New provost hired by Jordan, will begin June 1

By Allison Bailey
abaile19@mscd.edu
Illustration by Emily Varisco • varisco@mscd.edu

   Metro’s newly appointed provost and president of academic affairs, Rodolfo Rocha, will begin his new position on June 1, he said in a telephone interview Sunday.
   As provost, Rocha will be the chief academic officer responsible for the schools of Business, Letters, Arts and Sciences and Professional Studies, according to Metro spokeswoman Cathy Lucas. He will be in charge of academic advising and curriculum, as well as hiring, evaluation policies and budgeting.
   “ Most institutions have different units and I’ll be in charge of the academic portion of the administration,” Rocha said. He added that the provost also serves as chief executive officer of the college when the president is absent from campus.
   “ His first few months will be getting to know the college and the city,” Lucas said.
   She said there were two candidates for the position and Rocha was chosen based on his interview with Metro President Stephen Jordan, as well as feedback from faculty and deans who met with both candidates.
   Jordan was unavailable for comment.
   Rocha, 59, said his heart is in education.
   “ I am an educator first, who happens to be an administrator right now,” he said.
   Rocha was the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Texas Pan American from 1999 to 2005, according to his biography. He has a doctorate in history and has worked as a college professor for years. He started by teaching eighth grade history in Harlingen, Texas in 1969.
   “ I really love what I do,” he said. “I have not gone to work in 37 years because I don’t see it as work.”
   In addition to his duties as provost, Rocha plans to teach history at Metro after his first year.
   “ I think all administration should teach,” he said. “That way, they can get to know what the needs of the students are and what the needs of the faculty are. I’ve always taught and I do plan to teach at Metro, although not the first year. I have to find my way first.”
   He said he believes there are many things he will have to do to get up to speed at Metro when he starts in June. He plans to start by meeting faculty and staff and working on the budget and planning for the Fall semester.
   Rocha said one thing he’d like to change at Metro is the small number of full-time teachers. He plans to recruit more full-time faculty.
   “ So many of our classes are being taught by part-timers and we need to have more full-time teachers,” he said.
   Rocha would also like to advance the quality of education at the college. He feels that by making Metro classes more available to the population of    Denver, a larger number of students will graduate. He is looking forward to the challenge of making Metro the No. 1 urban college in the country.
   “ I didn’t just apply anywhere, I wanted to go somewhere where there was an opportunity to make a difference,” he said. “Metro is a college where that is possible.”
   He said that he has an open-door office policy and he invites both students and faculty members to visit him. He said he is especially looking forward to talking with students.
   “ I love to visit with students,” he said. “You come and visit and we’ll talk about anything you want to talk about, from your favorite meal to issues you have with the institution.”
   Rocha is currently living in Texas, but plans to move to Denver at the end of April. According to a news release, he will be moving here with his fiancé. He has three grown children, all of whom live in Texas.