I would like to invite you to consider being a part of this amazing experience by serving as a Cluster Facilitator for The LeaderShape® Institute at UTSA being held May 19-25, 2012 at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas.

To help explain the responsibilities of a Cluster Facilitator, the following information addresses the most commonly heard concerns:

What exactly is LeaderShape®, Inc. and The LeaderShape Institute?
LeaderShape®, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization committed creating a just, caring, thriving world where all lead with integrity and a healthy disregard for the impossible. The LeaderShape Institute is the flagship program of LeaderShape, Inc.

The LeaderShape® Institute, now in its twenty-sixth year, has made a difference in the lives of more than 41,000 young men and women. Each session is comprised of approximately 45-60 participants sponsored by various organizations representing diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. The LeaderShape Institute® challenges participants to lead with integrity while working towards a vision grounded in their deepest values. Participants explore not only what they want to do, but who they want to be. Dynamic, challenging, and exciting, the week is intended to produce a breakthrough in the leadership capacity of participants — benefiting them individually, as well as their respective communities and the organizations they will go on to lead and serve in the future.

What role will I play as a Cluster Facilitator at The LeaderShape® Institute?
As a Cluster Facilitator, you will work closely with a group of 8-12 young men and women during the session. This group is called your "Family Cluster" and as the name implies, this group becomes one of the primary supports for the growth and leadership development of our participants. There are 5 Cluster Facilitators and 2 Lead Facilitators for each session of The LeaderShape® Institute.

You will personally facilitate several segments of the curriculum with your group as well as discuss many of the curriculum components that are presented to the entire assembly of participants (called "The Learning Community.") Your role is one of facilitator and coach, not "expert." The philosophy of The LeaderShape® Institute is that everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner.

For more information...

By Omar Hernandez
Public Affairs Specialist

(Feb. 6, 2012) -- The UTSA Black Student Leadership Council (BSLC) will present UTSA's first play as part of Black History Month. Free and open to the public, the play "Our Reins Reclaimed" will be performed at 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11 in the Arts Building Recital Hall on the UTSA Main Campus.

The play is written and directed by Victoria Garrett, a UTSA senior history and education major. The goals of the performance are to entertain, educate and reinforce the values of self-respect, honor and the importance of a vision in the African American community. The play name suggests the need to restore control of self and destiny.

"I just want to make a difference and answer the call," said Garrett. "When the play is over, I want everyone to put to action the themes of the play. Faith without works is dead; we have full faith that we can conquer the issues identified in the play, so now is the time for work."

Join the VPSA Staff Networking Team for a Tailgating Party on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. It’s the Annual Pink Zone Game dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness. So wear your pink and come out and show your support. · Women’s basketball game vs. McNeese State at 7:00 pm · Festivities start at 5:00 pm to 6:15 pm in front of the Convo · Enjoy free hot dogs and all the trimmings · Win a door prize (including tickets to a Men’s or Women’s Basketball game or Athletic T-shirts) · Purchase a game ticket for only $5 For more info, please contact Lisa Jurgajtis at lisa.jurgajtis@utsa.edu or x6161. Thank you. --Staff Networking Team

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The “Business Processes Town Hall Meeting” will be held on Thursday, February 16th in the Hidalgo Room – UC 2.214 from 3 to 4 pm. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and gain understanding of recent changes. Come join Bob Miller and co-workers from across our division for Q & A, lively discussion and networking. This event is organized by the Staff Networking Team. For more information contact Christine Bachman X 6207.

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The UC’s 25th Anniversary Celebration is underway and promises to provide a festive commemoration of the UC’s history of providing a place of community, fun and gathering here at UTSA. Multiple events will take place throughout the month of February. The full event schedule is located at utsa.edu/uc/uc25.

“We’ve made many of our existing events just a little more special in honor of our anniversary, and have also added some exciting new ones” said Tabitha Byrne, UC assistant director for programs.

One event highlight for the entire University community is the UC Birthday Celebration in the UC Ski Lodge on February 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Birthday Celebration begins with a short program with Dr. Gage E. Paine, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Mr. Kevin S. Price, Associate Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students, honoring individuals who helped establish the UC here at UTSA. After the program, everyone will be able to enjoy 80’s trivia, music by a singer/songwriter, cake, punch and popcorn.

Everyone is also invited to enjoy the comedy stylings of ANT and Billy D. Washington on February 16 at 8:00 p.m. in the UC ballroom.

Other event highlights include:

* A 2-week retrospective photo exhibit in the UC Window Lounge (Going on Now!)
* An interactive mobile game launching the week of 2/16!
* Special facility improvements.

All events are open to the entire university community. The full event schedule is located at utsa.edu/uc/uc25. We also invite UC guests to share their memories of the UC and contribute to the UC 25th Anniversary Fund.

(Dec. 9, 2011) --Effective this academic year, UTSA will combine the separate staff and faculty honors ceremonies into one event, the University Excellence Awards, and will not have a separate Faculty Honors Convocation. The 2012 University Excellence Awards Ceremony will be 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 10, 2012, in the University Center Ballroom (1.104) on the Main Campus.

A new award, the President's Distinguished Diversity Award, has been added to the list of honors. With the implementation of the combined ceremonies, the timeline for acceptance of nominations has been changed. The nomination period will be from Dec. 12, 2011, through Feb. 3, 2012, for the following awards:

* President's Distinguished Diversity Awards
* Richard S. Howe Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Awards
* The Rising Star Award
* The Leadership Award
* The Team Spirit Award
* The Extra Mile Award
* The Order of the Roadrunner Award

For the full article and to download the forms, visit: URL

(Feb. 6, 2012) -- It’s not too late to get a flu shot, and the prices at UTSA Student Health Services are now free for students, $3 for faculty and staff. Flu shots are available 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Friday, on a first-come, first-served basis while the supply lasts.

Student Health Services is in Recreation and Wellness Center Room 1.500 on the Main Campus and in Buena Vista Street Building Room 1.308 on the Downtown Campus.

The clinic accepts UTSACard (with a balance), MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Visa, cash or check. UTSA students and employees must present their UTSACard for identification. MasterCard, Discover and American Express incur a small transaction charge.

For more information, call 210-458-4142 (Main Campus) or 210-458-2930 (Downtown Campus) or visit the UTSA Student Health Services website.

The UTSA Student Leadership Center announces Torrie Jackson as Roadrunner of the Month for December 2011/January 2012. Torrie was nominated by Pesha Mabrie, Complex Coordinator for UTSA Housing and Residence Life.

Torrie is from Houston, Texas where she graduated from Cypress Falls High School. She is currently a junior studying Psychology. After Torrie receives her B.A. she plans to enter into graduate school and work towards her Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology. She would like to open her own private practice with a large focus on disaster survivors and mental health. She also hopes to start a nonprofit agency centered on educating youth furthering their education and becoming more involved with their communities.

As a Resident Assistant for Chaparral Village, Torrie has been an excellent example of leadership at UTSA. During residence assistant training this fall, Torrie stepped up as mentor to many of the rookie resistance assistants. She took time out of her schedule to make sure everyone knew the proper operating procedures for the front desk and on-call processes. According to Pesha Mabrie, “Torrie shows her leadership by her actions, and she has gained the respect from her residents and colleagues. Torrie is very passionate about everything that she is involved in. She makes a point to get to know her residents on a deeper level than many of her colleagues and hosts programs that is focused on their interests”.

When asked what leadership meant to her, Torrie stated, “Being a good leader is not an everyday characteristic that is found in just any individual but it is a characteristic that every individual can work towards. Thus leadership to me is the essence of life. It is the key component that is needed to succeed. I strive to be a better leader each day so that one day someone can be influenced by my leadership to change the world and make difference”.

The Roadrunner of the Month award is sponsored by the Student Leadership Center to recognize outstanding UTSA student leadership contributions.

Nominees must meet these criteria to be considered for the award:

• Must be a full-time UTSA undergraduate or graduate student
• Must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher at the time of nomination
• Must have demonstrated excellence in leadership above and beyond typical expectations
• Nominations should be for actions that positively impact the UTSA community

Submit nominations at the UTSA Student Leadership Center Website www.utsa.edu/slc/.

Annual Student Affairs Conference: New Traditions, New Successes

Dates: March 28 & April 17 (sessions are repeated to provide adequate coverage)

Time: 8-5

Location: UC Denman

This years Keynote speaker, Dr. James Studer, is retired Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs for UT System.

This event is a time that UTSA Student Affairs staff have to attend a professional development conference. The conference is held twice to provide for office coverage to allow staff to attend. Session topics are new each year and encompass a wide variety of professional development topics. We look forward to seeing you there! Registration will take place via email the last week in February.  

Registration Email will go out the last week in February.

A silent auction benefiting the Student Affairs Transformational Fund will be held both sessions. More details forthcoming regarding the silent auction. For questions, please contact Keri.Shiplet@utsa.edu or Erika.Cox@utsa.edu

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Dr. James Studer bio

STEM Fair (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)
Thursday, February 9th
9:00AM-12:00PM
UC Ballroom

All Majors Career Fair
Thursday, February 9th
1:30PM-4:30PM
UC Ballroom

Liberal and Fine Arts Fair (COLFA)
Tuesday, March 27th
9:00AM-12:00PM
UC Ballroom

Educator Career Fair
Thursday, April 5th
8:30AM-11:30AM
Convocation Center

For questions, contact the University Career Center at 210-458-4589.

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By Kelsey Bratcher Associate Director of Student Activities (Jan. 30, 2012) -- Members of the student organization Be A Responsible Roadrunner (BARR) closed the fall semester with an off-campus luncheon. The students talked about the group’s memorable moments for the semester and honored two members for their achievements.

R.J. Rangel was awarded Outstanding Consultant for his contributions to the organization for the fall semester. He is a junior history major from Edinburg, Texas.

The Outstanding Consultant models the qualities of an excellent peer educator including being a role model, an outstanding facilitator of student learning and an effective link connecting BARR with other departments, organizations and community groups.

For the full article, visit: URL

Campus Recreation is seeing record numbers in Intramural Sports registration; the department’s oldest running program has registered 115 basketball teams and 106 soccer teams.

“The turnout for Outdoor Soccer and Basketball registration was tremendous,” said Andrew Chadick, Assistant Director of Intramural Sports. “Both totals eclipsed our registration numbers from last spring and we’re excited that more and more students are participating in Intramural Sports.”

Faculty and Staff can participate in Intramural Sports if they are a member of the Recreation Center. For more information on Intramural Sports, visit www.utsa.edu/recreation/intramurals/

Thirteen Student Affairs Staff and family members along with a group of 17 students from UTSA VOICES packed 216 boxes of food for hungry families at the Staff Networking Team Service Day at the San Antonio Food Bank on Saturday February 4th. Be sure to “like” the Student Affairs Staff Networking Team on Facebook to find out about upcoming events! Thank you to all who participated.

On Thursday, February 2, 2012 The UCPC (University Center Program Council) hosted magician and celebrity personality Justin Willman in the UC Ballroom. Justin Willman is the host of The Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and was a special guest on Disney’s “The Suite Life on Deck”. Over 250 students came out to see Justin’s show of magic, comedy and entertainment. Within minutes of his first feat students were laughing and smiling in their seats. His magic included one unconventional card trick, disappearing act, impossible objects and lots of audience participation. When he made an audience member’s ring disappear from a sealed envelope and reappear on a key chain the audience sat in stunned silence before erupting into applause. After the show he signed autographs and took pictures, rounding out a great evening of entertainment.

Campus Recreation is proud to have Leigh Darilek as the newest member to their team.

Darilek has been teaching group exercise for 15 years and personal training for seven, obtaining certifications in AFAA, ACE, Zumba, YogaFit and Balance Body Pilates. She was the Assistant Director for Group Exercise and Non-Credit Instruction at University of Alabama; holds two bachelor degrees from University of Texas-Austin and a master’s degree from University North Carolina-Greensboro.

A woman of many talents, she excels as a photographer and loves to travel. In 2004, she lived and worked in Prague handling marketing Stillking Films.

“My start here at UTSA has surpassed all my expectations and I’m excited to be part of such a great team of motivated professionals dedicated to student development,” said Darilek.

Darilek’s first big task is to take over preparations for TexFit on February 25, a one-day fitness conference. UTSA Campus Recreation will welcome universities from all over Texas in choreography workshops, educational presentations and professional/student development.

For more information regarding Fitness and Wellness, please visit the Fitness and Wellness website at www.utsa.edu/recreation/fitness/

TACUSPA proudly presented their first webinar: The E.P.I.C. Journey was on Friday, January 27, 1-2 p.m.

This webinar highlighted how the E.P.I.C. Journey Sanctioning Model impacts student success by individualizing each student’s educational meeting or hearing to direct efforts and resources toward their individual needs. The E.P.I.C. Journey is a complete cross-functional initiative adaptable in any format. Whether you work in conduct, student life, housing, student activities, greek life, leadership or student organizations, you can benefit from the strategies infused in the E.P.I.C. Journey. Part of this webinar will focus on ways to utilize these strategies and frameworks including motivational interviewing, community development models, transformational education, creative sanctioning, and campus-wide mentorship in any area of student affairs.

Presenters
Jennifer Fueglein is a Coordinator in Student Conduct and Community Standards at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Human Resources from Webster University in Saint Louis, Missouri. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Prior to her tenure at UTSA, Jennifer’s professional background included serving Housing and Residence Life at UTSA, Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota and Webster University encompassing a unique blend of large public and small private liberal college experience. She currently serves as a member of the E.P.I.C. Core Team focusing on the management and training of practitioners and research study implementation.

Jan Wilson McKinney is an Assistant Director in Student Conduct and Community Standards at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Education from the University of South Carolina. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has worked in the areas of Housing and Residence Life, Student Activities and Multicultural Programs at the University of South Carolina, University of Central Florida and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. She currently serves as a member of the E.P.I.C. Core Team focusing on presentations, training and publications.

Twelve Campus Recreation student and professional staff members attended the NIRSA Region IV Lead On at Oklahoma State January 25-28.

Cesar Lopez, Campus Recreation Marketing Student Coordinator, was on the 2012 Region IV Lead On planning committee. When asked about his experience with Lead- On conferences throughout the years, Lopez said, “discovering and learning, all in a fun atmosphere. That is the way you ‘Lead On’.”

Lead On conferences, throughout the nation, focus on student development and preparing students to become a professional in the recreation field.

On the long journey to Oklahoma, the group took advantage of touring the Baylor Recreation Center and asking questions about their operations and student development. Upon arrival in Stillwater, students had the opportunity to attend sessions on professionalism, resume building and networking. The UTSA attendees also toured the OSU basketball arena, football stadium, sports museum and the National Wrestling Museum.

Jared Jones

To provide another avenue to receive and act on guest feedback, the UC began testing a text-message based customer feedback system on February 1. The service—deployed in all UC restrooms and select meeting rooms—allows UC guests to report satisfaction, problems or concerns from the convenience of any texting-enabled mobile device.

During the two-month trial that ends on March 31, 2012, UC guests can share their bathroom and meeting room feedback via text message:

1. Bathroom Issue Reporting:UC guests can text information about any bathroom-related issue including cleanliness, maintenance problems, or paper supplies. Guests must include the specific bathroom code located on the poster in each bathroom when they text in their feedback
2. Meeting Room Guest Satisfaction: The text response system is also being utilized to gather customer service feedback on the usage of the Bexar, Harris, Magnolia, Mesquite and Pecan rooms. Each room has a poster of instructions and a unique room code. Guests can indicate if they were greeted and rate the cleanliness, set-up and a/v resources in the room.

“We hope this new way of communicating with the UC will be of use to the university community,” said Lowa Mwilambwe, director of the UC. “Every piece of feedback we receive helps us to improve the services we provide.”

Posters with instructions on how to use the text-response system are located in each UC men’s and women’s restroom as well as in the Bexar, Harris, Magnolia, Mesquite and Pecan rooms. The trial of this service ends April 1, 2012. UC staff will then evaluate full implementation of the service.

For the full article, visit: URL

In an overwhelming show of support for the use of Student Affairs name tags, the Student Affairs Council voted to commit to wearing our name tags on a daily basis! Using name tags shows our commitment to provide outstanding service to students and the UTSA community. Name tags are a part of our commitment to create an environment of engagement. Please remember to wear your name tag, so students, visitors to campus and other staff members will know who they can turn to for assistance. We are here to engage with our community!