Staff News
August 23, 2007
In This Issue
Announcements Welcome New Staff to Student Affairs "Getting To Know You"... Jana Kennelly Departmental News Kudos Message from the Vice President for Student Affairs (Tips for Success continued) TIP #3 – MAKE IT YOUR OWN As students start class this week, it's time to reflect on the 3rd Tip for Success - MAKE IT YOUR OWN. New students receive plenty of advice from people in their lives and messages from our culture about what to do in college. The pressure may be parental - 'pick a major to get a good job, or don't stray too far from our values.' It may be peer pressure - 'that class is for losers, or why are you studying on Thursday night when there's a great party down the block?' Either way, it can be hard to resist. The message I share with students is to listen to the advice, some of it is very important, but to decide for themselves. Take courses that are interesting, join organizations that are intriguing, attend sports and arts events that are new to you. Make decisions and learn from the consequences; take responsibility for your life; and when they happen, learn from your mistakes. No one can go to college for you so what do you want your UTSA experience to be? Now how do we Make It Our Own? Obviously there are at least as many different answers as there are people reading this, and only you know if you are taking this final step. I suspect that each of us has made a decision at some point that met someone else's need and we lived to regret it, or had to back track in some way. Often we know it doesn't feel right at the time, but we push that voice of truth away. What do you do to make your job your own, to 'put your own personal signature' on the work you do? What do you do in your life, your home? Here's a great example of a making it your own - Video - The Simple Truths of Service.* At one of the orientation sessions a student raised his hand - he was clearly going to take me up on what I was saying - and asked what I meant by Success. I told him that was for him to define and of course that's what I was talking about - no one can define Success for anyone else though we often try to apply our ideas to others. I do believe if we bring our full self to our life, (SHOW UP), enthusiastically engage in what we are doing through good and bad (GO FOR IT) and live, act and speak according to what we know is our truest, deepest self we will be successful in whatever we do. No matter what is looks like to anyone else, MAKE IT YOUR OWN. Best Wishes,
Gage
*The Simple Truths of Service Video from Walk The Talk Company - Thanks to John Kaulfus for sharing the video.
Visiting With......Student Affairs Development
Here are a few things we would like you to know about us: Our mission Our mission is to find partners to help fund scholarships, programming, activities and other rewarding benefits for UTSA students, all of which lead to student success.
Who we serve- YOU!!! We are your partner in making your students and programs successful. We want you to think big to help our students become better leaders and citizens.
Our innovations or successes We have raised over $194,000 these past 10½ months benefiting scholarships and special programming. Longest serving staff member: Jana Kennelly, 10 1/2 months Newest staff member: 4 months You may not know that
Our goal for 2007 - 2008 is to raise $500,000 in grants and gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations for Student Affairs. We would like to accomplish this by developing an annual campaign for a “leadership fund”, as well as through friendraising events, an e-newsletter, and the cultivation of alumni who were student leaders. We would also like to create an advisory board comprised of key individuals from the community to help raise funding for UTSA Student Affairs. How you can reach us: Main Building 2nd Floor in a hallway you will never find... so just call us at 458-5119. We will meet you at VPSA on the 4th floor! web site – http://utsa.edu/students/giving.html
Announcements
New UTSA website includes several new access links to Student Affairs web pages. Many thanks to the university's web design team who worked with our staff to ensure that student affairs links were listed and updated.
Mural Design Competition ContinuesThe Inclusion and Community Engagement Center is looking for talented artists who are interested in designing a wall mural for the Center. This mural will be the centerpiece of the main reception area of the Center and is intended to express our mission and vision artistically. The Process Mural entries must be full color and can either be submitted electronically or on paper. If submitted on paper the entry must be no larger than 11x17.
Review of entries will begin on October 1, 2007; the competition will remain open until a winner is selected. Electronic entries must be emailed to marlon.anderson@ utsa.edu. Paper entries must be delivered to the Office of Student Activities (UC 1.02.08) by 5:00pm on September 28, 2007.
Complete entry instructions....
New Staff to Student Affairs
Athletics - Amanda Russell, Accounting Clerk III
From: Samuel M.
Gonzales To: Search Committee Members and Campus Rec Staff I wanted to let you know that Sharon Carey, Director of Campus Recreation at the University of Texas at Arlington, has accepted the position of Director of Campus Recreation at UTSA. She will begin on September 17th, 2007. I want to thank you for all the great work you did in identifying an outstanding pool of candidates. This was a difficult decision and I know we will all join together to welcome Sharon. We have one of the best facilities in the state but most important we have an outstanding staff. We are all looking forward to accomplishing great things!
Monthly Birthday Celebration with Dr. Paine
Please come celebrate your birthday with co-workers and Dr. Paine. The next celebration is scheduled September 13, 2007 for all Student Affairs staff September birthdays. The celebrations will be on the 2nd Thursday of each month from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
"Getting To Know You" A regular feature of the newsletter highlighting Student Affairs staff members
Name: Jana Kennelly
Title Associate Director of Development – Student Affairs
Department Vice President of Student Affairs & Vice President of University Advancement
Job Description
Background My husband and I moved here from Indianapolis, Indiana.
Experience
Describe your job My role is to build and cultivate relationships that will result in funding for the division. I am convinced that I have the best job because I get to work with a great team and division that believe in partnering with the community to help us enhance our programs for the benefit of students.
What job skills to you use most often? Building relationships is the skill I use most often. It is very important for me to provide customer service to internal and external customers. Follow up, timely responses, and holding high expectations are key to our success in Student Affairs Development.
What is the most unusual job related case you have worked on? Have you ever worked with Bob Miller or Bruce Howard? Enough said!
How do you unwind? I love spending time with my family! Plus I enjoy being active, shopping, going to parties, making jewelry and watching movies
What advice would you give to other Student Affairs staff? Think big! Be innovative! We have such an opportunity at UTSA to set the pace for other universities. Let’s build cutting edge programs for the benefit of our students.
Departmental News
"What's New in Student Affairs for the 2007-2008 Academic Year" was presented by faculty and staff at the Student Affairs Directors' Council on August 9, 2007, in the Campus Recreation Studio Blue room. Updates on Roadrunner Days, new happenings in Admissions, Laurel Village, Career Fairs as well as numerous new programs from Campus Recreation were covered.
Below are updates on services, programs, and events. Department Council report minutes will contain more detailed information. Also, information will be featured in future staff newsletters.
Admissions is moving - Admissions will move from JPL to the MS the last week in August; Visitor's Center will stay in the same location.
NCAA® Men’s Final Four® Be a part of the MADNESS in 2008 as San Antonio hosts next year’s NCAA® Men’s Final Four®, April 5 & 7 in the Alamodome! We need 2,000 volunteers to support the many NCAA® events during Final Four® week. RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY Career Services is hosting a Part-Time Job Fair on 1604 Campus is on August 27, 2007 from 10:00am-2:00pm in the first floor of the University Center.
The fair is on the Downtown Campus in on August 28, 2007 from 1:00pm-5:00pm in the Frio Commons Area.
Campus Recreation - (note the new website design) Construction Update - New Campus Rec Center ahead of schedule; opening September 14 and September 15, 2007. See most recent maps, information UTSAToday Article.
University Center - Expansion of UC Construction Update from UTSAToday Article
Kudos
My thanks to every member of the Division of Student Affairs for all you have done, are doing and will be doing to serve our students. You have worked together in ways literally too numerous to list to get the new semester off to a great start! Your work makes a difference in the life of each student you meet, to the work of every other member of the staff and faculty, and to the development of this great community called UTSA.
To the staff of Admissions and the Registrar for the countless hours of processing applications to get our students here and to Student Services staff for serving our students' special needs Again, thank you and Happy New Year!
Gage
From John Kaulfus: To the RoadRunner Days Committee who has been meeting since April. They planned and coordinated every aspect of RoadRunner Days:
Photo Gallery - RoadRunner Days - More to come in next newsletter
Reminder
Please send newsletter items to Vivis.Lemmons@utsa.edu by September 6, 2007.
|