 
Staff News January 24, 2008
In This Issue
Message from Gage E. Paine,
Vice President for Student Affairs
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as
fools.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On
Monday, members of the UTSA community joined people from all over San
Antonio to march across town in remembrance of the life and work of
Martin Luther King, Jr. The idea of a ‘march’ intrigues me.
The action of marching has so many connotations. Armies march to
war and they march across parade grounds for ceremonial purposes.
Groups who want to protest or push for governmental action march to the
capitol or on city hall. A march can be a way of memorializing an
event or a loss, a public showing of community support. As with
Monday’s march it can also be a reminder of work still to be done.
But we also march in parades which are usually celebrations (though if
you’ve ever been in or seen a small town parade, you know the marching
part is pretty loosely defined).
However widely varied the purpose, there is still one thing all of these
kinds of marching have in common – community. All of these events
are about like-minded people coming together for a purpose, a public
purpose. And that, of course, is the power of marching.
Marching in a group, as a community, reminds us that we are not alone in
caring about those things that are important to us, and we can gain
strength from being part of a larger group. Last week, on the first day
of classes we dedicated the new offices of the Inclusion and Community
Engagement Center as a space to help foster this very idea on our
campus.
Paul Rogat Loeb in Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in
a Cynical Time writes about Rosa Parks. As he puts it, the way
the story is usually told, it sounds like Rosa Parks just got fed up one
day and by herself changed the world. It’s heroic behavior and
therefore, most of us think, way beyond our abilities. But as Loeb
recounts it, Rosa Parks’ action really comes from the strength of
community.
Just a few examples, Ms. Parks:
spent twelve years helping lead the local chapter of the NAACP; attended
a ten-day training session on labor and civil rights organizations; and,
knew the history of the previous bus boycotts in Montgomery and Baton
Rouge. Loeb says, “In short, Parks’ decision didn’t come out of
nowhere and she didn’t single-handedly give birth to the civil rights
movement…. The real story conveys a far more empowering moral.
It suggests that change is the product of deliberate, incremental action
whereby we join together to try to shape a better world.” It
conveys the power of being in community.
Yet, it is possible to be part of a community and still not act. It
is possible to attend a march and do nothing more than enjoy the fresh
air, get a bit of exercise and feel virtuous because we showed up.
And while showing up is important and the visual expression of those
large numbers of people walking through the streets is powerful, if
that’s all we do, it’s hollow.
So
how do we move beyond that? How do we find the community of people
who care about what we care about? We have to do more than march;
we have to talk to each other. We have to create the community
that can work together. Margaret Wheatley gives us a very simple
recipe for this part of the work. “I believe we can change the
world if we start talking to one another again. Simple, honest,
human conversation. Not mediation, negotiation, problem-solving,
debate or public meetings. Simple, truthful conversation, where we
each have a chance to speak, we each feel heard and we each listen well.
Human conversation is the most ancient and easiest way to cultivate the
conditions for change – personal change, community and organizational
change, planetary change. If we can sit together and talk about
what’s important to us, we begin to come alive. We share what we
see, what we feel, and we listen to what others see and feel.”
If
this idea of being in conversation interests you, you are invited to
join in a new initiative – First Tuesday Conversations. In her
book quoted above Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations
to Restore Hope to the Future, Wheatley provides a specific model
with a number of conversation starters and that is where we will start
this process. There is no agenda beyond our learning to be in
conversation together. This invitation is open to anyone who is
interested in this idea and who can commit four Tuesdays during the
Spring Semester – Feb. 5, March 4, April 1, and May 6. We will
meet from 11:30-1:30 in the UC Pecan Room and you are free to bring your
lunch. There are further details later in the newsletter.
Whether or not you are able to join this first effort, I hope everyone
will stop sometime soon and find the time to be in conversation with
someone else from the UTSA community. You may be surprised at what
you have in common. Best Wishes, Gage
Dr. Paine extends an invitation for all interested staff to join in the
First Tuesday
Conversations Series.
(See description above.) The Conversations provide our community time to
speak, listen and share with one another. Participants must be able to
commit to attend all four sessions.
Tuesday, February 5, March 4, April 1, and May 6,
2008
University Center - Pecan Room - UC 2.0126
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Bring your lunch, optional
RSVP by Friday, February 1st to
vpsa@utsa.edu (to assure seating capacity)
Note: Supervisors, please assure office coverage. From
Disability Services:
Where’s
Nestor ?
Appalachian Trail Edition
Join us in recognizing Nestor for his many years of service to UTSA and
discover where his life’s journey will take him next.
Tuesday, January 29
2:00-4:00 p.m.
Loeffler Room
Biosciences Building
BSB 3.03.02
Monthly Birthday Celebration with Dr. Paine:
Please come celebrate your birthday with co-workers and Dr.
Paine. The next celebration is scheduled for February 14, 2008
for all Student Affairs staff February 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.
For
non-entertainment service contracts (such as for an external speaker at
a workshop your department is hosting), you can do a purchase order (PBO)
if the amount is under $5,000. The purchase order is a contract
between UTSA and the service provider. For further information -
vpsa@utsa.edu.
From VOICES and The Inclusion and Community Engagement Center:
2008 Alternative Spring Break – A Call for Advisors!
VOICES (Volunteer Organization Involving Community Education &
Service) and The Inclusion and Community Engagement Center are hosting
two trips this Spring Break:
Saturday March 15 – Wednesday March 19, 2008: Piedras Negras,
Mexico! This trip will involve working with the children and improving
the playground at the Casa de Nazareth orphanage. UTSA took a group to
this same site last year, and the participants and advisors highly
recommended returning this spring. Participants and advisors will stay
at a hotel near the Casa de Nazareth. Spanish speakers are encouraged to
apply!
Sunday March 16 – Thursday March 20, 2008: Big Bend, Texas! This
trip will focus on the Grasslands Restoration project, an ongoing
project that involves clearing brush, planting seeds, and restoring
vegetation to the grasslands of Big Bend. Participants and advisors will
camp in the park near the project site. Experienced campers are
encouraged to apply!
Advisors must be willing to drive a suburban or minivan, be over
21 years of age, and attend regular pre-trip meetings with Jennifer
Lilly (scheduling is flexible). Advisors should also be willing to guide
students through the reflection process during their experience. The
advisor will be provided with lodging and per diem compensation for
meals. Both trips are still being finalized and are subject to
cancellation.
Please consider joining motivated UTSA students for this exciting
experience! If you are interested in going on one of the trips or have
questions, please contact Jennifer Lilly at 458-4770 or
Jennifer.Lilly@utsa.edu by
Friday, February 1st.
On February 4, the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center's Volunteer Services Office will host the Spring 2008 Volunteer Opportunities Fair. The event will take place from 10:00AM - 1:00PM in the 1st floor of the University Center. Please come by and encourage students to come by and browse over thirty community agencies and learn about hundreds of service opportunities in the San Antonio community. Please contact Jennifer Lilly at x4770 for more information.
Black
History Month at UTSA Begins January 25th
Poetry Night Featuring Shihan the Poet 1604 Campus, University Center - Retama Auditorium 7:00 p.m. "A Live Presentation of the slideshow that’s changing America’s mind." "An Inconvenient Truth - The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It." February 7, 2008 - 6:30 p.m. - UTSA University Center Retama Auditorium Speaker: Haily Summerford, City of Fort Worth, Environmental Management Department Grand Opening of the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center on January 14, 2008 - Photo Gallery From Housing and Residence Life: Chisholm Hall, Chaparral Village, Laurel Village and University Oaks are all now recruiting for Resident Assistant positions for the Fall of 2008
University Staff Council Scholarships: The University Staff Council is pleased to announce that applications are being accepted for the Staff Council Scholarship. Employees who are Classified and Administrative and Professional and meet the remaining criteria for the scholarships are encouraged to apply. The scholarships will be awarded for fall 2008, to one undergraduate and one graduate student in the amount of $250 for each application, biographical essay, and submit to the UTSA Scholarship Office (JPL 1.01.20) is February 15, 2008.Financial Aid Awareness Month: February is Financial Aid Awareness Month. The Office of Student Financial Aid & Enrollment Services is sponsoring and co-sponsoring a series of events throughout the month of February to reach out to our UTSA Student Population. These events are meant to educate and outfit current students, both Graduate and Undergraduate, with the tools to successfully utilize Financial Aid in its various forms... Grants, Scholarships, Work-Study and Student Loans. The Office of Student Financial Aid & Enrollment Services staff will officially kick off Financial Aid Awareness Month on Wednesday, February 6th, with a pirate-themed Open House of their new area in the John Peace Library. All UTSA Students are welcome to attend the Open House titled, RoadRunners of the Carribean: The Hunt for Financial Aid. From 11 am until 2 pm, students will be taken on a Financial Aid treasure hunt through the newly remodeled area. In addition to learning about the various areas of financial aid, students will be offered free refreshments and have the chance to win prizes like an IPOD Shuffle! Through a cross-campus collaborative effort with Admissions, The Graduate School, Campus Housing, Student Activities, The Tomas Rivera Center, Campus Recreation, the Office of Student Financial Aid & Enrollment Services and our Downtown Campus Offices, the goal for February is Financial Aid Awareness! calendar of events....(pdf) Homecoming Art Contest Winners Announced (from UTSAToday)
Departmental News
Athletics: Jerry Greeson Promoted to Associate Athletics Director of Athletics Medicine Courtesy UTSA Athletics (1/16/2008):
UTSA
Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey announced Wednesday that Jerry Greeson
(r), who is in his 20th year as a part of the Roadrunners Athletics
Department, has been promoted to Associate Athletics Director of
Athletics Medicine.
Watch Basketball Live Online! Click Here
Basketball-specific packages available at goUTSA.com
Local Athletic Events:
Code: MBB - Men's Basketball WBB - Women's Basketball WT - Women's Tennis NCAA® Men’s Final Four® Be a part of the MADNESS in 2008 as San Antonio hosts next year’s NCAA® Men’s Final Four®, April 5 and 7 in the Alamodome! We need 2,000 volunteers to support the many NCAA® events during Final Four® week. RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY
"Getting To Know You....."
Name: Laura Monroe
Title: Director
Department: Campus Recreation
Job Description: · Provide leadership to all aspects of the Campus Recreation program. · Responsible for planning, developing and supervising the Campus Recreation programs and facilities for UTSA students, faculty and staff. · Oversee the annual fee-based budget and the proper stewardship of the funds. · Oversee the design and development of aquatics, club sports, fitness and wellness, informal recreation, intramural sports, marketing and outdoor pursuits programs. · Oversee operating policies, procedures and risk management plan for Campus Recreation. Background: I grew up in Portland, Texas just outside of Corpus Christi. I participated in every sport that was available throughout elementary – high school. I was also very active in Girl Scouting as my mother was a professional Field Executive for the Paisano Girl Scout Council. During the summers I worked at Lake Corpus Christi at the Girl Scout camp as a sailing and canoeing instructor.
I remained very active in sports throughout college playing on the club soccer team and participating most intramural sports and city league softball. I also cycle and have participate in many weekend tours and 3 different one week 500+ mile rides. I attended and received my Bachelor’s degree in Photography from Sam Houston Sate University in 1987 and Master’s in Kinesiology in 1992. While an undergrad, I work in the Recreation department in a variety of positions starting as an intramural official before landing a position in the rec center as a building supervisor and lifeguard.
Experience: After graduation in 1987, I began a graduate assistantship within Recreational Sports that soon turned into an interim position and then a full-time position within Informal Recreation and Aquatics. I remained at Sam Houston State as the Assistant Director of Information Recreation and Aquatics until 1994. I spent the next ten years at Hendrix College in Conway Arkansas. During my tenure at Hendrix I wore several hats. I began as the Director of Recreational Sports, served an interim Director of Student Activities that led to a position of Director of Student Activities and Recreation and several years later and later served again as the Director of Recreation and Wellness.
I returned to Texas and to my alma mater, San Houston, in 2004 as the Assistant Director of Intramural Sports. In 2005 I accepted a position here are UTSA as the Assistant Director of Intramural and Club Sports. With an opening and a little luck, I was moved to the Associate Director of Operations in 2005. I was named the Director of Campus Recreation on January 10, 2008.
Describe your job: I am sure that I will have more insight in the months to come but for now, my position oversees the personnel, facilities and programs within Campus Recreation. Campus Recreation provides recreational and leisure activities for the UTSA community.
What job skills do you use most often? Communication, people skills and flexibility.
How do you unwind? Camping, kayaking and fishing are my favorite ways to unwind. I also love to ride my bike, play with my dog (a viszla), pencil draw and read.
What advice would you give to other Student Affairs staff? Love what you do, you will be doing it for a long time. Remember to have fun and take things one step at a time. Don’t sweat the small stuff!
You can reach Laura at: Campus Recreation Center REC 2.202 (210) 458-6362
website: CampusRec
Editor's Note: Laura was promoted to Director of Campus Recreation, effective January, 2008.
The Registrar's Office claimed bragging rights by defeating the Office of Admissions in a half-time free throw shoot-out at the men's basketball game on Saturday, January 19. Team members for Admissions and Registrar, below left to right, were Dave Spangler, Bryan Dempsey, George Norton (with his kids, Celia and Angel), Joe DeCristoforo, John Wallace, Jeff Driskill, Jeff Mayo, Brett Codd, and Don Swinson.
Thank You Rowdy continues his 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 To: Carol Gonzalez From: Anne Macintosh Speights
Passing along Thank You Rowdy has been one of my toughest decisions at UTSA. I am thankful to so many people at UTSA from my co-workers in my 16 years in the Registrar’s Office, to colleagues in Business Affairs, Academic Affairs, and yet Thank You Rowdy should go to a Student Affairs person. I have chosen you, Carol Gonzalez, because you have helped many of us along the journey to make UTSA a great University!
I’ve known you, Carol, since you first came to UTSA as an employee. You’ve worked in a variety of areas and most of my interaction with you was when you were in COB advising, then as a Director of COB advising. Then--what a concept—Ombudsman! With this new position, I was happy with the choice though not real thrilled with such a position. My thinking was why create another position when so many staff areas were short handed? You proved me wrong when I learned what your new position involved.
You helped me to understand the need for such a position as you worked diligently with the students to get to the root of the problem so the students could overcome fears and anxieties and avoid potential confrontations with other staff and faculty throughout campuses. Since UTSA and Student Affairs only exist because we have students, then Carol, you were a perfect fit!
You have always retained composure and a very caring attitude as you have related to students throughout your years here and your constant understanding as you interact with faculty and staff, too. You always ask the right questions and many that I wish I had asked! You, Carol, are a terrific asset to UTSA! I, for one, want to thank you so much for your contributions to UTSA and Student Affairs and to the students who will be our future. If there is ever an Ombudsperson for Staff and Faculty, I hope you will go for it!!
Anne Cooper Macintosh Speights Associate Registrar—UTSA and Student Affairs
Previous 'Thank You Rowdy' Visits
Kudos
From Charlin Jones, Special Events Center:
Hello
Charlin,
NOTE: Please submit your newsletter entries by February 2, 2008 to Vivis.Lemmons@utsa.edu Current and previous newsletters are located on the Student Affairs website under News and Events, Staff News. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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