Vice Provost and Dean, Honors Education

Vice Provost and Dean, Honors Education

Position Profile

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) invites nominations, expressions of interest, and applications for the position of Vice Provost and Dean of Honors Education.

Under the leadership of President Dr. Taylor Eighmy and Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy, the campus has developed a bold and ambitious vision for UTSA’s future and its pursuit of excellence as an urban-serving, Hispanic-thriving discovery enterprise (https://www.utsa.edu/strategicplan/). In February 2022, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education designated UTSA as an R1 institution, placing it among the top 4% of research universities in the nation. This elite designation validates the breadth and strength of UTSA’s knowledge enterprise and aligns the university with the nation’s top public and private research institutions.

The University seeks a dynamic and entrepreneurial leader and scholar who will build upon the existing strengths of Honors Residential College and its programs to further advance the University’s progress toward its goals.

UTSA Honors Residential College

The UTSA Honors Residential College (HRC) provides a unique educational experience for academically talented students, including a residential experience in Guadalupe Hall. Its students join our community from across Texas, the United States, and from all over the world. They are diverse in thought and share a commitment to excellence. The HRC is open to students from all academic disciplines and currently has 1,700 students. 31% of all HRC students are first generation, and over half of students identify as underrepresented, including 46% who identify as Hispanic.

Through its curriculum, special programs, and academic counseling, the HRC helps students reimagine their horizons, so that they exceed their own expectations. The HRC believes that students succeed when they are well rounded, and its curriculum lets them customize their learning inside and outside of the classroom in six areas: Service, Professional Development, Intellectual Achievement and Research, Cultural Exploration, Engaged Living, and Skill Development (S.P.I.C.E.S.).

By making the HRC a place where knowledge comes alive to solve problems, it develops talented, committed students who will contribute to the intellectual, economic, and social capital of San Antonio and Texas. The experiences that the HRC creates yield jobs, a robust and multigenerational landscape of leaders, and broader political and civic participation. Honors College graduates routinely receive admission into top graduate programs, accept jobs at prominent organizations, and are named scholars and fellows by the National Science Foundation and Fulbright Student Program. As much as the college coaches students toward academic and career success, its ethos stresses that students are honorable, equitable, resilient, benevolent, and supportive (H.E.R.B.S.).  

The HRC offers students the opportunity to participate in a number of different programs to further expand knowledge, especially in the realms of professional development, leadership development, and public service. Special programs are fully integrated into the HRC curriculum, making credit transfer simple and ensuring that students are working toward HRC requirements.

  • The Honors Experience – Rather than offering specific degrees, the HRC enhances UTSA’s undergraduate curriculum through The Honors Experience (T.H.E.), an experience-based, highly customized curriculum to fit each student’s individual goals. By graduation, students will complete a variety of Honors courses as well as a set of signature experiences that can take place outside of the classroom.
  • Guadalupe Hall — First-year Honors student live and study in Guadalupe Hall in a supportive, close-knit community designed to help them succeed. All aspects of the Honors Residential College, including double occupancy housing, is modeled after elite, small colleges, and peer-model honors colleges.
  • College-Based Honors Programs – UTSA Colleges in Business, Engineering, and Sciences offer Honors programs that can be completed alongside the HRC requirements, allowing undergraduate students to be an HRC Graduate with Distinction.
  • Citymester – The UTSA Citymester Program is a student engagement initiative developed by the HRC through which UTSA and community partners work together to educate our future leaders using internships, service-learning projects, and networking opportunities. Students work with non-profits, businesses, and other agencies in San Antonio to gain valuable career skills to supplement their UTSA education.
  • Legislative Scholars – Legislative Scholars began through a collaborative initiative between Texas State Representative Ruth Jones McClendon and The University of Texas at San Antonio. Coordinated by the UTSA HRC, the program provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to serve as interns in the Texas House of Representatives during regular legislative sessions.
  • Archer Fellowship – Students in the Archer Fellowship Program spend one semester in Washington, D.C., doing an internship at various government institutions, non-profits, and other organizations while learning about the policymaking process.
  • Study Abroad – The HRC offers yearly study abroad opportunities and signature experiences in Costa Rica and Japan.. Students engage in a number of different study abroad opportunities, where they study foreign languages, do internships abroad, and also conduct research.
  • Philosophy and Literature Circle – Each semester, the Philosophy and Literature Circle allows students the opportunity to explore the transformative possibilities of a humanities and liberal arts education with incarcerated participants at Dominguez State Jail in San Antonio.
  • Students and Startups – Students and Startups is a summer program that connects students with local companies, creating value for the San Antonio economy and its growing startup scene.
  • ESTEEMED Scholars – The NIH/Federally-funded UTSA ESTEEMED (Enhancing Science, Technology, EnginEering, and Math Educational Diversity) Program helps freshman and sophomore-level trainees develop as scholars and scientists. All students who become a part of ESTEEMED receive HRC membership.
  • Terry Scholars — Nearly 350 students have attended UTSA as Terry Scholars since the university became affiliated with the Terry Foundation in 2006. Terry Scholars are selected based on leadership potential and character; scholastic record and ability; and financial need. Terry Scholars receive a four-year scholarship that covers tuition, room and board, and participation in a study abroad program.
  • Top Scholars Program — Top Scholars is a community of very high-achieving students. The program is well-known and highly regarded across the state for developing award winning, academically talented and exceptional leaders. Top Scholars receive a comprehensive, last-dollar scholarship for up to four-years, as well as support for internships and study abroad programs.
  • Nationally Competitive Scholarships — The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards supports undergraduate and graduate students at UTSA to develop as strong candidates to pursue amazing academic and career opportunities worldwide. While this office serves students across campus, it is housed in the Honors College and about half of students served come from Honors.

The University of Texas at San Antonio

As the third largest of nine academic universities and five health institutions within The University of Texas System, UTSA is a leading public Hispanic Serving Institution, Research University specializing in health, cybersecurity, fundamental futures, and human-social development, reflected in its urban-serving mission. With over 34,000 students supported by more than 1,400 faculty and 5,600 staff and student employees, both benefits- and non-benefits eligible, it is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan region. As one of the first universities designated as Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and committed to learning and discovery, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and is highly focused on student success and meeting the educational needs of many first-generation, transfer, DACA, Veteran, and international students. UTSA prides itself on its diverse student population, and 63% of its students come from San Antonio and South Texas. Nearly half (45%) of UTSA undergraduates will be the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, transfer students comprise about 40% of UTSA’s total undergraduate population. Further enhancing an already diverse student population is UTSA’s military community, which makes up approximately 13% of total students. This includes active duty military members, veterans, reserves/guard, and their spouses and dependents.

President Taylor Eighmy

Appointed in 2017, Dr. Taylor Eighmy is the sixth president of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Eighmy serves as a strong advocate for urban-serving public higher education and is passionate about UTSA’s role in developing San Antonio’s knowledge economy. President Eighmy brings a strong track record of advancing top research universities through strategic government collaborations, public-private partnerships, and community engagement. His experiences as an administrative leader, researcher, inventor, and professor have influenced his perspective as a champion of student success, particularly regarding the impact of experiential learning, and undergraduate research programs. President Eighmy has recently unveiled a vision to make UTSA San Antonio’s university of the future and an institution that produces graduates who can tackle today’s challenges.

Provost Kimberly Espy

Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy has served as the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at UTSA since June of 2018. With nearly 25 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Espy has earned a national reputation for helping institutions achieve transformative results in academic and student success, faculty and staff development, and university-community collaborations. As UTSA’s chief academic officer, she oversees eight academic colleges (including the HRC); the academic support divisions including Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies, Faculty Success, Undergraduate Studies, Career Engaged Learning, Continuous Improvement & Accreditation, Academic Innovation, Strategic Enrollment, Student Success, Student Affairs, Global Initiatives; the Libraries, UTSA’s Art Collection and our museum, the Institute for Texan Cultures; in addition to other units that advance institutional success, such as Institutional Research & Analysis, Academic Finance & Administration, and Academic Strategic Communications.

UTSA is composed of five campuses:

  • Main Campus – The 600-acre Main Campus is the hub of UTSA and home to students nearly every hour of the day and night. It includes the Alvarez College of Business, Klesse College of Engineering, HRC, College of Liberal and Fine Arts, College of Sciences, University College, and part of the College of Education and Human Development and College for Health, Community & Policy. It is also home to the Student Union, the Convocation Center, more than 350 student organizations, residence halls, and two libraries. The adjoining Park West Campus is home to athletics venues that sit on 125 acres near the Main Campus and features a soccer stadium and a track and field complex.
  • Downtown Campus – The Downtown Campus, located in the heart of San Antonio’s business, social and cultural scenes, offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the College of Architecture, Construction and Planning, the College of Education and Human Development, and the College for Health, Community and Policy. More than one-third of UTSA’s graduate students take classes at the Downtown Campus. Many of the university’s community outreach programs and extended education offerings are located at this urban campus, which serves as a convenient location for community-wide events.
  • Hemisfair Campus – The Hemisfair Campus is home to UTSA ‘s academic museum, the Institute of Texan Cultures. The institute produces exhibits, programs and events that examine and celebrate culture in Texas. It also facilitates field trips, teacher training and curriculum development. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the institute hosts exclusive artifacts and educational programs from the Smithsonian Institution for the benefit of the people of Texas. UTSA faculty are engaged with ITC programming, and one important institutional initiative is to better leverage and connect the UTSA faculty staff and students and ITC to better serve our communities, region and State.
  • Southwest Campus – The Southwest Campus is located on the San Antonio River in downtown San Antonio, on the historical site of the Southwest School of Art, which merged with UTSA in 2022 to form UTSA’s School of Art. An urban oasis, the campus has been a place for community learning and growth for more than 165 years. The buildings and campus were originally known as the Ursuline Convent and Academy, which opened in 1851 as the first school for girls in San Antonio.

UTSA advances knowledge through research/scholarship/creative activity, teaching and learning, community engagement, and public service. It serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property—for Texas, the nation and the world. As part of President Taylor Eighmy’s vision to make UTSA San Antonio’s university of the future, the university recently achieved classification as an R1 (highest research activity) by the Carnegie Commission and is executing strategies and tactics to realize National Research University Fund (NRUF) eligibility. The HRC will be an important driver of continued acceleration of Classroom to Career initiative activities, including undergraduate research opportunities, and continued collaborations with both internal and external partners.

UTSA has been many points of pride, including being recognized as a “Top Performer in Social Mobility” (No. 2 in Texas, No. 33 in the US) by U.S. News and World Report. It is one of only 21 Hispanic Serving Institutions in the nation that also claim a prestigious Tier One designation for research. As a Top 25 Rising Young University (Nature Index, 2019) – with record enrollment, retention and persistence, degrees awarded and R&D impact –UTSA is gaining attention as a model for the future of higher education in our nation. For more information about UTSA, please visit http://www.utsa.edu/.

Position Summary

Reporting directly to Provost Kimberly Espy, the Vice Provost/Dean will lead the HRC, with responsibility for building on its current success to advance an ambitious and dynamic vision for the College’s future, as a collaborative, innovative college that serves the institution and community with a nationally recognized, experience-based curriculum. UTSA is on an upward trajectory in pursuit of academic excellence, student success, and research growth, and the Vice Provost/Dean must serve as a passionate advocate for continued growth, working across UTSA to provide leadership on planning, curricular, and resource decisions in a student-centered environment. The Vice Provost/Dean is also expected to engage alumni and external supporters, fellow vice provosts, deans and other university leaders to advance the HRC and institutional goals of educational excellence, access and success.

Preferred Qualifications, Qualities, and Characteristics

The Vice Provost/Dean must play an important role in the future growth of the HRC as well as ensuring the College’s support in advancing institutional goals and destinations in UTSA’s strategic plan. With the demographic diversity of UTSA’s students, the successful candidate must embrace and foster a climate in which students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds are supported in reaching their full potential through participation in HRC programs and activities. The successful candidate will possess a distinguished record of academic accomplishment in any one of UTSA’s academic disciplines and superior interpersonal, administrative, and management skills with a progressive record of demonstrated success.

The successful candidate will possess a dynamic vision for the future of the HRC and a demonstrated passion for the College and University’s shared mission. In addition, this individual must value collaboration, diversity and inclusion, transparency, and entrepreneurship, and will be a dynamic and energetic leader who embraces the mission of the College and its multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching and research/scholarship/creative activity. In addition, it is preferred, the successful candidate demonstrates:

  • The ability to engage the entire campus community in honors education, promoting the highest standards of academic excellence for the university generally
  • An appreciation for Honors education and the distinctive qualities it brings to the university at large
  • A proven track-record of initiative and creativity in the development of new programs
  • Evidence of successful advocacy to garner support for a robust four-year Honors curriculum across all disciplines
  • Demonstrated administrative abilities that foster success of a residential college, including academic support functions
  • Passion and values that embrace a holistic and student-centered approach to education
  • A commitment to preparing students to be critical thinkers and engaged global citizens
  • An appreciation for the mission of UTSA and the university’s demonstrated commitment to access and success for all students from diverse backgrounds
  • A proven ability to work effectively to secure resources to support the mission and vision of the HRC
  • Experience working with donors and a comfortability with sharing the fundraising vision of the College to external constituents
  • Effective communication skills and the ability to engage all Honors constituents (students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners)
  • Commitment to maintaining a professional environment characterized by mutual respect, and dialogue
  • A vision for the growth and continued success of the HRC and experience developing and implementing a strategic plan
  • A record of academic accomplishment and service with qualifications that merit an academic appointment in a department at UTSA. Tenured faculty appointment is negotiable for candidates with suitable background and academic record.

Application and Nomination Process

The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (with a letter of interest, a complete CV, and a list of at least five references that includes contact information), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting UTSA. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until appointment is made. For full consideration, please submit applications by April 14, 2023. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and/or hiring authority.

Laurie C. Wilder, President
Porsha L. Williams, Vice President
Jacob C. Anderson, Senior Principal
Jack P. McGrew, Executive Recruiting Coordinator
Parker Executive Search
Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875
Atlanta, GA 30328
Tel: (678) 775-4564 || Fax: (770) 804-1917
janderson@parkersearch.com || jmcgrew@parkersearch.com

As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, it is the policy of The University of Texas at San Antonio to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.