Rep. Ciro Rodriguez conducts roundtable with veterans who are UTSA students, staff

Rep. Ciro Rodiriguez with veterans at UTSA

By Omar Hernandez
Public Affairs Specialist

(Nov. 13, 2009)--In recognition of Veteran's Day, U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez visited the UTSA Main Campus on Nov. 11 to speak with a large group of veterans who also are UTSA students and staff. In a roundtable format, Rodriguez asked for feedback on education benefits and any other military-related issues the vets wanted to discuss.

One issue discussed was the new G.I. Bill, which went into effect Aug. 1 and provides veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with enough aid to attend the most expensive public college in their states.

The veterans offered comments on the state of the Veterans Administration system and made suggestions on what improvements could be made. Rodriguez listened attentively as each member addressed his or her personal experiences with the V.A. With complete military professionalism, the veterans addressed concerns, expressing frustration without anger and communicated optimism while requesting accountability.

"It's important for us to get feedback from students that are also veterans," said Rodriguez. "I'm glad to be able to get the opportunity to listen and promise that I will come back and have another sit-down early next year to continue the communication with the veterans here at UTSA."

Rodriguez, who serves on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, prides himself on his strong devotion to military members and their families. He said it's important for veterans to have the support they need when it comes to education, health care and their families.

"Today is a day about giving thanks to those veterans who have served our country and also recognize those who have lost their lives," said Rodriguez. "I just want to ask everyone who knows a veteran to give them a call and say thanks for your service."

UTSA financial aid officials also attended the meeting and encouraged veterans to apply for federal aid in order to be fully aware of all types of assistance for which they are eligible. With some exceptions in veterans' state education benefits, veterans' federal education benefits are no longer taken into account as part of the need-based aid assessment.

Veterans can apply beginningJan. 1 by visiting the Federal Aid Web site.

For more information, visit the UTSA Financial Aid Web Site.

Events

Wednesday, April 24, 11:30 a.m.

Denim Day

Join the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.

Student Union Window Lounge, Main Campus

Wednesday, April 24, 5:00 p.m.

Simplifying Citations With Zotero

Learn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.

Virtual Event

Friday, May 3, 11:30 a.m.

McNair Scholars' Spring Celebration

This event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.

North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main Campus

Wednesday, May 15, 6:00 p.m.

Doctoral Conferral Ceremony

At this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.

Arts Building Recital Hall, Main Campus

Thursday, May 16, 3:00 p.m.

Roadrunner Walk

Roadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.

Student Union Paseo, Main Campus

Friday, May 17, 10:00 a.m.

Commencement: Ceremony One

Celebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.

Alamodome, 100 Montana St.

Friday, May 17, 4:30 p.m.

Commencement: Ceremony Two

Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.

Alamodome, 100 Montana St.

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The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

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UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

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The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.