Division News
Published: Oct. 4, 2022
Center for Students in Recovery
- We’ve launched a new support meeting for students with family or friends who have struggled with addiction. The Family Den meeting takes place Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- We rebooted our lecture/speaker series, Longhorns in Recovery, and hosted the first event since before the pandemic on Sept. 21. The event series was previously known as the Seminar on Addiction and Recovery.
Lori Holleran Steiker (Steve Hicks School of Social Work) and Lilly Ettinger at Recovery in the Park
- For National Recovery Month, we hosted several events in our space and participated in Recovery in the Park on Sept. 17.
Counseling and Mental Health Center
- Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly and Provost Sharon Wood shared mental health resources with faculty in this email on Sept. 15. VP Lilly also shared the resources with students in this annual message distributed in accordance with state law on Sept. 12.
- Our team will educate the campus community and raise awareness at a series of events during Relationship Violence Prevention Month in October.
Professor Raj Raghunathan (McCombs School of Business) speaks at the Mind over Matter: Mindfulness Practices during Suicide Prevention Week.
- Our team hosted the 13th annual Suicide Prevention Week, Sept. 12-16. The series of events raised awareness about college student suicide and campus resources.
- We partnered with two student organizations — Tejas Club and Texas Spirits — on a week-long series of events educating students about mental health resources.
James Butler and Katy Redd at Party on the Plaza
- Our team handed out Healthyhorns swag at RecSports’ Party on the Plaza on Aug. 31.
- The Longhorn SHARE Project (Support, Healing, Active Listening, Reciprocity, Empowerment), a pilot program during Spring 2022, is now a permanent program of the Longhorn Wellness Center.
- Our SHIFT team partnered with University Housing and Dining and New Student Services to host Happier Happy Hours on Sept. 28. The events engage the community in dialogue that changes the culture of substance use.
Alicia Monaco, Kayleigh Damphousse and Miranda Larralde at New Student Orientation
- We welcomed 11,905 new Longhorns during New Student Orientation this summer. For the first time since 2019, all incoming freshman sessions in June and July were in person. Transfer students could choose to attend one of two in-person sessions or a 100% virtual session. August Orientation (for both freshmen and transfers who didn’t attend in June or July) was 100% virtual.
Katie Meade, Desiree Alva and Kyle St. Nicholas at TEXPO
- During summer orientation, we piloted the Texas Experiential Orientation (TEXPO) program, an optional extended orientation program to help students build community on campus.
Maria Ortiz, Megan Krou and Juhi Dasrath at From Tourist to Texan
- Our Transitions Initiatives team coordinated Longhorn Welcome, the Texas-size welcome for new students. The event series in August featured 11 Signature Events and dozens of campus events. Our department hosted Find Your Way, Multicultural Mixer, First-Gen Chill, From Tourist to Texan, the Neurodiversity Welcome Mixer and the aUsTinite Field Trip: Umlauf Sculpture Garden.
Juhi Dasrath and Paige Muehlenkamp-McHorse at MoveOutATX
- Our Off-Campus Resources team partnered with the City of Austin on MoveOutATX July 28-31. The sustainability initiative encouraged students to donate furniture and household items at sites west of campus.
Office of the Dean of Students
- As the new academic year begins, we’d like to remind staff that they can reach out to Student Emergency Services if they are working with a student experiencing a personal or family emergency. The Student Emergency Fund can potentially provide up to $1,000. Always call 911 in an emergency, but our team will be able to provide additional support.
- The Sorority and Fraternity Life team is hosting workshops with students as part of the Safety Education Program. This program is required by state law for all registered student organizations. Organizations must complete the program by Oct. 20.
Jenny Walker (right) educating students during National Hazing Prevention Week.
- Our team hosted National Hazing Prevention Week, a campus collaboration to educate students on hazing prevention, Sept. 19-23. We collaborated with staff from RecSports, Longhorn Wellness Center and SHIFT.
- We hosted UT Marketplace on Sept. 21 with Texas Student Media. The event in the fall and spring semesters provides an opportunity for local businesses to market their products and services to the campus community.
Texas LEAD staff at their adventure retreat
- Our Texas Leadership Education and Development (Texas LEAD) team had a team building adventure retreat in August to prepare for the upcoming academic year.
Party on the Plaza Committee: Randall Ford, Bridget Jones, Cecilia Lopez Cardenas, Ian Overman, Kari Terry and Ryan Becerra
- We sponsored the 24th annual Party on the Plaza, presented by American Campus Communities, attracting over 29,000 students. With the support of 300 student organizations that tabled at the event, $6,000 was raised for the Student Emergency Fund. University Federal Credit Union presented this year’s Scholarship Shootout, in which 560 students competed for the chance to win one of two $2,500 scholarships.
- We extended a big Texas welcome to incoming freshmen during New Student Orientation and offered them special weekly programming.
Adrienne MacKenzie and E.J. Patterson at RecSports Warm Up
- Our staff presented RecSports Warm Up on Aug. 23, a Longhorn Welcome signature event. Students enjoyed free group exercise classes, rock climbing, intramural sports games, chair massages, and even had their dance moves projected on a giant screen with the virtual game, Just Dance.
- Our team will induct three groups and 11 individuals into the 2022 RecSports Hall of Honor including recently retired Senior Associate Vice President and Director of Recreational Sports Tom Dison. The inductees will be honored at the Hall of Honor Awards Cocktail during RecSports Reunion Weekend, Oct. 28 and 29, which will include the Friends of RecSports Bob Childress Classic.
Susie Smith gives the welcome at Family Orientation
- We welcomed 4,321 new Longhorn families during seven Family Orientation sessions in June-July. For context, 51% of incoming freshmen who attended New Student Orientation had their families attend our program.
- Our team is making flu shots convenient and easy with flu shot clinics (by appointment only) across campus until Oct. 20.
- We are continuing to give out rapid antigen COVID-19 self-test kits at these distribution sites. Students, faculty and staff can receive up to four kits at a time. If you have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, have symptoms or test positive, check out the exposure action chart.
- We helped administer monkeypox vaccines to campus community members during a pop-up vaccine clinic on Sept. 21. We partnered with the Gender and Sexuality Center, Pride and Equity Faculty Staff Association, and Kind Clinic to host the clinic.
David Vander Straten and Katherine Barclay with Hook ‘Em at the Healthyhorns Organizational Day
- For the first time since January 2020, our team gathered for an in-person organizational day on Aug. 17. Staff enjoyed guest speakers, department updates and a special appearance by Hook ’Em.
Healthyhorns staff at the bowling retreat
- We got together with our Healthyhorns colleagues from the Counseling and Mental Health Center and Longhorn Wellness Center for a bowling team building retreat on July 26.
Paige Hicks, JD Castro, Aaron Voyles, Mylon Kirksy, Jimmy Andrade and Naomi Semb-Lovejoy at Mooov-In
- As the kick off to Longhorn Welcome, we helped more than 8,000 students move into their home away from home during Mooov-In, Aug. 13-21. To close out Longhorn Welcome, we hosted Longhorn Fair: Neon Circus on Aug. 27.
- During Mooov-In, our Student Learning, Development and Engagement team hosted the Leadership City Limits Conference.
- Our sustainability team hosted the first UT Farm Stand of the year on Sept. 7.
Juana Castro Garcia and Lucian Esquivel represent during Home on the Forty Day
- To build community with our residents, our staff joined residents in wearing the new Home on the Forty t-shirts on Sept. 14. Our social media team held a student photo contest for the best selfie while wearing the shirt.
- Our dining team prepared a Tex-Mex feast with Austin-inspired foods and live music for ATX fest on Sept. 22.
VP Soncia Reagins-Lilly and President Jay Hartzell gaming at the new Alienware Longhorn Esports Lounge.
- We hosted a grand opening for our Alienware Longhorn Esports Lounge on Aug. 31. President Jay Hartzell and VP Lilly joined students and staff for the ribbon-cutting ceremony (check out the photos!). Learn more about this development initiative and partnership.
Gulp Coffee food truck on campus
- We’re rolling out an expanded food truck program this fall. New truck locations are on the north side of campus – one near the Student Services Building at Dean Keeton Street and University Avenue, and one near the Physics, Math and Astronomy Building at Dean Keeton Street and Speedway.
Students enjoy Beat the Heat at the Texas Union
- We helped kick off the new academic year with two Longhorn Welcome events: Beat the Heat on Aug. 20 (Signature Event) and the Back to School Bash on Aug. 24.
- Our Campus Events + Entertainment team helped the university celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with Celebracion de Independencias on Sept. 15. They also hosted CultivAsian on Sept. 1.
Vice President for Student Affairs
Veronica Cantu and Kelly Soucy (Office of the Dean of Students) with VP Lilly at the Welcome Back Brunch
- We celebrated the start of the fall term with the team at our Welcome Back Brunch (view the photos!) on Sept. 14 and a tailgate and watch party for the Texas vs. Alabama game on Sept. 10.
- We hosted the first Dinner with 16 Longhorns of the fall semester on Sept. 28 following two dinners that took place over the summer in July and August.
- We’re offering two scholarship opportunities for students — Sharon H. Justice Leadership Scholarship and Bonfire Unity Endowed Presidential Scholarship. Encourage students to apply by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 5.
- Our Division fundraising efforts continued during 40 Hours for the Forty Acres, the university’s bi-annual online fundraising campaign. The university raised $11,552,520 during the campaign Sept. 28-29.
Constitution Day Contest prize pack
- We revamped the annual ConstitUTion Day trivia contest for students, moving it to Instagram from Twitter. The contest on Sept. 14 inspired civic engagement. (photo of prizes)
VP for Student Affairs staff making glass art at the team retreat.
- Our team had a teambuilding art workshop retreat in August to get ready for the upcoming academic year.
Standouts
Justin Carter and Katy Redd, Counseling and Mental Health Center and University Health Services, gave an overview of mental health services at a coffee and conversation event hosted by the Tejas Club and Texas Spirits.
Rachel Cohen-Ford and Bethany Wendler, Office of the Dean of Students, were interviewed on diversity in the Livestrong Cancer Institutes’ Cancer Uncovered podcast.
Melissa Eshelman
Melissa Eshelman, Counseling and Mental Health Center, is being inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists (ACP). Eshelman is designated as a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Doug Garrard at Gone to Texas
Doug Garrard, Office of the Dean of Students, announced the winners of the Gone to Texas video contest at the Aug. 24 event.
Cynthia Lew, Cailin Rosborough, Justin Jaskowiak and Melissa Garland at ACUHO-I conference
Melissa Garland, Justin Jaskowiak, Cynthia Lew and Cailin Rosborough, University Housing and Dining, presented on communicating with Gen Z students at the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) Conference & Expo. (photo)
Adrian Lancaster, Counseling and Mental Health Center and University Health Services, received the inaugural Experiential Learning for All Award from the Center for Teaching and Learning.
Carol Longoria (third from right) participates in a New Faculty Symposium panel.
Carol Longoria, Vice President for Student Affairs, gave an overview of the Division of Student Affairs at the New Faculty Symposium on Aug. 16
Alejandra Marquez presenting at NACUFS
Alejandra Marquez, University Housing and Dining, presented on sustainability at the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) 2022 National Conference.
Celena Mondie-Milner, New Student Services, gave welcome remarks at New Black Student Weekend on Aug. 20.
Pete Schaack, Recreational Sports, has been named the facilities coordinator for the Division of Student Affairs. In this new role, he’ll oversee communication and planning efforts on behalf of our Division with Facilities Planning and Management and evaluate construction delivery methods for the Division, compile data for a Division construction project database and lead the Division Facilities Managers Committee.
Four Division staffers were selected to attend NASPA programs over the summer.
- Mid-Manager Institute (MMI): Rachel Cohen-Ford, Office of the Dean of Students; Cecilia Lopez Cardenas, Recreational Sports
- New Professionals Institute (NPI): Lisa Kappil, University Unions; Joffrey Niessen, University Housing and Dining