November 19, 2008

• UTSA bookstore hosts faculty-staff appreciation event
• Submit nominations for UTSA Ambassador
• PC McAfee anti-virus software scan times change
• State comptroller of public accounts changes policy
• Cibolo Preserve available for UTSA research
• Two HOP policies are updated
• Customer check photocopying is not permitted
• Do the right thing: Report suspected fraud
• Additional riders needed for Boerne, Bandera vanpools
• Yellow pages are available now

UTSA bookstore hosts faculty-staff appreciation event

The UTSA Bookstore will host a faculty-staff appreciation event to celebrate the partnership between UTSA and Follett. The event is 3-5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the 1604 Campus bookstore in the University Center. Refreshments will be served. During the event, faculty and staff members will receive a 30-percent discount on selected merchandise. Yesterday, a similar event was conducted at the Downtown Campus bookstore.

Submit nominations for UTSA Ambassador

Nominations are needed for annual recruitment of UTSA Ambassadors. The nomination deadline is Friday, Dec. 2. UTSA Ambassadors volunteer more than 7,000 hours each year. Students selected for membership serve as student hosts, tour guides and provide other services at the 1604, Downtown and Institute of Texan Cultures campuses. Ambassadors engage in a yearlong comprehensive training program including workshops designed for student leadership and communication skills, CPR training, etiquette skills and committee work.

Read more and download a nomination form on UTSA Today.

PC McAfee anti-virus software scan times change

Starting Nov. 18, all Windows-based PCs will automatically run an anti-virus scan at 2 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. This will take some of the burden off of your PC during the workday, while making sure your PC continues to fight viruses and other malware.

Remember to make these changes in your Monday-Friday routine:

• At the end of your work day, save all work
• Close all computer applications (i.e. Outlook, MS Word)
• Choose "Log Off," not "Shut Down" -- this leaves your PC turned on

These steps will ensure that your PC remains turned on and available to execute the scan. If you shut down your PC instead of choosing Log Off, the scan will begin when you next start your PC. When leaving for the weekend, you can completely shut down and turn off your PC.

More information: e-mail Office of Information Technology or call OIT Help Desk. 458-5538

State comptroller of public accounts changes policy

As of Nov. 1, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts requires all state agencies to verify vendor warrant holds when using payment cards for purchases exceeding $500, an increase from $150. Agencies must use the Texas Identification Number System (TINS) to verify that a vendor is not on warrant hold within one week before making a purchase.

• Obtain vendor status checks online.
• Download the revised Procard Transaction Log or in the Outlook bar in Public Folders:UTSA Forms:Procard Compliance Office.

More information: Anne Jackson, Procard specialist, 458-4059

Cibolo Preserve available for UTSA research

For research purposes only, UTSA faculty and their students now can request access to the Cibolo Preserve, a 600-acre tract east of Boerne in south central Kendall County. The land is notable for its beauty, variety of flora and fauna, geological features and areas of archeological interest. A creek bisects the land with sections on the flood plain of the creek and recent alluvium on adjacent terraces of the creek.

The most unique geological feature of the preserve is a narrow canyon through a large exposure of caprinid reef. (Caprinae are the animal family including sheep, goats and musk oxen.) The Office of the Vice President for Research is currently working with Cibolo Preserve trustees to present suggested projects for research and learning for spring 2009. For more information and an approval request form, visit the Research Web site.

More information: e-mail mailto:vprweb@utsa.edu

Two HOP policies are updated

Two policies were updated in the UTSA Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP). Editorial changes were made to policy 3.2, Staff Recruitment Policy. Changes were made to policy 9.12, The Use of the University Name, Seal, Logo and Athletic Emblem, to reflect current Regents' Rules and Regulations. Periodic updates to the HOP online will be announced in @UTSA.

More information: Office of Legal Affairs, 458-4105

Customer check photocopying is not permitted

If your department accepts payments by check, you must not photocopy those checks before sending them to Fiscal Services for deposit. This practice subjects UTSA to the risk that customers' account and bank routing information could be used illegally. Instead of making check copies, keep a check log that is limited to the information you need, exclusive of bank routing and account numbers. A sample check log will be developed and provided upon request from Gary Lott, director of financial services and university bursar.

More information: Gary Lott, 458-4221

Do the right thing: Report suspected fraud

Employee concerns and issues of suspected non-compliance should be addressed through normal administrative channels whenever possible. However, UTSA employees also have the following options for reporting issues of suspected non-compliance. The UTSA Hotline is a mechanism for anonymous reporting of suspected issues of non-compliance. The Hotline is administered by a company that is unaffiliated with UTSA and acts as a neutral third party to accurately document the issues reported and forward them immediately to the appropriate individuals at UTSA for resolution. The toll-free number for the Hotline is 1-877-888-0002.

A UTSA Hotline Web-reporting option also is available for anonymous reporting of suspected issues of noncompliance. At the Web site, you will be prompted to answer a series of questions regarding the nature of your complaint. The same company administers the phone Hotline and the Web-reporting Hotline; reports are handled in the same manner.

More information: Audit, Compliance and Risk Services Web site

Additional riders needed for Boerne, Bandera vanpools

Two riders have dropped out of the Boerne vanpool, coordinated through VIA Metropolitan Transit. Additionally, more riders are needed for the vanpool commute from Bandera/Pipe Creek. The vanpools are an excellent opportunity to save money on fuel and to have a more relaxed commute to campus.

More information: Nancy Miller, Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Lean Systems, 458-6773

Yellow pages are available now

New yellow pages telephone books are available for pick up at 1604 Campus Mail Services in Multidisciplinary Studies Building Room 1.01.22. Three hundred fifty yellow pages books are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For details on obtaining phone books at the Downtown Campus, contact Downtown Campus Mail Services at Durango Building Room 0.104 or call 458-2781. To utilize a greener way to look up phone numbers, use the Yellow Pages Web site.

FY 2009 UTSA Holiday Schedule

Training and Development Classes

UTSA Handbook of Operating Procedures

UTSA Calendar

Payroll Calendar

@UTSA is published on the 15th and 30th each month. Occasionally, publication dates may vary in consideration of timely news items. E-mail news items to news@utsa.edu. Submit items at least seven business days before publication as a text message without attachments including contact name, e-mail and phone. Items may be edited for clarity and format.

Supervisors should print @UTSA for employees without e-mail access.

Read more at UTSA Today, the official UTSA news source.

Editor: Tim Brownlee, Assistant Director of Public Affairs