HACU Leadership Academy / La Academia de Liderazgo

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities' Leadership Academy, is a one-year program to prepare the next generation of culturally diverse leaders for executive and senior level positions in higher education.

La Academia is designed to increase the number of talented individuals who aspire to leadership positions of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Emerging HSIs. Fellows selected for the program participate in an array of leadership development activities that will not only prepare them for leadership roles in the full spectrum of institutions of higher learning but will especially sensitize and mold them for leadership positions within HSIs and Emerging HSIs.

There are several features of La Academia de Liderazgo that set it apart from other leadership development programs. The curriculum includes an international component that occurs outside the mainland United States, access to a wide array of current and former leaders in higher education (both within and outside of the United States) who have achieved prominence and high visibility in the field, and a Proyecto Transformativo through which Fellows are able to generate initiatives beneficial to their home institution as well as make important contributions to the knowledge base and practice.

La Academia is a direct response to the declining rate of Hispanic university presidents (from 4.5 percent in 2006 to 3.9 percent in 2016), despite the unprecedented growth of U.S. Hispanic college student enrollment. Soon, if not already, 1 in 5 college students will be Hispanic, yet it is unlikely that many will enroll in a college or university with a Hispanic president. HACU is committed to reversing this ten-year decline by implementing an innovative academy that sets itself apart from other leadership programs in the following ways:

• Fellows participate in three week-long face-to-face seminars integrated with HACU’s highly regarded Annual Conference, National Capitol Forum, and International Conference/Experience outside the U.S.
• The curriculum emphasizes Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Emerging HSIs, but provides a holistic approach, including the search process, leadership fundamentals, current critical issues, and international relations.
• Hybrid content delivery with both in-person sessions and synchronous/asynchronous webinars allows a high degree of flexibility for busy work schedules.
• More than a dozen nationally recognized current and emeriti presidents and senior-level administrators with 100 plus years of combined experience serve on the faculty.
• Mentorship with a university president is a key component, as is the development of a special project designed to have an impact at the Fellow’s current institution.

UTSA has the opportunity to nominate one faculty member per year to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities' Leadership Academy. 

Brochure can be found here. Costs for the program are covered by UTSA for our selected nominee.

February: Call for nominations

February 28: DEADLINE for deans' offices to upload nominations to Faculty Success Submit nominees’ CV and responses to questions 7-11 on nomination form . References are not needed until the selected nominee is notified

Early March: Committee meets to consider nominees and select one finalist. UTSA’s Finalist is notified and will need to secure two letters of reference and to review the nomination form for accuracy and thoroughness

March 25: Finalist's nomination packet is due to HACU

April 29: Nominees will be notified if they are selected by HACU

2023

Mary G. Hernandez, senior associate vice president for administration and operations
Erica T. Sosa, professor, Department of Public Health

• Read the announcement on UTSA Today

2022

• Read the announcement on UTSA Today

2021

Juan Manuel Sanchez, professor, Department of Accounting

2020

Rhonda Gonzales, professor, Department of History

2019

Enrique Alemán, professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies