July 11, 2019 | UHCL Staff
Aaron J. Hart joined University of Houston-Clear Lake as vice president for its new Division of Student Affairs July 1. Hart comes to UH-Clear Lake from University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he served as associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs since 2017.
Despite Hart’s two-year tenure in North Carolina and prior to that, his six-year stint as associate dean of students and director of housing and residence life at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, he has always kept strong ties to Houston.
“Technically, I’m a Houston resident,” Hart said. “I lived in Houston in 2009 and several members of my family live in Houston. That’s why I was already quite familiar with UHCL and the campus. A friend nominated me for this position and after I looked at the job description, I thought it would be a great opportunity.”
Hart said he was drawn to the position due to the new initiatives UHCL’s President Ira K. Blake was implementing. “This is a chance to create a legacy,” Hart said. “At a large institution, they tend to do things a certain way because they have always done them that way. But I could see Dr. Blake was not like that.”
He said that everything in higher education is based upon a strategic plan. “I want to work with that and do anything I can to assist the strategic plan,” he said. “Just sitting at the table is exciting.”
“I am delighted that Dr. Hart has agreed to sign on as UH-Clear Lake’s vice president for our new division of Student Affairs,” Blake said. “His broad, effective experience with critical components in the field and his genuine investment in the growth and development of all students are exactly what UHCL needs for our ongoing efforts to better prepare students for success in an increasingly complex world.”
During a meeting with Blake, Hart discussed the need for the Division of Student Affairs to find ways to connect students to the institution. “I am really excited about that idea,” he said. “This is something beyond going to class and going home. We want students to have reasons to stay and be proud that they’re Hawks. Seeing students wearing UHCL letters and see that campus pride is one of my top initiatives.”
Find out more about UHCL’s Division of Student Affairs.
