University of Houston–Downtown

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University of Houston–Downtown
University of Houston–Downtown seal.svg
TypeState university
Established1974; 47 years ago (1974)
EndowmentUS$ 44,267,743
PresidentLoren J. Blanchard
ProvostAkif Uzman (interim)
Academic staff
740
Administrative staff
368
Students15,239
Location
Houston
,
Texas
,
United States

29°45′57″N 95°21′35″W / 29.765931°N 95.359684°W / 29.765931; -95.359684Coordinates: 29°45′57″N 95°21′35″W / 29.765931°N 95.359684°W / 29.765931; -95.359684
CampusUrban, 20 acres (0.08 km²)
ColorsBlue and Red
   
NicknameGators
AffiliationsUH System
SACS
MascotEd-U-Gator
Websiteuhd.edu
University of Houston-Downtown wordmark.svg

The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a public university in Houston, Texas. It is part of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans 40 acres (16 ha) in Downtown Houston, with a satellite location in northwestern Harris County.[1] Founded in 1974, UHD is the second-largest university in the Houston area with more than 15,000 students.[2]

The university serves students in four academic colleges. UHD offers 53 degree programs: 44 bachelors and 9 masters.[3] Awarding more than 3,500 degrees annually, the university has more than 51,000 alumni.[4][5]

History[]

One Main Building (formerly Merchants and Manufacturers Building)

In 1974, the University of Houston acquired the assets of South Texas Junior College and opened the University of Houston–Downtown College (UHDC) at One Main Street as a four-year institution. By the end of the 1970s, the Texas Legislature had approved UHDC as a distinct university in the University of Houston System.

Focused on meeting the needs of Houston’s diverse and dynamic workforce, the University’s first four-year degree was a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and resident students paid $4 per credit hour. By the early 1980s, it was clear that UHDC was more than a college and the word, ‘college,’ was officially removed from the institution’s name.

UHD moved into the 1990s as the Texas’ third fastest growing university and focused on becoming a premier, metropolitan university, appealing to traditional and non-traditional students as well as working professionals. Campus growth continued with the opening of the Academic Building and the Jesse H. Jones Student Life Center.

UHD earned full approval from the Texas Legislature and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer graduate programs, beginning with a Master’s in Criminal Justice and then expanding to a Master’s in Security Management and Professional Writing & Education. Over time, UHD would expand its partnerships with Lone Star College (LSC) and offer select degrees and courses at UHD-Northwest at the LSC-University Center, LSC-Cy Fair, LSC-Kingwood and LSC-Atascocita. Articulation agreements with surrounding community colleges were developed to create pathways for transfer students to earn degrees at UHD.

The University's expansion and physical growth continued in the late 1990s. The Willow Street Pump Station (listed among U.S. National Register of Historic Places) was renovated, and the Commerce Street Building opened, providing a new home for the College of Public Service. In the early 2000s, the Shea Street Building opened as the new home for the College of Business. In 2012, UHD celebrated another milestone as it enrolled the first class of MBA students in the College of Business.

In 2016, a 26,000-square-foot Welcome Center opened its doors, and the O’Kane Gallery landed a new home featuring exhibitions for student, faculty, local and national artists. In 2017, the College of Business received a historic $10 million endowment from native Houstonian Marilyn Davies (CEO Seismic Bailey LLC) to support the College’s growing programs. In recognition of the gift, the College is now the Marilyn Davies College of Business. Four years later in 2020, UHD expanded its campus footprint with the award-winning, state-of-the-art $73 million College of Sciences of Technology Building. In 2020, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the future Student Wellness & Success Center.

Today, UHD educates more than 15,000 students annually and boasts more than 56,000 alumni. The University is noted nationally as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Minority-Serving Institution and Military-Friendly School— indicators of a diverse and vibrant student body, just like the city we call home.

Learn more about UHD’s history through its digital archive.

Institutional structure[]

The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is one of four separate and distinct institutions in the University of Houston System. The institution is separately accredited, offers its own academic programs and confers its own degrees, and has its own administration. UHD is a stand-alone university; it is not a branch campus of the University of Houston (UH). Although UHD and UH are both component institutions of the University of Houston System, they are separate degree-granting universities.

The organization and control of the University of Houston–Downtown is vested in the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System. The Board has all the rights, powers, and duties that it has with respect to the organization and control of other institutions in the System; however, UHD is maintained as a separate and distinct institution.

Administration[]

The president is the chief executive officer of the University of Houston–Downtown, and the position reports to the chancellor of the University of Houston System. The president is appointed by the chancellor and confirmed by the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System. Since March 2021, the acting president of the university is Loren J. Blanchard. The UHD administration is located on the ninth floor in the One Main Building.

  • William I. Dykes (interim), 1974–1975
  • J. Don Boney, 1975–1979
  • Alexander F. Schilt, 1980–1987
  • Manuel T. Pacheco, 1987–1991
  • George W. Magner (interim), 1991–1992
  • Max Castillo, 1992–2009
  • William V. Flores, 2009–2016
  • Michael A. Olivas (interim), 2016–2017
  • Juan Sánchez Muñoz, 2017–2020
  • Antonio D. Tillis (interim), 2020–March 2021
  • Loren J. Blanchard, March 2021 – present

Academics[]

Academic rankings

The University of Houston–Downtown is primarily an undergraduate institution. It offers 44 undergraduate and nine graduate degree programs in the following academic colleges:

As of the 2014 freshman cohort, UHD had a six-year graduation rate of 29%.

Admissions[]

UHD was the final state university in Texas which had not yet abolished open admissions.[6] In August 2011 the University of Texas System Board of Regents approved new admission standards for University of Texas at Brownsville,[7] the second to last such school,[6] and awaited the approval of the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges. The University of Houston System Board of Regents unanimously approved new admissions standards in February 2012, with closed admissions for that university beginning in the northern hemisphere fall of 2013.[8] The UT Brownsville closed admissions were also scheduled to begin in the northern hemisphere fall of 2013.[7]

Campus[]

Shea Street Building

The main campus of UHD is located in eight buildings at the north end of Downtown Houston and the south end of Northside,[9][10] next to the crossing of Interstate 10 and Main Street. The university is located near the site where Houston was founded, Allen's Landing.[11] Two of the university's buildings—One Main Building (formerly the Merchants and Manufacturers Building) and the Willow Street Pump Station—are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. UHD also offers classes online, and at three satellite campuses:[12][13]

  • UHD Northwest
  • LSC Kingwood
  • LSC Cyfair
Commerce Street Building

UHD's student current ethnic demographics are 52% Hispanic, 20% African American, 14% White, 9% Asian American, 3% foreign nationals (regardless of race and/or ethnic origins), and 2% multi-racial. 62% of the student body identified as female, 46% identified as male.

In 2020, UHD expanded its campus footprint with the award-winning, state-of-the-art $73 million College of Sciences of Technology Building. Construction is underway on UHD's future Student Wellness & Success Center that will redefine the student experience by enhancing fitness and recreation on campus while providing students with new areas for studying, socialization, and community-building. The building will also feature spaces for learning focused on health and wellness and a demonstration kitchen where students can learn about nutrition. Anticipated opening of the Center is targeted for 2022.

Although UHD does not have an intercollegiate varsity athletics program, it does offer its students a number of club sports and intramural sports in addition to numerous fitness programs. The Department of Sports & Fitness coordinates these activities out of the Jesse H. Jones Student Life Center located on the UHD campus. UHD's club sports teams are known as the Gators. The UHD mascot is known as Ed-U-Gator.[14] The university and its community offer additional activities for students such as clubs, organizations, fraternities, and sororities.

The campus of UHD is served by METRORail's UH–Downtown station on the Red Line.

Notable people and alumni[]

References[]

  1. ^ Sarnoff, Nancy (May 23, 2016). "UHD Buying 17 Acres Downtown". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  2. ^ "University of Houston-Downtown Fact Book 2016-2017" (PDF). University of Houston-Downtown. University of Houston-Downtown. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  3. ^ "Degree and Major List | University of Houston-Downtown". Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "University of Houston-Downtown | University of Houston System". University of Houston System. University of Houston System. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "UHD Fact Book 2016-2017" (PDF). University of Houston-Downtown. University of Houston-Downtown. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Rhor, Monica. "Open admissions may end at UH-Downtown." Houston Chronicle. Friday February 10, 2012. Retrieved on February 11, 2012.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "NEW UT BROWNSVILLE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS." (Archive) University of Texas at Brownsville. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. Click on the orange "NEW UT BROWNSVILLE FRESHMAN ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS" to see the date when open admissions begins.
  8. ^ Rhor, Monica. "UH-Downtown ends open admissions." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday February 15, 2012. Retrieved on September 18, 2012.
  9. ^ "[1] Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine." University of Houston-Downtown. Retrieved on July 28, 2011.
  10. ^ "Our Boundaries Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine." Greater Northside Management District. Retrieved on July 28, 2011.
  11. ^ Kleiner, D.J: Allen's Landing from the Handbook of Texas Online (2005-02-03). Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  12. ^ "UHD Online | University of Houston-Downtown". www.uhd.edu. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "Off Campus | University of Houston-Downtown". www.uhd.edu. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  14. ^ "Gator Pride & Traditions | University of Houston-Downtown". www.uhd.edu. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  15. ^ "Bombaywala, Ghulam Bombaywala transcript, 2 of 2" (Oral Histories from the Houston History Project) (Archive). University of Houston Libraries. (Interview of Ghulam Mohammed Bombaywala, HHA #00570, July 19, 2007, Interviewer: Uzma Quraishi, Transcribed by Suzanne Mascola) p. 1. "I started out going to school - University of Houston downtown campus. It used to be South Texas Junior College."
  16. ^ "Bombaywala, Ghulam Bombaywala transcript, 2 of 2" (Oral Histories from the Houston History Project) (Archive). University of Houston Libraries. (Interview of Ghulam Mohammed Bombaywala, HHA #00570, July 19, 2007, Interviewer: Uzma Quraishi, Transcribed by Suzanne Mascola) p. 3. "GB: Karachi. I went to school there. Unique English School. Then, from there, you know, in Karachi, of course, called CMS. Then, the college was National College. I did my Inter [as in, intermediate school diploma] from there and then came here. Then got my associate degree from the University of Houston."
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b "UH System Success Stories". University of Houston System. February 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
  18. ^ "Phil Montgomery: Biography". Wisconsin State Legislature. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
  19. ^ "Daniel Peña | University of Houston-Downtown". www.uhd.edu. Retrieved January 5, 2021.

External links[]

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