Staff News

 

July 26, 2007

In This Issue

  • Message from the Vice President for Student Affairs

  • "Visiting With.......

  • "
  • Announcements

  • Welcome New Staff to Student Affairs

  • "Getting To Know You"

  • Departmental News

  • Kudos


 

Message from the Vice President for Student Affairs

This summer I have been attending the beginning of New Student Orientation to welcome our newest students and their families.  In preparing my remarks I decided to share with the students three tips for success as college students.  I suggest they can start acting on these tips right there in orientation.  Then at the New Professional Institute and again last week when the San Antonio Housing Offices held a workshop for new hall directors, I shared these tips again.  I’m beginning to wonder if these aren’t useful tips for most anything.  So here are “Tips for Success.

Tip #1- SHOW UP

I get a few giggles, a smile or two, occasionally a smirk when I start there, but really, as we know, when we’re talking about academic success the key is often class attendance.  It means they aren’t surprised there’s a test that day, and they get to know other students so they can find a study partner or get notes.  I go on to say that they do need to do more than occupy a chair; they need to show up mentally, to listen and to be willing to learn.  But to start off, they have to show up.

For the rest of us, it is equally important. When I teach my leadership classes, I share three expectations for class that are important for leaders and ‘show up’ is the first one.  To be successful as a leader, a staff member, a friend or a family member we do have to show up.  We have to be willing to take time to meet the commitments we have made to our family as much as to our employees or our followers.  From a job perspective we literally can’t do our work without showing up, and in all other ways we need to bring our full selves to the mix.

I’m not one who sees a hard line between my work self and the rest of my life even though I’m very good at leaving work at work – most days. Parenthetically, I find the solution to the work problem often comes more readily the next day if I drop it and let my subconscious do the work.  Similarly, if I can stop worrying over the thing my family did that morning just to make me crazy, by evening it doesn’t seem that big a deal or at least I’m more rational about it.  I believe we ought to bring our full self into whatever we do or we short change ourselves and others.  If I try to be something I’m not in any part of my life, it shows through eventually, so why not be who I am – warts and all?

Yes, we’re more relaxed about how we behave around family and friends, but our ethics don’t change, our values don’t change.  Things that make us smile - that we care about, that create our entire complex personality - these things we should keep with us whatever we’re doing.  And if we can’t, maybe the places we are showing up aren’t right for us.

We talk about the importance of ‘fit’ when we talk about the process of a student selecting a university.  It applies to us as well.  If we can’t bring our full selves – yes a somewhat cleaner and more polished version, but still a true and accurate version of ourselves - to work to a leadership role, to our relationships, then perhaps we should ask ourselves why we keep going there.

I have no doubt that Student Affairs can be a place where we are seen for the full human beings that we are.  When we are able to show up together we can create an environment that is healthy, productive and challenging, and supportive for our students – and for ourselves. 

Showing Up – is one way we can work toward our vision of being a leader in the development of a dynamic and diverse culture that facilitates learning and engages students – and the rest of us as well.  And that feels like success to me.

Next Time:  TIP #2

Best wishes,

 

Gage

 


 
"Visiting With......"
 
Inclusion and Community Engagement Center

 

Our mission:

The Inclusion and Community Engagement Center is committed to fostering a campus culture that promotes active engagement through volunteerism and in which issues relating to culture, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and sexual identity are addressed with sincerity and respect and all members of the campus community feel safe, welcomed and valued.  We seek to empower and develop all members of the UTSA community to celebrate our diversity by providing varied educational opportunities and support services.

(L-R) Marlon Anderson, Ann Margaret  Trujillo and Jennifer Lilly

 

 

 

 

Who we serve:

 

We serve all members of our campus community, but especially the students.

Our innovations and successes:

Our main success at this time is the creation of this new department (center) on campus.  We are on schedule to not only provide programs that are intended to celebrate our diverse campus population, but also to open our new physical space in the latter part of the fall semester.

 

Longest serving staff member:

Our longest serving staff member is Ann Margaret Trujillo (r) who has been working for UTSA nine years.  

 

Newest staff member:

Our newest staff member is Jennifer Lilly (r) who has been at UTSA for two weeks.

 

One thing you may not know about us:

The Center will be located in the University Center in the space now occupied by the Counseling Center.  Renovations will begin in late August and we hope to be relocated by the end of the Fall semester. 

 

How you can reach us:

Our general phone line is 210-458-4770, and we are temporarily using office space in the Office of Student Activities (UC 1.02.08).  Students or staff who are interested in learning more about our programs can email us at engaged@utsa.edu or call us.  Our website is currently under construction and will be live by the beginning of the fall semester.  


 

Announcements

 

Iraq War Hits Home at the UC

Jameelah Hudson, a building supervisor in the UC and a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserves, was called to active duty on July 1, 2007.  Currently, Jamel is in Wisconsin developing his postal handling skills.  In mid-August, he and his unit will return to Fort Bragg in North Carolina to await deployment to Iraq in mid-October.  Prior to join the UC, Jamel worked in Facilities Services and as a teacher in San Antonio.  He is a graduate of Texas State University.  His wife, Becky, his two children, Brianna (9) and Alexandria (4) and all of us in the University Center eagerly await his safe return in 13 to 15 months.

The Office of Housing and Residence Life would like to request your help in assisting the newest Roadrunners with their arrival.  We are looking for volunteers to help the “On-Campus Roadrunners” move into their new home for the Fall 2007 semester.  We are asking you to donate your time and give a hand.  The official move-in date for all four housing complexes (Chaparral Village, Laurel Village, Chisholm Hall, and University Oaks) is August 17th and 18th

We will need volunteers from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on both days.   The volunteers will be asked to help the students and their families move personal items into their rooms.  Pepsi products will be provided for everyone.

If you would like to volunteer, please complete the linked form.  Include the number of volunteers from your area if you are volunteering as a group.  Please fax the completed form to us at 458-6201, or drop it off at the City Center at Chaparral Village near Chisholm Hall.


 New Staff to Student Affairs

 

Athletics

 

Anna Paccione - Administrative Associate

 

 

 

Career Services

  • Robin Waters - Events Manager

  • Rachel Espinoza -  Experiential Learning Coordinator

Campus Recreation

  • Sal Giani, Assistant Director of Marketing

  • Nicole Erdmann, Assistant Director of Aquatics

  • Abbi Lane, Assistant Director of Fitness & Wellness

  • Steve Kudika, Assistant Director of Fitness & Wellness

Housing & Residence Life beginning August 1, 2007

  • Celso Santiago - Building Attendant

  • Theresa Hernandez - Building Attendant

  • Jose Martin - Building Attendant

  • Maria De Hoyos - Building Attendant

 

 

Inclusion and Community Engagement Center

Jennifer Lilly - Assistant Director for Volunteer Services

 

 

 

 

Counseling Services

Dr. Brenda Pence - Psychologist

 

 

 

 

 

Monthly Birthday Celebration with Dr. Paine

 

Please come celebrate your birthday with co-workers and Dr. Paine. The next celebration is scheduled August 9, 2007 for all Student Affairs staff August 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

 

Frederick Hample

 

Executive Director, Downtown Student Affairs Operations

Office of the Registrar and Student Affairs

 

Job Description

Provide administrative and supervisory skills in the management of the student records for the Office of the Registrar and to coordinate Student Affairs Operations at the downtown campus.

 

Responsible for overseeing the daily operation of the Registrar functions at UTSA Downtown and to provide necessary support and coordination in response to student issues, concerns and emergencies for student affairs operations with the Vice Provost of the downtown campus.

 

What advice would you give to other Student Affairs staff?

Organizations that are successful and compete successfully must be agile, nimble, flexible and resilient. As student affairs professionals we need to work collaboratively to develop new and adaptive processes that meet the needs of our students and our universities. In our leadership roles we need to develop a capacity to respond continuously to change. Consider, change as a real organizing force that we will have to use as a way to create new initiatives, goals and mission.

 

Complete Interview

 


 

Departmental News

 

Athletics UTSA Sports Camp for people of all ages

 


Development News

Students in need of additional funding sources for the 2007-2008 school year have another scholarship opportunity, thanks to a $40,000 donation made to UTSA by the South Texas Higher Education Foundation (STHEF).  A nonprofit corporation, STHEF seeks to provide assistance to students with demonstrated financial need.  STHEF has a history of giving to UTSA, awarding a total of $80,500 since 2000, but this gift represents the single biggest donation the foundation has given to UTSA. 

Funds will be awarded to students who completed a General Scholarship Application but were not awarded any scholarships. Myra Elizondo-Martinez (STHEF) presents $40,000 check to Dr. Gage Paine

With over 2,000 scholarship applicants and a limited number of general scholarships, there will not be a problem finding students eager for assistance.

 


 

Rowdy Ties - Family Orientation

Orientation and Transition Services hosts orientation programs for incoming freshmen and their family members. More and more incoming freshmen are choosing to make their orientation an entire family experience and 100+ family members have participated in the first two Rowdy Ties Family Orientation sessions. The Rowdy Ties program will be having a "Thank You" reception at the end of every parent orientation session throughout the summer. Each reception will be held in the University Room from 3:30-4:30pm on August 1st and August 8th.

 


 

Road Runner Roundup - 2007 Schedules and information are now available

PDF Brochures are listed below to print out and post:

 

Fall Downtown Program Schedule

 

Fall 1604 Regular Program Schedule

 

Fall 1604 Cap Program Schedule

 

 


 

Kudos

Submitted by Kristi Meyer, Undergraduate Studies:

A CAP parent sent this email about her daughter who will be attending UTSA this fall.  Alegra Lozano is a CFAC Advisor, Susan Sandoval is the TSI Specialist in Testing Services, and Jennifer Ehlers is Director of Admissions: 

My daughter, [name deleted], attended the 11 a.m. CAP session yesterday with my wife and I. She has been admitted to three other colleges and was undecided about UTSA. After the session, she was all in for UTSA. The excellent presentations of Alegra Lozano, Susan Sandoval and Jennifer Ehlers put Sarah's decision over the top. These three did a great job. Thanks.

 


 

 

Reminder

 

Please send newsletter items to Vivis.Lemmons@utsa.edu by August 6, 2007.