Ríos Maury would prioritize UPR’s fiscal sustainability as president
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
By The Star Staff
If elected president of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Héctor Ríos Maury, one of the various candidates for the position, will prioritize the urgent need to rectify the university’s financial situation, consolidate campuses into efficient conglomerates for resource sharing, and eliminate bureaucratic red tape.
Ríos Maury is determined to create the role of provost to manage university administration, allowing him, as UPR president, to direct his efforts toward vital networking that will ensure the institution’s sustainability.
Drawing on his substantial experience as a former provost at UPR-Humacao and as a tenured professor, Ríos Maury has crafted a robust 266-page academic and operational plan explicitly designed to reform the university. The plan includes definitive deadlines for implementing his initiatives along with the necessary resources.
“The University of Puerto Rico faces unprecedented challenges that demand a bold, visionary transformation in alignment with global best practices in higher education,” Ríos Maury told the STAR. “I am proposing an academic-administrative plan that will solidify governance, boost operational efficiency, enhance academic quality, and secure financial sustainability. This plan is focused on strategic vectors that will optimize our organizational structure, modernize academic offerings, and reinforce the UPR’s critical role in driving socioeconomic development for Puerto Rico.”
Ríos Maury differentiates himself from other candidates through his entrepreneurial perspective, recognizing that the university’s greatest challenge is its fiscal health.
To tackle this, he will implement initiatives such as “UPR Empresarial” aimed at establishing self-sustaining university-operated companies that can generate substantial revenue and optimize institutional resources. He will launch a Business Center for Economic Development in collaboration with both government and private sector partners, positioning UPR as a strategic ally in Puerto Rico’s economic revival.
“These corporate structures affiliated with UPR will open up significant new income streams from contracts totaling over $125 million annually with public and private organizations,” Ríos Maury said.
He will leverage the agricultural potential at UPR-Utuado to establish centers for producing and exporting organic products, including coffee and other agricultural enterprises. Furthermore, he proposes utilizing the Carolina Regional Hospital to develop a “Medical City Project,” which will deliver integrated community medical services through partnerships with companies in the medical sector.
Under a Ríos Maury administration, the Arecibo, Río Piedras, Humacao and Carolina campuses would forge partnerships with private television networks to create innovative programming, while UPR Aguadilla would excel as a center of expertise in logistics, aviation and customs.
Ríos Maury firmly states that he has no intention of closing campuses; instead, he will push for the formation of conglomerates that offer combined services. For instance, the Bayamón, Río Piedras and Carolina campuses would join forces for procurement to drastically reduce costs.
In terms of academic reforms, Ríos Maury would expand the quarter system currently available at UPR-Carolina to all campuses. The system breaks the academic year into three consecutive 10-week quarters, enabling students to complete their degrees more efficiently compared to a traditional semester system. He is confident that the approach will not deter UPR-Carolina’s ability to attract students, as it will only apply to viable programs, ultimately bringing an additional $60 million into the system.
Additionally, the candidate is committed to establishing a virtual university by expanding online degree offerings by 2028.
“I am determined to compete and succeed in this arena,” Ríos Maury asserted.
He will also implement a systematic approach to periodically review academic programs based on labor market data, including conducting comprehensive surveys of students and alumni to assess the relevance of current offerings and ensure alignment with emerging trends in technology, health and business.