VPBA Newsletter

Kerry's Korner

On Wednesday, May 25^th at 9:30 a.m. we will have the 1st Annual Business Affairs Forum for all business affairs employees. We will gather in the Main Building auditorium (0.104) for what I hope you will see as both an informative and enjoyable hour. I intend to provide you with a summary of the recent Town Hall meetings and speak to the future direction of the organization. There will also be a short presentation on UTSA’s Master Plan, highlighting our future construction projects and anticipated growth.

There will be a Question and Answer period where I will answer questions you can ask via email to vpbaoffice@utsa.edu, campus mail, or through your VPBA Staff Relations Council representative.

No gathering should be without some fun, so there will be door prizes, t-shirts thrown into the crowd, as well as refreshments and giveaways.

Shuttles will pick up the business affairs staffs at the Downtown Campus (DTC), ITC, and University Heights. Shuttles will depart the DTC and ITC locations at 8:30 a.m. and University Heights at 9:00 a.m., returning at the conclusion of the Forum.

Hope to see you all on the 25^th.

Upcoming Events:

Law Enforcement Week
May 15-21

Business Affairs Forum
May 25
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
MB Auditorium 0.104

Memorial Day Holiday
May 30

Law Enforcement
Appreciation Week
May 15-21

Thank you to all our University Police Department officers, guards and staff for your dedication and commitment to the safety and security of the UTSA community.

Spotlight on.... Cassandra Porter Leadership Award Winner As the initial article in our new series on Business Affairs’ Spotlights, we are very proud to recognize Cassandra Porter as the recipient of the UTSA Leadership Award. As supervisor of the inventory department, Cassandra has produced outstanding results in the accountability and reporting of movable assets at UTSA. Strong organizational, communication and management skills and the implementation of effective training classes have helped her department reduce UTSA inventory loss to less than 1 percent. A considerate, morale-boosting supervisor, she is sure to remember birthdays with greeting cards, balloons and cake. She plans potluck lunches for the department and calls her staff on sick leave to let them know they are missed. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Cassandra is married to Dennis and has a son, Travis. She enjoys reading, aerobic exercise, events planning and shopping. She is also well traveled having served in the US Air Force for 22 years and was stationed in California, North Dakota, Florida, Texas, United Kingdom, and Korea. Cassandra’s attitude and performance represent our vision statement, "In all we do, we do with excellence." Thanks Cassandra for all you do for business affairs and the university.	New Performance Appraisal Forms Supervisors and managers have been attending training classes to learn how to properly complete the new performance appraisal form. By May 30^th, managers should discuss and document performance goals and standards with each of their staff. Discussion should address position description, the rating scale, and development plans. It is recommended that supervisors and employees set dates for periodic feedback sessions throughout the year.

	Travel Department The Travel Section within the Disbursements Department will double in size in the next few weeks with the addition of two new employees. The office will soon be staffed with two Accounting Technicians and two Accounting Clerks.

The UTSA Police Department will seek accreditation through CALEA, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, by completing a comprehensive review and update of procedures and forms as well as enhancing equipment and physical locations within the police department in accordance with CALEA standards. The accreditation approval should be complete before the end of 2007. Currently, there is only one public university police department in the State of Texas that is accredited through CALEA.

Property Exchange The anticipated property exchange between the university and the City of San Antonio is expected to be approved by the City Council on May 12. The university will exchange approximately 6 acres of land, primarily parking lots that lay in between the Institute of Texas Cultures and the City’s Hemisfair property for City-owned land adjacent to UTSA’s Downtown Campus. The Downtown Campus property includes the Cattleman’s Square parking lot at the corner of Buena Vista and the I-35 frontage road and the land beneath UTSA’s Monterey Building. This property exchange benefits the university in a number of ways including reducing our lease costs and providing for future growth opportunities. Thanks to Nora Evans, Powell Trotti, Ysabel Trinidad and Bob Brodeur of UTSA, Florence Mayne and Chris Gilmore of U.T. System for all of their valuable support and assistance.