Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has selected their 2023-2024 HACU Leadership Academy Fellows and South Texas College Vice President of Advancement and Economic Development Rodney Rodriguez, Ph.D. is among the program’s fifth cohort.
HACU’s Leadership academy or La Academia de Liderazgo annually selects 50 fellows from throughout the United States and is designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education.
“I am profoundly honored and incredibly thrilled to have been selected as one of the 50 fellows to join this year’s prestigious leadership academy,” said Rodriguez. “This acknowledgement entrusts me with the responsibility of spearheading efforts towards increasing diversity and representation throughout the educational sphere. Diversity is the bedrock of innovation that can shape a future with opportunities for all.”
In a press release from HACU, its Leadership Academy is described as a one-year fellowship that consists of former and current presidents, chancellors and senior administrators who bring over 100 years of combined experience in serving various sectors of higher education.
Fellows come from community colleges, private and public universities and faith-based institutions.
Throughout the year, fellows will have the opportunity to participate in leadership development activities, webinars and three seminars in Washington, D.C., Chicago and Salamanca, Spain during HACU’s international conference, all with an emphasis on promoting Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) and Emerging HSIs.
Mentorship with a university president or senior-level administrator and a special project designed to have an impact at the fellow’s current institution are two key components of the program.
In a statement from HACU, HACU President and Chief Executive Officer Antonio R. Flores said, “Our leadership academy fellows have already proven the value of the association’s efforts to increase diverse representation within the upper echelons of higher education by assuming top positions at colleges and universities across the nation.
Flores added, “Students benefit from having leaders from a wide range of backgrounds and this fifth and largest cohort to date, brings a range of professional and life experience that can meet the challenges of our multicultural institutions of higher education.”
STC President Ricardo J. Solis, Ph.D., said on behalf of STC’s Administration and Board of Trustees, they congratulate Rodriguez on his esteemed honor.
“Dr. Rodriguez is a valuable and revered member of our STC family, and he has taken our college into a new era of economic development and scholarship fundraising,” said Solis. “He is a well-known and notable member of our community for his service and philanthropy. We are excited that he continuously puts STC on the map for the betterment of our college and the students we serve. It is with great honor that we say congratulations on this remarkable achievement.”
Rodriguez said he looks forward to growing, learning and leading in unison with the other fellows.
“As I embark on this journey, I pledge to absorb, to learn and most importantly, to collaborate with a diverse group of promising leaders, to champion a vision where higher education is a reflection of the rich and diverse tapestry that forms the backbone of our society,” he said.
