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Staff News
November 1 5, 2007
In This Issue
Message from Gage E. Paine, Vice President for Student Affairs
People who know of my ballroom dance hobby often ask me if I like the TV show “Dancing With the Stars.” I think it’s O.K., but I really prefer “So You Think You Can Dance,” at least after they get a few shows into the season. I prefer it because it’s mainly about “Dancing” and less about "the Stars.” By the time we get to the last ten in “So You Think You Can Dance,” the people left competing have really become incredibly versatile dancers. To make it to the end the dancers have had to push themselves to learn new ways, to leave the comfort of their past successes and to risk looking foolish for trying something different (and in front of millions of people!). Last night I went to the “So You Think You Can Dance 2007 Tour” performance. It was a fun show—though the teeny-bopperesque high-pitched squealing was more than I bargained for though the audience wasn’t really that young. And while I did have to watch videos of the five worst falls (painful) and the five most unusual auditions, mostly it was just good dancers dancing. As many of you know, I find dance can serve as a metaphor for many things. In this case what strikes me is that even though the premise of the show is competition because they compete in ever-changing partnerships, they still have to work together. Because it is true—it does take two to tango. But it takes two who care about the partnership and who can work together to tango well. And so, on stage last night was a group who were strangers a year ago and now are a dance troupe, and who were in competition a year ago but now work together for the success of the whole, and who looked like they were having a wonderful time doing it (and believe me when I say what they are doing is hard work no matter how much fun it is!). And so of course, I come to us—the UTSA Division of Student Affairs. We regularly add new members to our roster and have to learn to blend our styles. Sometimes we can get a little competitive with each other, but from where I sit we do work to the benefit of our partnership. And while some days it’s hard work, we mostly have fun working together to create something that is far better than we could have done by ourselves. So remember it takes two to tango but nearly 400 to do the full Student Affairs performance. Best wishes,
Gage
Announcements
You're Invited to the Student Affairs Holiday Luncheon Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Call for Commencement Staffing As you all know, Fall commencement is just around the corner. This is a time of great celebration for the entire campus community and a chance to acknowledge the students who have dedicated so much to UTSA.
In order to make this joyous event run like clockwork, we need you to sign up to provide staffing at one or more of the five ceremonies on December 13, 14, and 15. The dates/times are listed below. Faculty members and college staff members have already been requested to participate in this staffing. Our success depends on your participation. Please help us make the upcoming commencement ceremonies the best ever.
Please choose one or more of the times below by Friday, November 30 and send an e-mail to john.kaulfus@utsa.edu to schedule your time(s). Your final assignment(s) will be e-mailed to you on Monday, December 10, by 5 p.m. Please keep in mind that appropriate compensatory time should be awarded by supervisors as applicable.
Commencement Staffing Needs
Friday, December 14 – Ceremony #2 (COB II) - 5:00-9:00 p.m. Saturday, December 15 – Ceremony #3 (COEHD) - 7:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, December 15 – Ceremony #4 (COA, COLFA I, & COPP) - 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, December 15 – Ceremony #5 (COLFA II and COS) - 3:30-7:30 p.m.
Inclusion & Community Engagement Center Now Open The Inclusion & Community Engagement Center opened its doors on November 5 in UC 2.01.04. Please drop by and keep an eye out for your invitation to the Grand Opening Celebration on January 14, 2008. To find out more about the Inclusion & Community Engagement Center, visit them online at www.utsa.edu/ice.
November is Diversity Month at UTSA!
A Shared Vision: UTSA 2016
On Monday, November 5, UTSA President Ricardo Romo joined state legislators, community leaders and UTSA community members in a symbolic celebration laying the cornerstone for UTSA's new $82 million engineering building on the 1604 Campus. The ceremony featured the unveiling of the university's strategic plan, "A Shared Vision: UTSA 2016." Created in an 18-month process involving faculty, students, staff, alumni, community leaders and others, the plan will provide a strategic framework for UTSA's growth. Full article from UTSA Today
Open Forum Held on Tuition & Fee Proposal Before finalizing a proposal to establish tuition and fees for the Fall 2008 through Spring 2010 semesters, UTSA held an open forum on November 14 for students to make their voices heard. After input from the forum, the proposal will be finalized and submitted by to the UT System Board of Regents, where it will be considered and approved at the regents' March 2008 meeting.
"For the Tuition and Fees Committee, student input is incredibly important," said Tommy Thompson, president of the UTSA Student Government Association. "At the end of the day, it is the students who are going to have to cover the cost of their education, so their opinions and needs are of the utmost importance to this committee." Full UTSA Today Article
Flu Shots
Student Health Services is open to provide flu vaccine at a cost of $15 for students and $20 for faculty/staff. Cash or checks will be accepted and no appointment is necessary. The hours for each location are as follows:
1604 Monday & Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Wednesday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Downtown Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Human Resources I-9's
The Department of US Citizenship and Immigration Services has released a new version of the I-9 form. The old forms which have an expiration date of 5/31/05 will only be accepted through 12/07/2007. Please be sure to replace any of your old I-9 forms with this new version. For more information, call Marie Cameron, Human Resources Specialist at 458-4257.
New Staff in Student Affairs Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services Katherine Phillips, Financial Aid Officer II
Monthly Birthday Celebration with Dr. Paine
Please come celebrate your birthday with co-workers and Dr. Paine. The next celebration is scheduled for December 13, 2007 for all Student Affairs staff December birthdays. The celebrations will be on the 2nd Thursday of each month from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Location for the celebration will be included in the birthday invitation.
More Student Affairs Halloween Costumes
Departmental News
Men's & Women's Basketball Teams Off to Strong Starts
Women's Basketball dominates weekend, winning first two games of the season Full Paisano Article
Local Athletic Events
Code: VB - Volleyball MBB - Men's Basketball WBB - Women's Basketball
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 and 7 in the Alamodome! We need 2,000 volunteers to support the many NCAA® events during Final Four® week. RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY
Campus Rec
Escorted by Mark Munguia, Associate Director of Campus Rec Programs, Dr. Paine dropped the first puck at Roadrunner Ice Hockey's home opener. The team went on to beat Baylor 6-1 and are currently 3-1 for the season.
More Roadrunner Ice Hockey Photos
Career Services Career Services received a $1,000 award for assisting Vector Marketing Corporation in recruiting the highest number of successful marketing representatives for the spring of 2007 in the Southwest Region. Over 20 UTSA students are employed by Vector as sales representatives for Cutco Cutlery, and UTSA has ranked first in total representatives and overall sales performance for over three consecutive years. The check was presented to Lachelle Dixon, Recruiting Coordinator for UTSA Career Services, by Marcus Robbins, Vector District Manager. Two UTSA student recruiters were also present. The award from Vector will be used to support and further enhance Career Services programs and activities. Financial Aid & Enrollment Services The Turn-Around Times, an inter-office newsletter, highlights the activities of the staff of Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services.
Student Health Services
Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 is World AIDS Day. Click here for the complete press release on World AIDS Day @ UTSA.
Student Life & Student Activities
Homecoming Poster Contest article from UTSA Today
"Getting To Know You....."
Name: Steve Kudika Title: Fitness and Wellness Department: Campus Recreation
Job Description: My direct responsibilities are to hire and train students, and secure vendors for the following areas: Fitness Assessments, Nutrition 101, the Demonstration Kitchen, 1-on-1 nutritional consultations and the Weight/Cardio rooms. My main focus is to provide the UTSA community with outstanding educational programming in the fitness areas. This semester has been especially challenging with our facilities staged openings. However, I have had a great time and learned more than I had ever imagined I would. This is thanks to our wonderful staff, both professional and especially student workers.
Background: I have a B.S. in Sports Medicine and a B.S. in Applied Exercise Sciences from Northern Kentucky University and an M.Ed. in Student Affairs Administration and Counselor Education from Clemson University.
Experience: I’ve worked in Campus Recreation since I was a freshman. I worked in Facilities, Fitness and Intramurals for 5 years. I also worked summers with the Ford Motor Company in their corporate wellness facility. I spent a year between undergrad and graduate school with an internship doing exercise testing in a Coastal Carolina hospital. I then started work on my masters Degree in Student Affairs Administration and Counselor Education. My assistantship was the Fitness and Marketing Graduate Assistant. During this time, I worked in the Dean of Students office, the VPSA office, Judicial Affairs, Housing, and Athletics.
Describe your job: My position is unique in that I have oversight of student, programming, facilities, and equipment. It is always a struggle to have enough time with our students. I feel like my day is spent bouncing here and there putting out figurative fires with equipment and programs in the facility. This takes up the majority of my time. However, it is this time when I get the best student interaction. I love watching them tackle a problem together. I do my best to just mediate and watch them work through different levels of leadership development. I find that this unplanned interaction is more rewarding for both the students and me.
What is the most unusual job related case you have worked on? This is a good one, but hard to explain. When I was at Clemson as a graduate assistant, we had a string of thefts in the rec for over a month. One night, doing fitness class rounds, students were confronting an individual about stealing some of their belongings. The confronted student took off through the building. The group of confronting students gave chase. When I caught up to the group, the confronted student was in a fight with the crowd. Upon my dispersing the crowd and stopping the fight, the confronted student pulled a taser on the group. To make an already long story short, this chase went outside for 2 miles. I stayed with the group to be sure they didn’t injure the confronted, and to make sure the confronted did not do the same. I wound up being tased twice in the midst of breaking up scuffles before the police arrived. The confronted had: three iPods, two phones, clothing, a wallet, $95, a knife, and drugs. Ironically enough, I only wanted to mediate.
What job skills do you use most often? I would like to say that the skill I use most often is active listening with our students. I think it may only be the second most used skill for me in this position. I fell the most used skill is what I jokingly call short term strategic planning. Being able to think on your feet and react decisively is a daily task. Strategic planning lends itself to long term planning rather than short. However, there are just those times I don’t have days and weeks to solve tasks. I have been doing my best with applying this to student development on a daily basis. It has been the best student interaction. I think it is also the most honest plea for student buy-in. Nothing is better than feeling needed, and I need my students!
How do you unwind? I am trying to flip my house. I bought a repo in August and I am tearing out a wall or tilling a bathroom at all times. Sometimes this feels like work and sometimes it feels like fun. I am also living there so I can stop and start jobs as I please.
What advice would you give to other Student Affairs staff? My best advice would be something my Student Affairs Administration instructor alluded to over and over in grad school. This advice is to always engage in self care. The advice is great even though I don’t always do it. I feel like I am always telling myself to do something for me once in awhile.
Thank You Rowdy continues his travels across Student Affairs
Thank You Rowdy has a special mission in Student Affairs - to travel across UTSA recognizing the good work of staff members.
Within the Division of Student Affairs, Thank You Rowdy is presented from one Student Affairs staff member to another in recognition and appreciation of work done well - taking extra assignments to provide support, offering unsolicited assistance or completing tasks in a unique way. Whatever the situation, contributions like this are made every day and Thank You Rowdy helps us recognize them. Thank you Rowdy reflects UTSA's spirit of community and reminds us to remember it takes everyone to make UTSA a great place to work and to learn. Gage E. Paine Kudos
Luretta Filberth, Director of the Child Development Center, receives ‘Thank You Rowdy’ and message from Melissa Hernandez. Melissa presented 'Thank You Rowdy' to Luretta and Sondra Gervasi, Assistant Director of the Child Development Center
November 5, 2007: Luretta & Sondra,
Thank you for your service to our littlest Roadrunners. I appreciate and admire your leadership and motivational skills. I am always impressed how, even in your administrative positions, you know each child by name and can don an apron or get on the floor and play as needed.
-Melissa
Previous 'Thank You Rowdy' Visits
Kudos to Lisa Blazer from John Kaulfus
"Congratulations to Dr. Lisa Blazer for winning the 2007 TACUSPA (Texas Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators) "Dissertation of the Year" Award. Lisa was presented with the award at the recent TACUSPA business luncheon in Dallas on November 5, 2007. Lisa's dissertation, entitled "Describing the Values within the Subcultures at Hillside University", studies the explored values within Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Business affairs using a competing values framework. Lisa's dissertation was nominated by Dr. Gage Paine."
Kudos to Francine Barrera from Anne Speights A prospective student took the time to telephone Registrar's Office employee Fran Barrera's supervisor to leave an appreciative message recognizing Fran as an "outstanding individual" who went "above and beyond" in helping this student with the registration process.
Kudos to Career Services On Tuesday, November 13, 419 students came to the Educator Career Fair at the Convocation Center, setting a record for student participation at an Educator Fair. The students met with employers from 76 school districts, many of whom complimented the UTSA students on being professional and well-prepared. Congratulations to the Career Services team on a job well done and another successful Career Fair!
Kudos to Chris Koval
Our thanks to Chris Koval in Academic Technology for posting the November 14 Tuition & Fees Open Forum announcement on digital signage throughout campus. Chris designed the eye-catching graphic and uploaded the message immediately upon request! Chris is always helpful in getting the word out about our Student Activities events and we are most appreciative.
Kudos to Disability Services Congratulations to Disability Services for the compliments they received in an article published in the November 6 edition of the Paisano titled Disability no barrier for determined student: Nicole Robbins' life on campus. "UTSA is extremely accessible. Almost all the doors are automatic. Disability Services is extremely helpful and will fulfill any reasonable request, and all of the professors I've had have been really accommodating as far as seating and other issues," Nicole said.
Student Affairs Staff News
Current and previous newsletters are located on the Student Affairs website under News and Events, Staff News.
Reminder
Please send newsletter items to Christina Selk by November 26, 2007. Submit items at least four days before an event and include a contact name, e-mail address and phone number. Items may be edited for clarity and format. |
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