University of Houston–Downtown
TypePublic university
Established1974 (1974)
Parent institution
UH System
AccreditationSACS
Academic affiliations
CUMU
EndowmentUS$ 44,267,743
PresidentLoren J. Blanchard
ProvostDeborah E. Bordelon
Academic staff
740
Administrative staff
368
Students15,077
Location
Houston
,
Texas
,
United States

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
MascotEd-U-Gator
Websiteuhd.edu

The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a public university in Houston, Texas. It is part of the University of Houston System and has a campus that spans 40 acres (16 ha) in Downtown Houston with a satellite location, UHD-Northwest in Harris County.[1] Founded in 1974, UHD is the second-largest university in Houston.[2] The university serves students in four academic colleges and offers 57 degree programs—46 bachelor's and 11 master's.[3] UHD also offers 15 undergraduate-completion programs and 3 fully online master's programs. Awarding more than 3,600 degrees annually, the UHD boasts more than 64,000 alumni.[4][5]

History

One Main Building (formerly Merchants and Manufacturers Building)

In 1974, the University of Houston acquired South Texas Junior College in order to open the University of Houston-Downtown College right at One Main Street. The name was then changed to University of Houston-Downtown, officially removing "College" from the institution.[6]

The University of Houston-Downtown'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.

UHD celebrated a milestone when 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, and local and national artists. Dedicated to the health and wellness of the Campus Community, the Wellness & Success Center opens its doors in January 2023.[7]

Institutional structure

The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is one of four 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. 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 UHS chancellor and confirmed by the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System. Since March 2021, the 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 46 undergraduate and 11 graduate degree programs in the four following academic colleges:

Admissions

The University of Houston–Downtown was the final state university in Texas that had not yet abolished open admissions.[8] The University of Houston System Board of Regents unanimously approved new admissions standards in February 2012, with closed admissions for UHD in the fall of 2013.[9]

Campus

Marilyn Davies College of Business

The UHD campus consists of eight buildings at the north end of Downtown Houston and the south end of Northside,[10][11] next to the crossing of Interstate 10 and Main Street. The university is located near the site where Houston was founded, Allen's Landing.[12] 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 at three campuses:[13][14] UHD-Northwest, Lone Star College Kingwood, and Lone Star College CyFair.

College of Public Service

UHD's student current ethnic demographics are: 53% Hispanic, 20% Black, 13% White, 8% Asian, 2% International (regardless of race and/or ethnic origins), and 3% multi-racial. 63% of the student body identified as female, 37% identified as male.

In 2020, UHD opened the College of Sciences and Technology building. The new Wellness & Success Center will opened its doors in January 2023.

The university is home to the Harry W. O'Kane Gallery (commonly known as the O'Kane Gallery, which was established in 1970by gifts from Harry W. O'Kane, Mary W. Bingman, and the Humphreys Foundation. The O'Kane Gallery presents five to six exhibitions that meet the diverse interests of UHD students, faculty, staff, alumni, and campus visitors. Exhibitions in all media provide educational support to various university courses and to nearby schools. The Gallery also functions as a site for university forums, meetings, and receptions. Exhibitions are free and open to the public.

The university once maintained a student dormitory in the former Continental Houston Hotel, located south of the Buffalo Bayou, from 1982 to August 1991; the facility began its use as a hotel in 1961. The students were forced to leave the dormitory the month it closed, and the facility was demolished in 1993. UHD decided to raze the building because the university deemed it more cost effective to do so instead of renovating the facility. The demolition expenses totaled $700,000 while the renovation would have been $8,000,000. Initially the area was to be used for parking cars while a student center was to be later established there.[15]

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. UHD's club sports teams are known as the Gators. The UHD mascot is known as Ed-U-Gator.[16] The university and its community offer additional activities for students such as clubs, organizations, fraternities, and sororities.

The UHD campus 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 April 7, 2023.
  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. ↑ "UHD History". University of Houston-Downtown. University of Houston-Downtown. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  7. ↑ "UHD's Wellness & Success Center Brings a New Era for Health & Well-Being". University of Houston-Downtown. UHD News. January 12, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  8. ↑ Rhor, Monica. "Open admissions may end at UH-Downtown." Houston Chronicle. Friday February 10, 2012. Retrieved on February 11, 2012.
  9. ↑ Rhor, Monica. "UH-Downtown ends open admissions." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday February 15, 2012. Retrieved on September 18, 2012.
  10. ↑ " Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine." University of Houston-Downtown. Retrieved on July 28, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Our Boundaries Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine." Greater Northside Management District. Retrieved on July 28, 2011.
  12. ↑ Kleiner, D.J: Allen's Landing from the Handbook of Texas Online (2005-02-03). Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  13. ↑ "UHD Online | University of Houston-Downtown". www.uhd.edu. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Off Campus | University of Houston-Downtown". www.uhd.edu. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  15. ↑ Johnson, Stephen (April 30, 1993). "UH-Downtown dorm falling to wrecking ball". Houston Chronicle. Houston. p. 30A – via NewsBank. - Available with a Houston Public Library library card from the online databases.
  16. ↑ "Gator Pride & Traditions | University of Houston-Downtown". www.uhd.edu. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  17. ↑ "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."
  18. ↑ "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."
  19. 1 2 "UH System Success Stories". University of Houston System. February 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Phil Montgomery: Biography". Wisconsin State Legislature. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
  21. ↑ "UHD Alumnus Devon Still is Still in the Game".
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