Dec. 9, 2005

• Holiday shopping discount, free admission at ITC
• UTSA community admitted free to SAMA
• Shopping shuttle schedule revised
• Calling all commencement volunteers!
• Student activities office seeks speakers
• Recycle aluminum, plastic, glass containers
• HOP policy is updated
• Important messages from payroll office
• COLFA advising phone number has changed
• 1604 Campus mailroom closed Dec. 26
• Cattleman's Square lot closed until Jan. 6

Holiday shopping discount, free admission at ITC

The Institute of Texan Cultures offers a 25-percent discount to faculty and staff on items at the gift store on all items except books through Dec. 23. The ITC gift store offers a variety of gift choices, such as Texas-themed tree ornaments, ethnic pendants and jewelry, stuffed animals and educational toys, Russian stacking dolls and coffee mugs with the ITC logo.

More information: Institute of Texan Cultures, 458-2330

UTSA community admitted free to SAMA

UTSA students, faculty and staff receive free admission to the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) simply by presenting a UTSACard. The special benefit is a result of the university's corporate benefactor membership to SAMA. Since opening in 1981, SAMA has become home to the region's finest display of Greek and Roman antiquities, Asian art, Latin American and folk art, and American paintings.

Read more: http://www.utsa.edu/today/2005/12/sama.cfm

Shopping shuttle schedule revised

The shopping shuttle will operate its normal schedule Saturday, Dec. 10. It will not operate Dec. 17, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. Normal operations resume Saturday, Jan. 7. A reminder: parking permits are required at all times.

More information: Parking and Transportation Services, 458-PARK (7275)

Calling all commencement volunteers!

Volunteers are needed to help at commencement ceremonies. The most pressing need is for Saturday, Dec. 17. Every effort will be made to match volunteers' time requests, but some volunteers may be asked to move to a time where the need is greater. Volunteers assist with seating guests, program distribution, coatroom, photography section and crowd control. Dec. 17 ceremonies are: Ceremony 3: 7:30-11:30 a.m., Ceremony 4: 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Ceremony 5: 3:30-7:30 p.m.

To volunteer: John Kaulfus

Student activities office seeks speakers

The Office of Student Activities is seeking speakers to add to the speakers' bureau. Through the program, students have a resource for presentations at no charge. It is is a valuable service for the UTSA community, especially for student organizations that have meager financial resources.

More information: Student Activities, (210) 458-4160

Recycle aluminum, plastic, glass containers

The Office of Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management and the Office of Facilities Services asks everyone's help in disposing of aluminum, plastic and glass beverage containers in recycle bins. Office paper, magazines, books, newspapers and catalogs can be placed in blue bins at each office. (Do not place cardboard in the containers.) Recycle cardboard by placing it in a designated area agreed upon by each office and housekeeping; cardboard will be removed by housekeeping staff. Be sure to remove contents and trash from cardboard boxes before recycling. Additionally, recyclable toner cartridges can be taken to the mailroom.

More information: Richard Garza, 458-5808

HOP policy is updated

Updates have been made to the following policy in the UTSA Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP). Editorial amendments were made to 5.17 "Student Fitness to Teach Policy." Periodic updates to the HOP online will be announced in @UTSA.

Access the HOP: http://www.utsa.edu/hop/

Important messages from payroll office

• The semi-monthly voucher cut-off date for the Dec. 1-15 pay period is Dec. 16. There is only one day to enter time sheets. The final semi-monthly payday is one day early: Dec. 21.
• New withholding rates and voluntary retirement plan limitations are effective with the Jan. 2 paycheck.
• New rules governing the Form W-4 for nonresident alien employees are effective Jan. 1.
• Reminder: if you claimed "exempt" on your Form W-4 for 2005, you must complete a new form for 2006. All Forms W-5 must be renewed as well.
• W-2s will be available for download in early January.
• Go to http://www.utsa.edu/payroll for information about the pick-up location for semi-monthly paychecks and information about new rules.

More information: Anna Manning, 458-4282

COLFA advising phone number has changed

The phone number for COLFA Advising is 458-4900. The former number, 458-7318, now belongs to a faculty member who has received many erroneous calls.

1604 Campus mailroom closed Dec. 26

The 1604 Campus mailroom will be closed Dec. 26, but otherwise will be open regular hours in December.

Cattleman's Square lot closed until Jan. 6

The Cattleman's Square parking lot will be closed until Jan. 6. The closure is necessary for site work and parking lot improvements. All other Downtown Campus parking facilities will remain open.

More information: Robert Peek, Facilities Services, 458-7387

FY 2005-2006 UTSA Holiday Schedule

HR Training and Development

UTSA Calendars

Submissions to @UTSA:

E-mail news items to news@utsa.edu. Please submit items at least seven days before an event, and as a text message without attachments. @UTSA reserves the right to edit submissions. Please print @UTSA for employees without ready e-mail access.

Read more at UTSA Today.