As University of Houston-Downtown Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs, Ed Hugetz has helped guide the institution through a range of initiatives aimed at bolstering retention, enrollment, student success and academic excellence.

At the conclusion of the fall semester, Hugetz will step away from his Provost duties and serve on a part-time basis as Special Assistant to the President. In this position, he will work alongside UHD President, Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz and incoming Provost, Dr. Eric Carl Link on several academic initiatives and the continued implementation of PeopleSoft, MyUHD 2.0. Hugetz will serve in this role through May 2019 then close out his career in higher education.

“It’s been an honor to serve as UHD’s chief academic officer for the past six years,” Hugetz said. “I look forward to helping this University grow by strengthening its relationships with community college partners and continuing to support strategies aimed at student retention. I also will work alongside faculty and deans in developing new academic programs that will enhance our institution’s profile and provide new degree options for UHD students.”

Hugetz was appointed as UHD’s Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs in 2013. In 2018, he was named Provost by Dr. Muñoz.

“Ed has been and will continue to be an asset to our University,” Muñoz said. “The UHD community is grateful for his leadership and expertise in higher education, and we’re honored that he will stay on board for the remainder of the academic year.”

“Having Provost Hugetz serve as Special Assistant to the President during the Spring 2019 semester is great news for UHD, and especially great news for everyone working in academic and student affairs,” said Dr. Link. “Having his experience and wisdom on hand during the spring will certainly help the entire UHD team move forward in dynamic and positive ways. Personally, I’m grateful to be able to serve alongside Ed for a few months, and I know that I will benefit from his experience and institutional knowledge as he serves the institution in this new role.”

At the conclusion of the spring semester, UHD will host a celebration of Hugetz’s career and contributions to the University. More details on that event will be made available next spring.

“I’ve worked in higher education for many years, but my time at UHD has been particularly meaningful,” Hugetz said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served this institution as Provost and look forward to working with President Muñoz and Provost Link in helping UHD continue on its upward trajectory.”