The monthly newsletter from UT Arlington Provost Tamara L. Brown

February 12, 2026

Colleagues –

February is a time to celebrate history, culture, and connection. In honor of National Black History Month, we offer a variety of events and opportunities to reflect, learn, and celebrate Black history and excellence. Watch for ways to participate and explore, including a Black History month display in the library.

In 2026, February 17 will mark the Lunar New Year in many Asian cultures. This year welcomes the Year of the Fire Horse—a rare occurrence that comes around just once every 60 years. Fittingly, it feels like a banner year for UTA, especially with our very own Fire Horse, Blaze, leading the way. The Year of the Fire Horse is associated with rapid change, fresh opportunities, personal growth, and a faster pace of life—calling on us to find balance as we embrace momentum and possibility.

And, of course, February also brings Valentine’s Day, a reminder to celebrate connection, kindness, and appreciation in all its forms.

I would also like to extend my appreciation for your participation in the selection process for our next CONHI dean. We are about to conclude this search with our final candidates, and I encourage you to share your perspectives through the survey links available here. Your thoughtful feedback is an essential part of this process, and I am grateful to the search committee for their dedication and care in identifying outstanding talent for this critical leadership role.

In the coming weeks, you will also receive information about candidate presentations for the Dean of the College of Business. I hope you will again be willing to share your time and expertise as we work together to select another important campus leader.

Thank you for your continued engagement and commitment to UTA and our students.

With Maverick Pride -

Tamara L. Brown, Ph.D.

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Two online master’s programs at The University of Texas at Arlington ranked among the nation's best in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings released late last month.

Read more here.

Last week, UTA Libraries announced the campuswide introduction of LibKey Nomad, a browser extension that brings UTA Libraries' collections directly into web-browsing.

LibKey Nomad makes research faster and more accessible for faculty, staff, and students by providing links to articles and e-books available through UTA Libraries or open access while browsing online.

Whether searching on Google Scholar, exploring Wikipedia citations, or reviewing PubMed results, LibKey Nomad finds the fastest path to content available through UTA Libraries.

For more information, visit the UTA Libraries LibKey information page.

Join us on March 4th from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in Trinity Hall, Room 105, for a workshop focused on Fostering a Welcoming Learning Environment that supports student belonging, engagement, and academic success. Participants and facilitators will explore strategies to incorporate inclusive teaching practices across in-person, online, and hybrid formats. Through group engagement, participants will reflect on how their personal identities shape their teaching approaches and explore practical strategies such as authenticity, community-building activities, and intentional messaging that affirms students’ sense of belonging.

This session is hybrid. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

The 2nd Annual Rhythm and Soul Fest is set for Friday, February 20, at 7 p.m. in Texas Hall. The evening promises to be an unforgettable night of celebration that brings the UTA community together through the sound and spirit of rhythm, blues, and soul.

This year’s lineup features Grammy-nominated American R&B vocal trio SWV, hip-hop pioneer Doug E. Fresh, and Grammy Award-winning gospel musician Le’Andria Johnson.

Admission is free for UTA students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Tickets are available now at utatickets.com, limit two per person.

UTA faculty have been actively exploring and incorporating micro-credentials and short-form professional learning into their courses to enhance student career readiness and academic relevance.

To build on this important work, we are seeking to better understand where micro-credentials are currently being used across the curriculum. This brief survey will help UTA—and the UT System—recognize faculty innovation, assess its impact, and identify opportunities to further support these efforts. Thank you for sharing how you are advancing this work. If you have questions, please contact Patrick Wilson or Kimberly Tate.

You make take the survey here.

UTA implemented an updated Medical and Compassionate Withdrawal and Selective Course Load Reduction Policy that went into effect Monday, Jan. 12.

This policy outlines when and how students may request a withdrawal or course load reduction due to unforeseen medical or personal circumstances. Key updates to the policy include clarifying eligibility criteria and timelines for submitting requests, defining documentation requirements for medical and compassionate circumstances, and updated review and decision-making processes involving campus partners.

Learn more here.

On Friday February 6, President Cowley attended the annual Asia Times Square Lunar New Year Banquet. Hosted by UTA alum Matthew Loh and The LOH Foundation, the event celebrated the Year of the Fire Horse. The LOH Foundation Endowed Scholarship was established in 2024 to support UTA students studying engineering, business, and nursing.

UTA's Fall 2026 commencement date has been set as December 2, which is study day. Of all the possible alternative dates Globe Life Field had available, this date was least disruptive to academic schedules and prevented us from having staff work during the Thanksgiving weekend break.

As a reminder, Spring 2026 commencement has been moved forward as well due to the baseball schedule at Glove Life Field. as a result, UTA will host commencement on Sunday, May 3, 2026.

Please reach out to Dr. David Eberhardt (david.eberhardt@uta.edu) with any questions about 2026 commencement ceremonies, and any assistance you may need. Commencement Coordinators for each college have been notified of these changes, and Student Affairs will work with them to ensure additional information is shared as needed in the weeks and months ahead.

The Gallery at UTA is hosting If You Could See What I See: A New Generation Explores Texas Art. This exhibition is the culmination of an educational collaboration between the Art & Art History Department and TACO (Texas Art Collectors’ Organization), whose members have generously loaned an assortment of amazing paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, and sculptural objects from their private collections. A diverse selection of works by 40 artists was chosen for display as part of a multi-phase project involving Museum Studies students.

The exhibition is on display through March 27 and is free to the public.

Additionally, through February 22, the Arlington Museum of Art is hosting the UTA Annual Juried Exhibition. The exhibition features student work across a wide range of media—including sculpture, blown glass, bronze, painting, photography, and video art—showcasing the depth and breadth of creative talent on our campus.

You may submit your Maverick Promise and how you are upholding that promise here.

Provost Brown's next scheduled office hours session will be Thursday, February 19 from 2 - 4 p.m. Faculty, staff, and students can drop by UAB 321 or sign up via email at provost@uta.edu.

Do you have an upcoming event that Provost Brown should attend or speak? If so, send us the details! Submit a request to the Office of the Provost via the form on our website and we'll let you know if she's available.

Have a story idea?

Have something that you want us to highlight in a future newsletter? If so, submit your idea to provost@uta.edu.

Missed an edition of the newsletter?

Prior editions of the monthly newsletter can be found online here.