• Amitha Velagaleti, Student Financial Aid and
  Enrollment Services
• George Talamantez, University Center
• Orlando Cantu, University Center
• Khanh Nguyen, Student Financial Aid and
  Enrollment Services

 Welcome to UTSA! We are glad you are here!

Student Conduct and Community Standards (SCCS) is pleased to introduce and welcome three outstanding graduate interns to the department and Division of Student Affairs. They are all completing coursework toward a master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at UTSA and plan to graduate in May 2013. They have joined together for multicultural leadership/diversity presentations at UTSA's Leadership NOW! and Baylor University's Multicultural Leadership Summit in February and March respectively.

    • Courtney R'Shad Allen
    • Corey James Benson
    • Rob Loveday

We hope you will introduce yourself to each of our graduate interns and wish them well as they complete this semester and continue their educational and occupational pursuits.

Click here for bios on the interns

At the January Student Affairs Council meeting, the Office of External Relations conducted a presentation about the 83rd legislative session. As follow-up to that presentation, Texas Legislature Online is a mechanism that allows you to check on the status of a bill or follow it through the legislative process, you can also find out about public hearings by viewing the schedule for both the house and senate committees, watch live video broadcasts or find out who represents you in the legislature. For more information, go to http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/.

By Tim Brownlee
Associate Director of Internal Communications

The nomination deadline for the 2013 University Excellence Awards has been extended to Friday, Feb. 15.


For the full article, visit UTSA Today.

Please share your experiences with the Campus Technology Store via our online survey. Two faculty staff members and two students who complete the survey will be randomly selected to win two Santikos movie tickets.

Visit the UC News Blog to see the full story and access the survey.

The "Business Processes Town Hall Meeting" will be held on Thursday, February 21st in the Hidalgo Room – UC 2.214 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and gain understanding of recent 'business processes' changes.

Come join Bob Miller, Associate Director of Budgets and Financial Services, and co-workers from across our division for Q & A, lively discussion and networking. For more information, please contact Christine Bachman, ext. 6207.

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By Christi Fish
Associate Director of Media Relations

Tickets are now on sale for The University of Texas at San Antonio's 13th annual "Great Conversation!," a signature fundraising event that brings together prominent community leaders, scholars and UTSA supporters for engaging dinner conversations on a diverse array of stimulating topics. The evening fundraiser benefits UTSA Honors College student scholarships, research stipends, and leadership and global learning opportunities.

"Great Conversation!" will be 6-9 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the Institute of Texan Cultures, 801 E. César Chávez Blvd., San Antonio, Texas, 78205-3296.


For the full article, visit UTSA Today.

Although the annual Student Affairs Conference is a month away, donations are now being accepted to include in the Silent Auction. Last year, the Silent Auction raised over $1700, all directly benefitting the Transformation Fund used to expand educational opportunities for staff and students.

Examples of items that have been donated in the past include handcrafted items, sporting event tickets, spa packages, and artwork. Donations should be sent to the Student Affairs Development Office (MB 2.474). To arrange local pick-up, please call Michelle Vryn, Development Assistant, at 458-5119 or email michelle.vryn@utsa.edu.

Donated items should be received by March 8, 2013.

UTSA Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services would like to remind students to submit the 2013-2014 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. UTSA's priority financial aid deadline is March 15, 2013.

Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services will host Student Aid Saturday and FAFSA Fridays, free events for UTSA students who want assistance with FAFSA completion or using the FAFSA's IRS data retrieval tool.

Please encourage students to RSVP on the financial aid website and post the attached flyer in your departments. If you would like more information please contact Lara Crouch, Financial Aid Outreach Specialist, at Lara.Crouch@utsa.edu or 210-458-2803.

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The UTSA Alumni Association is gearing up for the 2013 Diploma Dash. Last year, 2,468 individuals participate in the race. Come out in support of Diploma Dash as a runner, walker, fan or volunteer. The UTSA Diploma Dash is the 5K City Championship and largest chip-timed race in San Antonio. Proceeds from the race help sponsor UTSA scholars with a $2,000 annual scholarship, and each year we award approximately $150,000.

Each participant receives a t-shirt and can compete for medals. The race is $10 for all students, children, and military, $35 for adults, and $25 for Alumni Association members. Everyone will receive a goodie bag and t-shirt if they register before February 15th. This event is rain or shine - no refunds.

Register today at www.utsa.edu/dash

Saturday, March 2, 2013
UTSA Main Campus, Bauerle Road Parking Lot 3
7:00 am Race day registration, packet pickup,
        and warm up
8:00 am The Race Begins!

UTSA Campus Recreation will host the 10th Annual Building Celebration from 9am to 3pm on February 22nd at the Campus Recreation Center. UTSA students, faculty, staff and Alumni Association members are invited to celebrate ten years of facility programming. Guests will have the opportunity to learn about various programs and services available at Campus Recreation through a variety of activities.

The schedule of activities is as follows:
09:00 AM     Hip Hop Class  (Rec Court)
11:00 AM     Information Table and refreshments
12:00 PM     "Build Your Own Trail Mix"
                    (Demonstration Kitchen)
12:00 PM     Zumba Demo  (Rec Court)
02:00 PM     Volleyball Challenge  (Rowdy Court)
02:30 PM     Basketball "Knock Out"  (Rec Court)
03:00 PM     Safe Cycling Demo
                    (South Entrance Lobby Area)

Are you ready to sharpen your personal leadership skills in preparation for an epic outdoor adventure? Come be a part of our annual Trip Leader Training Classroom Series beginning the week of March 4th. We know you work with excellent leaders everyday, please refer them to this training to further their development. The six-week series combines lectures, readings, discussions and presentations from the participants and covers an array of topics and skills:

    • theoretical foundations of outdoor
      experiential education
    • leadership and interpersonal skills
    • backcountry travel and logistics
    • effective teaching strategies
    • risk management

Participants may opt to attend the classroom series only or also apply for the 11-day TLT Expedition, May 11-21.

RSVP to Eliot Howard, Assistant Director for Outdoor Pursuits, 458-6565 or eliot.howard@utsa.edu no later than Monday, February 25th. Include 1st, 2nd & 3rd choice weeknights and times to meet. (These details will be based upon input from the class cohort.)

March 4, 2013
6:00pm - 8:00pm
University Bowl
$17.00 per bowler (includes 2 games and rental shoes)

Registration Deadline: February 27, 2013.

Donate anytime to our Staff Council Scholarship Fund by visiting https://giving.utsa.edu/

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RSVP for the FREE Rowdy Cents and/or FAFSA assistance workshops this Spring, hosted by Student Financial Aid & Enrollment Services.

Spending Plan Workshop: Balance income vs. expenses & discover deals & steals for UTSA students.
    • Monday, March 4th, from 2 PM – 3 PM at BV 4.301B (downtown)
    • Tuesday, April 23rd, from 12 PM – 3 PM at UC Pecan (2.01.26)

Managing Credit Workshop: Discuss why credit is important, learn how to obtain a free credit report, and find out what determines your credit score.
    • Monday, March 25th, 3 PM—4 PM at UC Hidalgo (2.214)
    • Thursday, April 11th, 12 PM—1 PM at UC Pecan (2.01.26)

For more information, please contact Financial Aid Outreach Specialist, Lara Crouch, at 210-458-2803 or Lara.Crouch@utsa.edu.

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Professional Etiquette Dinner
Thursday, March 21st

C.O.L.F.A. Career Expo
Thursday, March 28th
2:00 – 4:00pm
UC Ballroom

Educator Career Fair
Tuesday, April 2nd
8:30 – 11:30am
UC Ballroom

Visit HireRoadrunners.com for more information.

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Dates: March 26 & April 3
Time: 8 am - 5 pm
Place: UC Denman

The annual UTSA Student Affairs Conference is back with even more exciting sessions of professional development topics. Registration will take place via email the last week of February. We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information, please contact steve.kudika@utsa.edu.

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Save the date! On Wednesday, April 17, 2013 during the Week of the Young Child, the Child Development Center is planning a huge celebration for the UTSA community. There will be more details available in March, but we wanted you all to reserve the date and come by the Child Development Center to help us celebrate the center’s 10th anniversary of providing excellence in early care and education to the children of UTSA students, staff, and faculty.

The center opened during the fall of 2003 and has served many of your children during that time. We welcome you to bring them for a visit during Week of the Young Child, April 15 – 19, 2013. If you need to contact the center, please call 458-6364. We look forward to seeing you.

By Jana Schwartz
Program Coordinator, Student Leadership Center

The UTSA Student Leadership Center sponsored 28 UTSA students at the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference Jan. 17-20 at Texas A&M University in College Station. Included in the group were four SBSLC alumni, who were accepted in the SBSLC Advanced Leadership Institute.

This year's participants included Nicci Campbell, Porcsha Presley, Willyam "BJ" Winston and Malcolm Ramey. With more than 550 attending, the theme of the 25th annual conference was "Embrace the Unknown."


For the full article, visit UTSA Today.

The Student Leadership Center would like to encourage you to nominate exceptional UTSA students for Roadrunner of the Month. Every month a student who exhibits outstanding leadership qualities and contributions will be featured in an article that will be published in UTSA Today and the Vice President of Student Affairs Newsletter, which will highlight the student's achievements. In addition, the winner will receive a certificate and have their name added to the plaque under the Roadrunner of the Month display on the UTSA Legacy of Leadership wall in the University Center, outside of the UC ballroom.

In order to be considered for Roadrunner of the Month, students must meet the following criteria:
      • 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

Students may be nominated by a member of the faculty, staff, or any other student attending UTSA.

Please note that nomination forms are due by the last Monday of each month at 4:00 p.m. (Next deadline February 25, 2013) The student will be notified and presented the award on the first Monday of the following month. Submit your nomination through the Student Leadership Center website at http://utsa.edu/slc/rr-of-month.html

**NOTE: Nominations received after the deadline will be considered during the judging process for the following month.**

If you have any questions regarding Roadrunner of the Month or the Student Leadership Center, please call 210-458-7967.

By Jana Schwartz
Program Coordinator, Student Leadership Center

The UTSA Student Leadership Center and the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center took 39 students across four states to participate in The Progression: An Exploration of Civil Rights. The bus tour allowed UTSA students to become immersed in the history of the civil rights movement.

The Progression tour was Jan. 8-12 with the Martin Luther King March on Jan. 21. The trip took students from San Antonio to New Orleans to Birmingham and on to Memphis.


For the full article, visit UTSA Today.

On Thursday, February 7, the Black Student Union (BSU) and the GLBTQ student organizations collaborated to bring awareness to campus about the impact of HIV and AIDS in the Black/African American community.

Part of the event involved BSU and GLBTQ providing information and other awareness items for students at UTSA. The event also involved bringing the San Antonio AIDS Foundation (SAAF) with their mobile test van to provide free HIV testing to students.

The mobile test was a HUGE success! In the 3 hours that the test van was on campus, the SAAF tested 73 students. Of those tested, 95% percent identified as Black/African-American and 20.5% identified as GLBTQ – this number does not include students who tested anonymously and did not disclose sexual orientation. A representative from SAAF expressed that this was one of the most successful testing drives in their history.

When asked why this is an important event, Charnelle Thompson, BSU President said, “Our purpose is to contribute to the success of all students of African descent. This includes providing the necessary resources and tools to the students at the UTSA campus through avocation, mobilization, and collaboration. It is important because it affects us all as a community. HIV/AIDS has impacted the African American community dramatically.” Thompson also said it is important to get tested because, “Your health is essential to your soul. Getting tested brings awareness to knowing that HIV/AIDS isn’t a death penalty. It is important to know your status.”

Further emphasizing the importance of the event, Sarah Price, GLBTQ President, said, “Showing students how easy and non-invasive it is to get tested, as well as seeing how many people are willing to participate, helps remove the fear and anxiety over getting checked… If events like this can lower the number of people who don't know they have it, we may then hope to see the number of people who have HIV fall, as well.”

Also instrumental is planning the event was Nicholass Anderson, GLBTQ-QT Committee Chair. Anderson said of the event, “NBHAAD was a smashing success; we had a lot of student participation, not only in getting tested, but eagerness to receive information about HIV/AIDS… A large amount of people were tested, and we had a visible presence on campus. Thanks to the ICE Center, GLBTQ, and the BSU!”

      • Newsletter is distributed the 2nd Wednesday
        of every month
      • Newsletter submissions are due by 5pm on
        the Monday before the newsletter is distributed
      • Thank You Rowdy message for new recipient and
        photo are due by 5 pm on the Monday before
        the newsletter is distributed

Please email VPSAmedia@utsa.edu with your articles and photographs, or if you have questions.