Influencing the Longhorn Life Staff Newsletter
Published: Dec. 10, 2024
From record-breaking attendance at programs to new resources that meet student needs, we are making a positive difference in our students’ lives. Learn more about the great work our team is doing in these updates on our programs, spaces and resources.
Programs
The Division team closed out the semester in the first weeks of December with six events to fuel students’ study sessions, five festive celebrations and eight movies and live music shows. The Disability Cultural Center, Longhorn Wellness Center, New Student Services, Office of the Dean of Students, Recreational Sports and University Unions all helped students take care of themselves during finals.
During the Salute to Service football game on Nov. 9, student veterans and staff received a $250 million check from the Texas Lottery Commission that supports veteran services at universities across the state. The Office of the Dean of Students also hosted a tailgate to celebrate 600 student veterans, military-affiliated students, and their families.
New Student Services redesigned the University’s First-Gen Week lineup with a new celebratory event, First-Gen Voices, that included President Jay Hartzell. The week ended with the annual campus-wide First-Gen Celebration, an outdoor festival-style event on the Main Mall. The First-Gen Longhorns team also coordinated with dozens of campus partners to host 25 events during the week’s lineup. See the photos from First-Gen Voices here.
The Project, the University’s largest day of service, celebrated 25 years on Nov. 2 with 1,000+ volunteers. Students, faculty, staff and community members built play areas, enhanced garden spaces and created artwork at six sites in Austin’s Dove Springs neighborhood. Texas Parents invited parents and family members to volunteer alongside their students, establishing a new tradition for Longhorn families. Watch this recap video. See the photos.
For its end-of-semester field trip, the Bevo Buddy! program in New Student Services is taking buddies and leaders to the UT Night at Austin’s Trail of Lights for the first time on Dec. 11. They also invited students from the First-Gen Living Learning Community, a different New Student Services program, to join their community at this event.
The Longhorn Wellness Center hosted its 23rd annual Breaking the Silence event in a new location on Oct. 24. Students requested a more intimate setting for the Voices Against Violence event that raises awareness on interpersonal violence prevention, so the team held it in the newly-redesigned Gregory Gym Lounge.
RecSports recognized the first 10 TeXercise participants to complete their first 100 TeXercise class since the 100th milestone program launched on Aug. 26. The students who achieved this milestone were celebrated at a reception on Dec. 9 and received an exclusive TeXercise 100 t-shirt.
Spaces
Intramural Sports is an essential part of the Longhorn experience for students who enjoy competition and camaraderie. During the 2023-2024 academic year, 10,727 students participated in intramural sports with a total of 7,454 games played. As the fall season wraps up, 5,000+ students will have participated in 15 intramural events. See the photos from flag football finals, swim meet, volleyball championship night and cornhole tournament.
Campus Events+Entertainment saw record-breaking attendance at “Wicked” and “Little Women.” A line wrapped around the Texas Union for the advanced screening of “Wicked” – with 350 students seeing the film before it hit theaters. They also hosted “Little Women” on the Main Mall for 500+ students, and welcomed 285 attendees to the iconic Cactus Café for the first-ever Cozy Concert with student performers. See the photos from the Wicked screening here.
University Unions expanded the available student seating by 15% in some areas of the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center. The team upgraded four areas with new furniture and installed study pods on the second floor to create additional private spaces for students to study. Watch this video to see these and other study spaces in our Division.
During the Winter Wishes donation drive, students, faculty and staff can donate to the UT Outpost food pantry. After a record number of student visits in Fall 2024, these contributions help meet student needs during the spring. Find more information on acceptable items and how to drop off.
The Center for Students in Recovery welcomed students, faculty and staff into their new space in the Student Services Building for the second-annual Pie Luck. The event celebrates the center’s community with a potluck Thanksgiving-style meal where participants bring pies.
Resources
RecSports is expanding access to its programs and activities for students who face financial barriers. The Brodnax Recreation Fund was launched in November to enable current students the opportunity to apply for full-funding of select RecSports programs or activities for Spring 2025. Funding recipients will be notified in early January.
SHIFT has expanded Operation Naloxone to include two new naloxone distribution sites: Gregory Gym and the Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex. Students, faculty and staff can pick up free Narcan, a nasal spray that helps reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
The Disability Cultural Center celebrated Disability Awareness and Belonging Month in October with 27 events. The team put together a dynamic lineup that featured opportunities to explore disability access and belonging – with an Adapted Sports Night on Oct. 29 that drew 96 attendees.
The Longhorn Wellness Center introduced new Canvas modules for students, faculty and staff on bystander intervention, sexual health and sleep. Similar self-paced modules were offered during the COVID-19 pandemic, but these redesigned modules incorporate these important well-being topics into Canvas, UT Austin’s learning management system for students.
New Student Services received 125 first-year Orientation Advisor applications, a 48% increase from last year, and is aiming to hire 78 OAs (53 new and 25 returning). This team of student employees helps incoming students as they get into a Longhorn State of Mind at New Student Orientation, then begin living the Longhorn life when classes start.
Supporting the mental health and well-being of all Longhorns is just one of the reasons why Student Government President Grace Kelly received the Sharon H. Justice Leadership Scholarship. Several Student Government leaders created this scholarship to honor Justice’s legacy of putting students first, and Kelly is one of nine recipients since 2015. Read the story.
To support the Division’s human resources and business services staff, the Office of the Vice President reconvened the Student Affairs Business and Human Resources committee in November. This group, chaired by the Division’s Human Resources Director Anne Steele, will continue to meet monthly.
University Health Services continues to offer flu and COVID-19 vaccines for students by appointment. During the annual campus-wide clinics, 6,300 students, faculty and staff received flu shots.