Raymund Paredes

About Raymund Paredes

Raymund A. Paredes, Ph.D. is the former Commissioner of Higher Education and CEO of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board where he served for 15 years. He is now consulting on all matters relating to higher education. Dr. Paredes spent most of his academic career at UCLA where for 30 years he taught as an English professor and served for ten years as vice chancellor for academic development. In addition, he served as special assistant to the president of the University of California System in outreach efforts to improve access to higher education for students from educationally disadvantaged communities.Dr. Paredes also served as director of creativity and culture at the Rockefeller Foundation. He has served on the national board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters; as a trustee of The College Board and Mercy College of New York; and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Cultural Trust. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the Education Commission of the States. In 2007, he was named one of Hispanic Business Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Hispanics and in 2019, receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Dr. Paredes was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. He attended The University of Texas at Austin, receiving a B.A. in English. He served in the U.S. Army for two years, including a 14-month tour with the First Infantry Division in Vietnam. After separation from military service, he resumed his education, receiving a master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Southern California and his Ph.D. in American Civilization, from The University of Texas at Austin.

Experience

1. Commissioner of Higher Education

   Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

   Jul 2004 — Present

   CEO of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which by state law is the highest authority for higher education in the state. Oversees activities such as academic program approval, administration of the state accountability system for higher education, the development of funding methodologies for two-year colleges, universities and health-related institutions and the development and implementation of state higher education policy. Works with institutions to achieve the goals of the Texas higher education plan. Oversees a staff of 260 and an annual budget of $800 million.

Education

• The University of Texas at Austin

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), English

• The University of Texas at Austin

  Ph.D., American Civilization

• University of Southern California

  Master of Arts (M.A.), American Studies