Texas A&M University-San Antonio students met Dr. Javier Flores, one of four candidates for associate vice president and dean of students, at a student forum Nov. 17. Flores served as vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Angelo State University for 12 years.
“My message in my work is always, I want every student to have the opportunity to be everything that they want to be.”
The Mesquite chose the most relevant Q&As and quotes from the forum.
Biology freshman Andrea Martinez: “Communication is huge for this position. I want to know… how do you maintain communication among students and faculty when a lot of students don’t check their email? I know you send emails asking students their concerns, but how else would you be able to connect with students that doesn’t involve email?”
Flores: “I attend SGA meetings regularly. I don’t speak unless I’m given the floor to speak. I can answer questions as well. I am one that is out on campus, a lot. I tell students all the time if you see me, stop and tell me how you’re doing or just converse. I may not always approach you, not knowing if you may be late for class. I’ll still say, hello, how are you doing. I think about bringing students together, so having different presidents of student organizations or finding different cohorts and periodically having lunch where we just sit around, we talk and I ask how things are going.”
Marketing senior Liandre De la Uso: “How do you plan as part of the leadership department to integrate more community minded-programs to our campus?”
Flores: “One of the things I’d love to do is incorporate a service component to JagX days. Very quickly students can realize the importance. The other thing is when you look at internships and when you look at financial aid and work-study funds. As a public institution, we can allocate a certain amount of work-study dollars to nonprofit organizations, especially in the Southside. So, we can have students that are receiving federal aid and work-study funds go and work somewhere on the Southside.”
Communications senior Chemeckia Caddell: “What makes you feel you’re the best to represent and support us as students? What makes you the best candidate for the job?”
Flores: “I don’t know that I’m the best, but I will give it my best effort. I will make it where I will be the best. I will tell you, you deserve the very best. The search committee has worked very hard. Ninety-nine applicants and four finalists and I suspect the other three are just as qualified, just as dynamic. So, I don’t know that I’m the best. But I do know I will give my best effort. I will take all of my experiences and knowledge to be able to work for this institution and for the students.”
