Progression of a Dream
UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures
April 16 - June 30, 2013
PDF to Post
14th Annual Independence Day Youth Conference
Wednesday, July 3rd, 8am-4pm
PDF to Post
• Venetia Coleman, Student Financial Aid and
Enrollment Services
• Brandon Cruz, Admissions
• Doirean McCormick, Child Development Center
• Lisa Ojeda, University Career Center
• Geneva Walton, Student Financial Aid and
Enrollment Services
Welcome to UTSA! We are glad you are here!
The UTSA Student Leadership Center and the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center would like you to join us in welcoming the newest member of our team, Brian Park. Brian is an undergraduate student from The University of Iowa and part of the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP). The NUFP is a mentoring program for undergraduate students wishing to explore and better understand the field of student affairs and higher education. He will be part of our team as an undergraduate intern to both departments through the end of July.
At The University of Iowa, Brian is pursuing a degree in Communication Studies and is interested in applying for graduate school. Through NUFP, Brian applied for a summer internship in order to broaden his experience and perspective on student affairs.
When asked why Brian was interested in pursuing an internship at UTSA, he shared how he wanted to get away from the Midwest for a little while and try something new. He identified UTSA as an institution that hosted multifaceted programs and new trends within student affairs. He also shared how excited he was to get involved with new programs and marketing ideas within the ICE Center, as well as contributing to the new Leadership and Service Lifestyle Floor for San Saba Hall with the Student Leadership Center and Volunteer Services. Brian was asked what surprised him most during his first week at UTSA and he shared that he was pleasantly surprised how friendly and welcoming everyone has been. Although, he shared he expected nothing less from Texas! Brian also shared how what he hopes by the end of his internship with UTSA, he will take away a better sense of student affairs as a career path and more about where his passion lies and what strengths he brings to the table.
Joining Brian this summer at UTSA are fellow NUFP interns: University Center Intern, Tolu Taiwo and Housing and Residence Life Interns, Julia Huerta and Tiffany Shierling. We are excited to have these students as part of our UTSA Roadrunner family!
The Student Affairs Development Office is pleased to announce the call for grant proposals/applications to the Student Affairs Transformation Fund. The deadline for completed proposals/applications is July 10, 2013.
The Transformation Fund grant awarding criteria is to provide support on a one-time basis to innovative programs and services that fill real and immediate needs and align with the VPSA strategic plan. In order to be considered for a grant, applications must indicate how specific projects for which funding is being requested meet this primary criteria. Complete guidelines for the application process are below. Your submitted proposal can address, but is not limited to, the following initiatives:
• Leadership development trainings for both students
and/or staff
• Diverse and dynamic speakers to inspire our creative
spirit in Student Affairs
• Professional development for your department or for
the division
• National competition and conference fees to enrich
staff or student experience
• Projects that support Student Affairs committee
activities and/or Student Affairs strategic initiatives
All funding proposals submitted to the Student Affairs Transformation Fund must adhere to the following guidelines:
• Proposals must originate from staff members within
the Division of Student Affairs with proper approval
from the Associate Vice President (AVP). The
grantee will provide a written report detailing
outcomes and financial accounting of grant funds to
the Student Affairs development office by May 31,
2014. If the grantee fails to spend all awarded funds
and/or fails to provide the final project report, they
may be ineligible to request funding for the next year.
• Each proposal shall be submitted electronically using
the Transformation Fund Grant Application. Only
electronic applications are acceptable and should be
submitted to marlon.anderson@utsa.edu by July
10, 2013.
Additional information regarding the grant/proposal process:
• Applications for funds may not exceed $2,500.
• There is no automatic renewal of funding.
• Proposals not initially awarded funding will be
retained by the Development Office for the remainder
of the fiscal year for consideration should additional
funding become available.
• Final grant recipients will be notified of grant status
via e-mail by August 1, 2013. Successful grant
recipients will have funds transferred into their
designated account.
• Announced grant recipients will be mentioned in the
VPSA newsletter.
If you have any questions, please contact Marlon Anderson at 458-5125 or marlon.anderson@utsa.edu.
Bring your lunch and join Student and Academic Affairs Mid-Managers for our monthly lunch discussions to be held in the Magnolia Room of the University Center from 12 noon-1:30 p.m. on the following Wednesdays: June 19th and July 17th. Our lunch group focuses on informal networking with those in similar positions across both student affairs and academic affairs. We also plan to provide discussion and materials on special topics such as performance evaluation, leadership, management techniques, program management, and others. Please contact Joan Tsacalis, Director of the Colleges’ Freshman Advising Center, at 458-5170 or via email at Joan.Tsacalis@utsa.edu or Charlin Jones, Assistant Director for the Special Events Center, at 458-6736 or via email at Charlin.Jones@utsa.edu for more information and to get on the distribution list.
UTSA faculty and staff volunteers are needed to serve as mentors for students in the Roadrunner Connections program.
Roadrunner Connections pairs faculty and staff with first-time freshmen and transfer students to serve as personal resources. The mentors will help the student succeed at UTSA and beyond by providing access to opportunities they might not have found otherwise.
For the full article, visit UTSA Today.
UTSA departments in need of student employees have an excellent resource in the HireRoadrunners.com website, hosted by the University Career Center.
At HireRoadunners.com, UTSA faculty, staff and departments can post job openings. Both work-study and non-work study positions on campus should be posted there for all eligible students to view and apply for.
The University Career Center will host a part-time job fair for both on-campus and off-campus part-time jobs Thursday, Sept. 5 in the H-E-B University Center. There is no charge for UTSA departments to attend. Register for a table at the job fair at HireRoadrunners.com.
Posting your on-campus student job position is simple, fast and flexible. To post a job:
• Log on to HireRoadrunners.com.
• Click on the "Employer" tab at the top.
• Log on or create a new account.
• Select "My Jobs" to post a new position or repost an
existing, vacated job.
Career center staff can assist in creating new positions or in recruiting eligible students. The University Career Center has other excellent online resources for students and employers. For more information on University Career Center services, visit HireRoadrunners.com or contact Victoria Tesillo at 210-458-4588.
For the full article, visit UTSA Today.
During the month of April the City of San Antonio is in full swing with over 100 events that comprise the city’s biggest festival, Fiesta®. Fiesta® events provide a variety of entertainment, food, art, music, and parades. However, one of the long standing Fiesta® traditions influencing many organizations to participate in the festivities, and causing a collecting craze is the Fiesta® medal.
UTSA joined the Fiesta® medal trend in 1999 and has been going strong ever since. On Wednesday, May 29th, Dr. Gina Mendez donated her personal collection to our university commemorating all fifteen years of UTSA’s participation in this beloved Fiesta® tradition. The Fiesta Medals will be installed in the Frio Street building North Wing Commons Area for the UTSA community to enjoy.
Dr. Mendez was presented with a certificate by Dr. Jesse Zapata on behalf of the University for her donation. The event was well attended with many staff, current students, and alumni. Some attendees were proudly wearing their UTSA Fiesta® medals. This tradition is part of UTSA’s history that is being preserved for future Roadrunners to enjoy and a reminder to our community as to how our great city has influenced our university culture. This is one tradition definitely worth celebrating….VIVA Fiesta®! VIVA UTSA!
The UTSA Student Leadership Center recently hosted the 2013 UTSA LeaderShape Institute. Sixty UTSA students spent six intense days at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels completely focused on discovering what drives their passion for change and how they can impact their community.
For the full article, visit UTSA Today.
• Newsletter is distributed the 2nd Wednesday
of every month
• Newsletter submissions are due by 5pm on
the Monday before the newsletter is distributed
• Thank You Rowdy message for new recipient and
photo are due by 5 pm on the Monday before
the newsletter is distributed
Please email VPSAmedia@utsa.edu with your articles and photographs, or if you have questions.