Message from the Vice President
On Wolves and Bank Accounts
Once upon a time there was a small boy who tended sheep alone in the hills. Bored one day, he started crying out ‘Wolf, wolf.’ The entire town came running to save the sheep. When they arrived on the hillside, there was no wolf—only the boy laughing at his great joke. The boy thought this was so much fun that he tried it again and again. Then, of course, on the day that the wolves did appear, no one from the town came to the rescue. The boy had broken trust with his neighbors; he had used up his reserve of their goodwill.
When we join an organization, most of us are given a bank account of good will – a willingness to assume that we will do our best and be good colleagues. Then as we go about our work, our decisions and behaviors add to that bank account or subtract from it. When we are great at making deadlines, we add to our account with the colleagues whose work is impacted by ours. Then, if we have an emergency and miss a deadline, we have a reserve of goodwill to draw upon and most people will help out. Conversely, if we constantly miss deadlines, our account gets lower and lower and finally one day, the willingness to help us out is gone.
It’s not just deadlines that work this way. All of our actions every day, week in and week out, create our bank accounts. Always saying the rules don’t let us do something begins to draw down our account; a willingness to seek alternatives within the rules makes a deposit. A pleasant manner on the telephone adds to our account; rudeness depletes it. Developing a reputation for being a helpful problem-solver builds your account, while being known as a problem-creator has the opposite effect. Staff members who are known for being dependable earn new opportunities; those who are unreliable find their opportunities disappearing.
Each interaction with someone is a deposit or a withdrawal in your bank account with the people around you. Generally, I prefer to think about interpersonal relationships as something more than mere transactions. However, the reality is our work relationships operate on many levels and, in part, those relationships are built over time, one interaction at a time.
Have you been paying attention to the health of your relationship accounts? Most may be healthy, but is there one (or more) running low? If so, what do you need to do to improve that relationship? After all, when we need to cry for help, when the wolf is at the door, we all want the town to come running to our aid.
Best wishes,
Gage
Announcements/Departmental Events
Call for Commencement Staffing
Dear University Colleagues,
As you all know, Fall Commencement is just around the corner. This is a time of great celebration for the entire campus community and a chance to acknowledge the students who have dedicated so much to graduate from UTSA! Please help us make the upcoming commencement ceremonies the best.
In order to make this joyous event run like clockwork, we ask that you sign up to provide staffing at one or more of the three ceremonies to be held on December 18. The dates/times are listed below. Faculty members and college staff members have already been asked to participate in providing staffing.
We would appreciate it if you would choose one or more of the times below; e-mail John Kaulfus by Monday, December 6, 2010 at john.kaulfus@utsa.edu to schedule your time(s). Your final assignment(s) will be e-mailed to you on Friday, December 10, by 5 p.m. Please note, employees who are authorized to work during one of the Fall Commencement ceremonies and who work beyond their regular work schedules will be compensated as indicated below. Since working one of these ceremonies may result in accruing compensatory time, approval from your supervisor is required. Supervisors must ensure that any compensatory time earned by employees is recorded on the employee timesheet and DEFINE.
• Classified non-exempt employees are eligible for federal overtime and/or state comp time.
• Classified exempt employees are eligible for state comp time.
• Administrative & Professional are not eligible to earn compensatory time.
For questions to determine compensable time, please contact the Human Resources department at 458-6647.
Saturday, December 18 – Ceremony #3 (COB)
7:30-11:30 a.m.
Saturday, December 18 – Ceremony #4 (COE & COS)
11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 18 – Ceremony #5 (COA & COPP)
3:00-7:00 p.m.
Thank you all so much for your time and dedication to UTSA.
Gage E. Paine
Vice President for Student Affairs
University of Texas at San Antonio
Roadrunners to play at No. 8 Texas in NCAA Tournament opener
UTSA Athletics Communications, 11/29/2010
UTSA learned its NCAA opponent and destination on Sunday and the Southland Conference Tournament Champion Roadrunners will be heading to Austin to face national No. 9 seed Texas on Friday, Dec. 3. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Gregory Gymnasium.
UTSA will bring a 22-11 overall record into its second-ever national tournament appearance in program history. The Roadrunners' five-set victory a week ago against Central Arkansas propelled them into their first NCAA Tournament in a decade and they have won of 17 of their last 20 outings.
For the full article, visit: URL
2010 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament bracketPDF to print and post
CASE names UTSA's Patricia Graham one of three outstanding advisers from around the world
Tim Brownlee, Assistant Director of Public Affairs, 11/18/2010
Patricia Graham, UTSA executive director of special events, recently was recognized as one of three outstanding advisers from around the world at the international Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) ASAP Network Convention in Kansas City.
"Graham was recognized as an outstanding adviser at the CASE District 4 ...
For the full article, visit: URL
Faculty and Staff: Please submit presentation proposals for Professional Development Conference sponsored by Student Affairs
UTSA faculty and staff members can apply to participate as presenters in the third annual Professional Development Conference to be hosted this spring by the UTSA Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
"With the theme "Building Bridges," it is an opportunity to share expertise and strategies on leadership approaches...
For the full article, visit: URL
PDF to print and postStaff Networking Team
UTSA Student Leadership Center sends 26 students to Texas Conference for Women
The UTSA Student Leadership Center accepted 26 students to attend the 2010 Texas Conference for Women in Houston, Texas. At the George R. Brown Convention Center, the conference hosted more than 7,500 participants. Speakers discussed topics focusing on leadership, professional development and personal growth.
"Hosted by Texas First Lady Anita Perry, the 11th annual Texas Conference for Women included...
For the full article, visit: URL
UTSA holds off Central Arkansas in five sets for Southland Tournament Championship
UTSA Athletics Communications, 11/29/2010
HUNTSVILLE — No. 2 seed UTSA overcame a late fifth-set deficit to upend top-seeded Central Arkansas by scores of 25-17, 25-22, 19-25, 21-25, 15-13 on Sunday at Johnson Coliseum and the Roadrunners won the second-ever Southland Conference Tournament Championship in program history (third overall).
"UTSA (22-11) trailed 8-6 in the final frame before scoring four consecutive points to take a 10-8 lead...
For the full article, visit: URL
Time Management Styles Can Show Your True Colors
"I don't have enough time." Have you ever heard this statement? Have you ever said it yourself? Chances are you have. Is it true? Of course not.
Time is something we always have with us. We don't have to do anything extra to earn it. It is just there. The key is how you use it.
How you manage your time depends on a lot of things: the kind of life you have, the number of people and activities that have a claim on your time, and the "time habits" you have developed over the years. And then there is something more. The way you relate to time has a great deal to do with your basic personality.
If you have been through a True Colors workshop then you know we all have a blend of characteristics that make up our personality, many times with one of four groups of traits being most dominant. These personality characteristics have an impact on the way we manage our time. Following are some general characteristics associated with the 4 Color Styles. Read over the descriptions (http://www.positivelymary.com/Free-Stuff/TrueColors-Time-Managment.htm) and determine which one is closest to your particular style and the style of the different individuals that you work with.
(c) 2002 Mary Miscisin, All Rights Reserved. www.PositivelyMary.com
VPSA@utsa.edu
Photo Galleries
BestFest 2010 and First Football Pep Rally - November 5, 2010
Veteran's Day- November 10, 2010
Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Invitation- November 11, 2010
FERPA Training- November 15, 2010
Dimensions of Success- December 2, 2010
Athletics
Johnson III leads UTSA past San Jose State on Tuesday night
Track & field teams make Thanksgiving donation to San Antonio Children's Shelter
All Sport Schedule - Area Events
Business Procedures Tips
With the upcoming holidays and people being out of the office, please allow additional processing time for documents routing this time of year. Happy Holidays!
Have a Business Procedures Tip to share? Please send it to Bob Miller.
For previous Business Procedures Tips, please visit the archive.
Wellness Tips
When baking this holiday season, keep these healthier substitutes in mind. They offer great flavor and are better for you!
Ingredient Substitutes
Butter Canola, mild olive oil, prune purée or applesauce
1 ounce of chocolate 3 tablespoons cocoa
2 eggs 1 egg + 2 whites or egg substitute
Cream, whole milk (in batters and doughs) Skim or lowfat (1%) milk
Cream Cheese (in cheesecake) Lowfat ricotta + yogurt; light cream cheese
Sour Cream Plain yogurt
Whipped cream, ice cream Frozen yogurt, Lowfat yogurt
1 cup whipped cream (in mousse mixtures) 3 stiffly beaten egg whites or 3/4 to 1 cup Yogurt Cheese
1 cup whipping or heavy 1 cup evaporated skim milk cream (for whipping)
Read more: Lighter: Healthy Substitutions For Baking
Heather Stark
Assistant Director of Fitness & Wellness
Campus Recreation
heather.stark@utsa.edu
Thank You Rowdy
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 unsolicited 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 Paine
Thank You Rowdy is presently visiting with
Norma Castillo
See past Thank You Rowdy Recipients
To: Norma Castillo, Administrative Associate II,
Child Development Center
From: Earlene Gonzales, Director,
Child Development Center
I want to send “Thank You Rowdy” to you in
appreciation for all the times in the past months
that you have gone above and beyond what I could
have imagined to help me adjust to my new job
here at UTSA Child Development Center. Your
efforts have not gone unnoticed! With a sweet spirit
and an awesome sense of humor, you make coming
to work fun for all of us. I have also noticed how
many others you help every day – and always with
kindness and a professional attitude. For example,
you not only provide assistance to the student
parents who have children enrolled in the center,
but also to other students looking for child care off
campus when our center has no space for their
children. This extra help for the students is a
service they will always remember about their
experience at UTSA. We appreciate you!
Thank you,
Earlene
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Norma is surprised with Thank You Rowdy |
Earlene thanks Norma and passes Rowdy |
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Thank You Rowdy visits the CDC |
Kudos
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Please submit all newsletter entries by 5:00 pm, Tuesday, December 14, 2010, to
VPSAmedia@utsa.edu