November 2006 Newsletter
A Message from Dr. Lamas
Dear
Friends, Colleagues and Students,
The academic year is off to a great start. It seems like only yesterday that we welcomed our first-year and returning students to the University with a successful Maverick Stampede Week featuring the MavsMeet Convocation. Student Affairs, Student Congress and University Events also sponsored a major concert featuring the controversial hip-hop artist Ludacris and sold out Texas Hall.
Last month, Campus Recreation broke ground on the new $34.5 million Maverick Activities Center, Multicultural Affairs celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, Student Judicial Affairs educated our students and faculty about the importance of academic integrity and the dangers of hazing, and Student Affairs welcomed the parents of our Mavericks for our first fall Parents Weekend.
Along with all of these programs, Campus Recreation co-sponsored Oozeball with the Alumni Association, the Mav Cookout/Activities Fair Day celebrated its 25th anniversary, the Bed Races were held in Maverick Stadium with over 50 teams participating, and over 500 students attended Greek 101 to get new members off on the right foot.
In addition to the glitzy events, our staff provides valuable services and resources to many students. The Office for Students with Disabilities has registered almost 400 students this fall and celebrated Disability Awareness Month in October. Around 300 clubs and organizations are being advised and served by our staff and advisors across the University. Legal Services has had a steady flow of students seeking legal advice, and Campus Recreation initiated the Trinity Wellness Zone project aimed to give residents in Trinity House the skills to live a healthy lifestyle.
The Division of Student Affairs recently completed a yearlong process reviewing our vision, mission and core values statements and designing a new organizational alignment. The Division Web page was launched in September with a new look and message. We hope you will take a few minutes to check out our new Web page.
It has been a very exciting time for the Division of Student Affairs and much has been accomplished due to the dedication, hard work and creativity of our staff as well as our great partners across the University, our students, alumni and parents. We hope to see you at many future events or utilizing our programs and services.
Best Regards,
Frank Lamas
Vice President for Student Affairs
Parents Weekend
Parents Weekend 2006 was full of good cheer, good faith, and good times. The university hosted 281 registrants who enjoyed the weekend’s varied offerings. Breakfast with the Provost, and dinner with the President were the bookends of a weekend featuring a program on "What It Means to Be a Maverick," three Planetarium shows, the ever-popular glass blowing demonstration and Max Brooks’ show called "Ten Lessons on How to Survive a Zombie Attack." Thanks to staff and students throughout the division for their support during the Departmental Fair and special thanks to the members of the steering committee.
Division Web site up and running
The new Division of Student Affairs Web page is now live.
This site offers the UT Arlington community the opportunity to see all programs, activities and services offered by the Division. Links to departmental pages are prominent to give visitors an in-depth view of every component.
It also links to an events calendar, the division’s organizational chart, and the student handbook. Current student life photos, awards and honors, and other student services are also featured. Elements from the Student Affairs homepage will soon be reflected in all departmental pages.
We would like to thank University Publications, especially Andrew Leverenz, and to the Student Affairs Communications Committee members—Lisa Nagy, Pat O’Neill, Penny Acrey, Drew Barfield, Kelly Earnest and Seth Ressl.
The MAC is underway
Campus Recreation, in collaboration with the President’s Office, officially broke ground Oct. 10 for the new Maverick Activities Center.
Due to poor weather conditions, the event was moved inside the Activities Building, but still drew in a large crowd.
Among the many in attendance were President James D. Spaniolo, Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Frank Lamas,
Assistant Vice President Doug Kuykendall, State Rep. Toby Goodman, Student
Congress President Zac Sanders as well as officials with the construction
and design firms, the Office of Facility, Planning and Construction, UTA
spirit groups, and students, faculty and staff among others.
The Blue Gym was filled to hear the speakers discuss the excitement and importance of the new building and to watch the first and official dig with golden shovels. Cake and refreshments were enjoyed, as well as great give-a-ways.
The MAC is a $34.5 million recreation facility and will be approximately 190,000 square feet. It will include a 20,000 square-foot weight and fitness room with more than 80 pieces of cardio equipment, three circuit training units and a free weight area, four multi-purpose rooms, five basketball courts, eight volleyball courts, 10 badminton courts, a game room, juice bar, Internet café and much more.
The new facility will be able to compete with other colleges across the country. With the new building, the division hopes student participation, retention and involvement increase immensely.
The facility will open in two phases: Phase I in September 2007 and Phase II in February 2008. The MAC Web site was launched in late September and can be viewed at www.uta.edu/mac. The fun and interactive site will show a live Web cam that will show the construction process until it is complete. It also includes a diary section where visitors to the site can offer their experiences, thoughts and feelings about the project. The Web site has many other fun and informative sections worth taking a look at as well.
Campus Recreation facilities will remain open and usable throughout the construction process, which makes for a very exciting time for the University and the department.
Department News
Campus Recreation
The Department of Campus Recreation will again be hosting the Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 11:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m in the UC Carlisle Suite. Official invitations will be forthcoming. We look forward to a great event and an opportunity for the Division to celebrate Thanksgiving together.
Greek Life and University Events
Join us in participating with the University’s annual float entry in the Parade of Lights in two cities. The Fort Worth Parade of Lights will be Friday, Nov. 24, and the Arlington Parade of Lights will be Saturday, Dec. 2. Information will be e-mailed on how people can participate in both parades.
Thanks to everyone who volunteered and helped make the Ludacris concert a huge success. Texas Hall sold out to an enthusiastic and excited audience with over 2,600 people in attendance.
The women of Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Zeta and Zeta Tau Alpha (the four sororities that compose the Panhellenic Council) worked hard during formal and informal recruitment events to bring 80-plus new women into their chapters during the fall semester. These women will be new members while they learn about their new chapters and the traditions they were founded upon. These women will then take part in a special initiation ceremony.
The men of the Interfraternity Council (composed of nine fraternities) extended bids to over 120 men during the Fall Bid Day on Sept. 16. The men were given their bids on the Center Bridge. Then their names and new chapters were announced to the crowd of waiting fraternity men before the new members walked down the stairs to join their new chapters. The chapters are still recruiting and extending bids for the rest of the semester and hope to continue to add qualified members to their ranks.
More than 500 students from across the Greek community, Residence Life, Athletics and the rest of campus were in attendance to hear Ross Szabo speak candidly about his experience with mental health issues. The event, put on each semester by the Department of Greek Life and University Events to educate new Greek members, was cosponsored by Housing and University Center, Counseling Services, Multicultural Services, and Athletics. Ross talked about the signs of mental illness and made it clear that the coping mechanisms commonly used by college students, like alcohol and drugs, will not make the problems go away. Students gave positive feedback after the program with the majority saying they were much more informed about mental illness.
To strengthen and grow the current Greek Life community, the Department of Greek Life and University Events has commenced a yearlong Greek Life Self Study. The study’s goal is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our current community and then establish a strategic plan to address the major issues. Another goal is to create a Greek Life relationship statement that will clearly identify how both the University and the Greek community benefit by its existence and continued success.
To start this process, the Greek Life staff decided to hold two town hall meetings on Oct. 3-4 to get some valuable insight on the hot topics currently facing Greek Life. A total of 70 Greek students, advisors and alumni came to the two meetings. Seven major topics were discussed, including recruitment, housing, education and training, policies and procedures, accreditation programs, unity and the role of the university.
Kerri Ressl moderated the meeting, and participants had the choice of writing down their thoughts or speaking up. There was good representation from all four councils. In addition to providing a good starting point for the Greek Life study, it was a very educational experience for participants to learn about other councils’ concerns. The next steps include an online survey to get input from a larger percentage of the Greek community and specific focus groups dealing with the perceptions of faculty, non-Greek students, alumni, and Greek leaders.
Leadership Center
Advice columnist and writer Harlan Cohen spoke at a lecture and later to a special workshop for campus leaders on Oct. 18 at Nedderman Hall. Cohen, who wrote a book titled "The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into In College," helps students gain self-esteem by taking risks in college, and also works with campus leaders to build positive group dynamics in their organizations.
The annual “Meet and Greet” induction ceremony took place Oct. 25 in University Center’s Carlisle Suite. The event, which takes place twice a year, inducted new members into the Leadership Academy, introduced peer leadership trainers and Leadership Academy board members, and recognized the Founding Scholars for their leadership ability and dedication. The guest speaker was Lan Ngo, a 1989 university graduate who has worked in accounting for PepsiCo and Kforce, a national recruiting company. She spoke on women in leadership roles and about changing careers. Also, new members received certificates and their photo was taken with Dr. Lamas, gave closing remarks. Two Academy scholarship donors, Daniel Kauth and O.K. Carter, were recognized. Plus a reception was held for students to mingle with faculty, staff and guests.
Learning dinner table manners for help on the job market will be the focus of an event called "An Evening of Etiquette: Slice of Leadership III," at 6 p.m. Nov. 16 in the UC Carlisle Suite. Susan English, Associate Director of the Leadership Center, will serve as facilitator, talking students through a three-course meal. About 80 seats will be available on a first-come, first serve basis, and Housing and Student Governance will have sign-up sheets available. Call Matt Hendrix or Jamie Williams for more information.
The Leadership Center is asking staff to recommend experienced campus leaders who may be interested in becoming Peer Leadership Trainers for the spring 2007 semester. These are 10-hour-per-week, paid positions, and their main responsibility is instructing the EDUC 1130 class, Foundations of Leadership. Applications are now available. E-mail Susan English at english@uta.edu for more information.
Office for Students with Disabilities
The office joined EX.C.E.L Campus Activities and VSA Arts in sponsoring "In the Mind’s Eye," an art exhibit featuring work by artists with visual disabilities in the UC Gallery Oct. 3-19. A reception for the exhibition was held on Oct. 4 and featured various artists from around the state. This event highlights National Disability Awareness Month in October and celebrates the ideas of inclusion and diversity as part of the UT-Arlington community.
In addition, the office placed a display in University Center that highlights disability awareness as well as disability services available to students.
OSD staff also participated in the new faculty orientation at UT Arlington and the Fort Worth Transition and Resource Expo held at Tarrant County Southeast Campus.
Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs
The Division of Student Affairs recently reviewed and updated the Division vision, mission and core value statements. The committee, comprised of Lisa Nagy, Chris Whitley, Jamie Williams, Sharon Carey, Pat O’Neill and Molly Alfers, sifted through various organizational mission statements and countless drafts before the Leadership Team accepted the final version. The new statements reflect the values of our organization and our commitment to students, faculty, staff and community partners. To view the new vision, mission and core value statements, visit http://www.uta.edu/studentaffairs/about/mission-statement.
Student Governance and Organizations
Freshman Leaders on Campus participated in the Arlington Youth Leadership Forum Oct. 4, where they worked with community leaders and students from five area high schools. Members Toni Alvarez, Micha Brooks, Theo Bruton, Matt Jones, Maksuda Mannan, Michael Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, and Justin Vinh did an outstanding job representing UT Arlington.
Olympic Champion Billy Mills will be speaking on campus Nov. 16, courtesy of Multicultural Affairs. Mills, a Native American, became a sports legend when he won the 10,000-meter gold medal at the 1964 Olympic Games. He’ll be giving a motivational speech on the pursuit of excellence at 7 p.m. in the UC Rosebud Theatre. The day before, a movie made on his life called "Running Brave" will be shown at noon in 101 College Hall. Mills’ appearance is co-sponsored by the Honors College Council and the Native American Student Association.
EX.C.E.L. Campus Activities is working with the Science Constituency Council in co-sponsoring a debate on human cloning and stem cell research. John A. Robertson, the Vinson & Elkins Chair at UT-Austin’s School of Law, will debate Dr. Dave Magnus, a bioethics professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Bioethics, on the ethics of human cloning. The debate will also tackle other questions, such as whether stem cell research is wrong and if it will ultimately lead to genetically engineered humans. The debate is open to the UTA community as well as the public at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2 in the UC Bluebonnet Ballroom. More information is available at http://www.uta.edu/excel.
Former Student Congress President Brian Chase spoke to Freshmen Leaders on Campus at noon Oct. 16 in the UC Carlisle Suite.
Student Governance elections take place Nov. 13-14 in the UC Palo Duro Lounge, where the Homecoming King and Queen, Student Congress Senators and UTA Ambassadors will be chosen.
Sign-up day for display cases, lamppost banners and HUB banners will be Nov. 16 in Student Governance. Come at 8 a.m. to get a number. Sign-ups will begin at 1:30 p.m.
FLOC members got to know one another and played the game of Mafia at "Who Killed the FLOC’er?" Oct. 19 in UC Bluebonnet Ballroom North. The following week, FLOC hosted its Freshmen Fall Blowout Oct. 25 at UC Bowling and Billiards, and on Oct. 27, participated in Boo at the Zoo at the Fort Worth Zoo. Finally, on Nov. 18, FLOC will host its great tradition, the Holiday Extravaganza, where families can come and enjoy meeting Santa Claus and participate in crafts and activities. It will be from 10 a.m. to noon in the UC Palo Duro Lounge.
Student Judicial Affairs
The Office of Student Judicial Affairs has been busy this semester.
The week of Sept. 25-29 was “Hazing Prevention Week.” Dr. Thomas "Sparky" Reardon spoke to more than 30 student organizations attending the Hazing Prevention Kick-Off on Sept. 25. Each organization had a representative sign a banner speaking out against hazing, and the banner was then presented to Dr. Lamas. This event could not have been done without help from Greek Life, Student Organizations and Campus Recreation.
The week of Oct. 9-13 was Academic Integrity Week. The event was co-sponsored by Student Judicial Affairs, the Leadership Center, UTA Libraries, Multicultural Affairs and Campus Recreation. The kick-off event included speeches by Student Congress President Zac Sanders and Provost Dana Dunn. Macarena Hernández of The Dallas Morning News was the keynote speaker on Oct. 12, and offered her opinion on integrity in a message titled "Trust is not for sale…nor is it free."
Committee News
Benchmarking Committee
The committee conducted its first meeting Oct. 23. The main charge this semester will be to look at how the Division compensates students, such as scholarships, stipends, salaries, hourly wages, etc. The committee will also invite representatives from Human Resources to conduct a session on overtime and compensatory time. Watch for the date. Additionally, we will be sending out the guidelines for Division awards.
The committee, chaired by Assistant Vice President Doug Kuykendall, is made up of Peggy Lofland of Student Publications, Molly Alfers of Student Governance and Organizations, Dianne Hengst of the Office for Students with Disabilities, P.K. Kelly of Campus Activities and University Programs, Fred Henry of Multicultural Affairs, and Julie Murphy of Greek Affairs.
Professional Development Committee
The committee’s goal is to provide professional development opportunities for Student Affairs staff as well as for those outside of the division. We aim to promote personal enrichment, collaboration and continued education.
Last spring, staff members had the opportunity to participate in a town hall discussion on a variety of topics and attend a grant writing seminar presented by Candice Bledsoe.
This past summer began with a two-day division retreat providing learning opportunities such as the StrengthsQuest evaluation and an informative presentation on the new logo and branding campaign. Open discussion topics included defining the engaged student, facilitating integration of academics/faculty with Student Affairs and facilitating opportunities for collaboration, socialization and teamwork across the division.
The retreat ended with all assistant vice presidents highlighting aspects of Learning Reconsidered 2.
Winding down our summer, author Tom Miller enlightened and entertained us all on "Promoting Reasonable Expectations."
In September, the committee provided faculty and staff the opportunity to learn more about Facebook through a Web conference.
Upcoming events for the fall include an audio conference on Oct. 24, titled "Shattering the Barriers: Transforming the College Experience for Students of Color," a Web seminar on Nov. 7 titled "Planning Parent Services that Support Student Development" and an audio conference on Dec. 12 titled "One Size Does Not Fit All: Models of Student Affairs Practice." All conferences will be in 106 Nedderman Hall from 2-4 pm.
Promotions and New Staff
Cathy Souders started in September as the new program coordinator in the Leadership Center. Her main responsibilities include recruiting, promoting, and advising students in the Leadership Academy and working with campus leaders on other programs and events within the Center. Cathy, a graduate of UT-Arlington, comes to us from the School of Nursing where she was an academic advisor for three years. She also worked in the dean’s office at UT-Austin’s College of Pharmacy.
Cindy Scarbrough started Oct. 9 as the new administrative assistant in the Vice President for Student Affairs’ office. Cindy has been a Maverick for a long time—both of her parents retired from UT Arlington. Cindy has worked at the university for more than 10 years, holding positions in the Bookstore, the Graduate School, the School of Nursing, the University Advising Center, and Undergraduate Admissions. She also has a 9-year-old daughter named Sarah.
John Hillas is the newly hired Coordinator for University Events & Marketing and a proud UT Arlington alumnus (Class of 2004) and former student leader. As an undergraduate, he worked in the Department of Student Activities and comes to us from the School of Nursing, where he spent two years as an academic advisor. He is excited to be a part of Student Affairs once again.
Andrea Barefield is the new Judicial Coordinator of Residence Life. Ms. Barefield, a former resident director at Duquesne University, began work on Oct. 9.
Amy Hite is the new Assistant Director for Advertising for The Shorthorn in Student Publications. She worked for the past two years at the Dallas Observer, most recently as its retail sales manager. She came on board Oct. 17.
Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Legal Services
Department Profile: In each issue of the newsletter, a different department within Student Affairs will be highlighted to show what it does and how it’s helping build better students.
The Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Legal Services is designed to assist students to realize their full potential by prescribing and upholding the Student Code of Conduct, providing access to an attorney and developing and conducting outreach educational programs. It is hoped that students understand that not only do they have rights, but also responsibilities within the university community.
One of the main functions of Student Judicial Affairs is to provide due process and administer discipline when students violate rules and regulations (university, state, or federal). Students who have allegedly violated rules or regulations are required to meet with a judicial officer. If a student is found responsible for the alleged violations, sanctions are determined. These sanctions range from an official warning to expulsion depending on the violation. An educational component is always a part of the sanction.
Student Legal Services is an area within the department that continues to grow rapidly. The Attorney for the Students counsels students about legal matters. These could include family law concerns, international student concerns, consumer issues, traffic accidents, employment law, contractual controversies, minor criminal matters, and landlord tenant disputes. While the attorney may not represent students, referrals are common practice.
Educational outreach programs are a large part of what we do. Within the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Legal Services, programming exists for National Hazing Prevention Week, Academic Integrity Week, family law clinics, identity theft clinics and others. Also, there is an extensive outreach effort coordinated with Housing.
Staff
Tami Tucker, Director
Keisha Dicks, Attorney for the Students
Andrea Barefield, Judicial Coordinator
Jan Giles, Administrative Secretary
Amanda Easton, Secretary
John Shaw, Law Clerk
Laura Torres, Student Receptionist
Lorraine Mua, Student Receptionist
Julie Dillard, Student Assistant
Krystle Cooper
Student Profile: In each issue of the newsletter, a student in one of the departments in Student Affairs will be highlighted to show the contribution students make in the division.
Krystle Cooper has worked in Multicultural Affairs since September 2004
as a Student Assistant. She graduated from Clements High School in Sugar
Land, Texas. In high school, as one of her electives, she took an accounting
class and liked it so much that she chose Accounting for her major.
In spring 2004, Krystle joined the Goolsby Leadership Academy in the College of Business Administration. She interacts with classmates in a variety of leadership classes and seminars and fills the role of mentor for Goolsby Fellows.
Krystle graduates in May 2007, and she will continue to pursue her master’s in business administration with a concentration in finance. She likes the fact that UT Arlington is a medium size campus with an excellent accounting program. She also appreciates the opportunity to meet members of UT Arlington’s diverse student body.
Around the office, Krystle is a very competent worker who can handle multiple projects. She originally edited the newsletter "Open Doors of Expression" for Multicultural Affairs. She completed this task while serving students and staff who come into our offices. She has also developed her artistic and marketing skills by designing display cases and panel boards for our Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Training Programs. She can be counted on to help the staff with any job given to her.
When Krystle finishes her degree, she will go to work for PricewaterhouseCoopers. She completed an internship with the company this summer, and they liked her credentials enough to hire her for a full-time position after she finishes graduate school in 2008. She is happy to know she won’t have to job hunt after graduation.
Krystle likes dancing, reading, church activities and volunteering when she is not busy with school. She has two younger sisters at home whom she tries to help navigate college life. She is very close to her family and is looking forward to moving back to Houston once she graduates.
The Division of Student Affairs Newsletter for staff members will be published periodically throughout the year to keep people informed about what’s happening throughout the division. Enjoy.
Staff: Chris Whitley, Melissa Birney, Mardie Sorensen