Category: Top Stories

On Saturday, OLLU and our neighbors and partners celebrated the unveiling of the Treaty Mural. This beautiful piece of Chicano art was painted in 1980 by Community Cultural Arts, the pioneers of public muralism in our city. While the piece has stood proudly for 45 years, it has become weathered by time and over the course of this semester, students from the OLLU Visual Arts class “Barrio Art and Popular Culture” partnered with the original artists to restore it to its glory. They did so with many partners, including the Segundo de Febrero Committee at OLLU, Opportunity Homes, City District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo, the OLLU Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism, and a whole crew of volunteers from across the OLLU and Westside communities.

This Saturday, we celebrated this success with an unveiling ceremony and blessing. The event was from 11 to noon and included addresses from Visual Arts professor Suzy Gonzalez, original mural artist Tache Torres, Amber Ortega from the International Folk Cultural Center and Segundo Committee, and representatives of the Councilwoman and Opportunity Home. The event culminated in a blessing presided over by Sister Rose Kruppa, the Superior General of our Congregation of Divine Providence.

Speakers at the event highlighted its historic importance, not only as an early example of Chicano muralism but also due to its link to Segundo de Febrero. This event commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848, which ended the Mexican-American War and marked the political birth of the Mexican-American people. This transformative event has had repercussions that continue over the centuries. OLLU was among the first organizations in the nation to recognize the significance of this event, and this mural restoration is part of a revival of that tradition this semester.

Others spoke to the importance of intergenerational connections between the original artists and today’s art students, to the crucial role that public art has in uplifting our community and the special role the public housing plays in creating a just society.

OLLU has committed to continuing this partnership and will be seeking pathways for restoring more murals and uplifting their presence in San Antonio and beyond.

Full story from TPR click here.

Please be advised that Our Lady of the Lake University will be closed from April 2 through April 6, 2026. During this time, all on-campus operations will be suspended. We will return to normal operating hours on April 7th.

Faculty and staff are reminded to:

• Set their email and voicemail greetings to out of office to reflect the campus closure.
• Disconnect and empty any perishable items in office mini fridges.
• Unplug any office space heater
• If any faculty members need to come to campus during the closure, they must notify Campus Police before arrival to ensure proper access and safety.

If any faculty members need to come to campus during the closure, they must notify Campus Police before arrival to ensure proper access and safety.

As a reminder, OLLU partners with Uwill to provide students with 24/7 emotional support, scheduled counseling, and urgent medical care via telehealth. Students can access these services at https://medical.uwill.com.

Please note the adjusted hours of operation for on-campus dining locations during Easter Weekend.

From Thursday, April 2 through Monday, April 6, the Market will be open with modified hours, while all other dining locations—including Annie B’s, SBX, Crave, and the Sub Shop—will be closed.

For more information on dining at OLLU, click here.

📱 Safety Reminder:
Download the InformaCast app to receive important campus emergency alerts and safety notifications.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Wishing you a joyful Easter break and a restful holiday season.

By now, many of you have seen or heard the results of the Focused Differentiation Survey that was shared a couple of weeks ago.  The results of that survey helped us see that we are, by a majority,

• aligned on the student populations we should prioritize
• accept (again by majority) that we will have to deprioritize certain student segments as long as we do it based on data
• agree on the attributes that differentiate us
• and believe that we are not yet ready; not disciplined enough to execute a focused strategy

Focused Differentiation is a strategy defined by businessman, author and Harvard professor Michael Porter.  It identifies an approach that accepts that you can’t be everything to everyone and promotes the idea of identifying something that you do better than anyone else and that others (the competition) would find hard to copy.

The survey results show that we are in line with who will be our target market: First-generation Hispanic undergraduates from South Texas.  We will not be everything to everyone.  That’s not to say we won’t accept other students; it just means that first-gen Hispanic undergrads from South Texas are who we will spend valuable marketing dollars on to recruit. 

The results also show that we believe we are good at having

• strong career pipelines in select industries
• accelerated pathways (3-year degrees, flexible scheduling)
• personalized, high-touch advising model
• and small-class, faculty-mentored environment

We will have to ‘focus’ more on these attributes if we want to make them so strong that the competition would not be able to replicate them.

The overwhelming response was that we are not yet ready to execute a focused strategy.  We are not yet disciplined enough.  That is true.  Some people may see it as defeating; but this is where Providence and resilience kicks in.  It is Easter season after all. We are preparing for our rebirth by making changes and improvements.  We are re-evaluating current practices and assessing tools such as software that we no longer need.  We are identifying skills that will be needed in this renaissance.

While some will be excited about this refreshing change, there will be some that will be concerned about a change.  That is natural.  “Change” involves human behavior; and humans involve emotions.  Below is a chart that we will discuss at our University Community Convening on April 22^nd.  The top row shows that in order to have successful change, you need to have Vision, Skills, Incentives, Resources and a Plan.  If any of these five items is ignored, then you can see in the blue column the effect that it could cause.    Take a look at it.  Think about it.  Be prepared to discuss it at our convening.

Staff Assembly is seeking nominations for the annual Staff and Faculty Awards!

The award descriptions and full eligibility criteria are available on the submission form links below. Please refer to each one for the specific criteria. All OLLU community members (staff, faculty, students, trustees, and alumni) are welcome to submit nominations.

Nomination forms are submitted electronically and must be received by 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7th, 2026. Selected recipients will receive recognition and a monetary award during the Staff and Faculty Awards Reception (more details to come).

Awards

Sister Jane Ann Slater Leadership Award (Faculty & Staff)

Our Lady of the Lake University encourages the recognition of performance excellence and high achievement. Each year, a member of the OLLU staff and a member of the OLLU faculty are selected by a committee to receive the Sister Jane Ann Slater Leadership Award. The award recognizes individuals who have had a positive impact on the university by building unity and community through their generosity of spirit and heart, exceptional leadership, enthusiasm, respect, and optimism.

Eligibility Details

• All full-time and half-time staff and faculty members are eligible for this award.
• Previous award winners are not eligible for nomination.
• Nominees must be in good standing with the university.

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Rosemary Saenz Award for Customer Service

This award recognizes a person that has understood that the work of the University needs willing hands and is the type of person that you think of when you need help, even when it is outside of their department or area of expertise. They provide excellent customer service to all constituencies.

Eligibility Details

• OLLU staff employees must have completed one year of full-time or half-time employment, through March 1, to be eligible for consideration.
• Only staff who are in good standing with the University will be eligible for consideration. The selection committee chair will verify that the employee is in good standing with the multiple departments in which staff have employees or business transactions.
• Additionally, the employee should not have received a written warning, initiated through the Human Resources Office, during the recognition year.
• Recipients of the Rose Mary Saenz Award within the last three years are ineligible to receive the Rose Mary Saenz award this year.

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Robert Davis Award for Community Building

This award recognizes the importance of teamwork for OLLU, goals of customer satisfaction, and employee harmony. The award is given to a staff member who participates in community building across divisions and departments. This person should exemplify the spirit of thanksgiving for the contributions that every OLLU job makes toward the whole wellbeing of the University. Robert “Bubba” Davis led several efforts in support for staff morale initiatives which helped employees cross the threshold from being just an eight-to-five employee to really being part of the OLLU family. Through attitude and action, he thought that having fun and social support are important for a happy employee environment.

Eligibility Details

• OLLU staff employees must have completed one year of full-time or half-time employment, through March 1, to be eligible for consideration.
• Only staff who are in good standing with the University will be eligible for consideration. The selection committee chair will verify that the employee is in good standing with the multiple departments in which staff have employees or business transactions.
• Additionally, the employee should not have received a written warning, initiated through the Human Resources Office, during the recognition year.
• Recipients of the Robert Davis Award within the last three years are ineligible to receive the Robert Davis award this year.

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Thank you for taking the time to recognize the outstanding contributions of our wonderful staff and faculty members! If you have any questions, please contact your Staff Assembly representative or email sac@ollusa.edu.

Nearly four months after the tragic loss of 29-year-old Edward Trejo, his family continues to seek justice—while his memory lives on in powerful ways through the Our Lady of the Lake University community.

Trejo was killed in December following a confrontation that escalated from a noise complaint on San Antonio’s West Side. While an arrest was initially made, a grand jury later declined to move forward with charges, leaving his family searching for answers and accountability.

In the face of this heartbreak, something remarkable has emerged: unwavering support.

At OLLU, where Trejo’s sister, Ananna Trejo, is a student-athlete on the softball team, teammates, coaches, and the broader university community have come together in solidarity. What could have remained a private grief has instead become a shared commitment—to uplift, to support, and to ensure that Edward’s life is not forgotten.

Described by loved ones as someone who “had a big heart” and always showed up for others, Trejo’s legacy is now reflected in the very spirit of the team that surrounds his sister. Whether through moments of silence, visible tributes on the field, or simply showing up for one another day after day, the OLLU community has turned pain into purpose.

This story is not only about loss—it is about resilience. It is about a university living its mission of compassion and service. And it is about the enduring power of community to carry one another forward, even in the most difficult moments.

While justice has yet to be served, Edward Trejo’s name continues to echo—not only in calls for accountability, but in every act of support, unity, and love shown by those who refuse to let his story fade.

To watch the full story click here

On Saturday, March 21, the corner of San Nicolás and South Hamilton came alive with color, purpose, and community as students, staff, and faculty gathered at Cassiano Homes to help restore the historic Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo mural—a powerful symbol of culture, memory, and identity.

Under the bright South Texas sun, volunteers worked side by side to breathe new life into this significant example of Chicano Muralism. What began decades ago as a visual expression of history and resilience is now being carefully preserved for future generations.

At the heart of the effort were service-learning students from Barrio Arts and Popular Culture, whose hands-on involvement reflects a deeper commitment to community engagement and cultural stewardship. Working alongside the original artists, students didn’t just repaint a wall—they helped restore a story, reconnecting the past with the present.

The mural, which depicts themes tied to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, stands as a reminder of the region’s layered history and enduring spirit. Through this restoration, participants honored both the artistry and the lived experiences it represents.

More than a service project, the day was a living example of education in action—where learning extends beyond the classroom and into the heart of the community. Together, OLLU reaffirmed its mission of service, cultural preservation, and meaningful impact—one brushstroke at a time.