By News and Internal Communications

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – DEC. 14, 2023 – The inaugural graduates – made up of UTRGV employees – of the new Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration program will walk the stage this Fall Commencement after a year of learning directly from university leaders.

In Fall 2022, UTRGV provided full tuition and fees for 76 university employees that completed the accelerated online program, or AOP.

AOP at UTRGV allows a student to obtain a master’s degree in one year, as opposed to two. Semesters are broken down into two modules spanning seven weeks, allowing students to take four courses over the duration of a regular semester. A 30-credit-hour program, it can be completed in as little as 11 months.

The new MA program – housed in the Department of Organizational and School Leadership within the UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration – is an experiential learning program, with practicums regarding how a university operates in areas of student affairs, advising, recruitment and outreach, admissions and financial aid.

Dr. Federico Guerra, associate professor in the Department of Organization and School Leadership in the College of Education and P-16 Integration and the program’s director, said the entire program was made possible by UTRGV President Guy Bailey's vision and initiative, which underscore UTRGV's commitment to empowering its staff and enhancing their knowledge base.

“The staff’s persistence, and their commitment to completing this degree within a year, are truly inspiring,” Guerra said. “As they apply the skills and insights from this program, they will continue enriching the university's environment with enhanced expertise. Their journey is a testament to what can be achieved through hard work and a supportive educational environment.

“I want to thank them for setting high professional development standards,” Guerra said, “and for being integral to UTRGV's evolving story of success.”

Program graduates from the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs. Dr. Luis H. Zayas, provost and sSenior vice president for Academic Affairs, is pictured center. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

‘TAKE THE REINS; RUN WITH IT’

Members of this cohort not only completed the degree plan but did so without missing a beat in their professional duties at UTRGV.       

Victoria Villela-Gomez, marketing manager in the UTRGV University Marketing and Communications department, was a member of the first cohort. In her position at UTRGV, she manages a team of marketing coordinators who oversee developing campaigns for clients throughout campus. 

“I've been here for the past seven years,” Villela-Gomez said. “I started as a marketing coordinator and then I became a manager, but at the same time I was hungry for something more.

When I look at what I want in the future, it's a leadership position.”

This degree was exactly what she needed to propel her into making her goals a reality, she said.

“I think one of the things that I really enjoyed about this program is that they talked about a lot of the student-facing parts of the institution – student success, student activities, finance,” she said. “I had absolutely no idea how the finances of an institution work, but it was really nice getting into the heads of our professors, who really understand these topics and gave us more perspective.”

Villela-Gomez urges her colleagues at the university who want to pursue this degree to just go for it.

“It may seem scary and intimidating, but it gets easier along the way,” she said. “You learn a lot and you learn things about yourself that you may not have learned otherwise.

“Take the reins. Run with it. You're going to do great,” she said.

One of her main motivators to push through this degree was simple – to make her family proud. She graduates not only with a 4.0 GPA, but also as a soon-to-be-mother of a baby boy, expected in early 2024. 

“Seeing the look on my parents face and knowing I did my best is all I could want,” she said. “I'm excited to have this degree and to be a part of this cohort.”

Program graduates from the Office of the President pictured with UTRGV President Guy Bailey (center). (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

‘DON’T BE AFRAID TO RAISE YOUR HAND’

Another member of the inaugural cohort, Dr. Aje Ori Agbese, is an associate professor of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts who has been with UTRGV for 17 years. She saw the potential of this degree as an opportunity to expand her skills in higher education.

While pursuing the degree, Agbese also was doing a fellowship in Nigeria, served as faculty adviser for UTRGV-TV Student Media, and fulfilled faculty duties in the Department of Communication.

“I honestly don't know how I did it,” Agbese said. “I put it down to the grace of God because I honestly don't know how. I think I'm burnt out, but I'm still functioning.” 

She recalls a time in class, watching a TED Talk by Dr. Julieta V. Garcia, UTRGV professor of Communication and former longtime president of UTRGV legacy institution UT Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. 

“One of the things she said was, ‘Don't be afraid to raise your hand,’” Agbese said. “Since hearing that, I've been raising my hand. I haven't gotten yeses all the time, but I've been raising my hand a lot more. It builds confidence. This program doesn't just open opportunities for you, it gives you a chance to build confidence.” 

She since has used the knowledge gained in this program to help her own department and has high hopes to develop new opportunities for the UTRGV community. 

“I'm trying to find more ways I can be useful by using what I've learned,” Agbese said. “Currently, I'm working with one of the offices on campus to find ways that we can make their department more useful and accessible to faculty.

“I'm also looking at grants to start a Hispanic Media Center at UTRGV. I am also trying to find ways we can talk about how faculty can work on mental health with students. So, I have a few things I'm working on and I'm confident enough now to go to people and say, ‘Hi, would you help me with this?’”

Agbese is on track to be a full professor at the university and looks forward to enjoying time with her kids after a chaotic schedule in 2023.

Program graduates from the Division of Finance and Business Affairs pictured with Michael Mueller (center), executive vice president for Finance and Business Affairs & CFO. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

‘CREATE A GOAL, GET IT DONE’

Isabel Benavides, UTRGV chief compliance officer, had quite the experience during her time in the program. She started off as an auditor and was promoted while in the program. 

“I chose this degree because I thought it would help me learn more about higher education and be more successful,” Benavides said. “It taught me about administration, conflict, students, student affairs, and what I needed to do to be a better leader.”

For future cohorts, her advice is to just go for it and start the graduate program.

“Create a goal and you can get it done,” she said. “Going to school really helped me because many of the concepts that I had learned on student affairs have already helped me advance at UTRGV.”

For more information on a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration, visit utrgv.edu/accelerated/programs/master-of-arts-in-higher-education-administration. 

Program graduates from the UTRGV School of Medicine pictured with Dr. Michael B. Hocker (center), School of Medicine dean.