Some could call William V. Flores an overachiever, but that’s the type of president UH-Downtown wants.
Flores will officially be seated as UH-Downtown president July 31 after overlapping time with UHD President Max Castillo.
‘It’s an honor to take the position,’ Flores said. ‘My first priority is getting to know the campus and the issues affecting the campus. Also, getting to know its partners.’
Flores has shown an understanding for many of the students in the Houston community.
‘I was the first in my family to go to college, so I’ve always been very conscious of the fact that it can be a difficult road to graduate from high school, let alone college. I think it’s important we create opportunities for success,’ Flores said.
Flores said he will work on getting to know faculty and students at UHD, and expanding on student success at the university.
He said he also wants to work on finding out how ‘the university will fit into the system,’ especially if it develops a new name for the campus.
‘We’ll work with the campus community, the chancellors and regents to bring that about,’ Flores said.
Also high on Flores’ list is the diversity of the campus.
‘I really want to make sure the campus reflects the community. Not just the Hispanic community, even though that’s important to me, but the African-American population represents a big portion of the campus. We want to build support structures to help increase the number of students who graduate for the whole campus,’ Flores said.
Coming to one of the five largest cities in the U.S. can pose a challenge, but Flores looks to use that to his advantage.
‘I really want to make sure the campus is growing and continuing to grow. It doesn’t just serve downtown anymore; it serves all the people of Houston. So, I want to become familiar with issues that affect the rest of the city. Of course, the heart of it is downtown,’ Flores said.
He brings a r’eacute;sum’eacute; filled with experience in higher education. Flores was the interim president and provost at New Mexico State University after a six-year run as executive vice president and provost.
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