Category: News

W2s now available in Self Service

W2s for calendar year 2021 are now available. If employees have given electronic consent, the W2s will be available in Self Service.

Instructions to access W2s in Self Service are at https://portal-prod.ec.ollusa.edu/UniversityResources/DisbursementOffice/Forms/HOW TO ACCESS W2’s IN SELF SERVICE.pdf.

OLLU will not mail out W2s to current employees who have given W2 electronic consent. 

Employees will have to print their W2s from Self Service.

If electronic consent has not been given, W2s will be mailed to the employee’s address on file with Human Resources. The W2s were mailed at the post office on Jan. 28. Due to COVID, mail delivery times are expected to be slower, therefore, payroll will address requests for re-mailing of W2s after Feb. 11. Contact payroll@ollusa.edu after this date with requests for re-mailing.

W2s for terminated employees will be mailed out as well. Once they receive their W2, it is important to review it for accuracy. For questions about the W2, or if the information is incorrect, contact payroll@ollusa.edu.

In the News

Recent media coverage that brought attention to OLLU:

On Jan. 29, a story in the San Antonio Business Journal about the hiring of Dr. Abel Chávez as OLLU’s new president:

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2022/01/28/ollu-taps-colorado-college-vp-as-new-president.html

On Jan. 27, a story in the San Antonio Report about OLLU hiring its 10th president:

Our Lady of the Lake University names first Latino as next president

On Jan. 27, a story in the San Antonio Express-News about OLLUL’s new president-elect: 

https://www.expressnews.com/news/education/article/OLLU-San-Antonio-next-president-16809599.php

On Jan. 27, a story in the Colorado News about OLLU hiring a vice president from Western Colorado University as its new president:

https://darik.news/colorado/our-lady-of-the-lakes-university-in-san-antonio-names-its-next-president/202201491066.html

On Jan. 26, a story in ValleyCentral.com about a Sharyland High School athlete who signed a letter of intent to play baseball at OLLU:

https://www.valleycentral.com/local-sports/sharyland-high-school-athlete-signs-with-ollu/

On Jan. 25, a story in the Bakersfield Californian about alumna Yolanda Lee Conyers who was appointed to the Board of Directors for Seagate Technology Holdings, a world leader in data storage and infrastructure solutions:  

https://www.valleycentral.com/local-sports/sharyland-high-school-athlete-signs-with-ollu/

Men’s basketball falls in final minutes to Texarkana

The men’s basketball team lost to Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) 78-71 on Saturday afternoon. The Saints drop to 7-10 overall and 2-5 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Eagles improve to 12-4 overall and 5-2 in the conference.

Head Coach Chris Dial commented, “We knew coming into this game it was going to be a tough environment against a tough opponent. We got off to a slow start, and we can’t do that in this conference. I was pleased with the way the team responded in the second half. Our bench players played with a lot of energy throughout the whole game.”

History

The Saints and Eagles were tied 1-1 in the series history prior to today’s game.

Basics

The Saints shot 50 percent from the field in the first half but went 0-of-7 from three-point range. The Eagles also struggled shooting but grabbed five offensive rebounds and forced nine fouls from the Saints. Joseph Anderson (SR/Houston, Texas) and Tommie Law (FR/Semmes, Ala.) both had six points for OLLU, and Ellis Jones (JR/Houston, Texas) grabbed four rebounds. The Eagles led 37-26 at halftime.

OLLU outscored TAMUT 45-41 in the second half but it wasn’t enough for a victory. There were multiple lead changes late in the game, but the Eagles eventually led by eight points with just over three minutes remaining. The Saints gradually cut TAMUT’s advantage to only three points after a three-point shot by Georges Darwiche (SR/Bucharest, Romania) with 1:24 left. The Eagles hit key free throws down the stretch and won by seven points.

Offensive/defensive standouts

Law led the Saints with 13 points. Jones grabbed a team-high five rebounds. Xavier Purnell (FR/Stafford, Va.) led OLLU with four assists.

TAMUT was led by Tyrell Henderson with 19 points. Connor Ouellette had a team-high nine rebounds. Kobe Powell tallied a team-high seven assists.

Inside the box

OLLU combined for 28-of-56 shooting for 50 percent, 4-of-17 from three-point range for 23.5 percent and 11-of-16 from the free-throw line for 68.8 percent.

TAMUT combined for 27-of-64 from the field for 42.2 percent, 3-of-23 three-pointers for 13 percent and 21-of-27 from the charity stripe for 77.8 percent.

The Saints grabbed 27 rebounds while the Eagles gathered 32. OLLU forced 13 turnovers and committed 16.

Up next

The Saints travel to Dallas to play Paul Quinn College on Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m.

Women’s basketball downs Texarkana to remain perfect in conference

The women’s basketball team stayed undefeated in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) with an 84-70 victory over Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT). The Saints have won six straight games and are 10-10 overall and 7-0 in the conference. The Eagles fall to 3-13 overall and 0-6 in the RRAC.  

Head Coach Jillian Flores Bennett said, “It wasn’t our best night offensively, but we found a way to win with our defense. I’m very happy with the way we shared the ball despite an off night. It’s always good to win on the road after battling some adversity. The team responded well to some in-game adjustments we made.”

History

The Saints won the only previous two meetings against the Eagles prior to today’s game.

Basics

The Saints outscored the Eagles 21-9 in the first quarter. Four starters scored at least three points and Emiko Hemphill (SR/San Antonio, Texas) grabbed three rebounds. TAMUT’s offense came to life in the second quarter and scored 23 points. OLLU continued to shoot well and led 41-32 at halftime. Natalia Trevino (JR/Laredo, Texas) shined in the second quarter with five points and three assists. Alexandra Strawhorn (SR/Kyneton, Australia) added five points as well.

Both teams scored 16 points in the third quarter. Cormia Lewis (SO/Houston, Texas) led the Saints with nine points and three rebounds in the frame. The Saints’ lead was cut to five points with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Keviona Barber (SR/Chicago, Ill.) hit a three-point shot to bring the lead back up to eight points. The Saints finished strong and won by 14 points.

Offensive/defensive standouts

Barber led the Saints with 18 points. Lewis and Trevino totaled 17 points each. Hemphill had a team-high 10 rebounds. Barber and Trevino finished with a team-high five assists apiece.

TAMUT was led by Victoria Hill with 16 points. Janee Knorr had a team-high eight rebounds. Morgan Strawder led the Eagles with seven assists.

Inside the box

OLLU combined for 27-of-77 shooting for 35.1 percent, 7-of-28 from three-point range for 25 percent and 23-of-31 from the free-throw line for 74.2 percent. TAMUT shot 28-of-69 for 40.6 percent, 4-of-17 three-pointers for 23.5 percent and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line for 83.3 percent.

The Saints grabbed 44 rebounds while the Eagles collected 43. OLLU forced 22 turnovers and committed 11.

Up next

The Saints play Paul Quinn College on the road on Feb. 3 at 4 p.m.

Baseball begins 2022 campaign in three-game series against USAO

Hear from Head Coach Bryan Aughney and watch highlights.

The baseball team took one of three games against the No. 14-ranked University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) in the 2022 season series opener this weekend. The Saints start the year 1-2 while the Drovers sit at 2-1.

Game One

The Saints began the 2022 season with a 9-7 victory in a back-and-forth battle against the Drovers in a seven-inning matchup. Francisco Martinez (JR/San Antonio, Texas) drove in Robert Arredondo (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas) in the bottom of the first inning and Tyler Vivier (SO/San Antonio, Texas) added two more runs with a double. OLLU loaded the bases in the following inning and Sebastian Ledezma (FR/Los Fresnos, Texas) scored on a wild pitch. The Drovers’ offense came to life in the third and fifth inning by scoring three runs in each frame. Saints starting pitcher Alec Martinez (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas) went four innings and allowed two hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts.

OLLU tied the game 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Vivier hit a sacrifice fly to score Matthew Klar (JR/San Antonio, Texas) and Noah Rodriguez (SR/Victoria, Texas) brought in John B. Ortega II (SO/Harlingen, Texas). Jake Womack singled to center field to score Colton Bensch in the top of the sixth inning to give the lead back to the Drovers. USAO made costly errors in the bottom of the sixth inning. Christian Martinez (SO/Corpus Christi, Texas) scored on an error to tie the game and Vivier singled to bring in Klar and Arredondo. Joshua Mendez (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas) held the Drovers scoreless in the top of the seventh inning to give the Saints the 9-7 win. Vivier batted 2-for-2 with five RBIs and Francisco Martinez added three hits with an RBI.

Game Two

The Drovers controlled the second game of the series early on and tied the series heading into Saturday. They scored six runs in the second inning and four in the third inning to lead 10-0. Klar and Francisco Martinez drove in runs in the bottom of the third inning and Montejano scored on an error. The Saints added another run in the fourth inning when Christian Martinez grounded out to shortstop and Rodriguez scored. The exact same play happened in the following inning to cut the Drovers lead to 10-5. Gage Gaunt hit a two-run home run to left field in the seventh inning and the Drovers ended up winning 12-5 on 11 hits.

Game Three

The series finale was a battle on the mound in a nine-inning showdown. Saints starting pitcher Brett Vasquez (JR/Baytown, Texas) pitched six innings allowing only four hits and one earned run. He also struck out six of the 22 batters he faced. The lone run he gave up came in the top of the first inning when Gaunt stole home on a double steal. The Drovers led 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning. The Saints took a 2-1 advantage after RBI singles from Francisco Martinez and Pablo Trevino (SO/San Juan, Texas). USAO regained the lead in the top of the eighth inning after a two-run home run by Joey Pena. The Drovers tacked on three more runs in the top of the ninth inning for a commanding 6-2 lead. Ledezma scored on a balk for the Saints in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough as the Drovers took the series and game three 6-3.

Up next

The Saints host No. 2-ranked Central Methodist University in a four-game series starting on Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.

Soccer teams will host ID camps

The soccer teams will host ID Camps in February, first the women on Feb. 20 and the men on Feb. 27. The camp will be held to inform potential student-athletes concerning collegiate requirements and the recruitment process, as well as to identify potential players for the OLLU Women’s Soccer Program.

The camp will cost $65. The registration form and payment information are available online here using a desktop or laptop computer: OLLU Women’s ID Camp. or OLLU Men’s ID Camp.

Dr. Garcia chosen for advisory group that influences state, national policy

OLLU Assistant Professor of Marketing and District 4 City Councilwoman Adriana Garcia, PhD, has been chosen for the Texas Lyceum Class of 2022. The selection means Dr. Garcia will play a role in shaping state and national policy discussions on race relations and other important issues.

The Lyceum is a nonprofit that selects leaders of all political persuasions to provide insight into the challenges facing Texas. The group will meet four times in 2022 to discuss such topics as the commerce, culture and confluence of “The New Border,” and “The Sustainability of Texas Communities West of I-35.” 

She recently told the San Antonio Express-News, “One of the things that I want to also bring to the Lyceum is an honest conversation about diversity and inclusion. We absolutely have to be talking about that at the state level and as leaders.”

Reminder: Masks are required for all students returning to school

As students return to in-person classes today, OLLU would like to issue an important reminder: Everyone on campus – students, faculty and staff – is required to wear masks in shared indoor spaces. Those spaces include classrooms, hallways, computer labs and shared offices.

The mask mandate applies to everyone – whether vaccinated, boosted or not. 

The university strongly encourages everyone to use KN95, N95 or surgical masks as these have proven to be more effective than cloth masks. Cloth masks worn over a surgical mask allows wearers to make a fashion statement while enjoying an extra layer of protection.

Surgical masks are available at the Welcome Desk in Main Building on the San Antonio campus, and in the front offices on the Houston and RGV campuses.

Campanas de America Valentine’s Day concert set for Feb. 12

The annual Campanas de America Valentine’s Day concert will be held at Thiry Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.

The concert offers an evening of romantic music performed by Campanas de America, a renowned, 12-piece mariachi ensemble. The band (Bells of America) was founded in 1978 and named after alumna Belle Ortiz (BA 1971).   

Tickets range from $15 to $30. Students, faculty and staff receive $5 off each ticket. All purchases must be made at the University Events Office located in the Durango House, Monday through Friday, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Doors to the concert open at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Elizabeth Longoria at 210-528-7152 or email at elongoria@ollusa.edu.

Webinar available to learn more about Medicare and retirement options

A healthy 65-year-old couple retiring this year could need about $16,000 a year to cover healthcare expenses during the course of a 24-year retirement.* That’s why figuring out healthcare coverage for retirement, including Medicare options, is such an important part of retirement planning. Transamerica can help explain the “A, B, C, Ds” of Medicare and how to create healthcare strategy.

To watch the webinar, click here:

https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/5470743663463236355

To make an appointment to discuss Medicare and retirement options, click here:

https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/5470743663463236355