President Oroz Reveals Goals For The Year

 Wright’s President Andres Oroz revealed some items on the agenda for the new academic year, including a new AI program, building renovations, and a new administration position among other things.

Oroz mentioned new academic programs that Wright will be starting in the fall of 2025. “Our faculty are working on an AI associates and advanced certificate program that will be offered in the fall, we are working on developing the early childhood education program out of the Humboldt Park campus, and we have made some changes to the cannabis program,” Oroz said. “I’m proud of that because that takes a lot of work.”

Oroz said steps were taken to resolve some of the wifi issues and that there are plans to renovate the bathrooms at Wright, issues on the agenda of SGA. Oroz said there is not a timeline or specific plan in place yet to fix the bathrooms but that Wright has secured funding for the project.  “We just got approved for the appropriations, because this is capital funding, it's not using our existing budgets, it's coming from the state and the district funds,”Oroz said. 

  Wright will collaborate with the CCC district office regarding the bathrooms to determine what bathrooms to renovate based on need and budgets. Oroz also mentioned the ongoing renovations to the roof and plans to renovate some of the floors in the labs.

Oroz said he was glad to see Wright welcome five new faculty members across a variety of disciplines. “They’re bringing innovative new ideas and new programs for them to be able to explore,” Oroz said.  

“We want to ensure that we have new programs that are being developed," Oroz said. Oroz said mechatronics, expanding the criminal justice program, and providing services that help with housing insecurity, food insecurity and health awareness are some of the major projects Oroz wants to work on.

Oroz also said Wright will hire a new vice president for student affairs who will help divide the responsibilities of Arlene Santos-George, who is currently vice president of student and academic affairs.

 “It’s a lot of work so we decided to split those divisions so that Arlene can focus on really supporting our faculty and helping them through the curriculum development,” Oroz said. Oroz said he hopes to start advertising the job late September or early October and then hire after the interviewing process. “We will be inviting the student government president to serve in the committee, and then we’ll have an open campus forum for everybody, faculty students and staff, to meet the candidates once we have them selected,” Oroz said.

President Oroz holds up a replica of Wright's LRC pyramid in his office. Photo Credit: Kyle Chmielowski