Snapshots Announcements Spotlight UTSA Athletics

April 2013, Issue 4



Rave Reviews

A Special Thank You from the Staff Development Team


The Staff Development Team hosted the 5th Annual Student Affairs Conference on March 26th and April 3rd. We appreciate the support from our VPSA, Sam Gonzales, and all UTSA staff members that volunteered and attended. This year, the conference launched an Education Networking Room and we are pleased to say it was well-received by attendees. A special thanks to Graduate Student Services within the College of Education and Human Development and the Higher Education Administration Student Association for their sponsorship of the Education Networking Room. Amy Arismendez from San Antonio College was also a great help in providing pamphlets for the continuing education information table in the Education Networking Room. If you missed the live twitter feed, visit the Student Affairs Twitter page to review tweets (#utsaSAconf) on the various workshop topics.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s silent auction! We raised a record-breaking $2,258 in support of the UTSA Transformation Fund. The silent auction always adds to the excitement of the conference experience. Thanks to everyone who donated items this year and to those who bid. We appreciate your participation in the conference and look forward to seeing everyone next year. To view photos from the conference, please visit the Student Affairs Facebook page or the Snapshots section of the VPSA newsletter.



Dear Sam,

I had the pleasure of giving a presentation, along with Jennifer Fueglein, at the recently held Student Affairs Conference. The Staff Development team made this conference a true joy. Everything about this conference was nicely done. The call for proposals was well-timed, and allowed for an easy proposal submission. Once our proposal was submitted, we received notification of acceptance in plenty of time to finalize our presentation in the format needed. The team let us know everything we needed to have a highly successful session (room size, location, timing, technology, etc.). On the day(s) of the event, the check-in staff and room volunteers were incredibly nice and helpful getting us checked in and ready for the session. Finally, the thank you gift from the team was extremely generous.

Thank you, for a great overall experience.

Kristi Meyer, Director
The Graduation Initiative



To: Anne Jimenez and Staff Development Team

Finishing up the Survey Monkey survey for the conference reminded me to email you and your team my congratulations on a wonderfully organized and highly informative conference. It was wonderful to see so many attend and I really appreciated the opportunity to network. Thank you so much!

Beverly Brown, Associate Director
Student Disability Services



2013 University Excellence Awards Ceremony
Student Affairs’ Winners


President’s Distinguished Diversity Awards
•  Women’s Professional Advancement and Synergy Academy Team: Marietta (Em) de la Rosa (Housing and Residence Life), Ann Eisenberg, Marcheta Evans, Rhonda Gonzales and Raquel Marquez.
•  Jenna Burns (Student Health Services)

Richard S. Howe Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award
•  Student Health Services Team: Beth Wichman, Lorelei Salazar, Alonzo Guzman, Christina Palafox, Lisa Pecor, Ellen Bridges, Amanda Marin, Amanda Graves, Tanya Quinones and Barbara Reyes.



Congratulations to all of the 2013 University Life Award Winners!

Most Outstanding Freshman: Daisy Paz
Most Outstanding Sophomore:  Chris Stewart
Most Outstanding Junior:  Sarah Gallup
Most Outstanding Senior:  Darnell Thomas
Most Outstanding Graduate Student:  Corey Benson
Jane Findling Award:  Zack Dunn, Brian Smith, Austin Hagee, Hannah Beck, Nathan McDuell,
        Christian Ume-Ezeoke
The Golden Feather Award:  Nate Leonard, Alana Urbano, Diana Cuervo, Eric Soza,
        Justina Williams, Bryan Barahona, Torrie Jackson
Outstanding Membership Development Award:  Anthropology Graduate Student Association
Outstanding Service Program/Project Award:  Sigma Pi
Outstanding Cultural/Religious Awareness Award:  African Students Association
Outstanding New Registered Student Organization Award:  NAACP
Outstanding Registered Student Organization Award:  The Young Democrats at UTSA
Outstanding Support Staff Member Award:  Ruth Coates
John Kaulfus Outstanding Professional Staff Member Award:  Beth Manning
Outstanding Organization Advisor Award:  Herb Ganey
Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award:  
        Joycelyn Moody,Rafael Lopez-Mobilia
Outstanding Academic Advisor Award:   Elizabeth Pate
Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the College of Architecture:  Jamal Cooper
Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Architecture:  Harrison Pierce
Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the College of Business:  Michael Paul Grondel
Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Business:  Tyreo Harrison
Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the College of Education and Human
        Development:  Wendy Carley
Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Education and Human
        Development:  Allegra Montemayor
Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the College of Engineering:  Jessica George
Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Engineering:  Brandy Alger
Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the College of Liberal and Fine
        Arts:  Jennifer Kennedy
Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Liberal and Fine
        Arts:  Gabriella Boschi Scott
Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the College of Public Policy:  Sabrina Macal-Polasek
Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Public Policy:  Jeannie Hahl
Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the College of Sciences:  Monica Petluru
Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Sciences:  Jossina Gonzales
Outstanding Student in the Honors College:  Eli Embleton
Outstanding Student in the University College:  Ana Diaz
Bobbie Walker Best Female Intramural Athlete of the Year:  Kristy Eng
Bobbie Walker Best Male Intramural Athlete of the Year:  Opus “Will” Lee
Best Intramural Official of the Year:  Sijoy Varghese
Male Fitness Fanatic of the Year:  Alfredo Sanchez
Female Fitness Fanatic of the Year:  Meghan Naranjo
Club Sports Leader of the Year:  Carrie Lidsky
Female Outdoor Adventurer of the Year:  Karina Barger
Male Outdoor Adventurer of the Year:  Gerardo Hinojosa
Greek Man of the Year:  Myron Gaines
Greek Woman of the Year:  Torrie Jackson
Most Outstanding Resident Assistant:  Stephanie Killam, Kyle Lemere
Volunteer of the Year:  Oluwaseun Rita Adeyinka
Dr. Patricia Graham Distinguished Service Award:  Dr. Patricia Graham



The Inclusion and Community Engagement (ICE) Center would like to congratulate Corey Benson for receiving the Most Outstanding Graduate Student Award at the University Life Awards Ceremony on April 4, 2013. Corey has been a Graduate Assistant in the ICE Center since the Fall of 2011. In that time, he has worked with Multicultural Programs, the Ally Program, the Roadrunner Connections Mentor Program, First Friday events, Newsletter Coordination, and Social Media “Guru” within the Center. Additionally, he has worked very effectively with many of the student organizations that work closely with the ICE Center, including the Black Student Union and GLBTQ. He has also been an informal mentor and a great resource to many individual students, supporting their self-discovery and development. At the same time he has served as an intern in the Office of Student Activities, working closely with BARR and CAB; and is also interning in the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. Congratulations Corey! The award is very well deserved.



Congratulations to the Newly Elected Officers for the Student Government Association (SGA)!

President
Name: Zack Dunn
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Major: Finance

Vice President
Name: Andie Watson
Year: Junior
Hometown: Stuttgart, Germany
Major: Communication Studies

Secretary
Name: Jerome Scott II
Year: Junior
Hometown: Killeen, Texas
Major: Communications- Public Relations

Treasurer
Name: Boyd Garriott
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: La Vernia, Texas
Major: Economics















I wanted to take a moment to recognize Marc Morales, Assistant Director of Admissions, for his recent contribution to potential students who are foster youth. Marc is the manager of the Main Campus Welcome Center and is probably unaware of the impact his actions had on about five foster youth who were looking at UTSA as their new home in the next year or two.

I received an e-mail from a foster youth caseworker requesting a campus tour on a Saturday. Since our Saturday tours are sometimes limited, I suggested to the caseworker that he contact our Welcome Center. Imagine my surprise when I saw the caseworker walk into the UTSA Ballroom with about five foster youth for the Spring Break presentation and campus tour! The caseworker told me that he called the Welcome Center earlier in the week and spoke to Marc about a campus tour; he described Marc as “incredibly welcoming,” inviting the foster youth to come join our Spring Break events. Moreover, the caseworker had nothing but the highest level of praise for Marc’s professionalism and compassion.

Many staff members do not know how crucial it is for our state foster youth to obtain the premier level of empathy and service at institutions of higher education, being as these students have no family to rely upon for guidance and support in their pursuit of a college degree. In fact, most foster youth enrolled in college struggle to secure stable housing, financial aid, and mentoring programs.

For all this, I’d like to commend Marc on his efforts to help not only foster youth, but ALL students interested in attending UTSA who visit our university during Spring Break! GO Marc!!!

Christopher Goldsberry
Assistant Director of Student Enrollment Services



Congratulations to Jan McKinney in Student Conduct and Community Standards and the VPSA Office. She was named to the inaugural Editorial Board for Student Affairs On Campus – a new journal presented by the Texas Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA). She serves on a seven member board representing colleges and universities all over the state of Texas.

From the TACUSPA Newsletter: TACUSPA is excited to announce that plans are underway to launch a new online scholar-practitioner journal directly aimed at meeting the needs of TACUSPA members. The journal –Student Affairs On Campus – will publish mostly solicited (along with some peer-reviewed) works that are relevant to higher education and student affairs professionals, faculty, and graduate students. These works will specifically pertain to the administrative practice of student affairs, as well as college student learning, development, retention, achievement and engagement.

To find out more, please go to: www.studentaffairsoncampus.com.



To: Corina Aldape, Jessica Avalos-Alvarez, Andrew Chadick, Adriana Dormann, Nikki Lee, Barry McKinney, and John Montoya

Thank you for serving as judges during the 2013 Greek Week! Your time and support was greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Fraternity & Sorority Community



Roadrunner of the Month - Robert Bennett

The UTSA Student Leadership Center announces Robert Bennett as Roadrunner of the Month for March 2013. Robert was nominated by Cassandra Delgado, Program Coordinator for Orientation and Transition Programs.

Robert is from Baytown, Texas where he graduated from Robert E. Lee High School. He is currently a sophomore studying Marketing. With his degree, Robert would love to become successful in business. He would like to grow more as a leader and help others find the leader in themselves.

As a Team Leader in the Office of Orientation and Family Programs, Robert has been an excellent example of leadership at UTSA. This spring semester he assisted with leading 12 orientation leaders in training at UTSA while working with his rigorous school schedule and a part time job outside of school. According to Cassandra Delgado, “Everyone I asked regarding Robert’s performance as their team leader only had positive things to say. They all stated they felt like their team was a ‘family’, and being on Robert’s team was one of their favorite things about joining Orientation and Family Programs”. Additionally Robert has taken a leadership role within his orientation team, by challenging and encouraging his fellow orientation leaders. He sees his role as team leader as a way to take his orientation team to the next level.

When asked what leadership meant to him, Robert stated, "Leadership is the act of empowering those around you to achieve their life goals. It is the ability to inspire people and give them motivation to surpass their own limits to reach milestones they once thought they couldn’t reach."

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.



Events Management Educates at ACCED-I



Events Managers Andrea Brown and Adriana Dormann and Assistant Director for Events Management & Conference Services (EMCS) Nikki Lee presented the extended education session “Here Comes the Bride…Now What?” on UTSA’s wedding program at the Association of Collegiate Conference and Event Directors-International (ACCED-I) annual conference held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 17-20, 2013.

For the full article, visit ucnewsblog.



UTSA is on 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll



The University of Texas at San Antonio was named in the 2013 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, one of the highest honors a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. Among 690 institutions this year, it is the fourth year for UTSA to be listed.

In the award application, UTSA highlighted programs including Alternative Spring Break (coordinated by the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center), the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance 7 in Seven Project, and the Inspire U Mentoring Project (coordinated by the Office of P-20 Initiatives).

For the full article, visit UTSA Today.



Horace Moody Award: Recognizing Exceptional Mentors



Campus Recreation is proud to announce that Tony Daniels, Associate Director, received the Region IV Horace Moody Outstanding Student Development Award at the 2013 National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Annual Conference & Recreational Sports Exposition.

The Horace Moody Awards are given to one NIRSA professional member from each of the six NIRSA regions to recognize their contributions to student development.

Presented each year during the annual conference, the award was presented to Tony because he has made a lasting difference in mentoring students and guiding students in their professional development.



2013 NASPA Annual Conference

Kevin Price, Adriana Alicea-Rodriguez and Jan McKinney from Student Life and Student Conduct and Community Standards presented Purposeful Conduct: Incorporating Assessment to Your Practice at the 2013 NASPA Annual Conference. The session discussed assessment and research approaches implemented as part of the nationally award winning E.P.I.C. Journey Sanctioning Model for student conduct practice founded at UTSA.



Adriana Alicea-Rodriguez, Student Conduct and Community Standards (SCCS), served as Chair of the NASPA Undergraduate Pre-Conference during the NASPA 2013 Annual Conference. During the two-day pre-conference event, over 150 NASPA undergraduate fellows (NUFP) and undergraduates learned more about student affairs as a possible career choice, met in reflection groups led by student affairs professionals from across the country, and heard from former NASPA presidents and talented keynote speakers. Jan McKinney (SCCS), Barry McKinney (Student Activities) and Elisa Perkins (Enrollment Services) served on the pre-conference committee.



UTSA Announces Winners of Wells Fargo Community Leadership Award


The UTSA Inclusion and Community Engagement Center announces the winners of the Wells Fargo Community Leadership Award for spring 2013: Krystal Nicholson, Sabrina Macal-Polasek, and Tanita Wiley and a group from theLeadership Challenge class including Eli Embleton, Tim Johnson, Christina Phamvu, Amanda Haugen and Alyssa Molina.

For the full article, visit UTSA Today.



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