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 October 2, 2008 In This Issue:
Message from the Vice President
Announcements/Events
"Visiting With....."
Departmental News
"Getting To Know You....."
Welcome New
Staff to Student Affairs
Thank You Rowdy Travels Across Student Affairs
Kudos
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Staff News
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Message from Gage E. Paine, Vice President for Student Affairs
This past week I had an opportunity to present a session at the 2nd
annual Academic Conference held here at UTSA. My topic was
“Creating Community in a Complex Organization”, and while examples
and discussions were specific to advising the premise applies to all
of us no matter what our job titles are.
I started the session by asking people to pair up and answer the
question, “When have you experienced community in your
university/college?” I suggest you stop here and answer the
question for yourself. Better yet, find someone around you or call
someone and trade stories. Then come back to the newsletter.
***
So what did you learn? Maybe you and your partner had similar
experiences and understood community in the same way or maybe your
examples were radically different. Stories at the session ranged
from a chapel service at Our Lady of the Lake University to what happened on
9-11. One person commented she felt a part of an advising community,
and she was aware of it when she was working on Banner knowing
others were having similar experiences.
Part of the challenge in an idea like creating community is the
reality that we all have different ideas about what community is and
how it is created.
For some it is about everyone being in the same place having the
same experience; perhaps at sporting events or big concerts. For
some it may be about small groups hanging out after class. At one
campus I know some alumni were certain that the perceived lack of
community had been caused by the refusal of freshmen to wear beanies
and participate in a tradition called "Sliming" - essentially
freshman hazing. The idea of the common experience is at the heart
of each of these concepts of community. But today most
universities, particularly universities of our size, are unable to
insure that everyone has a common experience. Even if we tried,
what one definition would we use to create an experience that meets
everyone’s idea of community?
The dictionary definitions are very broad. By one definition – “an
interacting population of various kinds of individuals in a common
location” – UTSA is a community. But in my experience that
definition doesn’t feel like community to most people. For most of
us I think the idea of community is entangled with the idea of
belonging. Do we feel like we are welcome here? Do we feel valued
here? Are we part of something bigger that we value?
So what can we do as individuals to create community in this complex
organization?
As you know, I believe each of us has a role in the leadership of
Student Affairs and UTSA. In the same way the experience of
community comes back to each one of us and the actions we take each
day. Margaret Wheatley talks about the importance of recurring
patterns of behavior. In the physical world they create structures
large and small. In organizations, recurring patterns of behavior
create the organizational culture. So what are the recurring
patterns of behavior you see around you? Do they create a sense of
belonging, feeling valued; in other words do they create community?
If not, what could be done to change that? What recurring patterns
of behavior do you practice? Do they foster community or detract
from it?
At the September meeting of the Student Affairs Council we identified
bureaucracy as one barrier to excellence in programming and
service. And it certainly can be. But as I said, to paraphrase
an old Pogo comic strip quote, “We have met the bureaucracy and it is
us.” In the same way, we both experience community and we are
creators of community in our offices, departments, divisions, etc.
No, we’re not solely responsible for the feeling of community at UTSA, but if you ever catch yourself lamenting the lack of community,
stop and take a look at your behaviors and the patterns around you.
What insights do you draw from that examination?
In my experience at UTSA there are community building patterns of
behavior everywhere you look. Yes, we could use more; yes, we need
to keep reinforcing community; and yes, it will be hard to meet
everyone’s definition of community. But I believe I can speak for
the Division of Student Affairs when I say ‘we have met the
community and it is us’. Let’s see what we can do to keep up the
good work and share the experience with students and our colleagues.
Best wishes,
Gage
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UTSA dining goes to higher level with new choices
The first Taco Cabana on any university campus offers students a
true Tex-Mex experience including favorite selections such as
sizzling fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, breakfast tacos and more.
And, from traditional Chinese favorites to fresh new taste
creations, the chefs at Panda Express will wok up a delicious menu
with something for everyone to enjoy. Also, Taco Cabana and Panda
Express will be in good company with a classic grill and pizza
concept, all located in the UC.
Complete
UTSAToday Article……
University Center Food
Court
presents ribbon cutting ceremony
on September 24
Dr. Gage Paine, Kerry
Kennedy,
the
UTSA Office of Business Auxiliary Services and UTSA food service
provider ARAMARK
representatives
participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony while students lined up
to purchase lunch at various food courts in the new UC Dining hall.
UTSA Campus Dish
Website
Business Procedures
Tips
When working with
templates (such as entertainment contracts, services agreements,
etc.), please enable the Track Changes feature in
Microsoft Word. It is very helpful when working with (and
reviewing) these types of legal documents to be able to know what
changes have been made (no matter how small).
In MS Word 2007, click on the Review tab at the top,
and click on the Track Changes icon.
More Business Procedures Tips
Business Processes Committee
As a result of feedback that the Business Processes Committee
received regarding decentralization and streamlining of
processes, we are preparing for the October 1 change in staff
travel processes.
To prepare:
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Earlier
this summer, Sam, Jackie and Bob met with Business Affairs
staff including Travel, Disbursements and DEFINE to exchange
information in preparation for the changes.
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Jackie and
Bob conducted workshops to provide information to staff in
the division about how the new processes will affect their
work with staff travel.
- 35
Student Affairs staff members participated in the workshops.
- We used
Survey Monkey for evaluation of the workshops. We will be
tabulating the responses this week.
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Information has also been sent to Student Affairs staff via
the Student Affairs Newsletter.
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Jackie and
Bob have also been meeting with staff in the division to
confirm travel document routing after the changeover occurs
on October 1.
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We will be
meeting with Cindy Orth to provide her with the updated
routing information.
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Deby
Bailey and the Travel Management Office have been alerted to
this change, too, so they will know to anticipate changed
routing in Student Affairs.
Student Travel
Upcoming student travel training sessions are as follows:
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Monday, October 6th, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. BV 4.304A
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Thursday, October 16th, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. UC 1.102
(Bexar Room)
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Thursday, October 23rd, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. UC 1.102
(Bexar Room)
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Tuesday, October 28th, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. UC 1.102
(Bexar Room)
These sessions are offered through TX Class (SD 320).
We look forward to seeing you there!
Edna Dominguez (ext. 7818) and Carol Gonzalez (ext. 4040)
"Visiting With....." Student Affairs Education Team
Here are a few things we would like you to know about us:
We
are a truly “colorful” group! We represent a number of areas
within Student Affairs at UTSA.
Our team
(L-R): Edna Dominguez, Office Vice President for Student
Affairs; Michelle Montanio, Student Activities; Desiree Alva,
Admissions; Gage Paine, Vice President for Student Affairs;
Donna Edmondson, Registrar Office; Susanna Driver, Career
Services; Dee Kennedy, Athletics; Eric Cooper, Enrollment
Services. Not present: Keith Pilger, Student Activities and Jan
Mckinney, Student Judicial Affairs
Our Mission:
Members of Student Affairs will gain the tools to establish a
common language in the work environment and will also develop a
sense of self and understanding of peers while having fun!
Who we serve:
Over 420 employees in the Student Affairs Division
Our innovations or successes:
The True Colors workshop is our first endeavor as a team, but we
look forward to more opportunities to work with the Student
Affairs population.
You may not know that:
True Colors is used by Fortune 500 companies, the military, and
other universities including UTSA.
 Training classes began October 1 for Student Affairs staff and will take place in 18
sessions from October through December 2008.
True Colors
is a
communication tool that builds effective relationships across
offices and departments.
Staff attendance is being scheduled through their individual
departments and staff may choose to attend either 1604 or DT
Campus location sessions. Please sign up through department
directors.
The model utilizes the colors of orange,
green, blue and gold to differentiate four basic personality
types. True Colors lively and interactive programs are a way
of discovering one's strengths, and understanding human
behavior.
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Departmental News
 Athletics
Area October 4-18 All Sports Schedule:
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DATE |
TEAM |
OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
TIME |
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Sat, Oct 4 |
MCC |
Texas Lutheran Bulldogs Invitational |
at Seguin, Texas |
9 a.m. |
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Sat, Oct 4 |
WCC |
Texas Lutheran Bulldogs Invitational |
at Seguin, Texas |
9 a.m. |
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Sat, Oct 4 |
VB |
Texas-Pan American |
at Edinburg, Texas |
4 p.m. |
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Fri, Oct 10 -
Sat, Oct 11 |
MT |
UTSA Invitational |
San Antonio, Texas |
All Day |
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Fri, Oct 10 |
WS |
Nicholls * |
San Antonio, Texas |
7 p.m. |
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Sun, Oct 12 |
WS |
Southeastern Louisiana * |
San Antonio, Texas |
1 p.m. |
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Sat, Oct 18 |
VB |
Stephen F. Austin * |
San Antonio, Texas |
2 p.m. |
Complete Schedule
GoUTSAWebsite
Career Services
Career Fair on September 24 at the Convocation Center
From Susan Dollar:
We had 701 students and alumni attend the fair. From Career
Services, we had 22 staff members and 20 student employees that
worked. We also had 19 volunteers, including members from
Voices, the Ambassadors, my career development class, and my
sweet husband (he always runs the golf cart!)
There were approximately 300 employers representing the 120
companies and agencies. Those 120 companies/organizations were
all looking for full-time hires and 41 of them were also hiring
for internships. All majors were in demand - 63 employers
requested COLFA majors, 35 requested COB majors, 7 were seeking
MBA's, 33 requested COE majors, and 21 wanted COS (we do a
separate fair for COEHD in November and the DT majors fair will
be in October).
Representatives from four companies said that they are choosing
UTSA’s Career Services fair over other major universities' fairs
because our students are more well-prepared, the career fairs
are more well-run, and overall, they felt like they had a much
more worthwhile experience with better results at UTSA.
Career Services will
be hosting Professional Etiquette Dinner
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
5:30-7:30
University Center III Ballroom
Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased for $15.00 each.
Go on-line to
www.utsa.edu/careerservices, log in to your Jobbank account
and click on Career Event #2214.
UTSA students, alumni, faculty, and staff may bring a guest.
Business attire required.
For more information, contact Career Services at 210-458-4589.
Child Development Center
From Luretta Filberth:
Do You Know?
The UTSA Child Development Center has earned an Accreditation
by the National Association for the Education of the Young
Child.
Do You know?
That for the past two years the UTSA Child Development Center
has been found deficiency-free during the Annual State Licensing
Inspection by the Texas Department of Family and Protective
Services.
Do You know?
The USTA Child Development Center Is a Rising Star Provider in
the Child Care Delivery System as acknowledged by the City of
San Antonio.
Inclusion and Community
Engagement Center
New TX Class SD 310 Course -
Becoming an Ally
Course Description:
The UTSA Allies Program seeks to empower administrators,
faculty, staff and students to create and maintain a welcoming
and inclusive environment for all gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender and questioning members of our campus community. By
providing support, resources, and educational programs, Allies
will help GLBTQ students find their place and remain a vital
part of the UTSA community. See
(PDF
Flyer)
ICE Chest -
October
Newsletter
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"Getting To Know You.......".jpg)
Name:
Zenia Trevino
Title: Administrative Services Officer III
Department: Admissions
Job Description:
Handle the budget, financial operation, human resources process for
the Office of Admissions and supervise the support staff.
Background:
I
worked at UTSA in various offices since April 1988. I came to
Admissions in September 2001.
Experience:
Most of the jobs I have held were in the accounting/finance field,
from working for a large life insurance company, for the food
service industry, the military, and now higher education.
Describe your job:
I
keep the administrative side of the office of admissions operating
on a daily basis.
How do you unwind?
Reading
What
advice would you give to other Student Affairs staff?
Keep the communication open and work together as a team to get
things done.
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Welcome New Staff to Student
Affairs
Student Activities
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Keri Shiplet-Assistant Director for Greek Life
Keri most recently was at Colorado College where she was the
Coordinator of Campus Activities. There she worked with
Greek Life and Student Government. She has a master’s
degree from Texas A&M University in Educational
Administration. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the
University of New Mexico in Communications. |
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Gary Handy-Program Coordinator for Greek Life
Gary most recently was at Southeast Missouri State University
where he was the Interim Coordinator of Fraternities and
Sororities. He has a master’s degree in Higher Education
Administration from Southeast Missouri State and a
bachelor’s degree in Social Science and Political Science
from Emporia State University in Kansas. He is a former
Vice President of the Student Body at Emporia and he was
also the IFC President.
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Leia Edmondson-Administrative Associate I
Leia most recently was an Administrative Assistant at Allcat.
She has been property manager in Beaumont helping student at
Lamar University. |
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Carol Hogan-Administrative Assistant
Carol may be a new face to Student Activities, but she is not
unfamiliar to our division. She was most recently working
in Health Services.
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Thank You Rowdy 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 Paine
To: Kelsey Bratcher, Student Activities.jpg)
From: Bill Hickey, Athletics
Kelsey,
I am passing Rowdy on to you so Rowdy will have a well-rounded
education. Rowdy has spent several weeks in the athletic department
learning all the ins and outs of the different sports. Some things
may not be beneficial to Rowdy – so I’m passing Rowdy on to you for
helping with the Leadership Conference last week. This was an
excellent event. All the athletes had many positive comments about
the conference.
Rowdy also wants to thank John Montoya, Misty Kelly, Michelle
Montanio, Lindsey Battles, Keri Shiplet, and all the hardworking
Student Activities conference participants.
- Bill
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Bill
surprises Kelsey at a meeting with fellow Student
Activities staff to pass Thank You Rowdy. |
Bill
reads Thank You Rowdy message to Kelsey |
Previous Thank You Rowdy
Recipients
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Kudos
From Joe DeCristoforo:
The following note was attached to a bouquet of roses delivered
to Sally Bench, Director of Registration and Records in the
Registrar’s Office:
Thank you for
your direction, support and encouragement. Certainly UTSA needs
more people like you! You truly are a wonderful, wonderful person,
Mrs. Sally Bench. A MILLION THANK YOUS!!!
- Roxcella
Cantu
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Please submit articles and events to
Vivis.Lemmons@utsa.edu no later
than Monday, October 16 , 2008. |
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