Staff News February 21, 2008
In This Issue
Message from Gage E. Paine,
Vice President for Student Affairs In
this week’s Chronicle of Higher Education, online edition, Gary
Pavela, wrote a commentary entitled
“Fearing Our
Students Won’t Help Them.”*
Pavela, who is known for his thoughtful work in the area of
judicial affairs, writes eloquently about the delicate balancing act we
face on college campuses. We try, and have always tried, to balance
individual student growth and needs with the concerns and rights of the
greater community. But there are times when for all our best efforts
things go awry. The news of the truly horrific events at Northern
Illinois last week reminds us of the challenges we face. Of course,
going unreported are the many times when we are able to respond
sensitively, creatively and effectively to the wide variety of student
and community issues we routinely address on campus. The
costs of an error in this work we do seem to be getting higher. It is
true more students with a wider variety of disabling conditions are able
to be successful through high school and are now coming to college.
Generally this is a cause for celebration. Most of these students need
minor changes to our university routines and procedures to continue
their education successfully. Most students do not exhibit violent or
harmful behavior; but no matter how rare the occurrence any violence is
devastating.
Parent concerns and expectations of managing safety on campus increase
as fears grow based on the media attention that violent behavior on
campus garners – and who can argue with such concerns? And
yet, colleges and universities have always been places where it has been
relatively ‘safe’ to be eccentric, to test boundaries, try on new
ideas—wearing all black and having tattoos was just sort of odd, not
scary. Now, the question or even expectation is, ‘Is it something we
should respond to, and if so, how?’ Student Affairs staff members,
university police and others all over the country, including UTSA, are
asking themselves again: ‘Where are the boundaries and when and how do
we respond?’ For
those who have not read the article, I list four specific suggestions
Pavela puts fourth: “Focus on actual conduct, not stereotypes, fears, or
predictions.” “Recognize that suicide prevention is violence
prevention.” “Create a cross-functional threat assessment team.” And,
“Encourage student involvement.”
UTSA has an Emergency Response Team in place and has been working on the
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. Student Affairs has had a
Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) for four years. We are working
with the police and others on a threat assessment process to determine
what else, if anything, needs to be created. And with the heightened
awareness comes pressure to respond in new ways – to put safety as an
absolute first priority.
Gary Pavela questions whether it is valid to make a distinction between
safety and all other considerations: “Ample credible research —
including research by law-enforcement agencies — suggests it isn't.
Safety is enhanced when we protect our students' civil liberties and
when we try to find responsible, creative ways to keep them enrolled,
rather than creative ways to dismiss them.”
Later in the article Pavela goes on to say, “Administrators must be seen
as individuals who can listen and exercise discretion. The Secret
Service gives high priority in this regard to creating a school “culture
of ‘two-way listening.’” including listening to feelings, especially
those of hurt and pain. “It
merits attention when agencies like the Secret Service start
recommending strategies echoing the humanistic goals of college
counseling centers. That unusual development suggest that educators
have proven, long-established ways to respond effectively to troubled
students: As the NRC report on school violence observed, ‘The only real
way of preventing [school violence] is to get into [students’] heads and
their hearts.’ But
we can’t understand what is within our students’ hearts if our hearts
are guided by fear.” As
staff members in Student Affairs at UTSA, we interact with students
everyday, some of whom are easy and fun to work with and some of whom
are more challenging. We strive to meet their individual needs and
understand their specific concerns. The safety of our campus is
critical and if you have questions about any of our services or
emergency response protocols please talk with your director or member of
the Student Affairs Executive Council. We each need to be familiar with
all of the resources available on our campus. But first and foremost we
need to work with each student with care and consideration. When we do
that, we are able to do our best work with each student and have the
best chance of responding appropriately no matter how minor or severe
the situation. As
Dr. Suess says in The Lorax “UNLESS someone like you cares a
whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” My
thanks to each of you for caring “a whole awful lot.”
Best wishes,
Gage
* Chronicle of Higher Education,
February 18, 2008
Gary Pavela teaches in the honors program at the University of Maryland
at College Park and is the author of
Questions and Answers on College Student Suicide: A Law and Policy
Perspective (College Administration Publications, 2006).
To All Student Affairs Staff:
The Spring 2008 All-Staff Meetings will be held on March 3, 6 and 7. This will be an opportunity to learn about important initiatives in Student Affairs and UTSA; to ask questions and make suggestions. All benefits-eligible staff are expected to attend one meeting; part-time staff are welcome to attend. The meeting will last the full 45 minutes. Please work with your supervisors to schedule the best time to attend a meeting.
Monday, March 3, 2008 2:00 to 2:45 p.m. FS 1.402 - Multipurpose Room Downtown Campus
Thursday, March 6, 2008 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. UC 2.01.28 - Denman Ballroom 1604 Campus
Friday, March 7, 2008 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. UC 2.01.28 - Denman Ballroom 1604 Campus
Monthly Birthday Celebration with Dr. Paine:
Please come celebrate your birthday with co-workers and Dr. Paine. The next celebration is scheduled for March 6, 2008 for all Student Affairs staff March birthdays. The celebrations will be on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 3:00 p.m. Location for the celebration will be included in the birthday invitation. February birthday guests: please be sure to RSVP to facilitate refreshment orders.
Business Procedures Notes:
Bob Miller (above right), Chair of the Business Procedures Committee, tracks various business processes. More Business Procedures Notes
Decorate Your Door with UTSA Spirit!
The Best Dressed Door and Office Contest is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board to encourage all faculty and staff to decorate their doors or departmental offices as a part of the Homecoming festivities. For Homecoming, we will be playing Texas A&M Corpus Christi and our theme is “Wipeout the Islanders.”
Judges will be looking for those with the most UTSA Spirit, creativity, and use of the Homecoming theme. Decorating may begin on Wednesday, February 20th and must be completed by Monday, February 25th at 5:00 pm. Judging will take place on Tuesday, February 26.
DT/ITC winners will be announced at the Jazz in the Plaza on Wednesday, February 27. 1604/UH winners will be announced at the Rowdy Rampage on Friday, February 29. Plaques will be awarded in multiple categories. First place winners will also receive breakfast tacos in their office on Friday, March 7.
Interested departments/offices need to contact Chris Hargraves at chris.hargraves@utsa.edu by Friday, February 22 if they intend to enter the competition. Questions may be directed to Chris Hargraves at 458-4728.
Campus Clean-Up Begins March 7th March 7, 2008 1:00 - 3:00pm: Campus Clean-up! Help us recruit students and student organizations to participate in our UTSA service project. We will be organizing students into groups to wash tables at the Sombrilla, pick up trash in areas of campus, and more! Students must be wearing closed-toes shoes to participate, and check in is at 1:00pm at the Sombrilla. If a group is definitely interested in participating, please email Jennifer.Lilly@utsa.edu with the name of the organization and number of participants to guarantee that we have a job for you. Individuals and groups are welcome to register the day of the event. Contact Jennifer with any questions or for more information. UC III Website Displays Expansion Project From John Kaulfus: The UC III University Center website is designed to keep students, faculty and staff apprised of the status of the expansion project. Initially designed and maintained by current Student Government President Tommy Thompson, the site offers:
Please take the time to visit the website and offer feedback. Click on the “contact” button at the top of the page. We would appreciate your input.
UTSA Women's Studies Institute Celebrates Women's Strength From Sara Ramirez, Co-Chair, Women’s Festival: As part of the Women's Festival 2008, we invite students, staff, and faculty to submit photos of strong women in their lives. See Flyer for details... Thank you for your support!
Welcome New Staff To Student Affairs
Career Services
Melissa Bruni - Career Counselor Mark Dahlquist - Career Counselor Luisa Cantu - Admin Associate/Marketing Marcela Cabello - Admin Associate/Front Desk
Departmental News
Athletics:
Texas Tech added to UTSA Baseball Classic field Courtesy: UTSA Athletics – Release Feb. 19, 2008
UTSA head
coach Sherman Corbett announced Tuesday that Texas Tech has been added
to this weekend’s UTSA Baseball Classic field. With the addition of the
Red Raiders, what was originally scheduled as a three-day,
championship-format tournament will change to a round-round robin format
with an extra day of action being added. Army, Louisiana-Lafayette and
Oral Roberts comprise the remainder of the teams playing this weekend.
Watch Basketball Live Online! Click Here
See More at goUTSA.comArea Athletic Events:
Code: BB - Baseball MBB - Men's Basketball WBB - Women's Basketball MT - Men's Tennis WT - Women's Tennis SB -
Fourth Annual Black Heritage Ball on Saturday, February 23rd See article and complete schedule (UTSA Today Article)
Student Health Services announces Spring Break Event:
This year’s theme is Spring Break Survivor: Caribbean. Featured will be over 100 exhibitors from local community programs and agencies and campus departments, clubs, and organizations and expect over 2500 participants to attend. The Spring Break Survivor: Caribbean offers alternative activities and awareness for safe spring break and to provide health and wellness resources to the UTSA community. The Spring Break event cannot have a Survivor theme without a Survivor challenge, so we're accepting applications for teams! We're calling all departments, clubs, and organizations to participate. The number of teams are limited. For more information, check out the Student Health Services website or call 458-6428. Sponsored by: Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management, Student Health Services, and SHADES. Student Activities Where’s Rowdy? • Thursday, February 28, 2008 "Where’s Rowdy?" is a UTSA Homecoming tradition. The Student Alumni Association invites you and your friends to find Rowdy. He is on campus. Follow the clues, play the games, locate him first and win! For more information on the game and other Student Activities news and events, click on In The Loop Student Activities Newsletter.
"Getting To Know You...." Paul Ayala and Julio "Joey" Ramos
Here are a few things we would like you to know about us:
Background
Joey: I grew up in a small Texas border town named Del Rio. If you have never been there, I would recommend that everyone visit it at least once. It is not in a dry county, in fact there is an awesome body of water, Lake Amistad, located there! Once I finished high school, I booked it to San Antonio, and have been here ever since. I graduated from UTSA with a BBA in 2000 and received an MBA in 2005 from Our Lady of the Lake University.
Paul: I am originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, but have lived in San Antonio for nine years, so this is home. I received my undergraduate and graduate degrees from the UTSA College of Business. Due to my entrepreneurial spirit, I began dabbling in magic and renting my services out as a means of supplementing my income.
Complete Article ......
Thank You Rowdy Travels across Student Affairs
Thank You Rowdy has a special mission in Student Affairs - to travel across UTSA recognizing the good work of staff members.
Within the Division of Student Affairs, Thank You Rowdy is presented from one Student Affairs staff member to another in recognition and appreciation of work done well - taking extra assignments to provide support, offering un- solicited assistance, or completing tasks in a unique way. Whatever the situation, contributions like this are made every day and Thank You Rowdy helps us recognize them. Thank you Rowdy reflects UTSA's spirit of community and reminds us to remember it takes everyone to make UTSA a great place to work and to learn. Gage E. Paine
Rex Algate receives Thank You Rowdy from Carol Gonzalez
February 20, 2008
To: Rex Algate, Assistant Director, Student Financial Aid
Thank you for providing excellent customer service. As an internal customer, I recognize and truly appreciate your assistance in helping me address and resolve various financial aid questions and concerns. You have always answered your phone and are readily available to help. You are polite, knowledgeable and prompt. Thank you for diligently working behind the scenes to get things done and for being such a consummate professional. Carol (L) surprises Rex (R) with Thank You Rowdy With gratitude,
Carol Gonzalez
(R) Carol reads Thank You Rowdy Rules to Rex
Previous 'Thank You Rowdy' Visits
Kudos
KUDOS from Mary Hill, Consultant for Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, regarding UTSA’s Alcohol Awareness Programs (Hazards) presented to student organizations:
I use UTSA for all of my program presentations about enforcement of underage drinking laws and alcohol education. I talk about your crime prevention office in your on-campus living areas. I commend Corporal Geoff Meritt for his knowledge of "Providing Alcohol to Minors" and TABC is also very complimentary of his work. Your good work with student organizations especially Greek is also noteworthy.
NOTE: Please submit your newsletter entries by March 3, 2008 to Vivis.Lemmons@utsa.edu Current and previous newsletters are located on the Student Affairs website under News and Events, Staff News. |