May 2013, Issue 5
Message from VPSA
Sam Gonzales
Semester after semester, year after year, our students spend countless hours studying and preparing for their ultimate goal…graduation. On May 13th, many of our students will celebrate commencement with their families for this first time at the Alamodome. Commencement is a special time of year that exemplifies what degree attainment means and, for our students, this means they have met their learning goals.
REACH represents our five division-wide learning goals. It helps us evaluate and articulate how Student Affairs contributes to student learning and ultimately graduation. Of these goals, responsibility is an important life skill we want our students to learn, practice and develop. Many of us are told from an early age that we should be responsible, that we need to be responsible, that we must be responsible. But, how many of us were taught responsibility? Were you asked what responsibility meant to you? Was it demonstrated consistently so you could emulate and learn from it? When you think of our division-wide learning goals, what comes to mind when you think of the word responsibility?
To me, responsibility is an important pledge of accountability to yourself and others. It is a call to action that requires you to take a stand; to be in control of what you do and how you do it. It is influential, empowering and ever-changing as you navigate through various phases of your life. At times, responsibility may not be easy or the popular thing to do. It may require stepping out of your comfort zone or challenge you in ways you never expected.
When individuals practice responsibility, they have made a conscious choice to follow through on their commitments. They understand that responsibility is not something you take lightly…it is meaningful and reflective. It inspires confidence, spurs initiative and promotes independence. It represents your values, standards and beliefs and can provide direction to your life.
In our departments and division, are we telling students to be responsible, or are we showing students what it means to be responsible? Are we teaching students the act or art of responsibility? Is it embedded in our services and programs? At UTSA, the Registrar’s Office assumes responsibility for a variety of essential functions and services that are critical to the vision and mission of our division. In this edition of our newsletter, Dr. Joe DeCristoforo, Associate Vice President and University Registrar, spotlights the familiar and not so familiar functions and services provided by the Registrar’s Office which have a direct and indirect impact on the student experience.
Responsibility is powerful. It is a compelling force because when you demonstrate responsibility, you are vested in the outcome. As we continue to focus on the student experience and the learning that occurs inside and outside of the classroom, think deeply about our responsibility as a division to help our students become vested in their ultimate goal…graduation.
Congratulations to all of our graduates! We are proud of you!
Best wishes,
Sam
We Are Student Affairs!