Student to enjoy up-close view of eclipse at UTSA Main Campus

MARCH 5, 2024 -Editor's note: The following message was sent today via email from President Taylor Eighmy, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Heather Shipley and Chief Enterprise Development Officer and Executive Vice President for Business Affairs Veronica Salazar to all faculty, staff and students:

On Monday, April 8, a rare and awe-inspiring event will occur - a total solar eclipse - and UTSA's Main Campus is in the path of totality. San Antonio was last in the path for a total solar eclipse in 1397, and the contiguous United States will not see another total solar eclipse until 2044.

Recognizing the significance of this astronomical occurrence, we will be suspending all classes that occur between noon and 2 p.m. on that day. In addition, staff are encouraged to attend this remarkable event, with managers working directly with their teams to ensure rotating office coverage in order to maintain continuous operations. We want to provide everyone with the opportunity to witness and learn from this natural phenomenon when the moon will position itself between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on our planet.

UTSA faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in our Total Solar Eclipse Campus Viewing Party on Main Campus. The community viewing will be narrated by Dr. Angela Speck, professor of astronomy and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

To ensure all Roadrunners are able to view the eclipse safely, we are providing the campus community with free, limited-edition UTSA eclipse glasses. Glasses will be available at tables in the Outdoor Learning Environment (OLÉ) the week leading up to the eclipse, and also at the campus viewing party itself. See the event website for more details.

Aligned with our commitment to experiential learning and the enrichment of our campus experience, we hope you'll agree that the solar eclipse provides a unique opportunity for our entire Roadrunner community to experience this astronomical event together.