MISSION DRIVES VISION
Fifteen Years With President Dr. Louis Agnese, Jr.
by Vincent Rodriguez
Catholic universities in the United States share a
common heritage borne out of the Judeo-Christian tradition. This
provides them with a faith-grounded history of serving diverse populations
unfamiliar with the college experience.
Dr. Agnese, his wife
Mickey, and their children Louis III and Nancy at Dr. Agnese's
inauguration as Incarnate Word president in 1986.
When he was inaugurated president of Incarnate Word in 1986, Dr.
Lou Agnese had a vision to transform the venerable San Antonio institution
into a world-class center of learning that would reflect the city's
ethnic mix while remaining grounded to its Catholic heritage. He
began by developing a multi-pronged plan that would involve everyone
from faculty and students to business and political leaders to the
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the congregation that
founded the University in 1881 and continues to sponsor it today.
"The position of university president has become a complex
one due to the demands placed on it by various constituencies,"
Dr. Agnese explains. "A successful president of a Catholic
institution must blend academic expertise with business acumen while
anchoring both in strong spiritual beliefs.
"It is critical, then, that presidents have the ability and
willingness to work with a wide cross-section of people in their
San Antonio reminds Dr. Agnese of his native New York City in two
important aspects - both are gateways to America with large numbers
of Hispanics. San Antonio contains a Catholic population eager to
reach for the American dream, but often lacking the educational
and financial means to do so. This makes the presence of a Catholic
institution such as Incarnate Word even more critical. It is the
educational and spiritual conduit for the dreams of these recent
immigrants, as well as other groups that value a Catholic-based
"One of the proudest moments of my life," Dr. Agnese
recounts, "occurred when I was selected as the national Hispanic
Educator of the Year in 1996, even though I'm Italian-American."
Dr. Agnese has been involved with Catholic schools
as a student or an employee since before kindergarten; the sole
exception was the time he spent at the University of Pittsburgh
completing his doctoral degree in counselor education. The reason
for his life-long involvement is simple. To paraphrase Incarnate
Word's Mission Statement, a Catholic institution fosters educational
excellence in a context of faith.
"The University of the Incarnate Word is recognized as a leader
in the educational field spreading from San Antonio, across the
United States and internationally," says Jack Jordan, Superintendent
of the Harlandale Independent School District.
"Dr. Agnese's vision and commitment is synonymous with Incarnate
The commitment to academic excellence is an important component
of Mission, which has to be a comprehensive endeavor. A programs
size is not always indicative of its quality. Occasionally the smaller
and more esoteric programs have to be uncovered and brought to the
forefront so they can be duly recognized.
"The bottomline is this - I feel that there are no weak academic
programs," Dr. Agnese says. " A so-called 'weak' program
is simply an unidentified strength."
Unleashing that programs potential, however, is a collaborative
effort that needs the cooperation of the entire university community.
For instance, institutional planning in the development of endowed
professorial teaching chairs, because the strength of a program
is tied directly to the strengths of the faculty.
Academic excellence also implies having the vision to develop new
initiatives that will enhance the university; in other words, providing
the leadership to see what's ahead and then bringing it to reality.
Incarnate Word, for example, became an IBM ThinkPad University last
year. Under this program, all students and faculty will receive
one of these powerful laptops, a project that will revolutionize
the classroom experience. In order to maximize this technological
opportunity, Incarnate Word is transforming itself into a wireless
campus, both indoors and outdoors.
These technological initiatives will be academically advantageous
to the students, particularly because Incarnate Word is a Hispanic
Serving Institution that serves many students from economically
disadvantaged backgrounds that had never before owned a computer.
"These initiatives are especially meaningful because they provide
tangible optimism to people with limited financial resources,"
Dr. Agnese says.
Today Incarnate Word is strikingly different than
what it was in 1986, although the spiritual foundation remains the
same. The endowment fund has grown nearly sevenfold. The physical
facilities have more than doubled. Overall enrollment has tripled,
while minority enrollment has quadrupled; the latter is a crucial
figure in a city that is 60 percent minority. Scholarship assistance
has increased by over 1000 percent. Several endowed professorial
teaching chairs have been established. Capital improvements have
grown by more than $40 million.
Additionally, there now exists a strong alumni association that
has become a vital part of the extended UIW community. The University
has developed a strong tradition in both men's and women's athletics
without sacrificing the ideal of the student-athlete. And due to
the media partnerships that began over a decade ago, billboards
advertising Incarnate Word and its programs have remained a constant
fixture throughout the city, while ads appear regularly in the newspaper
as well as on television and radio stations.
Dr. Agnese attends the dedication
of the China Incarnate Word Education Center last fall in
"Presidential leadership is about looking for
new opportunities and not standing still," Dr. Agnese observes.
Thus the University is expanding its on-line academic offerings.
The globalization of the campus continues. Just five years ago,
international students represented less than 1 percent of the student
body. Students from more than two dozen countries currently make
up 8 percent of the student body. And it is the University's goal
to double that figure within the next five years. UIW also has "sister
school" agreements for reciprocal education with more than
60 institutions in over 20 countries, most of them in Asia and Latin
America, geographic areas that represent the future of world commerce.
In recognition of Latin America's importance to UIW initiatives,
and to also honor Incarnate Word's 120th anniversary and Dr. Agnese's
15th since he was inaugurated president, the University in March
hosted its first-ever Latin American scholarship celebration, "Unidos
por la Educacion."
The celebration drew more than 300 individuals, including such dignitaries
as former San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros, to help raise funds
for the newly established Dr. Louis Agnese Jr. Latin American Endowed
Scholarship Fund. The fund will help give eligible UIW students
the opportunity to study in Latin America, and for Latin American
students to study at UIW.
"The impact (Dr. Agnese has) had on the young people of our
region is immense," says Dr. Francisco Cigarroa, president
of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
"Those lives, and the lives of many who will follow, will be
improved through the doors that have been opened by their education
at Incarnate Word."
Last fall the University reached an important milestone on the international
front with the opening of the China Incarnate Word Education Center
near Guangzhou, a city that is a two-hour drive from Hong Kong.
Incarnate Word became the first American university sanctioned by
the Chinese government to operate a branch in China that offers
accredited American degrees that students can earn without leaving
"Lou Agnese has done more to rejuvenate his university and
put it on the national map than any other college president I can
think of," Mr. Cisneros says.
Today the University's endowment fund is at its highest level in
history. The composition of the student body reflects San Antonio's
racial and ethnic diversity. The new natatorium, featuring a pool
complex, provides the University with another outstanding athletic
facility. And the recent acquisition of Alumni Park next to SBC
gives the University additional green areas along the San Antonio
"A university president needs to be known in the community
in order to accomplish his or her goals. Otherwise those goals will
simply remain goals," Dr. Agnese says. "Universities should
provide leadership for their communities because they are the centers
of creative thinking. And the presidents are the physical and ideological
manifestations of that leadership."
Through continued collaboration and innovative leadership, the University
of the Incarnate Word will continue developing a vision that is
both suitable for the 21st century, and gives meaning to past accomplishments.
"In every respect, Incarnate Word is a better place because
of his leadership," Mr. Cisneros says, "from its physical
plant and appearance, to its academic programs and extracurricular