During his nearly 40 years at UTSA, Jude Valdez has been instrumental in leading the university’s community engagement mission.
(March 5, 2018) -- Jude Valdez, UTSA vice president for community services, has announced his intent to retire this summer after nearly 40 years of service to the university. During his time at UTSA, Valdez has been instrumental in leading the university’s community engagement mission.
Valdez joined UTSA in 1979 as the executive director for the College of Business. In that role, he established, administered and secured funding for the Business Development Center, the Small Business Development Center, the Center for Entrepreneurial Development and the Trade Adjustment Assistance Center. Notably, he combined those initiatives in 1979 and became the founding director for the Institute for Economic Development. The institute has since grown to serve nearly 35,000 business and community clients annually in Texas, the nation and Latin America.
In 1986, Valdez became the associate dean of the College of Business and an assistant to the president. In that role, he led executive and professional development as well as economic development programs for the university while moving more broadly into external and community relations.
Then, in 1991, Valdez was appointed to the position of Vice President for Downtown Operations. His responsibilities included identifying a site and developing the Downtown Campus.
In 1993, Valdez was named Vice President for Community Services, his current role, with a significant administrative focus on the Downtown Campus. As Vice President, Valdez has overseen the university’s community engagement programs, including the Child and Adolescent Policy Research Institute, the Center for Civic Engagement, the Institute for Economic Development, the Institute of Texan Cultures, the Institute for P-20 Initiatives, the Office of Extended Education/Special Events and the UTSA Mexico Center.
Additionally, Valdez led the planning and development of the UTSA Downtown Campus. The only public university within San Antonio’s inner core, the campus is home to the College of Architecture, Construction and Planning, College of Education and Human Development, and College of Public Policy, in addition to many of the university’s community outreach programs.
“Watching UTSA grow since the mid-70s, and helping to establish the downtown campus, has been very rewarding for me, both personally and professionally,” said Valdez. “As much as I’m looking forward to retirement, and the many personal projects I want to pursue, I will always have a great affinity for this university and its mission to build prosperity in San Antonio.”
In 2015, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognized UTSA’s commitment to serving the San Antonio community by selecting it to receive its prestigious Community Engagement Classification. The honor acknowledged UTSA’s “dynamic and noteworthy” community outreach efforts in San Antonio and its impact on the global community through teaching and research, public service, volunteerism, civic partnerships and economic development, initiatives largely founded and built during Valdez’s tenure with the university.
Most recently, Valdez led the advancement of the strategic plan for the Downtown Campus in alignment with the vision to advance UTSA as San Antonio’s model university of the future.
“Jude has been a tremendous advocate of UTSA by forging partnerships between the university community and others in the San Antonio region through various community outreach initiatives,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “We thank him for his dedication and valuable contributions to advancing UTSA as San Antonio’s urban serving university.”
While at UTSA, Valdez received the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education 2011 Meritorious Service Award. The award recognizes commitment and service in the improvement of education and employment opportunities for Hispanics in higher education.
He is also a senior lecturer in the UTSA Department of Management, a position he’s held since 1980.
President Eighmy will work with Valdez on a transition plan for the leadership of the Community Services division. Valdez’s last day at UTSA will be June 30.
Learn more about the UTSA Office of the Vice President for Community Services.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Fiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.
UTSA Southwest CampusJoin the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event is to achnowlege the graduating seniors and induct the new cohart of scholars to our program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140,) Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and 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.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
