Month: October 2020

United Way Campaign off to a great start

The 2020 United Way Employee Charitable Campaign and Service Project at Our Lady of the Lake University kicked off with a strong showing last week.

Repeat givers are leading the way. Staff are asked to consider joining them this week by logging into the United Way E-pledge portal: www.giveuw.org/OLLU.

  • To give, employees should use their OLLU email to log-in and use their employee ID# without any preceding zeros as the password
  • Ninety-three cents of every dollar contributed to United Way of San Antonio and Bexar county goes to direct services in our community
  • Should employees decide to use the payroll deduction option, their donation will begin on Jan. 1, 2021.
  • Employees can be recognized by United Way for donations of $250 or higher — Emerging Leadership ($250-499) end Leadership Level ($500 or higher)
  • There is a $25 Minimum donation to participate in prize drawings each Friday.

Click here for the Partner Agency List.

The Kick-Off/Service Project attendee winners were:

  • Adrianna Gonzalez (Diana’s Burgers gift certificate) prize winner – WebEx Kick-off participant
  • Dr. George Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs (Diana’s Burgers gift certificate) prize winner – In-Person Kick-off and First Shift Literacy Kit project
  • Yadira Chavez, OLLU student (Chick-fil-A gift card) prize winner – Second Shift Literacy Kit project

The Oct. 23, 2020 Winners were: 

  • Dia de los Muertos gift basket – Phyllis Duncan
  • Halloween gift basket winners – Julie Kneupper and April Tamayo
  • OLLU Fiesta Medals – Ida Perez, Gina Garza, Ramon Zertuche, Nancy McFerron and Deborah Healy

This week’s 125 prizes are:

1-chance for a Starbucks Gift Card

2- chances for a Diana’s Burgers Gift Certificate

5-chances for an OLLU Confetti Run Medal

Click to see the United Way video.

Many thanks to the wonderful community partners, who have generously donated toward United Way prize drawings: Sugar Rush, Diana’s Burgers, Deco Pizzeria, Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant, OLLU offices and employees. Please support and thank them for continuing to invest in the West Side barrio. 

The United Way campaign will continue through Nov. 20. For questions, contact the 2020 OLLU United Way Campaign Chairs – Mary Scotka (mscotka@ollusa.edu, Prov. 2C, ext. 5590) or Cyndi Trevino (ctrevino1@ollusa.edu, Moye 110, ext. 6504).

Founders Week 2020 starts Sunday

Founders Week 2020 starts Sunday, Nov. 1, with a Liturgy at 7 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel that will honor all the Sisters of Divine Providence and alumni who have died this year.

Other Founders Week events include a Toy Drive on Nov. 2 to benefit alumna Elf Louise, a presidential election watch party in Thiry Auditorium on Nov. 3 and Card Making for McCullough Hall Nursing Center residents on Nov. 4.

For more details on these and other Founders Week events, check the agenda below.   

Click to access FounderWeekforLakeWeekly.pdf

OLLU professor honored with ‘Elected Women of Excellence’ award

Adriana Rocha Garcia, PhD, assistant professor of marketing and District 4 City Councilwoman, has been named a “2020 Elected Woman of Excellence” by the National Foundation of Women Legislators. 

Dr. Garcia was one of 33 women from across the U.S. to receive the award and one of only two from Texas.

According to the National Foundation of Women’s Legislators’ website, the award “was created to identify elected women who have worked tirelessly, often breaking down barriers and overcoming obstacles that once seemed insurmountable, to serve their communities. These pacesetters have engendered an environment where women can now serve in public office and fight for the issues they are passionate about.”

OLLU to co-sponsor Domestic Violence Awareness Symposium Oct. 29-30

OLLU is co-sponsoring the inaugural Domestic Violence Awareness Symposium, a virtual event that will be held Thursday and Friday and feature Spurs star Patty Mills as the keynote speaker.

The symposium will include a legislative panel discussion with U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett. 

The event is free and open to the public. To register, visit this link:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ccdvsymposium.

OLLU has formed a new partnership with the Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence. The commission is a joint City of San Antonio/Bexar County initiative that has brought together stakeholders, community leaders and elected officials to address domestic violence.

View a flyer of the event here: https://ollulakeweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/LoveIs-DVAS_Flyer_draft4-004.jpg

Click to access CCDV-Symposium-Agenda.pdf

New Time Keeping System Coming

Effective June 2021, Ellucian will no longer support the current time keeping system, Web Time Entry.  The new timekeeping system from Ellucian is within the Self Service platform. OLLU will be migrating bi-weekly employees to Self-Service Time Entry (SSTE) starting with the pay period that begins on Oct. 24. 

Employees and supervisors will receive an email notification letting them know when their profile will be migrated to SSTE. Once their profile has been successfully migrated,  another email with instructions on how to clock in/out and approve time within SSTE will be sent. The goal is to have all bi-weekly employees migrated before Spring Break. No action is needed from employees or supervisors until the notification emails are sent. 

For questions, email the Payroll Department at payroll@ollusa.edu.

Dia de los Muertos Grotto Ceremony set for Nov. 2

The annual Dia de los Muertos Grotto Ceremony will be held on Nov. 2 at 10 a.m., and will be carried on Facebook Live (@OLLU.Ministry) from the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto on the OLLU campus.

This year’s ceremony offers the OLLU community a unique moment to come together and to reflect on the close relationship between the worlds of life and death.

The OLLU community is welcome to attend in person ”wearing masks and keeping physical distance”or virtually via the Facebook livestream. OLLU’s Mariachi De Los Santos will provide music under the direction of Antonio Briseno.

Those wishing to welcome their loved ones to the altar/ofrenda may submit the names of those who have passed away since Nov. 2, 2019, to University Ministry at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScq2ahDPdy4jL7CYVWApt2KeiCffieYWf1VEX9SOYzoDQ5swg/viewform

The names will be written on veladoras/votive candles and presented on the ofrenda.

For questions, contact Creighton Chandler, Director of University Ministry, at  210-431-3973 or send an email to ministry@ollusa.edu.

McNair Scholars Program now accepting applications for Spring 2021

The McNair Scholars program is currently recruiting and accepting new students for the Spring 2021 semester. The program is seeking undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing doctoral degrees and are low-income, first-generation and/or traditionally underrepresented in graduate education.

All McNair Scholars work on an independent research project with a faculty mentor, receive free GRE prep and are eligible for up to $2,800 for participating in the Summer Research Internship. The application deadline is Saturday, Nov.  28.

For more information, students can sign up to attend an information session on the dates below.

If submitting an event, please include:

·         Event Name: Interested in getting a PhD?: Become a McNair Scholar!

·         Event Date: Wednesday, Oct. 28; Wednesday, Nov. 4; Wednesday, Nov. 18

·         Event Time: 12:15-1 p.m.

·         Event Location: Blackboard – Sign up here  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/become-a-mcnair-scholar-info-session-tickets-126601433295

·         Sponsor Office or Organization: McNair Scholars Program

·         Contact Person: Carmen Serrata  

·         Contact Number: x5546

·         Contact Email: Mcnair@ollusa.edu

OLLU cheer and dance welcome Gabriel Guel as assistant coach

OLLU announces the addition of Gabriel Guel as Assistant Coach for the Competitive Cheer and Dance teams, which will start their inaugural seasons in the spring.

Head Coach Crystal Brock said, “We are excited to add Coach Guel to our program. His experience, dedication and compassion for our sport are exactly what we need to prosper in new endeavors and in building our legacy here at OLLU. We thrive on community, trust, integrity and service, all the traits Coach Guel exemplifies.”

Guel is a career coach training athletes in gymnastics, cheer and tumbling. He is bringing two decades of coaching experience to OLLU. He has earned numerous awards and championships with his teams, such as state and national titles at the high school and club levels, and also at the collegiate level.

Guel coached three years at a NCAA D1 university winning a collegiate world championship at the Universal Cheerleaders Association (ACA) National Competition in Orlando, Fla., as well as leading a coed squad to California for a top-three finish at the United Spirit Association (USA) Nationals.

In addition to coaching, Guel has entertained NBA crowds with high flying stunt and tumble tricks as a member of the San Antonio Spurs Hype Squad.

Guel has a passion for teaching and coaching athletes to their full potential. He prides himself on his strong coaching skills to push athletes to the next level. He said, “I can’t wait to help bring in talented athletes, who are true leaders inside and out of the classroom and build a strong program at OLLU. I want each of the athletes to grow in faith, become a great part of the community and use their athletic skills to be the best representative of the University.”

He earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences from Texas State University in under two years with concentrations in Sports Psychology, Exercise Science and Communications.

Guel and his wife are parents of Benjamin, Sydney and Payton.

OLLU to kick off United Way Employee Charitable Campaign today

OLLU launches the 2020 United Way Employee Charitable Campaign today at 12:30 p.m. with a 30-minute WebEx presentation. OLLU President Diane E. Melby, EDd, United Way Resource Development Director Greg Smith and Urban Strategies Operations Director Alicia Walter will share remarks.

To listen, click here. To learn how donations help the community, view the United Way video.

The WebEx presentation will detail the four primary United Way focus areas used to affect community change. The presentation also will explain how Urban Strategies works to increase reading proficiency and how the literacy kits being assembled by OLLU volunteers will help support the community.

Participation in the campaign marks an excellent way to celebrate OLLU’s 125th Anniversary and to honor the charism of the Congregation of Divine Providence.

In 2019, the OLLU community contributed more than $27,000 to United Way with a 70-percent employee participation rate and an average donation of $93 per person. OLLU ranked number one in employee participation among the San Antonio Higher Education workplace employee campaigns. Ninety-three cents of every dollar donated to United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County goes to direct services in our community, making it one of the most efficient and effective nonprofits in the country.   

Those who donate $25 or more will be eligible for weekly prize giveaways, which include gift certificates, t-shirts, lunch with President Melby and a Thanksgiving Dinner Prize Pack. 

Today’s campaign launch will include a literacy kit service project led by the Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism in Chapel Auditorium. Volunteers will build 200 literacy kits for Pre-K and elementary-aged students in Bexar County. The kits will benefit children served by Urban Strategies, an agency served by United Way’s Successful Students impact area. 

Employees are encouraged to make their donation online using the United Way E-Pledge portal at www.giveuw.org/OLLU.

The campaign ends Friday, Nov. 20.

Click to access 2020-OLLU-United-Way-Flier_10-14-2020-003.pdf

Click to access Message-for-OLLU-United-Way-E-Pledge-Oct-2020.pdf

Click to access 2020-Weekly-Prize-Incentives.pdf

Click here for the United Way Power Point Presentation:

https://ollulakeweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Ambassadors.pptx