Snapshots Announcements Spotlight UTSA Athletics

January 2013, Issue 1





Message from the Interim Vice President

Sam Gonzales

Welcome back from the holidays and happy new year! Preparations are underway for the return of our students to campus and the start of the semester. This is an opportune time to revisit the mission, vision, core values and strategic initiatives of our division which serve as the framework for the important work we do to promote learning and engage and develop our students.

Across the nation including our university, discussions are taking place which focus on the persistence, retention and graduation of students. Student success is at the forefront and it is the outcome we are all committed to supporting. When our students move closer to obtaining their goals, we know they are succeeding. The challenging part is facilitating that movement, so more students can be successful…so all students can be successful.

Our True Colors® common language continues to provide us with insight into who we are and how we interact with others. This personality spectrum assessment enables us to identify our strengths and look for ways to enhance communication both inside and outside our division. The Four C’s, our excellence in service and programming model, defines the quality standards we expect in the development and delivery of our student-centered services and programs. This year, five division-wide learning goals will help us evaluate and articulate how Student Affairs contributes to student learning. These include: responsibility, engaged citizenship, active leadership, critical thinking, and healthy and balanced living. More information about these goals and learning outcomes, including training opportunities, will be available in the coming months.

Our division makes meaningful contributions to learning that occurs outside the classroom. Let’s continue to be purposeful in our approach to enhance the student experience. We each have a responsibility to make that experience a positive one and a unique opportunity to make that experience a great one.

Best wishes for the coming year,

Sam