Leading Jaguars: Cesar Flores
By Laura Pohl, Contributing Writer
Cesar Flores believes whole-heartedly that Governors State University (GovState) is THE place to earn a college degree. As Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management since June 2023, he’s fully embraced the advantages of the academic experience at GovState.
“I love what we do here, what we offer,” Flores said. “I tell parents that this is a close-knit community with a small-campus feel.”
His life’s work has been showing families that college can be in their futures. “One of the reasons I’m so passionate about helping students today is because I was once that student, afraid to ask questions and feeling lost in a complicated enrollment process,” he said.
From the early days of his career, Flores has channeled his experience as a first-gen student to encourage the higher education journey. “My parents came to the United States in the 1980s in search of a better life,” he said. “Like many of our first-gen students today, I struggled with the college enrollment process and with finding resources, and I often felt like I didn’t belong. But I was motivated to navigate an unknown landscape in higher education, and college changed my life.”
Flores started as an enrollment specialist at College of DuPage (COD) in 2001 as he completed two associate degrees there. “Working in enrollment allowed me to pursue my interest in marketing,” he said. “My passion became helping students understand the benefits of a college degree.”
He went on to earn his B.A. and M.A. degrees at Northern Illinois University in business, translation and foreign language studies—Spanish. He’s currently enrolled in an online program to earn a doctorate in higher education leadership and management through the University of Massachusetts.
Flores, who was recently recognized as one of Crain's Chicago Business 2024 Notable Latino Leaders, envisions achieving the U.S. Department of Education designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). This requires 25 percent of full-time equivalent students (FTES) to be Hispanic; GovState is currently at 20 percent. He’s pleased with the momentum in supporting the Hispanic population, such as the new Latinx Resource Center under the leadership of Emmanuel Lopez.
Before Flores’ appointment at GovState, he worked at COD for 20 years and was dean of enrollment management. His extensive experience means he’s well-prepared to tackle the challenges of admission, enrollment and financial aid at GovState. “The high school population continues to decline and we also see students leaving Illinois to attend schools out of state,” he said.
The key is to pursue other potential students in addition to traditional-age high school prospects, Flores said. GovState is having success in attracting international students to its Master of Business Administration (MBA) and M.S in Business Analytics programs. In fall 2024, 171 new international students enrolled in a GovState master’s program, the highest ever. With freshmen and transfer students, there are 196 new international students representing 20 countries, with a majority from India.
Another area of focus continues to be transfer students from community colleges—the foundation of GovState’s enrollment. “With 604 new transfer students this fall, we’re holding steady,” Flores said. “But community colleges have also experienced a decline in enrollment.”
GovState is also well positioned to serve non-traditional students who want to complete degrees using hybrid and online courses.
Flores is optimistic the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process will be smoother this year. “In the end, the revisions to FAFSA will make it more user friendly,” he said. The fact that Illinois’ Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding now exceeds Pell Grant funds is a plus for in-state recruiting. (Students can quality for up to $8,400 in MAP funding and a maximum of $7,395 in Pell Grant funds.)
Growing the Hispanic student population at GovState means Flores and his staff must involve parents in the admission and enrollment process. “We have a parents’ portal on the GovState website, to help them see what’s going on,” he explained. “We want them to know we have an inclusive and thriving campus.”