30 for 30 Member Spotlight: Liz Hastings

Hometown:  Laredo, Texas

Colleges attended:  Laredo Jr. College and The University of Texas at Austin

Ended up at UT:  Transferred to UT as an undergraduate

Work experience at UT:

I have only ever worked at UT!  I worked in Admissions for 16 years in various capacities (Transcript Evaluator, Admission Counselor, Coordinator of the SHARE Program, and Coordinator of the Junior/Community College (J/CC) Program). For several years, I traveled for UT recruiting high ability and underrepresented students.  That was a great first job.  I even shared a pool table in a student center w/Jo Anne Huber when both of us were in Admissions.  I’ve known that gal for a very long time!

After Admissions, I got a position in the Student Division of the College of Liberal Arts supervising the Advisors:  Cindy Bippert, Gail Stubbs and Susan Calder.  That was it!  Only 4 advisiors in the Student Division!

Thirteen years ago I move to the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the request of Dean at the time, Richard Lariviere.  He needed someone to set up an advising office in our department.  And, as they say, the rest is history!

Memories about ACA:

I joined ACA while I was still in the Office of Admission and coordinating the J/CC Program.  That was and exciting time because ACA was relatively young and we were “unnoticed”.   I remember the creation of the first Provost Council of Academic Advising which had advisors as members and the Provost actually asking for our input on various issues.

I have 3 special memories: 

The first one:  I think I have to echo Lovely’s favorite memory:  The year I served as the secretary for ACA w/Lovelys and Luci SanMiguel Lattimer and a few other advisors who were no longer here.  We had so much fun!  That might have been the first or second year for our Advising Expo!

The third:  During the time that I was ACA president-elect and chair of the ACA Advisory Council, we responded as an organization to the Report of the Task Force on Enrollment Strategy.  We produced a document with commentary and suggestions after meticulous review and lengthy animated discussions over each point in the report.  Our document was delivered to then UT President Faulkner, Prof. Isabella Cunningham, Chair of the Task Force and Dr. Charles Roeckle, Deputy to the UT President (and friend of ACA).  ACA received very positive press by doing this and gained ground as a viable professional organization on the UT Campus.

The third:  The year I was president of ACA,  2004-2005.  ACA celebrated our 25^th Anniversary!  Many advisors contributed memories and photographs.  We honored Dr. Vick for supporting and promoting ACA.  I still have the slide show if you are interested in viewing!

Advice to new advisors or staff:

Don’t forget that there is a wealth of knowledge in our ranks.  I could not have survived my first couple of years without the wisdom and support of Alice Andrews, Char Dison, Sue Holtzaepfel, Elaine Declerck and Alice Fisher. 

Legacy: 

I wish to be remembered as someone who worked hard and advocated for students, for my department/college and for ACA.  I love my work and the students who I have known over the years.  I have had a couple of students come back 20 years after their graduation and thank me for “being there”.  That says it all!

More about me:

I celebrated my 35^th anniversary working at UT in November.  I am an avid reader and I love to fish!  My father taught me to whistle when I was a in high school.  Keeping the tradition alive, I have taught all my nephews and nieces (14 of them) to whistle too! I am a mother to two college students, two brother (Max) and sister  (Mollie) cats, and a grandmother to a teenage Rodesian Ridgeback named Star.  Joseph, my husband, and I will celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary on January 21, 2014.