McALLEN — South Texas College released more details about its new president pick at a press conference Thursday, using the occasion to announce a one-time monetary stipend for employees and hint at a move toward a more aggressive marketing approach.
The institution’s board of trustees selected Ricardo Solis as STC’s sole finalist for president on Tuesday.
Solis’ hire follows the retirement of founding president Shirley Reed in January; he’s expected to start in July.
The current president of Laredo College in Laredo, Solis has previously served as Executive Dean for Academic, Professional, and Technical Education at Gateway Community College, Maricopa Community Colleges, in Phoenix, Arizona.
STC Board Chair Rose Benavides said Thursday the board expects that experience to complement the institution’s current culture and bring a new vision that will enhance that culture.
“And we knew that for this college to continue to be competitive, this had to be an individual that would bring those talents and that vision to align it with our mission and core values at South Texas College,” she said. “The board feels strongly that in selection of Dr. Solis we have found an individual that will be a collaborator with the board, with faculty and staff, and that this individual will in fact be able to continue to build collaborations with our community stakeholders, with our institutions of higher education and with industry.”
Benavides said Solis’ vision, strong leadership skills, innovation and collaborative ability caught the board’s eye, along with his previous experience in South Texas education.
“And I think at the end of the day (we knew) that while geography does not play a whole role in the selection process, it was very important in our presidential profile that the individual that would be selected understood the border area, understood our residents and more importantly, understood the importance of our socio-economic challenges,” she said.
Detailing recent distinctions the college has earned that include being ranked number one in the state as the best online community college and first place nationally as the most affordable online college for bachelor degrees, Benavides hinted at a more aggressive marketing campaign for the institution. She said she felt that the community doesn’t always recognize the accolades STC has garnered, a phenomenon she called troubling and unfortunate.
“Many of these accolades — and these are only a few — go unnoticed by the people who most need to know that the college that they choose is the right college for them,” she said. “So we’re hopeful that moving forward each one of these accolades is not only something that we talk about as a history of excellence, but a standard that South Texas College has set that is being replicated throughout the country and replicated in this region as a model that we follow.”
STC announced a new program at Thursday’s press conference likely to earn it some of that notice. The college’s board approved a one-time monetary stipend for all 2,167 employees Tuesday totaling $2.8 million.
Full-time employees will receive $1,250 while part-time employees will receive $1,150, a move Benavides called an “absolute demonstration” of the college’s appreciation for its employees.
She said those employees proved themselves during the pandemic and will likely face a full plate during the nation’s post-COVID economic recovery.
“The rapid way of being able to adapt to this new form of instruction is commendable,” Benavides said. “But more importantly, what we know is that as we’re going to look at summer and fall, our world is about to change. We know that there is a propensity for students to seek and come back for face-to-face instruction.”
