April 5, 2007
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In This Issue
Message from the Vice President for Student
Affairs
I spent the last few days in the company of over 9,000 of my best friends - of course I don't know most of their names. The combined conference of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) is held every 10 years and is insanely big, but it is a wonderful gathering of a community - people who care about students and their experiences representing thousands of campuses from all across the country and beyond. We came to the conference from different kinds of campuses, we have different titles and often very different opinions on what to do and how to get it done, but in session after session we met colleagues who care about the same thing we do.
Likewise, across the UTSA campus we work in different offices and we perform different tasks but we all have the same over-arching purpose, and we all care, I hope, about the same things - the success of every UTSA student and of each other.
Robert Fulgham of "Everything I Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten" fame also wrote a book on the importance of ritual in our lives. Titled From Beginning To End, The Rituals of Our Lives, in his section on "Reunion", he addressed the importance of professional associations in our lives. Here are some of his thoughts on conventions:
"To spend time in the company of others who have our concerns, values, interests, beliefs, or occupation is to get confirmation of who we are - to feel connected to a larger image of ourselves."
"On the surface of it we come together to accomplish work, to share ideas, to make plans....every gathering has business to do...We go to get new ideas, new energy, confirmation of who we are and what we do. This is recreation. A serious word re-creation - a re-newal of self."
"The rite of self-affirmation by association - being with people like us."
"The ritual of relevance - of belonging to a community of significance."
Whether you travel to professional conferences or not most of us have such places where we are among friends even if we don't know every friend's name. Currently, the Student Affairs directors are sharing their thoughts and ideas about the issues and ideas that are important in our work together in this professional association called the UTSA Division of Student Affairs. At our next Directors' Council meeting we'll come together to accomplish work, to share new ideas...to get new ideas, new energy, confirmation of who we are and what we do. We'll call it drafting a new version of the Student Affairs Vision, Mission and Core Values, but it's the same experience.
Logistical realities mean the directors and AVP's will take the lead in this process, but everyone is invited into this work. Please be sure to ask what's happening and to share your ideas and thoughts. The end result will guide our work in the months and years to come, it will be part of our ritual, help define our community of significance and tell the world who we are and what we are about. This is in fact re-creation and re-newal - serious work indeed - but fun too because it's done in the company of people who care about UTSA and the people who are UTSA.
Gage
"Visiting With". .....Career Services
Here are a few things we would like you to know about us:
Our mission in Career Services is to assist students and alumni in identifying and developing the skills necessary to pursue lifelong career goals. We believe that our roles are to help students explore who they are and what careers best fit them, then assist with the development of their professional job search skills so that they can find employment throughout their lives. We serve all students and alumni.
More "Visiting With".........Career Services
Career Services Spring 2007 Career Fair Approximately 135 employers were represented at the Career Fair which was attended by approximately 725 students. Career Services staff employees and UTSA Alumni* were eager to assist the employers, many of whom were seeking to fill internships and full-time positions. HEB Career Fair Vendors - UTSA Alumni (left to right): Ronald Arispe, Carmen Marin, Lena Trevino, Wayne Terry, Christopher Gundrem
Campus Rec Events Campus Rec Demo Kitchen - Studio Orange is offering cooking lessons. No sign-up is necessary, and they're free! Low Fat Pizza, Quick Mexican, and Veggie Burgers are coming lessons. For more information, click on the web site above.
RecCenter Expansion Plans
Fall 2007 Rowdy Ties Family Orientations
If you are a parent of a current UTSA
student or alumni, we want you to share your experiences with new UTSA parents!
Get involved with Orientation and Transition Services and The UTSA Family Association! The
OTS team is finalizing plans in anticipation of another great summer, as we look
to welcome over 6,000 new students and their families to UTSA. As part of
the Fall 2007 Rowdy Ties Family Orientations, we would like to present a
parent-to-parent session in which parents of current or past UTSA students speak
to parents of new UTSA students.
The session will be presented in informal 30-minute format, and will be held during family orientations at the 1604 and DT campuses. Family
orientations are held once a week and occur throughout the months of June, July,
and August for a total of 9 Parent-to-Parent sessions. This is an excellent
opportunity to showcase our university staff who also double as UTSA parents.
Financial Aid and Enrollment Service Family Grows! The Office of Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services would like to welcome five of its newest members to our team. Amy Gomez, Zach Woodward, Kelsey Arnold, and Karen Pfiel have been hired in the Call Center and Sarah Heath will be working in the Enrollment Services front counter. Our department’s success is due to the hard work and dedication of our great staff. The addition of Amy, Zach, Kelsey, Karen and Sarah will contribute to our continuing success with the experience and individuality that they will bring to our ever-growing family!
Student Activities Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Weekly Events Starting April 2, 2007
Weekly Events Starting April 9, 2007 Fun! April 2nd-27th: Fortune Cookie Contest
In The Loop Prize-Winning Newsletter
UTSA Sport Schedule Highlights - San Antonio Area
See GoUTSA Sports Weekly Schedule for more information.
BB - Baseball MG - Men's Golf MT - Men's Tennis MTF - Men's Tennis Finals SB - Softball WT - Women's Tennis WTF - Women's Tennis Finals
Call for May 2007 Commencement “Volunteers” As is our tradition, Student Affairs staff work either Fall or Spring commencement ceremonies to ensure a seamless and meaningful celebration for our students to share with their families and other significant people in their lives. We very much appreciate those of you who work both the Fall and Spring commencements, even though it is not required. Your commitment is commendable! And, we would like to encourage as many of you to be “repeat” commencement staffers as possible. If you did not sign up for last Fall commencement, please contact John Kaulfus (click below) at your earliest convenience to sign up for the most convenient time for you. If you did work last Fall ceremony, we thank you and ask you to consider signing up for a Spring ceremony. As always, appropriate compensatory time should be given by supervisors. Thanks!
Directors' Reports
As per Executive Council Meeting, February 13, 2007, VPSA will not require monthly reports. However, departments are encouraged to provide updates of their events, activities, etc. to the VPSA office for inclusion in the bi-weekly newsletter, Student Affairs Staff News. Please send updates (as a word document attachment) to Vivis.Lemmons@utsa.edu
March 2007 Reports:
Reminders Please remember to encourage students to link to the Student Affairs Student Ombudsperson web page and Student Concern Form. Send newsletter items to Vivis.Lemmons@utsa.edu by Monday, April 16, 2007. |
