Staff member retires after serving UTSA for 46 years

Fred Hample began his service at UTSA in May 1973 before retiring in August 2019.

(Aug. 30, 2019) -- Fred Hample, executive director of Veterans Certification Services, is retiring on August 31, 2019, after 46 years of service to UTSA.

Hample joined the university staff in the Office of Admissions and Registrar in May 1973, where he assisted with the first university enrollment of students in June 1973 and the first Commencement in 1974. He served as an assistant to director of Admissions and Registrar from 1974 to 1976, as assistant registrar from 1976 to 1979, and as associate registrar for 26 years, from 1979 to 2005. Hample went on to serve as director of the Downtown Registrar’s Office Operations from 2005 to 2007, as executive director of Downtown Student Affairs Operations from 2007 to 2016, and most recently is the executive director of Veterans Certification Services.

During his tenure over the past four decades, Hample was involved with multiple implementations of student information systems and records conversions as the student population expanded and the amount of information processed for admitting, enrolling and managing the transcripts of students increased dramatically. Techniques changed with each new wave of technology, from centralized in-person arena registrations to web-based registrations using mobile platforms, smart phones, tablets and strategically placed kiosks. Hample was involved with the use of touch-tone telephone registration in the mid-1980s, the first in Texas, and which was ultimately replaced by web-based and internet enrollment techniques. He was also involved with the implementation of the electronic transcripts and electronic data exchange that moves transcript information from one university campus to another.

“Fred has seen and accomplished much in his 46 years of service to UTSA,” said Lisa Carrington Firmin, UTSA associate vice president for veteran and military affairs. “It has been my absolute privilege to work alongside Fred on a variety of projects and collaborations in the past several years. I am especially grateful to Fred for his steadfast dedication and loyalty to the student veterans and military affiliated on campus, always putting their needs first. UTSA has indeed been fortunate to have had Fred serving in his many roles over the years. His efforts have been instrumental to where we are today in terms of support for the military affiliated subpopulation and he can go into retirement knowing that he did much to serve those that served.”

Hample attended the State University of New York Maritime College, Columbia University, is a 1972 graduate of Trinity University (Political Science and Economics) and completed graduate courses in the College of Business and the College of Public Policy at UTSA. He served as a member of the Naval Reserve for 28 years. He is a member of the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (TACRAO), the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and the World Affairs Council of San Antonio. Hample is the recipient of the Downtown Campus Spirit Award and the University Life Award recognizing University Professional Staff.

“I am grateful for the opportunity that the university has provided to work with our faculty and administrators in building opportunities to develop the potential of our students while learning and growing together,” said Hample. ”The growth of UTSA represents an extraordinary effort on the part of many individuals across all levels of the university to build a center of learning and research that will benefit our community and generations of students to come. As we reflect on our past and plan for our future; more a marathon than a sprint, but steadfast in our vision to become a university of the first class, we can and will meet the challenges that higher education must confront in the future.”

The university community is invited to a retirement reception for Hample on Friday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. in the Main Building Regents Room (MB 3.106) on Main Campus.

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