Article I

Name of the Organization

The official name of the organization is The University of Texas at San Antonio Center for Cultural Sustainability, hereinafter referred to as the UTSA-CCS and/or the Center.

Article II

Center Mission, Purpose, and What We Do

Mission: The UTSA Center for Cultural Sustainability explores the continuity of the cultural systems of human existence. This includes consideration, understanding and respect for heritage—identities and values that bind people to places.

Purpose: The UTSA-CCS provides academic research and services to benefit communities, completes large-scale research projects, provides research and educational opportunities for graduate students, and convenes leaders in the field for dialogue on global practices concerning sustainable development and construction. The Center pursues initiatives with a focus on issues of justice and equity in cultural heritage.

What We Do:

  • Research on heritage resilience and cultural sustainability
  • Analysis of new technologies and strategies applied to historic buildings
  • Exploration of issues related to justice and equity in cultural heritage
  • Master planning for architectural conservation projects
  • Research, documentation, and assessment of cultural assets, historic sites, and world heritage
  • Feasibility studies for rehabilitation and urban development

Article III

Organizational Structure

Director: The Director will be a tenured faculty member at UTSA whose research interests align with the Center’s mission. Appointment or reappointment of the Director is made at the discretion of the KCEID Dean. The Center’s Executive Committee shall provide advice to the KCEID Dean on appointments and reappointments. A summer salary stipend to the Director can serve to compensate for administrative time and effort. The summer stipend is not to exceed one month of effort, provided sufficient Center funds are available, and shall be approved by simple majority vote of the Executive Committee or at the discretion of the Dean. The responsibilities of the UTSA-CCS Director include:

  • Provide leadership for the Center.
  • Represent the UTSA-CCS to the UTSA administration (departmental, college, and university), the public, and other organizations that have dealings with the Center.
  • Manage the day-to-day operations of the Center. However, when needed, the Director can delegate responsibilities to an Assistant/ Associate Director or members of the Executive Committee.
  • Provide fiscal and budgetary oversight and reconciliation for the Center.
  • When applicable, hire administrative and research personnel for the UTSA-CCS with advice from the Executive Committee and serve as the supervisor for administrative and research personnel.

Assistant/ Associate Director: This role should be filled by an Assistant or Associate Professor from within the college. Professors of Practice may be eligible, as well. It is envisioned that the directors and associate directors will be from different departments to address cross disciplinary engagement and collaboration. Appointment or reappointment of the Director is made at the discretion of the KCEID Dean. The Center’s Executive Committee shall provide advice to the KCEID Dean on appointments and reappointments. The responsibilities of the UTSA-CCS Assistant/ Associate Director include:

  • Support day-to-day operation of the Center when called upon by the Director.
  • Support the Director in hiring and management of Center staff and student employees.
  • Represent the Center at UTSA and public events, when requested by the Director.
  • Work with core faculty on ideas for future Center projects.

Core Faculty: Must be UTSA faculty active through UTSA-CCS in the form of participation on at least one sponsored project per 2-year period of time.

Affiliate or Visiting Researchers: Faculty from both UTSA and outside universities, established scholars, as well as professionals from industry, may serve as Affiliate or Visiting Researchers. Requirements for becoming a Visiting Researcher are outlined in the UTSA Handbook of Operating Procedures. Visiting Researchers do not receive financial compensation from the university for their work. Affiliate Researchers are those who, on occasion, contribute to UTSA-CCS research projects led by the Director and/or Core Faculty, at the discretion of the Director and/or Core Faculty. Prospective Affiliate Researchers are welcome to initiate contact with the Director and/or Core Faculty to discuss potential collaboration.

Executive Committee: UTSA Executive Committee comprises of the Center Director and two members from the Core Faculty.

  • Members of the Executive Committee will be elected by simple majority vote by the Core Faculty Members of the Center.
  • The responsibilities of the executive committee include:
    • Elect a Vice-Director who can act on behalf of the Director when needed.
    • Engage junior faculty in dialogue on Center projects and encourage participation.
    • Assist in providing mentorship, guidance and advice on research proposals.
    • Establish programmatic emphases relating to the Center in cooperation with other Core Faculty.
    • Approve major fiscal expenditures relating to the Center.
    • Participate in recruitment of personnel and provide hiring advice to the Director.
    • Draft revisions to the bylaws for the Center, as needed. The bylaws and changes to the bylaws must be approved by all the Core Faculty Members of the Center by simple majority vote.
    • Participate in meetings of the Center’s Advisory Council
    • Advise on distribution of F&A allocations supporting the Center’s mission

Article IV

Activities of the UTSA-CCS

Sponsored Research Projects: Sponsored projects undertaken by the Center allow opportunities for students to be engaged in research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Participation on research projects enable students to become immersed in a comprehensive and systematic integration of the discovery process anchored by explicit training in research skills that will complement the academic experience. Additionally, center researchers, both Core and Affiliate Faculty, will incorporate the results of their sponsored projects into classroom education for graduate and undergraduate students. This process is in the best interest of UTSA, particularly KCEID, where critical thinking and innovation are part of its educational process. Finally, sponsored projects allow UTSA-CCS to engage scholars in disciplines outside of KCEID.

Activities with External Entities: The Center recognizes that collaboration between UTSA and external entities, particularly, government, industry and other institutes of higher education, is a critical component of efficient innovation systems. Performance Evaluation of the Center: Success can be measured, in part, through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as established by KCEID leadership with input from the Executive Committee. KPIs can include but are not limited to the following:

  • # of submitted proposals, # of funded proposals, and annual expenditures
  • external recognition in the form of awards
  • # and impact of peer-reviewed scholarship that emerges from Center projects
  • # and impact of invited lectures, workshops, and trainings
  • # of students supported and engaged by Center activities
  • # and impact of outreach activities
  • level of community service involvement

The Center will issue an annual activity report that describes progress toward the Center’s mission, performance, and accomplishments.

Article V

Incentive for Faculty Participants

Benefits of Collaborating with the Center for Cultural Sustainability include:

  • Frontline participation in pioneering research on sustainability and resilience.
  • Mentoring from Core Faculty experienced in all phases of project development and management, from grant applications to project close-out procedures, including liaising with Research Service Centers.
  • Core Faculty guidance and advice in organizing and coordinating multidisciplinary teams.
  • Dedicated staff to support submitting grant applications, coordinating research projects, and periodic reporting to project sponsors.
  • Availability of UTSA-CCS research staff to support sponsored projects, case-by-case commensurate with funding.
  • Dedicated editorial support for research project deliverables, commensurate with project funding.
  • Support for dissemination of research results.