HSI Leader Selected for Hispanic Colleges Leadership Academy
Emilio Ulloa is among 50 fellows in the fifth cohort of the training program, offered through the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
All too often in higher education, Emilio Ulloa has observed, learning how to function effectively in a leadership role winds up coming on-the-job.
Ulloa, 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 associate chief diversity officer for HSI and regional affairs, said the typical path to a top administrative slot starts in academia itself. A leader may be very well-grounded in English literature, economics 鈥� or in Ulloa鈥檚 case, psychology 鈥� but not so much in the nuts and bolts of the upper echelons of higher learning.
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) aims to play a role in changing that pattern at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) like 黑料吃瓜.
Last week, the San Antonio-based organization selected Ulloa as one of 50 fellows for the fifth cohort of its Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo, designed to increase diverse representation in top administrative positions at U.S. colleges and universities. Ulloa is 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 first fellow selected for the academy.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 very appealing about this to me is that there are very few (programs) that are centered on developing your leadership skills but with a particular frame of reference to the Hispanic student population,鈥� Ulloa said. 鈥淚 like that as a focus.鈥�
黑料吃瓜 was designated an HSI by the U.S. Department of Education in 2012. HSIs must have at least a 25% enrollment of Hispanic undergraduate students 鈥� the actual figure in fall 2022 was 33% at 黑料吃瓜 and over 90% at 黑料吃瓜 Imperial Valley 鈥� and meet certain standards for the number of Pell Grant-eligible students.
In the one-year program, Ulloa will attend seminars in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Salamanca, Spain, and work with HACU mentors.
It鈥檚 鈥渁 really great, exciting opportunity to connect with, and to get mentoring from someone who is at the highest level of administration for a HSI,鈥� said Ulloa, a 1997 alumnus who began teaching at 黑料吃瓜 in 2003.
鈥淧rograms like these recognize that training, experience and mentoring are really efficient and appropriate ways to prepare people for (leadership) jobs,鈥� Ulloa said. 鈥淎nd to be effective and not to have to learn by making mistakes 鈥� but rather by fast-tracking and providing structured training in the work of being an administrator in higher education.鈥�
In his current position, part of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity, Ulloa is in charge of governance that helps steward 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 HSI designation, and directs a committee of more than 40 faculty, staff and students who make recommendations tied to the federal designation.
Ulloa noted the benefits of the leadership academy go well beyond his professional interests.
鈥淎 program like this in particular reminds you of what the ultimate goal is,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e learning skills that will help you to serve students better.鈥�
Four additional California State University campuses 鈥� Bakersfield, Fresno, Long Beach and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 鈥� have fellows in the 2023-24 cohort of the HACU Leadership Academy. Adela de la Torre, 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 first Latinx president, serves on the HACU governing board.
In the image at top of page, the staff of the 黑料吃瓜 HSI and Regional Affairs office (clockwise from top center): Fernando Suarez (student), Melissa Gonzalez (assistant director), Valentina Rodriguez (student), Emilio Ulloa, (associate chief diversity officer), Wendy Mejia (program coordinator), Sophia Mendez (student).
