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Message from the Vice President

Dr. Gage Paine

 

One of my favorite workshops to teach is the one on Creative Leadership. In that workshop, and in others, I try to set up experiences to help participants expand their ideas of what creativity is and explore their own creativity. I have found through personal experience and listening to others that for most of us the biggest hindrance to creativity is not bureaucracy, or money or even other people. The biggest obstacle is ourselves.

Sometimes, it is our idea of creativity – I’m not creative because I can’t draw. Who said creativity is only drawing and when do most of us need to be able to draw for work anyway? Or we may think we need approval for our idea when really others are wishing we would try something new. It may be that it feels too risky – what if others don’t like it?

The reality is that creativity is messy and risky and that sometimes what we try really doesn’t work outside of our heads, which is no fun. But usually, we over-estimate the costs and under-estimate the potential rewards. I’m sure all of us have had moments when we had the perfect idea, knew just the right thing to say, or intuited the best action, but failed to step forward. Likewise, I suspect we all know how good it feels when the opposite happens.

A few years ago, while reading the magazine ‘Writer's Digest’, I had the ‘perfect idea’ in response to one of their small contests. The winner had the submission printed in the magazine. I’d had fun, interesting ideas before, but never had the nerve to send anything. This time, I liked my own idea too much to chicken out. So, I wrote it up and submitted it. A few weeks later, I received an envelope with a response. Apparently, the judges didn’t think it was quite as perfect as I did. Oh well. They did think it warranted Honorable Mention and five or six of us were published on their web page – I think it still exists out in cyberspace somewhere.

So what ideas are you squelching? What’s the worst that can happen if you take the idea to your supervisor? He or she may not like the idea and that’s not fun, but now they know that you are interested in being creative and willing to take a reasonable risk and those are good attributes for any staff member to exhibit. And if for whatever reason, it’s hard to be creative in our work right now, we can all find ways to be creative in other aspects of our lives. You might not win first, but Honorable Mention is worth something. Give it a try and see what happens.

Take care,


Gage

PS. If you’re curious, here’s a link to the contest description and my (I still say perfect) submission.

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Announcements/Departmental Events

Conversation Times:

July 28 (Wednesday), 12:00 - 1:30, Hidalgo Room, UC 2.214

August 17 (Tuesday), 12:00 - 1:30, Pecan Room, UC 2.01.26


Remember the Times

Student Activities and Student Judicial Affairs is preparing for our annual Town Hall Meetings with organizations. We are looking to showcase our faculty and staff members who were involved in organizations during their collegiate years to assist in establishing community among our students and staff.

If you have a photo from your college days where you are sporting your organization shirt or uniform and you would like to share with us…we would love to add you to our presentation.

It can be from Club Sports, Greek Life, Newspaper Association, Student Government, Honor Societies, etc!

Please email your photo, along with the following information, to Keri Shiplet by Monday, August 2.

With your picture, please include:
· Your Name
· Office/Department
· What Organization(s) you Participated in During your Collegiate Years
· Why You Were Involved on Campus

If you have questions about the project, please contact Kelsey Bratcher or call 458.4160.

PDF to print and post


Happy 4th of July! EYE SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK!

Approximately 12,000 Americans are treated in Emergency Departments annually for fireworks-related injuries. Of these, approximately 20% are eye injuries. As many as 400 Americans lose vision permanently in one or both eyes each year due to eye injuries caused by fireworks. The United States Eye Injury Registry has targeted bottle rockets as the major source of fireworks-related eye injuries.

Protect your eyes from fireworks injury


Join us for an Eat and Greet at The Cove on July 9th.

PDF to print and post








Student Travel Update

Registration with International SOS is required for faculty, staff and students traveling internationally to an activity or event covered under the student travel policy. International SOS is a 24-hour medical, emergency, and security response organization. A full description of the services offered by International SOS including registration is available through the UT System portal at http://www.internationalsos.com. In the space indicated for log in, enter the UT System membership number – 11BSGC000037 to be connected to the International SOS Assistance Abroad website. See the Student Travel Process document at http://utsa.edu/students/travel/files/process.pdf for additional information or contact Carol Gonzalez, Student Ombudsperson at ext. 4040.


Continued Elevation of Dining Services

(June 17, 2010) -- ARAMARK and Business Auxiliary Services are committed to bringing new options to the UTSA community and understand the need for continuous improvement. ARAMARK launched MarketMATCH, a comprehensive, strategic process designed to develop a blueprint for the future of the UTSA dining program, in the Fall 2009. As a result of this initiative we are pleased to announce changes to dining services at the JPL and HSS.

At the JPL, a new Starbucks is projected to open in the late Fall, as well as an expanded salad bar in time for the Fall semester. In addition, you may see replacement of some of the furniture at the JPL Food Court. The HSS will see the installation of a Provisions on Demand (POD) in time for Fall semester. The POD will offer coffee, sandwiches, salads, sushi, and a variety of grab and go products including snacks and bottled beverages.

Please see our website for additional information at www.utsa.edu/auxiliary.


Staff Networking Team Welcomes New Members

PDF to print and post












 


Four C's

Continuing with the thread of participant feedback on the Excellence in Service and Programming sessions, answers to the question “What part of the program did you find most valuable?” included a lot of permutations like these:

“Group discussion”
“Networking”
“Idea sharing”
“Interacting with staff from other areas”
“Cooperative group learning”
“Hearing others’ ideas”
“Coming together in groups”

Overwhelmingly, people recognized that the program content was well designed and well delivered, and yet that content per se was not what stood out most. Perhaps the session helped people into a certain mindset, but I think it’s actually more of a reflection of our professional culture that the most common highlight had to do with coming together to share, learn and work together. Maybe this sort of appreciation for community and sharing isn’t always what wins out in shaping our day to day work experience. But it is worthwhile to notice and celebrate that the spirit is there, that we come to our jobs with shared appreciation for human capital and that we are aware of how much better we can be when we come together.

http://excellencethefourcs.blogspot.com/



True Colors Logo

Independence Day- An Explosion of our True Colors

What comes to mind when this time of year rolls around?  Backyard BBQ’s?  Sand volleyball at the beach or a softball game at the park?  Resting and relaxing with a good book?  Time with your family?  Whatever it may be, one thing is certain, each of us will celebrate Independence Day in our own way.  To better understand and brighten our Color Spectrum lets think how each of the four True Colors would celebrate Independence Day.

If a Gold were planning an Independence Day celebration they surely would be looking forward to spending time with family and would have made plans months ago.  A spot in the park would already be reserved, invitations already sent out, grill clean and ready to go, lawn chairs and games packed, and food (most importantly the food) bought and in the freezer.  Sound familiar, Gold’s?      

An Orange would be looking forward to all of the fun to be had.  Maybe playing some sand volleyball at the park or having an impromptu cookout with family and friends.  Most likely you’ll find the Oranges at the Hot Dog or Pie eating contests.  Where there is action is where you will find an Orange.

On the other hand the person whose dominant color is Green may not want to be around a lot of action.  They might be just as happy to work on projects around the house (work is play and play is work) or have the desire to relax and read a good book. Then, when finished, find just the right spot to watch the fireworks to take it all in and analyze the complexities and colors of the display. 

Finally a Blue will want to spend this 4th of July holiday with family and friends, most likely planning a party or going to the park.  Either one would be fine just as long as they are enjoying it with each other and everyone is happy.  Blue’s enjoy being needed and liked and are truly uplifted when they are able to contribute to others and make them happy.  Providing food, having fun, and spending the holiday with family and friends brings joy to a Blue.

Lastly, an important point to remember is that everyone has all four of the color styles in their spectrum in differing amounts.  In the above scenarios you may have related to more than one of the Independence Day celebrations.  Many people find several, if not all, of the attributes in a color style apply to them in one way or another.  That’s good!  It shows that we are balanced.  So let’s find ways to allow an explosion of our True Colors not just on Independence Day but everyday to lead a more balanced life.



VPSA@utsa.edu



Photo Galleries

Registrar's Hot Dog Luau - July 1, 2010

Photos











UTSA new student orientation 2010 (6/28/2010) - June 28, 2010

Video








UTSA new student orientation 2010 (6/28/2010) - June 22, 2010

Video








Orientation Lunch Info Fair - June 21, 2010

Photos










Parent Orientation- June 21, 2010

Photos













Athletics

UTSA announces 2010 soccer schedule on Tuesday













UTSA football equipment truck unveiled















UTSA signs Thompson to contract extension

UTSA, Virginia agree to home-and-home series

Steinert breaks school hammer record on Friday

Williams advances to USA Championships semifinals on Thursday



All Sport Schedule - Area Events


No summer schedule available.



Complete Schedule

GoUTSA

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Business Procedures Tips

briefcase


Effective June 1, 2010, the University of Texas San Antonio has published  the Operational Guideline 2.9.2 for Travel Advances. http://utsa.edu/financialaffairs/opguidelines/2.9.2.html.

The purpose of the travel advance is to  minimize the financial hardship for employees or students traveling on official UTSA business.

Travel advances are processed in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) accountable plan rules, Internal Revenue Code sections 62(a)(2) and 62(c).

Travel advances should be minimal and other payment methods should first be pursued such as using the Central Bill Account (CBA) card, or direct billing through other authorized payment processes. The amount of the advance is based on the estimated allowed, out-of-pocket expenses to be incurred by the traveler.

The Travel Advance Request Form, previously known as the Local Funds Travel Voucher, has been revamped and can be found at http://utsa.edu/financialaffairs/Forms/details.cfm?form_number=116. Use this form for travel advance request effective June 1, 2010.

Please note that Travel Advance Request Forms must be received in the Travel Management Office at least ten (10) business days prior to the travel date.  Please allow sufficient time for routing and approvals. Additionally, per state policy, a travel advance cannot be issued once the traveler has departed.

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

What’s up with “Organic” food items?

DEFINITION:
Foods that claim to be organic use materials and practices that do not hurt the environment and should adhere to standards set by the Organic Foods Production Act, which states that the primary goal of organic agriculture is "to optimize the health...of soil life, plants, animals and people."

ANTIBIOTICS & HORMONES:
Unlike mainstream food stuffs, organic foods do not use antibiotics to prevent animals from getting sick, or growth hormones to "beef up" livestock.

PESTICIDES:
Just because a food says it's organic doesn't always mean it's free of pesticide, which are chemicals used to kill off or prevent insects from eating raw fruits and veggies. Organic growers try to use natural and cultural practices as their first line of defense against pests. Some chemical pesticides may be used in organic agriculture on an approved and limited basis.

CONTAMINANTS:
Government tests show that red raspberries, strawberries, apples, and peaches grown in the U.S. and cantaloupe from Mexico are the foods most contaminated with pesticides. The fruits least contaminated with pesticides are watermelon, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, and domestically grown cantaloupe. The least contaminated vegetables include corn, onions and peas.

USDA ORGANIC SEAL:
When shopping for organic grub, look for the seal! The U.S. Department of Agriculture developed strict labeling rules to help consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy. The USDA Organic seal also tells you that a product is at least 95 percent organic.

LABELING:
If the label doesn't read organic, it's not organic. If a product is less than 70 percent organic, the organic ingredients may be listed on the side of the package but cannot say "organic" on the front.

Now that you have read that, let me tell you this…organic farms pay a lot of money to the government to have “organic” placed on their food items, which is one reason these products cost more. However, you can go to the local farmer’s market and get items that are termed “naturally grown” from local farmers. These products are similar to the organic products in the grocery store but these farmers don’t pay the government to come out and inspect their farm in order to use the term “organic”. Buying from local farmers also helps support the local economy, and you will get the food fresher than you would any organic item in the grocery store. We have some good farmer’s markets here in San Antonio, so look some up online and check them out!

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 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 Shirley Pipes

See past Thank You Rowdy Recipients


To:  Shirley Pipes, Office of Student Services
From:  Laura Munroe, Office of Campus Recreation Center

Shirley,
 
Today, I pass on the Thank You Rowdy to you for all that you do for Campus Recreation and Student Services.  
 
Thank you especially for always going above and beyond to assist me every time I am confused about a policy or procedure.  After a slight chuckle, you always have the answer or know who will be able to help me and I appreciate it.  
 
Thanks for always having a positive attitude, you are joy to work with and are appreciated.
 
Thank you,
Laura

Laura surprises Shirley with Rowdy

Shirley receives Rowdy from Laura

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Kudos

To: Ann Margaret Trujillo - Associate Director, Inclusion & Community Engagement Center; Anne Englert - Assistant Director of Student Relations, Alumni Programs; John Montoya - Assistant Director of Student Leadership, Student Activities; Gary Handy - Student Program Advisor, Student Activities; Curtis Odle - Campus Living Villages

From: Kelsey N. Bratcher - Assistant Director of Student Activities


Ann Margaret Trujillo, Anne Englert, John Montoya, Gary Handy and Curtis Odle,

Thank you so much for assisting in gathering students to participate in the Rowdy Wing Fling video.  Without your connections, we would not have had many students for the shoot today.
I hope the students enjoyed their moment of fame!  Look for the Rowdy Wing Fling video in July on a computer, iphone or ipad near you!
Save the Date:  Rowdy Wing Fling…Wednesday, September 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Thank you!
Kelsey


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NOTE:  Please submit all newsletter entries by 5:00 pm, Tuesday, July 13, 2010, to VPSAmedia@utsa.edu