Message from the Vice President
"…potential is wrapped in mystery. Like rainbows…potential never reveals itself entirely."*
Max De Pree in Leading without Power: Finding Hope in Serving Community
What is this thing called potential and what does it mean to realize it? De Pree, former CEO of Herman Miller Furniture Company, rightly compares it to rainbows, mysterious and hard to capture. Even as adults, catching a glimpse of a rainbow is magical in some way. I bet most of us have a rainbow or two we hold in our memories – a full arc double rainbow out over the ocean, or a rainbow that arched over the UTSA campus and ended in the Rec Center parking lot – I know because I could see it from the indoor track windows. I never did see where the pot of gold was, but the magic of seeing the end of the rainbow stays with me.
It seems to me that universities in general-and UTSA in particular-can, and should be, what De Pree calls "places of realized potential." As any employer would, we hire people based on our belief in their ability to do a job, their potential to make a positive difference. Even more than that, we admit students based on their potential to succeed academically. We develop programs and services that are designed to help them learn and grow-in other words to help them realize their potential. Encompassing all of that, UTSA is trying to reach its potential as a place of access and a place of excellence as we strive toward being a nationally ranked research university while not losing our mission to serve under- represented students.
As employees we are integral to every part of this work. We are engaged in moving UTSA forward, being creative in our work and open to new ideas as we find ways to be part of UTSA realizing its potential. As employees, we are critical to supporting and challenging students as they work toward realizing their potential. As employees, each of us finds ways to make work meaningful for ourselves and each other; we work towards realizing our potential on a personal level as well as on the job.
"…our society badly needs organizations and people that move relentlessly toward realizing their potential."*
De Pree indicates several ways to determine whether or not an organization is a "place of realized potential." They are listed below. I encourage all of us to look at them and see how our small part of UTSA measures up. Yes, this university is a large place and individually we can't change all of it, but we can influence our small part. As more offices, programs, and departments become places of realized potential, the effect will grow. It will take each of us working "relentlessly" to achieve our own potential, and just as "relentlessly" to support our students and each other. But, as always, I know the work we do is work worth doing and that makes all the difference.
Day-by-day we have the potential to make a positive difference in the lives of people around us. What are you doing to work "relentlessly toward realizing [your] potential," students' potential, and UTSA's?
De Pree's Characteristics of Places of Realized Potential
"A place of realized potential opens itself to change, to contrary opinion, to the mystery of potential, to involvement, to unsettling ideas."
"Places of realized potential offer people the opportunity to learn and grow."
"A place of realized potential offers the gift of challenging work."
"A place of realized potential sheds its obsolete baggage."
"A place of realized potential encourages people to decide what needs to be measured and then helps them do the work."
"A place of realized potential heals people with trust and with caring and with forgetfulness."
"People in places of realized potential know that organizations are social environments."
"Last, a place of realized potential celebrates."
Best wishes,
Gage
* DePree, Max (1997). Leading Without Power: Finding Hope in Serving Community. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers.
Welcome New Staff to Student Affairs
Rudy Mendez, formerly with Loyola Marymount University, will be joining Campus Recreation and Student Affairs as the program coordinator at the downtown campus. His primary responsibilities will include the management of the downtown fitness center, as well as providing recreational, fitness and wellness programs and/or services to the downtown students, faculty and staff. His office will be located on the 1st floor of the Durango building, 1.302B.
Rudy is an alum of UTSA and worked in Campus Recreation while seeking his undergraduate degree in Business Administration. His first day of employment is August 17th.
Announcements/Departmental Events
The Department of Campus Recreation will host the 6th annual "Late Night at The Rec" event on Saturday, August 22nd from 9pm – 1am. This event is a UTSA Tradition that features an evening of fun and excitement for all. Participants will learn about the many programs and services, as they relate to health, recreation and wellness. The state of the art recreation center is home of the tallest collegiate climbing wall in Texas at 54ft. The indoor 1/6 of a mile jogging track provides a comfortable environment for walkers and jogger alike. The weight room and outdoor Aquatics Center offer more opportunities for your involvement.
Come participate in the many activities planned for the evening such as group exercise demos, sand volleyball, table tennis, basketball, racquetball, fitness competitions, club sport demos and more. To highlight the night's activities there will be a limited number of T-Shirts and free food. Special activities have been scheduled for this night such as Laser Tag, an inflatable obstacle course, limbo contest and a spelling bee just to name a few.
The event is open to all UTSA Students, Faculty & Staff. Free T-Shirts, music, food, games and prizes!
2009 Fall Convocation
The 2009 Fall Convocation will be held on Monday, August 24, 10:00-11:30 a.m., in the Convocation Center. The Convocation theme is "Your Journey Begins…" with UTSA San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as the keynote speaker. Faculty and staff who will march in the Processional will meet at 9:30 a.m. in the UC III Ballroom Foyer. Faculty and staff marching in the processional are encouraged to wear academic regalia, but may choose to wear University colors. Those marching in the processional are invited to attend a Faculty and Staff Convocation Breakfast and Processional Formation in the UC III Ballroom 2 on Monday, August 24, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The breakfast is by advanced reservation only. To make a breakfast reservation, call ext. 4770 or e-mail engaged@utsa.edu by Friday, August 21. Information requested is name and college or department. Faculty and staff not marching in the Processional are encouraged to go directly to the Convocation Center Gym for the 10:00 a.m. ceremony.
College orientations and lunch will be held following the Convocation ceremony at various locations at the Main Campus; students from the College of Architecture and the College of Public Policy will be bused to the Downtown Campus for their college orientations and lunch.
The Convocation will be televised over video streaming at http://dlat.utsa.edu/accordent/Static/UTSAxFallxConvocation+Ceremony/.
Celebrate UTSA! Cultural Connections
Cultural Connections: Meet UTSA's most dynamic students, faculty & staff!
The UTSA Inclusion and Community Engagement Center will host the fourth annual Cultural Connections receptions to welcome new and transfer students who are part of the diverse population of UTSA during Roadrunner Days. Open to all UTSA students, faculty, and staff, the receptions will be in the Denman Room at the University Center, Main Campus.
Receptions are scheduled for students who self-identify as members of particular groups. These include students who are African-American and Black, Hispanic, GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning), Asian, and Pacific islanders.
Each reception will include a short program with a welcome, short activity, comments from a faculty and staff members, and a student presentation. Snacks and beverages will be provided, along with displays by student organizations.
To RSVP for the Cultural Connections receptions please visit the Roadrunner Days (www.utsa.edu/roadrunnerdays/) website and complete the registration form.
For more information, call the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center at (210) 458-4770.
Cultural Connections receptions
Monday, August 24
GLBTQ Students
University Center Denman Room (2.01.28), 2-3 p.m.
African American and Black Students
University Center Denman Room (2.01.28), 4-5 p.m.
Tuesday, August 25
Asian and Pacific Islander Students
University Center Denman Room (2.01.28), 1-2 p.m.
Hispanic and Latino/a Students
University Center Denman Room (2.01.28), 3-4 p.m.
PDF to print and post
Fall 2009 Work-Study Job Fair
All UTSA departments looking to hire fall work-studies are invited to participate in the University Career Center's Fall 2009 Work-Study Job Fair taking place on Thursday, August 27 in UCII-2nd Floor from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Registration is FREE and includes one table with two chairs, a department sign and access to the University Career Center's interview rooms. Please log into the Jobbank at https://myinterfase.com/UTSA/employer/ to register. Once you have logged in, click on "Career Events" and select "Fall 2009 Work-Study Job Fair" from the list. If you have any questions about the fair, contact Leslie Bagnoche at 458-4588 or Tiana Terry at 458-4769.
PDF to print and post
It's Coming... Rowdy Wing Fling 2009!
Wednesday, September 2
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Outside Roadrunner Café
www.utsa.edu/sa/barr/wingfling
Leader Summit 2009 - Saturday, September 19
Do you have a great topic that you would like to present to student leaders at UTSA?
Leader Summit is seeking educational session proposals for the 2009 conference to be held on Saturday, September 19th from 8:15 AM until 4:15 PM in the UTSA University Center. The theme of this conference will explore the 4 C's of leadership: Communicating, Connecting, Collaborating and Creating!
PDF with more information
McKinney Published in Programming Magazine
Barry McKinney, Director of Student Activities, was published in the Back-to-School issue of Campus Activities Programming Magazine. The magazine is the official publication for the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA). Barry has spent the past two years on the Central Region Conference Committee as the Block Booking Representative. In his role he facilitated the scheduling for College touring acts to form blocks so that schools would get discounts. His article outlines the Block Booking process for the association. The article can be found here.
We Reflect on a Year of Building the Common Language
As we welcome our students back to begin another year, we reflect on the past year and our incredible accomplishments as worked together to build the common language using True Colors. It was such a grand effort on the part of everyone and we thank you. The Education Team was so appreciative that all employees were able to dedicate time to attending their True Colors session and went above and beyond to develop ways to use it in their specific offices and work teams. From the departmental visits to the color luncheons, everyone in our division has come together to make this initiative work and, for that, we are very grateful. Below is some of the highlights and points of pride from our year together.
From the Session Evaluations across the 14 Introductory Sessions:
When participants were asked to rate their level of improvement in skill or knowledge derived from this program on a scale of 0%-100%, your overall rating was 68.79% IMPROVEMENT!
When participants were asked about the manner of presentation, whether or not it was a good investment of their time, how applicable to their job is the information on a scale of 1-7, 7 being the maximum, your overall ratings ranged from 5.37 to 6.03 out of a 7 part scale!
Thanks for your endorsement!
True Colors Points of Pride
Designed and implemented training for the Student Affairs division with over 450 Student Affairs staff trained through 14 introductory sessions in one year.
Completed introductory classes to 300 + student employees from Campus Recreation, Housing and Residence Life and Campus Living Villages.
Offered True Colors introductory Class in Spanish to approximately 15 employees.
Assisted special populations across campus and the community meet their teambuilding goals (examples: a 200 person middle school Latina Leadership Conference, various student groups and classrooms.)
Presented Communication Styles curriculum at the Student Affairs conferences.
Department consultations provided customized application assistance. Brown bag lunch series were held so staff that share a dominant color could meet informally to connect and collaborate. By popular demand, lunches will continue each semester.
Customized True Colors characteristics list from input from staff across the division.
Many Evaluation methods were utilized. Session evaluations were tracked as well as feedback from department consultation and the color characteristic reframing survey sent to all staff. A final learning outcomes assessment is planned. Staff overwhelmingly mentioned the opportunity to interact in groups and work in teams as their favorite part of true colors sessions. Example phrases received in feedback include:
"I gained more knowledge of the people around me."
"I look forward to more True Colors activities."
"Group work, ability to be creative during training."
"Fun to learn each person's color and being able to interact with them."
Next Steps for the Common Language
Create new curriculum offerings including conflict resolution, advanced communication, supervision and career exploration and opportunities for staff to get involved.
Communicate with our departments with new information about applying the common language to their work environments. Offer two TX Classes in True Colors in the fall that are open to the university community.
Continue to offer sessions and consultations as a way to collaborate across the division as offices deepen their understanding of True Colors.
Continue to connect True Colors to the strategic initiatives of the division and use it as a foundation for our next curriculum.
To schedule a consultation, a session or provide additional feedback send an email to VPSA@utsa.edu. We are seeking input and ideas about how we can better serve you!
The Education Team's New Curriculum
We are proud to introduce our new curriculum: Excellence in Service and Programming
Communicate. Connect. Collaborate. Create. BE UTSA!
-Thanks, Student Affairs Education Team
Jan McKinney, Dee Kennedy, Donna Edmondson, Eric Cooper, Marisol Sheer, Edna Dominguez
Photo Galleries
True Colors in Spanish - July 23, 2009
Athletics Leadership Workshop
Jean Troncale Retirement Celebration
We congratulate Jean Troncale on her retirement after 25 years of exemplary service to UT System campuses. Best wishes. We will miss you greatly,
Your family in Student Affairs
Photos of the event
Alcohol and Other Drug Education Initiative (AODI)
Pictures from the Alcohol and Other Drug Education Initiative Meeting held on August 7, 2009 hosted by Student Activities and Student Judicial Affairs.
Coordinated by: Todd Wollenzier, Assistant Director, Student Judicial Affairs and Kelsey Bratcher, Assistant Director, Student Activities
Please reference the Kudos
Photos
List of participants
Athletics
Rowland, Jewasko earn preseason first-team All-Southland Conference honors
GoUTSA
Business Procedures Tips
Year-end closing and accounting information can be found on: http://utsa.edu/accounting/Accounting/year%20end%20closing.htm.
This information is subject to change, so we recommend you bookmark this website for access to the most current information.
Have a Business Procedures Tip to share? Please send it to Bob Miller.
For previous Business Procedures Tips, please visit the archive.
Wellness Tips
Looking to lower your cholesterol? Here are some foods high in soluble fiber that actually will bind to cholesterol in your digestive tract so that it is not absorbed and can be eliminated from your body. Soluble fiber can also help regulate your blood sugar because it takes longer to digest. Try these options: apples, avocados, barley, beans, carrots, grapefruit, oats, oranges, peas and strawberries.
Heather Stark
Assistant Director, Fitness/Wellness
Campus Recreation
heather.stark@utsa.edu
Thank You Rowdy
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
Thank You Rowdy is presently visiting with
Aida Trujillo
See past Thank You Rowdy Recipients
To: Aida Trujillo - Office of the Registrar
From: Julie Flores & Sandra Smith - Office of Admissions
As we take into consideration the many great staff members within the department of Student Affairs - there is one member who stands out above all others and she is Aida Trujillo. Aida became the Certification Specialist in July 2008. Her knowledge, work ethic and positive approach make her a true asset in Student Affairs. One would think she has held this position much longer than just one year. Residency issues can be complex at times. Aida not only explains policy and regulation in terms easily understood, she is also very patient! She adds a personal touch to her work, and when she tells you she will follow through on an issue - you can be certain she will do just that! She is a multi-tasker - assisting with the ROTC-Detachment 842 with enrollment issues. She works very closely with International Programs. Aida is always aware of up coming events/deadlines and ensures those involved are kept in the loop of things. Thank you Aida for being all that you are to us and for being so good at it! It is a true joy to have you on board.
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Sandra and Julie pass Rowdy to Aida |
He's so cute! |
Kudos
From: Cesar Navarro- Coalition Specialist, San Antonio Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse
RE: Alcohol and Other Drug Education Initiative (AODI)
It was really great meeting you at the "Enhancing our Partnerships" meeting on Friday. I am very excited about our joint efforts to prevent/reduce alcohol and substance abuse in our communities. I am sending you a couple of attachments to inform you about our coalition and membership.
Please feel free to call me for anything you might need. I thank you for being the essential piece in building a safer and healthier community.
Cesar Navarro
To: David Cruz- Office of Student Activities Student Employee
From: Kelsey Bratcher- Assistant Director of Student Activities
RE: Wing Fling
I wanted to share a BiG KUDOS to Dave for his creative work with the Rowdy Wing Fling Website. Dave really took an idea and made it come to life! Thanks Dave for making the Rowdy Wing Fling website cool, informative and easy to navigate!
~Kelsey
www.utsa.edu/sa/barr/wingfling
To: Charlin Jones- Assistant Director of Special Events Center
From: Daniel J. Turner- National President of Mortar Board, Inc.
RE: Thank you
We commend a member of the University of Texas at San Antonio staff, Charlin Jones, for serving as a Mortar Board volunteer advisor for the 2008-2009 academic year.
We certainly feel fortunate to have had Charlin as an advisor of the Mortar Board chapter.
Sincerely,
Daniel J. Turner
Check us out on:
NOTE:
Please submit all newsletter entries by 5:00 pm, Tuesday, September 1, 2009, to
VPSAmedia@utsa.edu