Barbara Hong Named Vice President for Student Success

Dr. Barbara Hong has been appointed Vice President for Student Success at San Antonio College.

As the vice president, she will oversee the academic division that provides students with co-curricular opportunities which are essential to enriching their college experience. The Vice President for Student Success oversees the Deans for Student Success and the Student Conduct and Title IX Office.

Other areas of responsibility include Admissions and Records, Advising, disABILITY Support Services, the Empowerment Center, Enrollment Services, International Student Services, Student Advocacy Center and Counseling, Student Life, TRIO STEM SSS and TRIO Veterans SSS, TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Upward Bound Math and Science, the Victory Center, and Veterans Affairs.

Before coming to SAC, she was the Dean of University College at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, where she was in charge of data analytics for retention and enrollment management. She oversaw more than 200 employees, including part-time and full-time faculty, directors, managers, program coordinators, and learning support specialists. She was also a professor of special education.

She is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Senior Fulbright Scholar award and was appointed by the U.S. State Department, Bureau of International Programs, as a speaker specialist and expert on disability and inclusion. She consults regularly for U.S. Embassies worldwide on improving the outcomes of marginalized groups. She has restructured four institutions through the implementation of high-impact practices such as the My Aspiration Plan or MAP that resulted in significant retention, persistence, and enrollment.

Dr. Hong’s research examines the barriers students face as they transition to and through college, particularly for low-income, first-generation, minorities, and students with disabilities. Her research has been cited in major publications such as Handbook of Adult Learning published by the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education, Higher Education Abstracts published by the Wiley Library of Higher Education, and Advanced Instructional Principles for Students with Severe Disabilities published by Vanderbilt University. She also sits on the Oxford Educational Research Advisory Board.

Dr. Hong earned her doctorate from Columbia University in special education. She has also earned three masters from Columbia in educational leadership and policy administration, instructional practices for diverse learners, and learning disabilities. She earned her bachelor’s in special education from Brigham Young University – Hawaii.

Dr. Hong has been a professor for more than 22 years. She has taught in New York, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Texas, Turkey, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, and Guatemala.

She is a recipient of the Teacher of Honor Award from Kappa Delta Pi, the international education honor society, and the Exemplary Faculty Award from Brigham Young University – Hawaii.

-SAC-