Work-Study Experience

Work-Study Experience

by Lauren McLain

Patrick Estes is a senior in the Architectural Engineering program. His field of study is about the design of building systems – mechanical, plumbing, and structural. Patrick has been working in the Office of Facilities Management since June 2022 and works under the direct supervision of Robb Chock, Director of Mechanical Operations.

In Patrick’s role, he mainly focuses on energy efficiency in a building. He uses Excel to keep track of the HVAC equipment and the weather since outside temperatures affects their operation. After Robb assesses that a building’s system is performing inefficiently or is no longer code compliant, then Patrick uses AutoCAD to document the updated system design. Now and then, Patrick also changes air filters for the mechanical units. With onsite visits to buildings on campus and hands on experience at various mechanical and plumbing systems, Patrick has a better understanding of his textbook material. And the textbook information has also helped him understand better what he is looking at in the field. Patrick is learning that a building must be maintained within a budget, something which he has not even considered until now. Patrick attends project meetings as well as meetings with mechanical contractors. So, he is getting a wide range of exposure to real life experiences, and these will help prepare him for the workforce after graduation.

Patrick feels very fortunate to have found a job within his degree and to be treated as a colleague, rather than as a student. The work-study program is capped at 19 hours per week, but he normally puts in 15 hours. His work schedule does not impact his studies as he works around his classes, and his cross country and track activities are also not affected. We in the Facilities department are also very fortunate to have Patrick working with us as he is passionate about his tasks and enjoys learning while doing them. One of his fond memories is when he first started work and was taken down to a utility tunnel to identify signage for safety and exits. This tunnel is a 2-mile loop under the campus and has 3 passages under Cooper Street. If you see Patrick around campus, say “hi” to him. And if you have any questions about the work-study program, then he would love to tell you more about his experience.

Strategic Planning Insights: A Conversation with Nicholas Viator

by Mistie Maskill

Within the realm of institutional development, lies a roadmap for the future. This roadmap is meticulously crafted through strategic planning.

The recent release of the UTAs 2030 Strategic Plan is an important milestone for the university. It captures and showcases how the university will move forward the projects/progress that has been in the works for some time. Nicholas “Nick” Viator, Assistant Vice President of Strategic Planning at UT Arlington, graciously shared insights into the intricate process of crafting strategic pathways at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).

What is Strategic Planning?

At its core, strategic planning entails setting the mission, vision, and goals that steer an institution towards its desired outcomes, alongside identifying the necessary qualities to support these aspirations.

The UTA Strategic Plan wasn't solitary, and it unfolded through various stages, from conducting listening sessions and surveys to facilitating focus groups and interviews - comprising individuals from various levels and departments. Nick affirms the significance of gathering diverse perspectives, and that all voices provide the foundation needed to begin building the plan that fits UTA. These different areas of research facilitated data presentations and brainstorming sessions to shape institutional priorities and inform strategic decisions. UTA’s Strategic Plan involved a collaborative effort and is a key highlight in Nick’s approach.

Nick goes on to share about how the role of mentorship and collaboration influenced him during this development. Drawing from experiences at previous institutions like University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), where mentorship and a nurturing culture formed the bedrock of success. Nick strives to integrate similar principles at UTA and acknowledges the significance of cultivating a supportive environment where ideas flourish, and individuals thrive.

As UTA navigates this transformative phase, Nick leans heavily into fostering open communication and engaging with the community. Initiatives like the Rise 100 project reflect the institution's commitment to elevating research endeavors, with similar endeavors in development for staff.

Looking ahead, Nick envisions a campus-wide engagement drive, with surveys slated to gather feedback and insights from the UTA community. His passion for facilitating growth and his steadfast commitment to fostering culture and meaningful connections will ensure the way for a brighter tomorrow. Going beyond the intricacies of strategic planning lies a profound appreciation for the success of UTA.

As the strategic plan continues to take shape it stands as a cornerstone for shaping the future of UTA. Nick advocates for active participation, urging staff to contribute their perspectives to ensure inclusivity and alignment.

Nothing Bundt Cakes Copycat Recipe for

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

by Lori Danyl Carter

This Nothing Bundt Cakes White Chocolate Raspberry Cake Copycat tastes just like the popular bakery version! Creamy, flavorful, easy to make at home!

 

Prep Time: 10 min.     |     Cook Time: 45 min.     |     Total Time: 55 min.     |     Serves: 16

Ingredients in White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake:

• For the dry ingredients, save yourself some time and use a box of white cake mix.
• To the dry cake batter, add a package of instant white chocolate pudding mix (dry)
• In a large mixing bowl, add a cup of sour cream – adds so much moisture to the cake
• Eggs – you’ll need four large eggs to add at medium speed.
• Water – if you want to make an even richer cake, you can substitute the water for buttermilk or whole milk
• Vegetable oil
• White chocolate chips, chopped into smaller pieces. You can even use a food processor to chop them up.
• Raspberry pie filling
• For the frosting: you’ll need softened butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a couple teaspoons vanilla extract. Use a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, whip the frosting until light and fluffy

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix (15.25 ounces)

3.4 ounces instant white chocolate pudding mix (dry)

1 cup sour cream

4 large eggs

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1 cup white chocolate chips chopped into smaller pieces

1/2 cup red raspberry preserves (SEE NOTES ABOVE)

16 ounces cream cheese softened

1/2 cup butter softened

3-4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions:

• Spray a non-stick formed aluminum bundt pan with cooking spray (see above) and lightly flour the edges. Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. Gather your ingredients.
• Mix first six ingredients together with a beater. Fold in white chocolate chips.
• Fill prepared bundt pan with half of the batter.
• Spoon half of the raspberry preserves in 5-6 small, separated teaspoon-sized spoonfuls over the batter (so it looks like separate tiny clumps of filling over the top).
• Using a knife swirl the filling through the cake. Pour remaining batter in evenly and spoon in remaining pie filling, repeating the "swirling" process above.
• Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 mins. (do the “knife test” to determine doneness). If the knife does not come out clean, keep placing back in the oven for 3-5 min at a time until it does.
• Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 mins. Remove from pan. I think it tastes most like a Nothing Bundt Cake if you put it on a serving plate, wrap it well in Saran Wrap, and let it sit overnight in the freezer before frosting and serving.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar (start with 2 cups then keep adding more until it is nice and thick).

Note: To get the frosting like in the picture. Fill a gallon size Ziplock bag with the frosting and chill for about 30 minutes. Cut off a bottom corner at about a half inch diagonal cut, depending on how big you want the "frosting strips". Frost cake by squeezing out the frosting from the outside of the cake toward the middle.

Serve and enjoy!

  

Suggestions for White Chocolate Raspberry Cake:

• When making a bundt cake, you want to be sure to generously grease AND flour or spray the cake pan with non-stick cooking spray, making sure to get every little nook and cranny.
• Before the cake is completely cool, carefully run a knife between the cake and the pan. Turn the plate or platter you will be serving the cake on upside down and place it on top of the cake (still in the bundt pan). Holding the plate and bundt pan together, flip so the plate is now on the bottom and the bundt pan on top. This will hold the cake in the bundt pan. Once upside down, tap the handle of a butter knife along the bottom of the bundt pan (that is now flipped to be on top). The cake should come out very easily onto the plate.
• To get the frosting like in the picture, fill a gallon size Ziplock bag, or a pastry bag, with the frosting and chill for about 30 minutes. Cut off a bottom corner at about a half inch diagonal cut, depending on how big you want the “frosting strips”. Frost cake by squeezing out the frosting from the outside of the cake toward the middle.
• If you can’t find white chocolate pudding mix, vanilla is a good substitute.

New Year’s Resolution Survey Results

By Mistie Maskil

60% no they do not believe in New Year Resolutions whiles 40% said yes.

 

16% stated yes, they do complete their resolutions, 17% said no, and 67% said they sometimes complete them.

We had a handful of survey participants share some of their resolutions, here are a few of them:

• I believe in having goals. That doesn't mean I always hit them. But I keep striving!
• While I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, I do use January to review the previous year and look for ways to be ready physically and spiritually for the upcoming year.
• Live a healthier lifestyle!

When Life Throws You a Curve Ball

Realizing Our Potential: Clifton Strengths Assessment in the Library

By: Sara Pezzoni

In 2023, UTA Libraries Employee Success Coordinator Kelly Dill explored a new method of connecting library staff with one another over lunch. This monthly series, aptly titled “Lunch & Learn,” began as a time to discuss and engage with themes centered on professional growth and to learn more about how the Libraries’ Guiding Principles applies to library staff’s everyday work. Dill implemented this program on behalf of the Library’s Organizational Excellence department as part of a capstone project for her Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. 

One of the Lunch & Learn topics centered on a four-part series of panel discussions on Gallup’s CliftonStrengths Assessment, a talent assessment tool that was first introduced to library staff in 2019. The goal of this series was to help library staff learn more about how to comprehend and apply the results of this assessment within the organization. “This is a self-awareness tool,” Dill said, “and it’s easy to take the results at face value and not work towards understanding how to apply this tool effectively.” The library has previously provided workshops to staff in contextualizing the tool’s results as a group. Ultimately, Dill says that the CliftonStrengths assessment has served as a “foundational guide for library staff to see how they process information and approach problems, how they can bring value to the organization, and how staff can use talent themes to improve partnerships and the team dynamic within the library.”

Each Lunch & Learn CliftonStrengths panel discussion focused on one of the four strength domains—executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic thinking—and panelists were selected based on their dominance in certain themes across those domains. Dill began this series as a way to connect library staff with each other and learn more about the work that their colleagues do beyond who they interact with daily. She stated that the goal of each panel discussion was to “help people to see that not everyone with the same talent themes are in the same role; these strengths don’t dictate what you do, just how you do it.”

Important conversations have stemmed from these sessions, including discussion of the misconceptions and difficulties in defining and understanding each strength. “For example,” Dill said, “the empathy theme came up, and while it was clear how CliftonStrengths defined empathy, these discussions helped the group also see how people use these strengths in their own defined way. In creating organized conversations around how we share talent themes but approach them differently, this has helped us become better prepared to meet each other in the middle. We’re having more conversations, asking our colleagues to clarify their interpretations, and learning more about our individual roles and purpose within the library. This really highlights that we all see the world differently.”

The CliftonStrengths assessment is also offered to students as part of an effort led by UTA’s Follett Student Leadership Center. The Center’s director, Becka Shetty, says the Center has offered training to departments across campus that work directly with students so staff can provide CliftonStrengths workshops for the students they serve and work with. Shetty says that while their focus is on students, they do receive requests from faculty and staff for training in the CliftonStrengths assessment. While UTA’s Office of Talent, Culture, and Engagement provides training on a wide variety of leadership programs, the CliftonStrengths talent assessment is currently not offered to staff. Shetty wholeheartedly supports the use of this tool across campus and believes that if the university were to provide this program to its staff, it would “only help understand ourselves better, our colleagues better, and learn how teams can work together more effectively. There are large corporations that have used this tool intentionally and they win awards for how this is implemented in those companies. It ultimately shows better staff engagement."

In the library, Dill prefaces these Lunch & Learn sessions with this message: the best teams are made up of individuals who understand their own—and others’—unique contribution to the team; in collaborating more effectively, we achieve more together. By learning how to use this tool, staff are empowered. These discussions provide encouragement and a message that library staff can make impactful, positive contributions to the organization. This program takes the library’s guiding principles—We Care, We Empower, We Take Ownership, and We Are Extraordinary—to the next level.

Pumpkin Survey Results
By: Mistie Maskil

92% said “yes”, the remaining 8% said “no”, they are a fan of pumpkin season.

We had a few participants leave comments:

• "Only seasoned pumpkin seeds."
• "Love the cooler weather, leaves falling, and it seems to be more activities and life events."
• "Love the varieties available and the great recipes that come from pumpkins; soups, baked goods, veggie chili."
• "I love the cooler weather and it signals the start of Thanksgiving and Christmas!"

Love the cooler weather, leaves falling, and it seems to be more activities and life events.

UTA Library Resources - Creative Spaces & Services

By: Lauren McLain & Mistie Maskil

Creative Spaces and Services, which you may know as the UTA FABLAB, is not only a space for faculty and students but it is also a space that staff may utilize as well, whether for personal or professional projects. We had the opportunity to get the details from Lauren Stutler, the Director of Creative Spaces and Services. All it takes is a little training, which you can get from student workers or expert staff, or more structured training for specific equipment. You can request consultations to assist in your project. FabLab users can provide their own pre-approved materials or pay only the price of materials via MavMoney.

The Creative Spaces and Services (CSS) is a dedicated department nestled within the UTA Central Library. It strives to empower students, faculty, and staff, regardless of their experience level, by offering a plethora of resources and opportunities for crafting an array of digital, tangible, and imaginative projects. The space is broken up into three sections: The Studios, The FabLab, and The Basement.

Image of the FabLab side of the Creative Spaces and Services Photograph

The Studios
A hub for inspiration and innovation, where you can bring your digital art and audio projects to life. This area is located on the northside of First Floor. Offerings encompass green screen facilities, photography studios, sound recording spaces, poster design and printing, and drone building. Access to expert guidance is available from both students and dedicated full-time staff.

The FabLab
A dynamic maker space designed to foster project-based, experiential learning for individuals across all disciplines and skill levels. The FabLab offers a comprehensive range of resources, including a workshop, 3D and vinyl printing, textiles, glass and ceramics studios, sewing equipment, and hands-on training to support innovation and entrepreneurial endeavors. The Work Shop will require more training due to specialized equipment such as plasma cutter, CNC router, welding and numerous power tools.

The Basement
A recreational zone designed to unwind and build connections throughout the day. Skilled students and staff are on hand to offer guidance in game development, while various gaming opportunities are available, including tabletop games, electronic gaming, console gaming, and PC gaming.

Additional information can be found on the CSS website or email them with specific questions.

Email: css@uta.edu

Website: https://libraries.uta.edu/services/fablab

Elevating Success Through Collaboration in Mentorship: The Maverick Momentum Program 
By: Sara Pezzoni 

The Office of Talent, Culture, and Engagement’s (TCE) Belonging & Engagement division has developed a new collaborative mentorship program geared towards furthering professional development of Staff Advisory Council (SAC) committee members. Launching January 2024, the Maverick Momentum program is designed to develop a culture of belonging and engagement through mentorship, knowledge-sharing, and professional growth. The six-month structured mentorship program pairs SAC council member mentees with mentors that are managers or directors who have completed the MavsManager program.

Each mentee will be assigned a mentor that is well-suited for their strengths, skill set, and experience.  

Prior to this program, the only mentorship program available to UTA employees was geared towards faculty, the UTA Faculty Mentorship Program offered by the Division of Faculty Success. The Maverick Momentum program’s facilitator, Veronique Jones, said this program fulfills the need for a staff-centered mentorship program. "Like the mentorship program offered to faculty, the goals of this program are to make sure participants in the program have an increased sense of engagement; to increase networking capacity of all involved; and encourage and facilitate professional growth. The feedback we received from the UTA People and Culture Survey showed that the biggest opportunities for growth involve employees feeling that others care about them and feeling that their opinions count,” Jones said.  

Initial sessions of the program will include discussion of the mentee’s professional goals, establishing that the mentor-mentee relationship is rooted in achieving those goals. The sessions will then center around five themes: setting personal goals, personal marketing and branding; autonomous engagement; topic of solutions-orientation; and feedback and growth. Jones said that the goal for these sessions is to “really maximize on those conversations—they're not just informal conversations but they are conversations geared towards growing professionally.”  

To join the Maverick Momentum program, mentees must be employed at UTA for at least six months, serve as a current SAC member, be in good standing with the university, and have supervisor approval to participate. Mentees are set to meet monthly with their assigned mentor for a minimum of one hour throughout the duration of the program, with a session conversation guide provided for each session. The program begins with a kickoff event to provide resources and tools needed for mentees to have a successful relationship with their mentor. At the conclusion of the six-month program, mentees will receive recognition for their participation at a capstone celebration.  

According to TCE, participants in mentorship programs are five times more likely to be promoted than non-participants, and mentorship programs increase engagement, performance, and retention for mentees by 22 percent. For those interested in participating in the Maverick Momentum program, applications will reopen in the Fall semester. For more information, contact Veronique Jones at veronique.jones@uta.edu or visit TCE’s Training & Development website: https://www.uta.edu/hr/belonging-and-engagement/training-development.

Inside SAC: A brief discussion with Christopher Templeton, Chair
By: Ashleigh Johnson

In a virtual meeting via Teams, I had the privilege of engaging with Christopher Templeton, Chair of the Staff Advisory Council (SAC), to delve into pressing questions that have been at the forefront of our collective thoughts.

One of the things that Chris mentioned is that right now, there are 20, yes 20, SAC representative positions available across campus. SAC can only operate so much without having the much-needed staff to fill these positions. There is a place on the SAC website to view the open positions but to make it easier, here they are:

• District 3 VP of Administration and Economic Development-7
• District 4 VP of Business Affairs-1
• District 8 Provost/VP of Academic Affairs-2
• District 9 VP of Research and Federal Relations-2
• District 12 Dean of the College of Education-1
• District 15 Dean of the College of Science-2
• District 17 Division of Student Success and Dean of the Honors College-2
• District 20 Dean of the Library-3

One thing very important to Chris as Chair is to have an open line of communication with the Community and with UTA Leadership. This means ensuring SAC is following procedures and setting up systems to allow for monitoring incidents/issues that are brought to SAC so that patterns are easily established and are then able to be addressed. Ideally, the goal for SAC meetings is an information-driven session, focused on problem-solving, and an open line of communication for sharing information, “Keeping a careful eye to limiting distractions that can take away from SAC making a true impact.”

Something else we discussed was about equity vs. equality. How you can approach your supervisor with “How can you provide equity for me as an employee within this department.” While every position in a department will not be the same, there are ways that you can work towards having equity in your role. Track your tasks and roles and gather data. Make sure that you’re showing what you can do in the office, or if you’re able to work from home. Chris had suggested (upon approval from the general body of SAC), providing resources for employees to be able to track their work, discuss with their supervisor, etc.

As someone who has never been involved with SAC and has only heard mundane things about it in years past, I really see a positive change coming with Chris and the Executive Board of SAC. There is a sense of urgency to correct, advocate, listen, challenge, and overall be what the UTA Staff needs.

While preparing for this article, I did some digging and learned that SAC does not currently have a Mission Statement. I was surprised but got to work with some new verbiage and will present it at the next SAC meeting for discussion and potential adoption of a new Mission Statement, so stay tuned to see what we create.

If you’re reading this and you’re not a part of SAC, but you have the passion and desire to help the University, send us an email to SAC@uta.edu. Let us know you exist. Find your district and get more information on how to become a SAC member. Without SAC, the staff voice isn’t loud enough. Even if you are not SAC eligible yet, you might be new, I would encourage you to get yourself on SAC's radar. SAC doesn’t know you’re out there unless you talk to them.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Chris regarding his role as Chair with SAC, “As SAC Chair, I want to forge new partnerships across the University and fortify long-lasting partnerships with new energy. The reason for this is so the Staff at UTA can have a far-reaching voice." 

Sharing Your Voice: Submit Your Suggestion