After 21 years of service as a vice president for student affairs at five major universities, Dr. Juan C. González has announced he will return to teaching after six years as vice president for student affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.
González will assume teaching duties in January in the university’s College of Education. He has been a senior lecturer in the college’s higher education administration program since 2005.
“It is a privilege to serve this great university and particularly its exceptional students,” González said. “Throughout my years in student affairs administration I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching and mentoring students who are now pursuing successful and meaningful careers in higher education. I look forward to helping prepare our next generation of higher education leaders to make the most of the dramatic changes that are sweeping across our nation’s campuses.”
“I want to thank and congratulate Dr. González for his six years of service to UT Austin and especially to our students,” said university President William Powers Jr. “He has changed the student experience for the better. His service as vice president has been marked by a steadfast commitment to putting our students first, and I am delighted he will remain in the Longhorn family, sharing his wisdom and expertise with our students.”
González introduced a strategic planning process to the division to make it more flexible and responsive to the ever-changing needs of students and the university. He emphasized the importance of assessment, communication and development in integrating learning outcomes into services and programs in such areas as student leadership, academic support, retention and wellness. González helped advance campus-wide initiatives in enrollment management, financial aid opportunities for underrepresented students, leadership ethics and suicide prevention.
With his administrative team, González led the planning and construction of the university’s second student union — the Student Activity Center, the planning and construction of the Almetris Duren Residence Hall and the planning of a year-long celebration of the Texas Union‘s 75th anniversary. González also directed the merger of the Career Exploration Center and the UT Learning Center, and gave strong support to struggling student services, including the Gender and Sexuality Center and the Center for Students in Recovery.
González received a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree in bilingual-bicultural education from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an undergraduate degree in Latin American studies from Texas Tech University. From 1986 to 1987, he studied at UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute as a post-doctoral fellow, researching higher education strategies for the retention of low-income and minority students.
Before coming to The University of Texas at Austin, González was vice president for student affairs at California State University, San Bernardino; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Georgetown University; and Arizona State University.
He has been a consultant to a variety of universities, specializing in the assessment and integration of learning outcomes into services and programs. He also has been a consultant to the California Post-Secondary Commission, the Tomás Rivera Research Center and the Hispanic Leadership Development Forum. He has been on the advisory boards of the American Council on Education, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Preparing College Students for a Diverse Democracy Project at the University of Michigan School of Education.
The Division of Student Affairs includes a large portfolio of services and programs designed to enhance the academic careers of more than 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It includes the Sanger Learning and Career Center, Counseling and Mental Health Center, Division of Housing and Food Service, Division of Recreational Sports, Office of the Dean of Students, Office of the Registrar, Student Financial Services, Student Information Systems, Texas Student Media, The Texas Union, Student Activity Center, University Health Services, Center for Students in Recovery and Texas Parents.