVID‑19 vaccination clinics open to all employees and students 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays, Aug. 25, and Sept. 15, in the exercise rooms of the Maverick Activities Center. The vaccine is free regardless of insurance status.

Being vaccinated against COVID‑19 has additional rewards with the Maverick Motivator Program. You can use the COVID‑19 Health Portal in MyMav to upload proof of vaccination by Monday, Oct. 4, to be eligible for prizes.

Allow extra time to get to parking and buildings near the construction of the new School of Social Work and Smart Hospital building. Here are a few reminders.

• West Street is one lane from Mitchell Street north to Nedderman Drive. The east lane is open for traffic.
• Be mindful of crosswalks and traffic lights when crossing Mitchell.
• Pedestrians should follow signs for the appropriate sidewalks. The east sidewalk along West Street is open.
• Anyone parking in lots south of Mitchell—Lots 49, 50, 51, and 52—should use the pedestrian bridge across Mitchell and travel through the SEIR building. That is a safer and more direct route to the Library mall.
• Work on the building will continue through most of 2022.

The Office of Facilities Management has scheduled an electrical outage from 10 p.m. today, Friday, Aug. 20, to about 2 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21. Buildings affected include CAPPA (Architecture), Engineering Lab, Fine Arts, Earth & Environmental Sciences (Geoscience), Nanofab, Nedderman Hall, and Woolf Hall.

Available emergency back-up generators in these buildings will be maintained throughout this outage to power crucial services.

Save any computer work or data in progress during the outage. Additionally, to prevent any possible damage, turn off all electronic equipment including computers, scanners, and copiers prior to this outage. These devices do not need to be unplugged.

Anyone having questions or concerns, or needing emergency power to support research, should contact either Toby Buhrkuhl at 972-832-1490 or Jeff Johnson at 817-798-8456.