• Brian Halderman, Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion
• Iselda Rodriguez, Student Activities
• Victor Yates, Athletics

Welcome to UTSA! We are glad you are here!

The UTSA Student Disability Services office will host its 2014 Diversity Event on March 4, 2014 from 12:30 – 2:00 pm in Ballroom 1 (HUC 1.106).

This year’s event will be a moderated panel discussion on Incivility vs. Mental Health: Implications for Higher Education and the Classroom.

The panelists include:

• Dr. Mary McNaughton-Cassill, Associate Professor Psychology
• Dr. Thomas Baez, Director Counseling Services
• Anne L. Jimenez, Assistant Dean of Students/Director, Student Conduct and Community Standards
• Dr. Dianne Hengst, Director Student Disability Services

Panel Moderator: Dr. Ann Eisenberg, Professor Honors College

The event will be a discussion of how to observe and assess classroom behaviors that may be examples of incivility or may be more serious signs of mental health issues. The panelists will discuss strategies of intervention and what resources are available on-campus to assist students and classroom instructors. The discussion will be based on real classroom scenarios. There will also be group discussion based on real classroom scenarios and an opportunity to ask questions of the panelists about situations you have encountered.

Be sure to mark your calendar and plan to attend this event. There is no pre-registration required and the event is free.

For more information or if you need an accommodation to attend this event, please contact either Beverly Brown (210-458-4157) or Raymond Fischer (210-458-2945) in Student Disability Services.

Rowdy Gras will take place on March 4th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the UC Lawn between the Ximenes Garage and the HUC, and will have live New Orleans Jazz, free t-shirts, free authentic Creole/Cajun food, beads, masks, face painting, and more.

Meet us at the Sombrilla at 11:45 and join in the parade to the UC Lawn alongside our jazz musicians and other party-goers.

Rowdy Gras is the UC’s celebration of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. It will be an opportunity for the entire UTSA community to experience the rich culture and customs of our neighbors in Louisiana, and to have fun while doing it.

“The purpose is to enrich our students by immersing them into cultures from other areas of the country and world. Mardi Gras, or Carnival, is a celebration held worldwide, and our goal is to experience and enjoy customs that others hold dear. We hope that it will grow into an annual UTSA tradition,” says Herb Ganey, Interim Director of the UC, and New Orleans native.

Mardi Gras is the yearly celebration of Fat Tuesday, the last day before Lent, where Catholics have their last opportunity to enjoy those things that they give up for the next 40 days. Over the years, though, it has transcended its beginnings as a Catholic-only event to become a time-honored tradition enjoyed by persons of all faiths and cultures, and attracts nearly a million tourists to New Orleans every year. The largest Mardi Gras carnival is the Carnaval in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, with an estimated two million participants per day during the few days leading up to Fat Tuesday. Other cities with famous Mardi Gras celebrations are: Mobile, Alabama; Barranquilla, Colombia; Quebec City, Canada; and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. In New Orleans, festivities begin several weeks before Fat Tuesday, and include parades, balls, carnivals, and many other events. Traditions include throwing beads and other trinkets to parade-goers, holding King Cake parties, and wearing colorful costumes and masks.

Rowdy Gras is the result of a collaboration between the UC, Student Center for Inclusion and Community Engagement, Black Student Union, and UCPC.

UTSA students are encouraged to apply now for the 2014 Student Volunteer of the Year Award. The award honors an outstanding student for their time, effort and commitment to volunteerism and enhancing civic life in their community.

Oluwaseun (Rita) Adeyinka, the recipient of the 2013 Volunteer of the Year and Sandra Cisneros scholarship was nominated by a UTSA staff member who saw growth in the recipient through her service work. Since receiving the award at the 2013 University Life Awards, Ms. Adeyinka used the $500 Sandra Cisneros scholarship towards her Graduate School tuition here at UTSA. She is pursuing her Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering. She is excited to see who will be the next Roadrunner to pick up her torch of service and the legacy they will leave for the UTSA and San Antonio Community.

Applicants should submit this application via RowdyLink by March 7th at 11:45p.m., if they meet the following requirements:

• Current UTSA student in good standing (financial, discipline, academic, etc) with the university
• 2.75 overall cumulative GPA
• Volunteer work on application must be unpaid
• Students who are or have been associated with national service programs are eligible to apply
• Nominations and self-nominations will be taken

The winner will receive a $500 Sandra Cisneros scholarship award. The winner must complete a FAFSA and show eligibility to receive the scholarship. Students do not have to show financial eligibility to be named Student Volunteer of the Year. Application forms must be filled out completely to be considered. A selection committee will evaluate applicants and select finalists and the winner.

The winner will be announced at the University Life Awards on April 3, 2014.

For more information about the award or volunteer programs, contact Cristina Dominguez, Program Coordinator for Volunteer Services, Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion at 210-458-4770, or stop by the Volunteer Services office on the Paseo in H-E-B University Center Room 1.216 on the Main Campus.

Student Conduct and Community Standards (SCCS) is pleased to introduce and welcome their new Coordinator and Caseworker to the department and to the Student Affairs Division.

Kendra Smith will serve as a Coordinator for SCCS. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Clemson University and most recently earned a master’s degree in International Relations with a focus in Conflict Resolution from St. Mary’s University. Kendra recognized her passion for Student Affairs while serving as a Resident Assistant and Peer Dialogue Facilitator during her undergraduate career. Kendra demonstrates a strong interest in working with international students and utilizing conflict resolution techniques through practice.

Dora Hernandez will serve as a Caseworker for SCCS. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Development, two minors in Spanish Language and Culture, and a certificate in Social Environmental Justice from Washington State University-Vancouver. She is slated to receive her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies here at UTSA this spring. Dora is the former President of the Higher Education Administration Student Association at UTSA. She is currently serving as a graduate assistant for the College of Education and plans to present this semester with Dr. Mariela Rodriguez at the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Administration on Hispanic Serving Institutions in Texas. Dora aspires a lifelong career in Student Affairs and looks forward to the knowledge and experience she will gain professionally at UTSA.

We hope you will introduce yourselves to our new staff and wish them well as they settle into their new roles at UTSA.

University College is seeking applicants for Teaching Assistant I positions. Teaching Assistants will provide pedagogical support to the Academic Inquiry and Scholarship (AIS) 1203 instructors of record. AIS 1203, a core curriculum course required of all incoming freshman, is designed to introduce students to the general scholarship practices within three broad academic cultures: Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities. The enrollment for AIS 1203 is capped at 50 students.

Individuals may serve as AIS Teaching Assistants a maximum of four semesters. Individuals may apply for up to 2 sections of AIS 1203 per semester. Teaching Assistants working with 1 section will be paid a salary of $2827.50 and expected to work an average of 9.5 hours per week. Teaching Assistants working with 2 sections will be paid a salary of $5655 and expected to work an average of 19 hours per week. Teaching Assistant positions are non-benefits eligible. Appointments will be from 9/1/2014 through 1/15/2015 and funds will be dispersed on a monthly-basis. Teaching Assistants will also be required to attend a 2-day paid training the week prior to classes beginning (August 19-20, 2014).

Download position details and an application.

Here are several upcoming University Center Program Council events. Download all of these announcement flyers with this one UCPC Event PDF file.

The UTSA Division of Student Affairs will host its sixth annual Student Affairs Conference on Thursday, March 20th and Friday, April 4th. By now, Student Affairs staff have received their individual link to registration. RSVP today to get your spot.

The conference is a one day event presented on two separate days to maximize attendance while still allowing for departmental coverage. So, please save ONE of these two dates:

Thursday, March 20^th OR Friday, April 4^th.

This year’s theme is “Act It, Believe It, Live It: Continuing a Culture of Student Commitment”. Sponsored by the Student Affairs Staff Development Team, the annual conference provides staff members the opportunity to further enhance both professional development and networking opportunities. The conference is open to all staff members in the Division of Student Affairs. To enhance networking opportunities, this year we have opened a limited number of spaces for our colleagues across UTSA and at other local institutions.

We plan to include topics such as leadership, team building, customer service, student success, student learning, supervision, distinct student populations and much more! We hope to see you at our 6th Annual Student Affairs Conference!

The Student Leadership Center has temporarily relocated to the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center until the summer of 2014. We will eventually be moving into our permanent home in the University Center where Frost Bank currently resides. We will keep you posted about our grand re-opening!

Show your appreciation for your fellow coworker and nominate them for the Staff Council Appreciation Award!

The appreciation award recognizes a UTSA Staff member who:

• Provides excellent service
• Demonstrates leadership qualities
• Has made a significant contribution or improvement within their department, team or the UTSA community

Nominations are due by the first Thursday of each month. Click here to download complete instructions.

Encourage students to contact Rowdy Cents because financial literacy and money management topics apply to every student, regardless of where their income comes from or if they are recipients of financial aid.

If you would like to request a presentation, collaborate or learn more about Rowdy Cents, please contact Financial Aid Outreach Specialist, Lara Crouch at 210-458-2803. Don’t forget to ‘like’ us on Facebook and check out our other resources and upcoming Fall workshops at www.utsa.edu/moneymatters!

Volunteer Organization Involving Community Education and Service (VOICES)

• Meetings every Wednesday at 5pm in UC Retama

If you have any volunteer opportunities you would like highlighted for next month, send them to Cristina Dominguez by the last Monday of the month.

Take a moment to view our e-newsletter In the Loop to learn about some of our Student Organizations, upcoming events and an introduction to RowdyLink.

"In the Loop" is a regular publication from the Office of Student Activities with information regarding your connection to campus life and involvement!

Complete Your Education...Get Involved!

The latest issue of Expressions, a newsletter publication of the Community Engagement & Inclusion Center, is now available for download.

Prospective students and their parents, guardians and families can take a tour of our Main and Downtown campuses to feel the energy at UTSA. Talk to students, grab a bite to eat and learn what it's really like to wear the orange and blue. Also, be sure to save time after your tour to explore our beautiful city of San Antonio.

• Main Campus Daily Tours
  • Weekdays 10am and 2pm
  • Select Saturdays at 10am and 12pm
  • For tour availability and to register, please visit utsa.edu/welcome.
• Downtown Campus Daily Tours
  • Weekdays at 10am
  • For tour availability and to register, please visit utsa.edu/welcome.
• 2014 Springbreak Tours
  • Special tours are available, register at utsa.edu/springbreaktours.

For more information, contact the Welcome Center at 210-458-5145.

UTSA departments in need of student employees have an excellent resource in the HireRoadrunners.com website, hosted by the University Career Center.

At HireRoadrunners.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.

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.

Do you know a student that will be perfect for the Resident Assistant position? The Office of Housing and Residence Life is searching for students to apply to be a Resident Assistant for the 2014-2015 academic year!  More information to come later.  Any questions, please contact Susanna Knouse.

Get Connected. Get Involved. Get Rowdy.

• Visit RowdyLink
• Sign in with your abc123 (students and staff)

RowdyLink Brochure (Front) RowdyLink Brochure (Back)

The transition of the UTSA campuses to tobacco-free and smoke-free status began June 1, 2013. Through this one-year transition period, smoking and the use of tobacco products will be restricted to designated areas on campus.

UTSA is committed to supporting students and employees who wish to stop using tobacco products. For students, resources are available through Student Health Services. For employees, resources are available through the Employee Assistance Program.

For the full article, visit UTSA Today.

• Newsletter is distributed during the 3^rd week of every month
• Newsletter submissions are due by 5pm on the 3^rd Monday of each month.
• Thank You Rowdy message for new recipient and photo are due by 5 pm on the 3^rd Monday of each month.

Please email VPSAmedia@utsa.edu with your articles and photographs, or if you have questions.