How We Are Influencing the Longhorn Life
Published: Feb. 3, 2023
The Division of Student Affairs team plays an essential role in supporting our students’ success and academic journey. Our team influences our students as they live the Longhorn life through our five strategic priorities in their work every day! Check out some of the latest examples below.
Maximizing the Longhorn Experience
University Apartments staff distribute blankets to residents.
Once again, our entire Division of Student Affairs team sprang into action to support students during the three-day campus weather closure, going above and beyond to meet students' needs throughout the ice storm.
Kayleigh Damphousse (New Student Services) far left helps coordinate a photo of President Jay Hartzell with students at Welcome Bash.
New Student Services revamped Spring Welcome to be a series of welcome events for all students, rather than events just geared to spring transfer students. Partnering with University Housing and Dining, they hosted the Welcome Bash on the Main Mall. Recreational Sports hosted Get Hooked on RecSports to offer new students access to free TeXercise group exercise classes and the climbing wall. There were additional events in the residence halls to welcome on-campus residents back to campus. The Center for Students in Recovery also hosted a welcome party to introduce new students to their student community and resources. They teamed up with prevention and outreach teams in the Longhorn Wellness Center and SHIFT – two Division units that address college health issues.
The RISE Summit, hosted by New Student Services, followed Spring Welcome, debuting a new format for the seventh annual event. This year, RISE took place over four days allowing students the flexibility to attend the workshops, discussions, coaching sessions and social events that fit into their schedules.
The Office of the Dean of Students is helping students gain valuable marketable career skills by placing 200 interns through the Summer Internship Program. The program has grown 77% from 45 positions last year. The program includes real-world professional experience, competitive compensation, needs-based housing assistance and leadership development based on the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ career readiness competencies.
Chick-fil-A in the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center
Longhorn Hospitality, a collaboration between University Housing and Dining and University Unions, reopened the Chick-fil-A in the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center (WCP) in the fall and launched three new venues Sabor Tacos y Mas and 123 Sushi in the WCP and the Up and Atom coffee shop in Welch Hall.
University Unions’ Campus Events+Entertainment had 14,382 student attendees at 48 Fall 2023 events, signaling a return to in-person attendance numbers on par with Fall 2019 (pre-pandemic).
Health and Wellness
In synchronicity with the university’s new strategic plan and our Division of Student Affairs strategic priorities, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly announced our new focus on student well-being. Read this New Years News email to Division staff about alignments aimed to enhance our efforts to support our students’ campus experience and academic journey.
RecSports added new pickleball courts on campus at the Caven-Clark Field Courts, providing a convenient location to expand play in America’s fastest growing sport. Participants can reserve these courts for play on a daily basis from 4-7 p.m. The team also offered students free access to new mobility group exercise classes throughout the month of January. These new TeXercise classes teach practices that promote good posture, reduce the risk of injury, and relieve tension due to sedentary lifestyles or over-exercising.
The Counseling and Mental Health Center continues its work with the Graduate School to support graduate students’ mental health. In December 2022, the first-ever Counselor in Academic Residence Program (CARE) counselor dedicated to graduate students started. In January 2023, counselors hosted the three-part workshop series Everything is Fine: A Toolkit for Surviving and Thriving in Grad School to provide tools to help grad students challenge perfectionism, increase self-compassion, overcome test anxiety and implement self-care.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Longhhorn TIES team at the Neurodiversity Mixer
New Student Services’ Longhorn TIES launched a new program for neurodivergent students in partnership with Disability & Access. The Neurodiversity Mixer invites neurodivergent students, staff, faculty and allies to find community. The event took place during Longhorn Welcome and due to interest, the team decided to host the event twice during this spring term.
The RecSports Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee and other RecSports staff members participated in the university’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Community March. Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly also participated in the march and attended the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon.
University Health Services, Counseling and Mental Health Center and Center for Students in Recovery staff are completing the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement Dynamics of Diversity course. This introductory and educational certificate includes multiple trainings, Canvas modules and case discussions related to inclusion, equity, belonging and diversity.
Talent Investment and Staff Support
Paige Muehlenkamp-McHorse (New Student Services), Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly, Bob Vargas and Sara Kennedy (Office of the Dean of Students)
At the annual Team Appreciation and Celebration, the Division of Student Affairs recognized the 2022-2023 Texas Parents Staff Merit Award recipients: Sara Kennedy, Paige Muehlenkamp-McHorse and Bob Vargas were honored for going above and beyond to influence the Longhorn life in their daily work.
Longhorn Wellness Center, Center for Students in Recovery and Office of the Dean of Students staff at the NASPA Strategies Conference
Center for Students in Recovery and Longhorn Wellness Center team members learned techniques to improve the health and well-being of our students and campus community at the 2023 NASPA Strategies Conference. Topics included collegiate alcohol and drug abuse prevention, mental health, sexual violence prevention and well-being through a variety of approaches.
RecSports staff at Pease Park
RecSports staff helped with a mulching project at Pease Park as part of the department’s end-of-year community service project.
To support staff’s wellness goals, University Housing and Dining brought colleagues together in two high-energy Zumba classes at the end of January (Jan. 20 and 27). The department is also sponsoring a number of spots in this year’s Longhorn Run (April 1), continuing an annual commitment to supporting UHD staff interest in a campus tradition.
Senior Team Retreat
The Division’s Senior Team came together for a two-day retreat last month, exploring opportunities to better support our students’ success and academic journey.
Deans of the Corridor Meeting
The Vice President for Student Affairs office brought together 16 colleagues who lead student life efforts at universities along the 1-35 corridor for the Deans of the Corridor meeting. The group representing institutions from San Antonio to Waco networked on student life initiatives happening on their campuses.
Technology and Resource Management
The University Health Services and Counseling and Mental Health Center Data Informatics Team have developed a suite of automated dashboards presenting real-time service utilization and productivity data. Dashboards are highly visual and intuitive to use, empowering staff to directly engage with data to inform clinical and strategic decision-making.
As part of the ongoing efforts to improve the student experience, University Housing and Dining facilities and IT teams installed tap locks in Almetris Duren Hall, the first residence hall equipped with this modern technology. This allows the nearly 600 Duren residents to use their UT ID card to enter the building and their rooms.
Division Influencers
Our “influencers” are team members who are recognized as innovators and thought leaders, making a positive difference with campus colleagues, institutional peers, families, alumni, supporters and others. Their work positively influences our students as they are living the Longhorn life.
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly was a panelist for a Discussion on College and University Student Mental Health at the Princeton University Trustee Meeting Committee of the Whole in November 2022.
Four University Health Services staff members with a combined 133+ years of service to our students retired recently: Barbara Blizzard, Charlotte Katzin and James Wen-Huang Tai in December 2022, and Karen Lee in January 2023.
Associate Vice President for Health and Well-being Chris Brownson put his own discipline into practice by completing a 400-mile bike ride from Montreal, Canada, to New York City. By working on physical and mental endurance, and stress relief, Brownson is modeling how taking care of yourself can help staff do better work to support students.
James Buckley (University Unions) co-presented with Dell Technologies at the Esports Business Summit in November 2022, helping share exciting developments on the Alienware Longhorn Esports Lounge in the Texas Union.
Terrance Hines (University Health Services) served as Physician of the Day at the Texas Capitol on Jan. 24, representing the Texas Academy of Family Physicians as the organization’s president-elect.
Cecilia Lopez Cardenas (RecSports) presented about the role of marketing and communications in campus recreation to James Madison University graduate students in the Marketing in Campus Recreation class in in November 2022.