During the first few weeks of the fall semester, a few University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) classes had a guest lecturer … University President, Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz.

President Muñoz, who also is teaching a Freshman Seminar course, sat in on lectures during the first two weeks of the semester. Among his stops was a writing class taught by Daniel Peña, assistant professor of English and award-winning novelist.

“Writing is not for the docile,” Muñoz told students. “Writers, by definition are provocateurs. You are fortunate … and UHD is fortunate to have a professor and writer such as Professor Peña.”

Muñoz addressed the value of artists and writers in academia, and engaged students in discussions on their semester goals.

“What you do here in this class will impact what you learn about economics, history, science and so many other subjects,” he said. "Successful people are creative. Successful people are agitators … they stimulate imaginations, and that’s what you will do in this class and at UHD.”

The visits and discussions were appreciated by both students and faculty. According to Peña, this was the first time he experienced a university president offering a guest lecture and meeting students at the start of the semester.

“I’ve had the privilege of teaching at a lot of institutions in a lot of places across the world. This would be a first for me—having the President of the University drop into class, taking time out of his busy schedule to check in on our students. I think it’s a real testament to Dr. Muñoz’s commitment to our students and to the classroom.”