Message from the Vice President

Dr. Gage Paine

I often talk about the idea that a healthy organization is one that has leaders in every position. I say, and believe, that all of us can exercise leadership in an organization no matter what our job description. But what exactly does that mean?

I think about two staff members I worked with at another institution who wanted to make the campus climate more comfortable for GLBTQ students. They came to me to talk about the idea of the university president making a speech on this topic. I knew that president was not going to make a speech on that topic on that campus. However, as I reminded them, he had already exercised leadership on this topic by changing policy to allow partner benefits and adding more inclusive language to institutional statements of values. This meant they had an opportunity to exercise leadership in ways appropriate to their jobs – creating programs, inviting speakers, supporting a student organization, and developing an Ally program for faculty and staff. Essentially, they had defined leadership by position and limited their vision of what was possible. They already had the ability and the energy to make a difference, to lead.

But there is an even more day-to-day way to think about exercising leadership. How have you directed your energy today? Each day, actually every moment of each day, we chose whether or not to be leaders in our organizations. Are we seeing each moment as a leadership opportunity, or is our definition of leadership limiting our vision of what is possible?

When you met with a student today, did you take the time to listen to what she said and really understand what she needed and help her find a solution or did you rush through because it was routine and you needed to move on to the interesting stuff?

When you sat in a meeting today, did you spend your time looking at your e-mail or did you engage in the meeting and contribute to the discussion?

When you attended a workshop, did you decide it was a waste of your time or did you understand it as part of the larger mission of the organization and share your expertise so others could benefit?

When you wrote a memo or filled out a form or answered a phone call did you give it your best effort or just get it done?

In each of these situations and others too numerous to list, each of us decides whether or not to be a leader. When we bring our best ability to each task, each interaction, we are exercising leadership because we are creating an organization of excellence, an organization that makes a difference in the lives of the people it serves (and that includes every one of us). The accumulation of every one of my actions defines my leadership or lack of it. The accumulation of every one of your actions defines your leadership or lack of it. The accumulation of all of our actions determines whether or not UTSA is a good place to work and go to school. Each action adds to or subtracts from the whole -- and we don't have to wait on anyone else. It's completely up to us.

I received this in my e-mail Wednesday and it seems to encompass what I'm trying to say, so I'll close by sharing the words of Epictitus.

"Live your best life.
Caretake this moment.
Immerse yourself in its particulars.
Respond to this person, this challenge, this deed.
Quit the evasions.
Stop giving yourself needless trouble.
It is time to really live;
to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now."*

Best wishes,
Gage


*http://TheRipplesProject.org/newsletter.php

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UTSA alumnus makes first million-dollar gift to UTSA Athletics

Marianne McBride Lewis, Director of Public Affairs, 01/19/2010


Officials at The University of Texas at San Antonio announced today local franchise restaurant owners Jim Bodenstedt, a graduate of the UTSA College of Business (1996), and spouse Cathy Bodenstedt, a current UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts undergraduate student, are the first private donors to write a million-dollar check to support the UTSA football program.

In recognition of their gift, UTSA will rename the student athletic learning center, currently housed in the Multidisciplinary Studies Building on the Main Campus ...


For the full article, visit: http://utsa.edu/today/2010/01/milliongift.html



Excellence in Service and Programming:
Communicate, Connect, Collaborate, Create

The Education Team is delighted to announce the debut of the Four C's blog Excellence in Service and Programming – The Four C's. You can access and subscribe to it at the following link: http://excellencethefourcs.blogspot.com/. We have held Four C's workshops attended by approximately half of the Student Affairs staff. Staff comments in evaluations and conversations have requested that we provide more opportunity to continue the dialogue about the 4C's. Generally, staff discuss how best to implement the C's in our daily work and how to overcome barriers to excellence.

We have created the blog in the hope that it will be a place where we can share ideas and present new perspectives. Please take this opportunity to continue the dialogue – communicate, connect and collaborate with each other-- to continue our exploration of living the Four C's to make Student Affairs the model of excellence in service and programming.

Staff comments from Four C's workshop evaluations: "There are a lot of departments and staff within Student Affairs that I need to learn more about-- create opportunity for all of us to collaborate." "How can we push each other to excellence when one has a negative attitude?" "As a young/transforming institution we are on track to becoming a … successful community with all the great people who create our service and programming." "How can we market and promote this initiative in our offices and buildings for students and guests to see?" "Can we achieve excellence in programming or service without caring?" "We can achieve service and programming but may be not excellent in these areas without highlighting the caring piece."

"The Four C's work together and individually at all times." "I learned that other people are facing similar problems (barriers)." "Enjoyed meeting other people and learning what they do in their offices." "Other departments face same issues and concerns as mine although we may perform completely different jobs." "We are also very similar and can use the Four C's to attain a common solution/goal."


Thank you for your time, attention, and willingness to share your ideas.

- The Education Team

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UTSA newsletters logo

Farewells from Student Affairs!

The University Career Center staff will soon have a big void to fill. After 20 years of service to UTSA, Julia Jackson, Administrative Associate, has announced her plans for retirement effective January 31. Julia began her career at UTSA in 1990, first in the Bursar's Office , then moving to Career Planning & Placement in August of that year. She has witnessed the growth of the university as well as many changes in the Career Center over the past years. Although we hate to see her go, we wish her well! We'll miss you, Julia!

Faculty, staff, and administration are invited to come by the Career Center for a going-away breakfast on Friday, January 29, from 7:30-9:00 a.m., to say their goodbyes to Julia.

PDF to print and post

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Announcements/Departmental Events

Announcements

Counseling Services Support Groups - Spring 2010

Includes:

Men's Group
Women's Group
Powerful Public Speaking
EQUALITY UTSA (LGBTQ Support)
YUM (You, Me, Us)
CAP Students Support Group

PDF with more information to print and post


Ask a Counselor!  Ask a Psychiatrist!

Ever wished that you could just ask a few questions and get the answers in an informal setting? This is your chance!

Friday, January 29
Monday, February 15
Wednesday, March 31
Monday, April 12

See this PDF for more information.


Military Night at UTSA Basketball

UTSA will be honoring the men and women of our Armed Services at our Men's Basketball game on Jan. 30, 2010.

      •   Game time is at 7 pm – doors open at 6 pm
      •   Opponent is Southland Conference rival Lamar
      •   Free parking available in Lot 5 right outside the UTSA Convocation Center

PDF with more information to print and post


Drive Now. Talk or Text Later.

Many of you may have seen or heard of Oprah's recent episode about texting and driving. This has sparked the concerns of many and made us step back and realize the dangers of texting while driving, as well as talking on our cell and driving.

FACT:
Texting while driving and talking while driving is just as dangerous as drinking in driving.

Join the Be A Responsible Roadrunner Consultants Sunday, January 31 for a day to pledge to not text and drive or talk on your cell and drive. You can find more about the event on facebook: www.facebook.com/BeRowdyUTSA

PDF to print and post


Roadrunners Late Night

Currently scheduled events until April 24, 2010.

PDF to print and post

Visit the new Roadrunners Late Night website at www.utsa.edu/sa/latenight/

View the video from UTSA Today about the "Ice Ice Baby" event held this past Saturday, January 23, 2010


Volunteer Opportuities Fair - February 3, 2010

The Spring 2010 Volunteer Opportunities Fair is a chance for all UTSA community members to find ways to get involved with community service and volunteerism on and off campus. The event will be:

Main Campus: Wednesday February 3rd, 10:00am – 1:30pm, UC Corridor near bookstore

Over 40 community agencies and student organizations will host information tables at the event. Opportunities working with children, elderly, the environment, homeless, and many other social issues are available! Whether you want to help with a one-time project, or several hours a week, there will be an opportunity for you at the fair. Big Brothers Big Sisters, Camp CAMP, Haven for Hope, Alpha Phi Omega, and UTSA VOICES will be there, just to name a few. Door prizes will be given out throughout the event.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Lilly at Jennifer.Lilly@utsa.edu or 458-4770, or stop by the ICE Center front desk.


Best Dressed Door and Office Competition

The Best Dressed Door and Office Contest is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board to encourage all faculty and staff to decorate their doors or departmental offices as a part of the Homecoming festivities. For Homecoming, we will be playing Sam Houston State Bearkats and our theme is "Rumble in the Jungle".

Judges will be looking for those with the most UTSA Spirit, creativity, and use of the Homecoming theme. Decorating may begin on Monday, February 8th and must be completed by Friday, February 12th. Judging will take place February 15-17.

DT/ITC and 1604/UH winners will be announced at Rowdy Rampage on Friday, February 19th Plaques will be awarded in multiple categories. First place winners will also receive breakfast tacos in their office on a day and time which works for them.

Interested departments/offices need to contact Francisco Lugo at francisco.lugo@utsa.edu by noon on Friday, February 5, 2010, if they intend to enter the competition. Questions may be directed to Francisco Lugo at 210.458.4728.





LUCY BOOTH
The University Career Center is excited to unveil their newest career counseling tool - the Lucy Booth! Pictured are Charlie Brown (aka Brent Thompson, COE career counselor) and Lucy (aka Leslie Bagnoche, Front Desk supervisor), who are ready to provide free career planning assistance to students! The booth will be used at public events and activities on campus.


MOCK INTERVIEW PROGRAM
Practice makes perfect! Students who wish to hone their interview skills can now sign up online through RowdyJobs for a mock interview. Offered twice weekly, the interviews will be conducted by local employers and Career Center staff. Students will be interviewed in groups of five, which lessens the fright factor but still provides individual experience and feedback. These mock interviews will give students one more avenue to perfect and polish their interview skills in order to make great impressions on future employers.


COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING EXPO
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
2:00-5:00 p.m.
BSE Atrium

Open to all engineering majors. Full-time and internship positions available.



Special Lecture February 9, 2010 - ICE Center and African-American Studies Department

The Inclusion and Community Engagement Center in conjunction with the African-American Studies department will host a lecture by Dr. Boyce Watkins as part of the university's observance of Black History Month. Dr. Watkins will speak on campus Tuesday, February 9, 2010, at 6:30pm in the University Center Retama Auditorium.

Dr. Watkins is one of the most highly sought after African-American scholars in the world. Specializing in financial psychology, educational motivation, and black social commentary, Dr. Watkins has presented his message to millions, making regular appearances on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, ABC News, BET, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Black Enterprise Magazine and many more national media outlets.

Seriously committed to social justice, Dr. Watkins has been an outspoken critic of social and racial inequality. His fourth book, "What if George Bush were a Black Man?", has been featured in the national media as one of the most riveting statements in modern social commentary. His commitment to inner-city youth is further shown in his role as National Director of the Step Up and Go to College Program. As a struggling high school student himself, Dr. Watkins formed this program to give students the motivation and tools to succeed at the college level.

Dr. Watkins earned BA and BS degrees with a triple major in Finance, Economics, and Business Management. He was also selected by the Wall Street Journal as the Outstanding Graduating Senior in Finance. He then earned a Masters Degree in Mathematical Statistics and a PhD from the Ohio State University. During his year of graduation, he was the only African-American in the country to earn a PhD in Finance.

Dr. Watkins is redefining the role of the public scholar in American society. Known as "The People's Scholar," Dr. Watkins presents a mix of Financial Theory, social commentary, and down-to-earth socio-political thought that is essentially unprecedented within American Business Schools.

PDF to print and post


Be A Responsible Roadrunner Thirsty Thursday

Be A Responsible Roadrunner held their Welcome Back Thirsty Thursday on January 14 in the UC Window Lounge. Over 350 students were welcomed by the BARR Consultants and enjoyed live music by UTSA student Michelle Peters.

Look for BARR's next Thirsty Thursday, February 11 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on the University Center Paseo. February's event will feature live music by Michelle Peters and Information, Games and Prizes from QEP.

PDF of February's event to print and post


Southland Conference Challenge--donate your aluminum can pull tabs!

UTSA Athletics is participating in a conference-wide challenge to collect the most aluminum can pull-tabs to donate to the Ronald McDonald House. The pull-tabs are high-grade aluminum and are worth a greater amount when recycling. The Ronald McDonald House uses the donation to help fund their services:

Many families travel far from home to get treatment for their seriously ill or injured children. The treatment may last a day, a month, or even longer. It's a long time to be away from home, or to divide a family. Ronald McDonald Houses around the world offer families a way to stay together, in proximity to the treatment hospital, and be comfortable and care for during their stay. The Ronald McDonald House allows families to access specialized medical treatment by providing a place to stay at little or sometimes no cost.

The Southland Conference Challenge pull tab collection pitchers can be found in: Enrollment Services/Registrar Offices, Admissions Office, and Student Activities Office.

The collection date is March 30, 2010.

Thanks for your support!!





Spring 2010 Student Affairs Conference - Save the Date!

Please mark your calendars for the Spring 2010 Student Affairs Conference. The two dates for the conference are March 31 and April 14, 2010 and will be all-day events at the Main Campus. Please choose the date that fits in your schedule as both dates will have identical sessions. Our theme for the 2010 conference is TEAM! We believe last year's conference was a huge success and we look forward to an even better conference this year!

PDF to print and post


UTSA Staff Council Wants to Know...

What does your area do to contribute to the conservation of resources and or funding to make the University more sustainable?

If you have an example of what your area is doing, or what any one individual is doing to contribute to this effort send a brief statement to Gregory Frieden at Gregory.Frieden@utsa.edu or Cié Gee at Ginnifer.Gee@utsa.edu and we will include it in an upcoming issue of The UTSA Staff Council Blast Newsletter.


Students and families: FAFSA Fest workshops are Saturday, Jan. 30

Omar Hernandez, Public Affairs Specialist, 01/26/2010


The UTSA Office of Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services will host annual FAFSA Fest workshops from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Main and Downtown campuses. FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The events are free and open to the public. The workshop locations are:

      *  UTSA Main Campus, Multidisciplinary Studies Building Room 1.03.06
      *  UTSA Downtown Campus, Frio Street Building Room 2.400 ...


For the full article, and a list of FAFSA required documents, visit: http://utsa.edu/today/2010/01/fafsafest.html


True Colors Logo

Experience True Colors during the 2010 spring semester....…

Haven't Yet Attended a Student Affairs True Colors Introductory Session – Keys to Personal Success?

This is your invitation and notification to sign-up for the mandatory True Colors training session for Student Affairs staff. Please check your calendars and sign up via email to bj.gola@utsa.edu for a class on one of the following dates indicated below.

February 9, 2010
1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
UC Bexar Room/UC 1.102
Class limit---30

Deadline for sign-up----02-03-10



OR


April 12, 2010
1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
UC Bexar Room/UC 1.102
Class limit----30

Deadline for sign-up----04-05-10

True Colors® is a simple model of personality identification utilizing the colors of orange, green, blue and gold to differentiate four basic personality types. True Colors becomes an uncomplicated language for every individual to convey complex ideas very simply. All division staff (non-student) participate in a True Colors workshop, take a personality style inventory and explore their own "color" attributes.

The True Colors initiative in Student Affairs strives to establish a divisional common language that promotes engagement and success in a safe and trusting work environment. True Colors assists staff in developing an understanding of themselves, their peers, and the strategic initiatives of the division. True Colors training helps to learn ways to recognize the value for different and complementary personality types in our work environment.

http://www.truecolors.org/whatistruecolors.html

Attendance at the workshop is mandatory. Employees should coordinate their class attendance schedule with their supervisor.

Thank you for your cooperation. Completion of a True Colors Class is required before an employee can sign-up for a Four C's Class. Please contact B.J. Gola @ ext. 7370 or bj.gola@utsa.edu if you have any questions.

SUPERVISORS – Please note:

      1.  If there are any staff in your department that have not attended True Colors, we ask your assistance in scheduling
      them to attend one of these training sessions.

      2.  Since the Housing & Res. Life employees are not on our email distribution list, please share this communication
      with them and assist with their sign-up.



Photo Galleries

Women's Resource Center - National Stalking Awareness Month 2010

The Women's Resource Center has been bringing awareness to STALKING during the month of January. On January 14th and 20th, the WRC peer educators were on campus with the message, Know it, Name it, Stop it, bringing awareness that stalking is a crime. The informational tables offered flyers with facts, figures, and steps to take for potential victims.

On Tuesday, January 26th, the WRC peer educators and staff will present a film, Stalking, Real Fear, Real Crime, and facilitate a panel discussion afterwards. Students will offer a self defense demonstration and give out information. 5pm to 7pm, RWC 1.806 Classroom.

For more information about stalking, see the WRC website

Photos


Athletics

Another school record falls for UTSA women at Texas Tech Invitational

Williams adds another record to resume at Texas Tech Invitational


All Sport Schedule - Area Events

Sat, Jan 30  MT  Prairie View A&M  San Antonio, Texas  2 p.m.
 Sat, Jan 30  MBB  Lamar *  San Antonio, Texas  7 p.m.
 Sun, Jan 31  MT  Laredo Community College  San Antonio, Texas  10 a.m.



Complete Schedule

GoUTSA

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Business Procedures Tips

briefcase Please stay updated with changes to Travel Management policies by visiting the Travel website on www.utsa.edu/travel/ prior to making arrangements for upcoming official travel.


Have a Business Procedures Tip to share? Please send it to Bob Miller.

For previous Business Procedures Tips, please visit the archive.

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Wellness Tips

Fit fitness in little bites. Break up your exercise into smaller segments throughout the day. A ten minute walk in the morning, another after lunch and a third before sitting down for dinner adds up to 30 minutes of activity and extra energy expended - almost without even thinking about it.


Heather Stark
Assistant Director of Fitness & Wellness
Campus Recreation
heather.stark@utsa.edu

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Thank You Rowdy

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 situtation, 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 John Garza

See past Thank You Rowdy Recipients


To:  John Garza, University Center
From:  Don Swinson & Dave Spangler, Office of the Registrar

John,

A "Big Thank You" to you for all that you do in managing Resource 25 Scheduling Application and the Webviewer for UTSA.

Numerous times you have saved the R25 Scheduling System from failing. We are passing along "Thank You Rowdy" to you to show our appreciation for you always being there to get the job done. Your hard work and diligence is invaluable and it is really great to have you as member of the Student Affairs Team.

Thanks Again, John, from Don Swinson and Dave Spangler.

Dave and Don present Rowdy to John.
-Fuzzy photo to be replaced.-

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NOTE:  Please submit all newsletter entries by 5:00 pm, Tuesday, February 9, 2010, to VPSAmedia@utsa.edu