Story by Pamela Price
Published in Leon Springs Community News

When the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) convenes for its 2012 convention in Phoenix this March, UTSA's vice president for student affairs Gage Paine will be recognized with the organization's top award for outstanding service.

According to the NASPA website, the Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean is presented to a university administrators on the basis of her or his "demonstrated sustained professional service in student affairs work, high - level competency in administrative skills, innovative response in meeting students' varied and emerging needs, effectiveness in developing junior staff members, and leadership in community and university affairs."

Additionally, the recipient must "have earned stature among and support of students, faculty, and fellow administrator on his or her campus and made significant contributions to the field through publications or professional involvement."

Paine joined UTSA in 2007 from Trinity University, where she serves as vice-president of student affairs. Prior to that appointment, she served as [sic] the dean of students at SMU and an associate dean of students at UT Austin. She holds a law degree from Texas Tech and a Ph.D. in education from UT Austin.

Continue to PDF...

The Alumni Council of San Antonio Academy of Texas will honor Ricardo Romo with the 2012 Col. W.T. Bondurant Sr. Distinguished Humanitarian Award during a luncheon on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 11:30 a.m. at the Witte Museum, Prassel Auditorium (3801 Broadway). Proceeds of the Award luncheon benefit the Col. W.T. Bondurant Jr. Scholarship Fund. Romo became the fifth president of The... University of Texas at San Antonio in 1999. Under his leadership, UTSA is poised to become the state’s premier research university. “Dr. Romo exemplifies the Bondurant family’s commitment to knowledge creation, service to society and to the enrichment of this Central and South Texas community,” notes Brian C. Steward, SAA Class of 1979. The Col. W.T. Bondurant Sr. Distinguished Humanitarian Award is presented each year to a community leader who exemplifies the school’s most cherished values: honesty, respect, pride in achievement and service to others. As the 32nd recipient, Romo follows three decades of previous honorees including Ronald K. Calgaard, Dela White, B.J. McCombs, Tom C. Frost ’41, and Congressman Lamar Smith ’61.

To attend the luncheon, register online at http://www.sa-academy.org/site/pp.asp?c=ahKIIYNQF&b=24822

The Awards and Recognition Committee received 29 nominations, the largest number they have ever received since beginning this endeavor in 2008. Employee of the Semester recognizes employees who provide outstanding service to the UTSA community, work collaboratively within their unit, promotes enthusiasm about UTSA, and demonstrate initiative. This year’s recipients included Maria De Hoyas, Claudia Giliberti, and Steve Kudika. Below are just a few comments of what their nominators had to say about their fellow colleagues:

Maria De Hoyas- Building Attendant II, Housing and Residence Life: “Maria always has a smile on her face combined with a genuine greeting that makes everyone around her feel like somebody special. An example of Maria's care and concern for students occurs daily, but one example we like to share involves Maria's love of cooking and eating healthy.”

Claudia Giliberti- Career Counselor II, University Career Center: “Claudia revised this year’s Career Center annual report into a visually appealing and easy to read document that is now posted on the Center website for all stakeholders to access and review. She plays an integral role in the increased communication and interaction between the University Career Center and the UTSA International student population by having created and conducted the “Resumes for International Students” workshop as well as coordinating the “Job Search for International Students” workshop held each semester.”

Steve Kudika- Assistant Director Fit and Wellness, Campus Recreation Center: “Steve delivers excellence in service and programming. He's doing really wonderful work with his student staff and going above and beyond to meet the needs of the UTSA community. Steve is also one of the most supportive and insightful members of the Campus Recreation staff, always willing to lend a hand and give thoughtful constructive input to conversations.”

The committee consists of Dr. Pat Graham (Chair), Yvonne Pena (Chair), Jared Jones, Melissa Evans, Tiffani Hoot, Howaida Werfelli, Pesha Mabrie, Ana Rodriguez, Brian Jantz, and Jacqueline Heiman. The Awards and Recognition Committee will be seeking nominations for the Student Affairs Awards Reception which will be held on May 18th from 3-5pm.

The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Office of Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services would like to invite you and your family to attend the 2012 Student Aid Saturdays Workshop. This is a FREE event that will provide you with one-on-one counseling and computer access with which to file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Filing the FAFSA early is crucial for all students, as many universities determine free money packaging, such as grants and scholarships, based on a first-come, first-served basis.

When?
Saturday, January 28th, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Where?
UTSA Main Campus Business Building 2.01.20 (Computer Lab)

Required Documents:
· 2011 or 2010 income tax return (whether filed or hand-written) or

· W-2 Forms and other records of money earned

· Social Security Number

· Driver’s License Number (if you have one)

Other Items That May Be Required:
· Alien Registration Receipt Card (if applicable)

· Knowledge of federal benefits received, such as Supplemental Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Welfare

· Records of child support paid

· Records of taxable earnings from Federal Work-Study or other need-based work programs

· Records of student grant, scholarship, and fellowship aid, including AmeriCorps awards, that was included in your (or your parents’) Adjusted Gross Income

· Stock, bond, and other investment records

· Business and farm records

This event is open to the general public, so ALL students and their families, regardless of school choice, are encouraged to attend. Please spread the word amongst your friends! If you have any additional questions, please contact Christopher Goldsberry, UTSA Coordinator of Financial Aid Outreach, at christopher.goldsberry@utsa.edu.

In 1986, the new University Center gave UTSA students a place to call home. Twenty five years later, the UC has grown, but its mission of enhancing student life and fostering an engaged community remains the same.

The UC remains a popular place to hold a club meeting, grab a bite to eat with friends, or nap between classes. For so many students, then and now, it adds special meaning to the UTSA experience.

You can help the UC continue its mission by supporting the UC Anniversary Fund. Your gift will support enriching programs like poetry slams, live music shows and comedy acts that boost student life; and facility upkeep in support of the thousands of students who visit the UC every day.

Celebrate 25 years of the University Center. Make your gift today or visit us online at utsa.edu/uc/uc25.

(Dec. 9, 2011) --Effective this academic year, UTSA will combine the separate staff and faculty honors ceremonies into one event, the University Excellence Awards, and will not have a separate Faculty Honors Convocation. The 2012 University Excellence Awards Ceremony will be 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 10, 2012, in the University Center Ballroom (1.104) on the Main Campus.

A new award, the President's Distinguished Diversity Award, has been added to the list of honors. With the implementation of the combined ceremonies, the timeline for acceptance of nominations has been changed. The nomination period will be from Dec. 12, 2011, through Feb. 3, 2012, for the following awards:

* President's Distinguished Diversity Awards
* Richard S. Howe Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Awards
* The Rising Star Award
* The Leadership Award
* The Team Spirit Award
* The Extra Mile Award
* The Order of the Roadrunner Award

For the full article and to download the forms, visit: URL

The date for the mandatory Student Affairs Orientation is quickly approaching. The date is Wednesday, February 8 from 8:30am-12pm in the UC Denman. This is an excellent program to orient newly hired staff to our division. The Staff Development Team will be contacting directors regarding staff attendance soon. For questions regarding this event, you can email staffdevelopment@utsa.edu or contact either Erika Cox or Keri Shiplet.

STEM Fair (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)
Thursday, February 9th
9:00AM-12:00PM
UC Ballroom

All Majors Career Fair
Thursday, February 9th
1:30PM-4:30PM
UC Ballroom

Liberal and Fine Arts Fair (COLFA)
Tuesday, March 27th
9:00AM-12:00PM
UC Ballroom

Educator Career Fair
Thursday, April 5th
8:30AM-11:30AM
Convocation Center

For questions, contact the University Career Center at 210-458-4589.

PDF to Post

Annual Student Affairs Conference: New Traditions, New Successes

Dates: March 28 & April 17 (sessions are repeated to provide adequate coverage)

Time: 8-5

Location: UC Denman

This years Keynote speaker, Dr. James Studer, is retired Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs for UT System.

This event is a time that UTSA Student Affairs staff have to attend a professional development conference. The conference is held twice to provide for office coverage to allow staff to attend. Session topics are new each year and encompass a wide variety of professional development topics. We look forward to seeing you there! Registration will take place via email the last week in February.  

Registration Email will go out the last week in February.

A silent auction benefiting the Student Affairs Transformational Fund will be held both sessions. More details forthcoming regarding the silent auction. For questions, please contact Keri.Shiplet@utsa.edu or Erika.Cox@utsa.edu

PDF to Post

Dr. James Studer bio

The Student Leadership Center and the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center took 40 students across four states to participate in The Movement: An Exploration of Civil Rights. This program allowed for UTSA students to leave the state of Texas and become immersed in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. Students visited historical markers such as the 9th Ward, the Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park and the National Civil Rights Museum. The trip ended with students participating in the MLK March back in San Antonio.

Accompanying the visits to the historically recognized sites and nationally known museums was a set curriculum created to promote awareness of social justice issues. Students learned through documentaries, reflection papers, group discussions, and presentations from guest speakers and activists.

The Movement took place January 10th -14th, 2012 with the MLK March on January 16, 2012. The trip took students from San Antonio, TX to New Orleans, LA to Birmingham, AL and then onto Memphis, TN.

Students shared about the impact The Movement had on them personally, as well as how their experience will impact their involvement at UTSA.

Continue...

The Student Leadership Center accepted 37 students to the 2012 Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Included within the 37 students were five SBSLC 2011 alumni that were accepted by Texas A&M to return as part of the SBSLC Advanced Leadership Institute. The conference hosted over 600 participants from the night of Thursday, January 19th through the morning of Sunday, January 22nd. Speakers and workshops discussed topics that focused on this year’s theme of “In Pursuit of Refinement”, a career and vendor fair, as well as the Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI).

The 24th annual conference included inspiring keynote speakers such as: Dr. Lonise Bias, Hydeia Broadbent, Michael Ellison, and Keith Boykin. Included within the conference were workshop sessions to attend SBSLC entertainment night, a collegiate social, and the annual closing banquet.

The Student Leadership Center selected students from different areas of campus in order to have a diverse group represent UTSA. The students were challenged to bring their experience back to UTSA to better serve in their community. In order to reflect on their personal experience during the conference, each student was provided with a journal at the beginning of the four-day trip. Their inspired entries and the journals will be passed on to the students attending the conference next year.

Some of the students shared these insights:

Continue...

(Jan. 24, 2012) -- UTSA student Rene R.J. Rangel was elected to the student advisory committee of the BACCHUS Network at the organization's general assembly Nov. 3-5 in Reston, Va. BACCHUS is an international organization that promotes peer education regarding healthier behaviors among college-age adults.

As newly elected president of the UTSA student organization Be A Responsible Roadrunner (BARR), Rangel will represent BACCHUS Network Area 6 (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana and Arkansas) for one year. BARR is UTSA's BACCHUS Network affiliate. Rangel is a junior history major from Edinburg, Texas.

"Running for and winning the position of SAC was a great experience," said Rangel. "It's easy to want to make a difference when you have the support coming from advisers, friends and family. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to represent UTSA on a national level."

For the full article, visit: URL

Lynn Hickey has made countless decisions since joining UTSA as athletic director more than a decade ago. One of her first, and best, was hiring Rae Rippetoe-Blair in 2000 to lead the women's basketball program.

Rippetoe-Blair has amassed 198 victories at UTSA in the 12 seasons since Hickey appointed her fellow Oklahoman, with consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament in 2008 and 2009.

Before she arrived, the Roadrunners had never made it to the Big Dance, and the most successful coach in program history was Bill MacLeay, who won 75 games from 1984-1989. Academic problems were endemic, and they'd had only three winning seasons in the previous 13 campaigns.

“I brought Rae into a very difficult situation,” Hickey said. “The program was in total disarray. We gave her an opportunity, and she turned everything around.”

Now in her late 40s, and hoping to coach for two more decades, Rippetoe-Blair isn't ready to assume she'll retire a Roadrunner.

She's been around long enough to know that all it takes is a couple of bad seasons — the type UTSA, at 6-11 entering Saturday's home game against Texas State, is currently struggling through — to earn an ouster.

For the full article, visit: URL

In an overwhelming show of support for the use of Student Affairs name tags, the Student Affairs Council voted to commit to wearing our name tags on a daily basis! Using name tags shows our commitment to provide outstanding service to students and the UTSA community. Name tags are a part of our commitment to create an environment of engagement. Please remember to wear your name tag, so students, visitors to campus and other staff members will know who they can turn to for assistance. We are here to engage with our community!