VPBA Newsletter November 2006

November 2006

SideNotes

Kerry's Korner...

Some of you may recall that in discussing the results of excellence, among Caring, Dreaming and Expecting, I also included RISKING.  Now, to some, RISK really is a four-letter word and should be entirely avoided at all costs.  But the truth is, without taking calculated risks, there would be no progress, no vision, no inventions, no collaborations or partnering, no friendships, no deep-abiding love, and on and on. 

We can’t expect to fulfill our Business Affairs mission and be ‘partners for successful solutions’ if we avoid taking risk.  How do you advance a vision of excellence without taking some risks?  History shows that great accomplishments have always involved taking significant calculated risks.  Great artists, investors, and entrepreneurs alike are willing to take risk because they see it as opportunity.  Neil Simon, one of our great ‘philosophers,’ once said, “If no one took risks, Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor.”

While each of us take many risks every day, when it comes to taking risks at work, there’s a fear that often overtakes us that keeps us stagnated and unresponsive to the changing culture and environment.  Why?  Because we focus on the worst extreme that could happen and not the highly probable potential benefits.  Consider opportunities to excel by risking a change in a critical process or policy, by personally recognizing a colleague for a job well done, by challenging the status quo and complacency, by empowering your staff to identify and implement opportunities to improve, and by creating an environment of partnership.    

I need us to take calculated risks.  Sometimes we’ll fail and learn and grow, but more often we’ll succeed and inspire others to join us in our journey of excellence – every person, every day and in every job. 
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

Kerry

Calendar
of Events

Thanksgiving
November 23

Thanksgiving Holiday
November 24

New Employee
Welcome Program
December 5

Business Affairs
Holiday Reception
December 19

Worth Remembering...

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."

John Quincy Adams

Dan Pena

Survey of Organizational Excellence

Keep your eyes and ears open as it’s almost here…no, not just the Holiday Season but the Survey for Organizational Excellence.  As we, Business Affairs staff, work on being our UTSA community’s Partner for Successful Solutions, we are constantly striving for improvements in the services that we provide not only to the university but to each other, Business Affairs staff and customers. One way that we can measure how we are progressing is the Survey of Organizational Excellence.  Remember we conducted the survey in January 2005 and we will be conducting the follow up survey in January 2007. We look forward to your participation and feedback as we continue to strive toward creating an organizational climate of Excellence. Stay tuned for more information coming in December! Thank you for your enthusiasm and interest!! We are each others customers and Partners!
 

Dan Pena is a native Texan, born in Galveston and raised in San Antonio. Dan started his law enforcement career in 1980, attending the 33rd session of the University of Texas System Police Academy. After graduating from the academy, Dan started work with the UT Austin Police Department and transferred to the UTSA Police Department in January, 1983.

Dan has steadily moved up the ranks within the UTSAPD from Patrol Officer to Detective, Investigations Sergeant, Patrol Commander, Investigations Lieutenant, and Administrative Captain. He was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2001.

In 1991, Dan attended the 165th session of the FBI National Academy, held at Quantico, Virginia. He obtained a Criminal Justice Bachelors degree from Wayland Baptist University in 2002. Dan completed the American Crime Prevention Institute's Crime Prevention, in 2003, through Environmental Design (CPTED) courses and is a certified CPTED Advanced Specialist.

Assistant Chief Pena is currently assigned to the UTSA Police Department’s Leadership Team overseeing management of police operations and staff. His primary charge is to effectively provide a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors. Dan is also directly responsible for the UTSA Access Control Office. He works closely with the Facilities Planning & Development group to design and implement security systems for all UTSA facilities.

Dan married Michelle Pena in 1987. His hobbies include astronomy, building homemade telescopes and motorcycle road racing.

During the course of the last 23 years, Dan has witnessed many changes at UTSA.  His greatest challenge is to meet the growing demands resulting from our efforts to be a Tier 1 research institution. It is a challenge he welcomes!

Thank you Dan, for your commitment and dedication to UTSA and Business Affairs.

Dan will be receiving a Roadrunner meal card to use for either breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Roadrunner Cafe, compliments of Chartwells.
Our thanks to Chartwells for their support!
 

UTSA among Top 25 of HUB Programs

Generosity Update....

While final numbers have not been released because the SECC campaign deadline was extended thru Friday, November 10^th, I anticipate that there will be good news coming from the President’s Office regarding this year’s participation levels. We will soon have the Business Affairs statistics as well and anticipate that our participation levels will have increased and perhaps even exceed those of the university as a whole. Thanks to each of you who sacrificed a portion of your earnings to help those who so desperately need assistance. I’m confident that your generosity will be compounded and change many people’s lives for the better and in ways that far exceed what you might imagine. Thank you.

Kerry

HUB staff (left to right):
Karen Schweiger, Lacy Hampton, Yolanda Miller

For the second consecutive year and for the fifth time in the last six years, UTSA is among the top 25 Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) programs in the state of Texas. In 2006 more than $10.3 million or 27.73 percent of total eligible UTSA purchases were expended with HUB vendors, which are minority and women-owned businesses certified by the state of Texas.

Other University of Texas institutions joining UTSA in the top 25 are: U.T. Tyler (35.42 percent), U.T. Dallas (30.49 percent ), U.T.  El Paso (26.95 percent) and U.T. Brownsville (26.17 percent).

To honor and recognize the individuals and departments who played a role in the HUB Program’s success, the second Annual HUB Awards and Recognition Program will be held in the JPL Regent’s Room 4.03.12 on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 3:00pm.

President's Office Celebrates Halloween

Left to right: Edda Petiton-Mayer, Brenda Barron, Jule Nordhaus, Patricia Cardenas, Giselle Diaz and Emma Acosta

Parking & Transportation

Did you know?

Parking & Transportation Services (PTS) does not issue temporary permits for those who have forgotten their permits? Instead, as long as you are parked in an authorized area and your vehicle is registered with PTS you may be issued up to 3 warning citations per academic year.  Thereafter, a "failure to display" citation for $25 will be issued.

Lessons We Learn From Geese

Next fall when you see geese heading south for the winter...flying along in V formation...you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:

Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Author Unknown

THE HOLIDAY SEASON WILL BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT -
IT'S TIME TO PLAN AHEAD!!

HR recommends that all managers have their employees submit their vacation requests starting now to determine departmental coverage for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, to include the skeleton crew days in December. Please refer to the UTSA holiday schedule.

As always, all employee requests for leave during the holidays are subject to business needs and management approval. Taking action early can help the department provide needed coverage, minimize disruption and provide employees the opportunity to plan ahead.
 

UTSA Police Food Drive November 6-17

This Month in History brought to you by ITC Cultural Courier

November 1839 The Texas Congress assembles in Austin, the site selected as the capital of the Republic of Texas.

November 23, 1964 Houston surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey performs the first successful coronary artery bypass graft surgery in history.

November 25, 1850 Texas sells 1/3 of its territory to the United States for $10 million in the Compromise of 1850.

Excellence is the result of...

-Caring more than other  think wise,
-Risking more than others think safe,
-Dreaming more than others think practical, and
-Expecting more than others think possible.
 

The UTSA Police Department is hosting a Food Drive for Thanksgiving. We will be collecting food donations from November 6-17 for the San Antonio Food Bank. We are asking for non-perishable food donations. The donations can be collected within each office and brought to select locations at each campus. We are asking everyone to help those who are less fortunate at Thanksgiving and beyond. The holidays are a special time for everyone. Many families struggle to provide for themselves and their families. They wish they could do more. Now you can do more!  Help someone else provide that extra special meal for the holidays, donate canned goods to our Food Drive.
 

Drop Off Locations:

Items most needed: Peanut Butter, Chili, Cereal, Canned Stews, Tuna, Canned Luncheon Meats, Beans, Full Meals in a Can/Box, Rice,  “Pop Top” Food Items, Macaroni and Cheese. Please, No Glass Containers.

Construction Update

PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS

All requests to view or copy UTSA documents must be processed through the Vice President for Business Affairs Office. For more information, click: http://www.utsa.edu/bussvc/
OpenRecords.htm.

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REMINDER.....

Please email us the new employees in your department, so we can add them to the newsletter mailing.

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Recreation and Wellness Center – Phase II:  The RWC-II is 124,710 square feet of new space and 14,505 square feet of existing renovated space. Interior exercise, fitness and team sport facilities are complemented by outdoor swimming pools and team sport facilities. Anticipated completion is spring 2008. 

The following key elements are part of the new construction space:
 

The following key elements are part of the renovation space:

Renovated and expanded men and women's locker rooms
Renovated and expanded recreation office suite
New and expanded lobbies
Renovated and expanded cooking studio

Happy Thanksgiving
to all