University of Texas At San Antonio President Ricardo Romo Placed On Administrative Leave [UPDATED]

SAN ANTONIO, TX — Longtime University of Texas at San Antonio President Ricardo Romo was placed on administrative leave on Tuesday for undisclosed reasons, Patch has learned.

According to a source at the university, the action was taken on Tuesday as Romo was set to retire at the end of the spring semester. In an email to Patch, UTSA spokesman Joe Izbrand said the university would have no additional comment, instead providing a prepared statement from University of Texas System Chancellor William H. McRaven.

"The university will not have any comment," Izbrand wrote. "I am attaching the message sent to the campus community from the chancellor."

In McRaven's statement, the chancellor confirmed to Patch the administrative leave was related to Romo's conduct. But no details on what aspects of his conduct that led to the move were provided.

"It is my duty to inform you that University of Texas at San Antonio President Ricardo Romo has been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately, pending a review of allegations related to his conduct," McRaven wrote in a letter addressed to university members and San Antonio residents.

During an internal review into Romo's conduct, Pedro Reyes, Ph.D., former executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at The University of Texas System, and currently special assistant to the chancellor and professor of education policy at UT Austin, will assume the role of university president, McRaven said.

"The search for Dr. Romo’s successor is proceeding on schedule, with a new president slated to begin by September 1, 2017," McRaven concluded in his statement.

Romo is the second president of a major San Antonio university to be removed for issues related to conduct in recent months. Last August, Lou Agnese was fired as president of the University of the Incarnate Word after making offensive remarks related to race and religion. Agnese was initially ordered to take a 90-day medical leave before being let go after 30 years as UIW president.

According to bio information posted on the university website, Romo became the fifth president of UTSA in May 1999. At his helm, the university was named by the Texas Legislature as an emerging Tier One research university, and was recognized as a leader in providing access to excellence in teaching, research and community outreach.

During Romo’s tenure, UTSA’s enrollment has grown 68 percent, and the university has added numerous programs and facilities to enhance student life. The number of doctoral programs has increased from three to 24, according to the official bio.

A native of San Antonio’s West Side, Romo graduated from Fox Tech High School and attended the University of Texas at Austin on a track scholarship. He was the first Texan to run the mile in less than four minutes, a record that lasted 41 years. He earned a B.S. degree in education (1967).

Among the honors Romo has received throughout his career are: Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies at Stanford; the prestigious Clark Kerr Award for Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education from the University of California, Berkeley; the Wheaton College Otis Social Justice Award for promoting social justice through education and public service; the Colonel W.T. Bondurant Sr. Distinguished Humanitarian Award from the San Antonio Academy Alumni Council; the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Chief Executive Leadership Award; the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal from the United States Army North; the San Antonio North Chamber Dolph Briscoe Salute to Excellence Award; the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Texas Exes Alumni Association; the San Antonian Award from the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce in honor of his Civic & Community Service to the City of San Antonio; and, the Isabel la Catolica award, the highest award given to non-Spanish subjects, bestowed by King Juan Carlos of Spain.

Romo also has garnered numerous special appointments, including an appointment by former President George W. Bush and re-appointing by President Barack Obama to the White House Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics; as a U.S. representative to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization; as Vice Chair for the Federal Reserve Bank; as Chair for Southwest Research Institute; and as Vice Chair for Air University.

>>> Photo of University of Texas at San Antonio President Ricardo Romo via UTSA website