University of Houston System

Infobox_University
name =University of Houston System


image_size = 170px
native_name =
latin_name =
motto = "In Tempore" (Latin)
established =1977
type =State university system
endowment = $522 million [cite web | url = http://www.nacubo.org/Images/All%20Institutions%20Listed%20by%20FY%202007%20Market%20Value%20of%20Endowment%20Assets_2007%20NES.pdf | title = Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2007 | publisher = National Association of College and University Business Officers | accessdate = 2008-02-21 |format=PDF]
staff =
faculty = 4,301
president =
principal =
rector =
chancellor = Renu Khator, Ph.D.
vice_chancellor =
dean =
head_label =
head =
students =56,946
undergrad = 44,188
postgrad = 12,758
doctoral =
city =Houston
state =Texas
country =USA
campus = 4 universities; 2 multi-institution teaching centers
colors = Scarlet Red and Albino White color box|#FF2400 color box|#FFFFFF
colours =
mascot =
affiliations =
website = [http://www.houston.edu www.houston.edu]
[http://www.uhsa.uh.edu www.uhsa.uh.edu] The University of Houston System (often referred to as "UH System" or "UHS") is a state system of higher education which oversees and funds four independent, self-governing universities and two multi-institution teaching centers (MITCs, pronounced "mit-sees"). It also administers a radio station, KUHF, and a television station, KUHT.

The flagship and oldest school of the system, the University of Houston, was founded in 1927. The other universities in the system began as part of the flagship campus, but each became their own separate institutions in the 1970s and 1980s. The last addition to the system was the founding of the multi-institution teaching center, University of Houston System at Cinco Ranch in 2001. Recently, the system proposed the University of Houston Health Science Center, a medical school to be implemented at the Texas Medical Center.. [ [http://www.uhd.edu/sacs/LINKS/Strategic_Principles_Update.pdf University of Houston System Strategic Principles Update ] ]

The University of Houston System is the fourth-largest university system in the U.S. state of Texas. With more than 56,000 students and 4,000 faculties total from four universities, it is the largest metropolitan public system of higher education in Texas. As of 1997, the University of Houston System administration is located in the Ezekiel W. Cullen building on the University of Houston campus.

History

The University of Houston System was established by the Texas Legislature in 1977 as the University of Houston celebrated its 50th anniversary. Philip G. Hoffman became the first chancellor after serving as president for the University of Houston from 1961 to 1977. The original University of Houston System consisted of simply the University of Houston and the University of Houston-Downtown institutions. Prior to the establishment of the system, UHD was a campus of UH, and the two were the same institution. In 1983, the University of Houston at Clear Lake City and the University of Houston Victoria Center both became autonomous institutions from UH as the University of Houston-Clear Lake and the University of Houston-Victoria respectively, and also joined the system.

In 1997, the UH System and the University of Houston administrations merged. That same year, Arthur K. Smith became the first person to be both UH System chancellor and University of Houston president at the same time. Smith oversaw the successful merger of the UH System and UH administrations, the launching of the “Learning. Leading.” image campaign, the planning and construction of a number of major buildings at all four UH System universities, a dramatic growth in external funding for research, and an increase in student enrollment.

After Smith's retirement, the UH System chancellor and president of the University of Houston became Jay Gogue. On June 1, 2007 Dr. Jay Gogue left UH and UH System to become President of Auburn University, his alma mater. The University of Houston System Board of Regents then appointed John M. Rudley, then vice chancellor/vice president for administration and finance, to serve as Interim UH System Chancellor and Interim UH President.

After months of searching, on October 15, 2007 Dr. Renu Khator, provost and senior vice president at the University of South Florida, was selected as the sole finalist for the position of UH System chancellor and UH president. Texas law mandates there be a 21 day public notice before Khator could accept the position.

On November 5th, 2007, Dr. Renu Khator became the third individual to hold the UH System chancellor and UH president position. Interim President John Rudley resumed his previous role of Vice Chancellor and Vice President of Finance and Administration, but accepted the position of President of Texas Southern University soon thereafter. Khator officially took her position at the start of January 2008.

Governance

The University of Houston System is governed by the UH System Board of Regents. [cite web |url= http://www.uhsa.uh.edu/regents/ |title=UHS - Board of Regents |publisher=University of Houston System |accessdate=2008-06-26] The board consists of a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, and six other members. Every two years, the Governor of the State of Texas, subject to the confirmation of the Texas Senate, appoints three members to the Board of Regents. Each member serves a six-year term. Rsponsibilities for members are specifically listed in the bylaws of the Board of Regents.

Also overseeing the University of Houston System is the UHS Chancellor. The chancellor, appointed by the UHS Board of Regents, has certain authorities that are specified in the regent bylaws. [cite web |url=http://www.uh.edu/about/offices/president/delegations/ |title=Chancellor/President's Delegations of Authority |publisher=University of Houston |accessdate=2008-06-26] The chancellor has the option to delegate responsibilities to others such as the vice-chancellor, university presidents, and university athletic directors. Such delegations are subject to the board of regents bylaws and UHS policies.

Since 1997, the flagship institution, University of Houston, and University of Houston System administration has been a single entity. Thus, the UHS Chancellor holds a dual role as the President of the University of Houston as well.

The administration of the system is located on the campus of the University of Houston in the Ezekiel W. Cullen building. The Chancellor's official residence is known as the "Wortham House". [cite web |url=http://info.lib.uh.edu/sca/digital/time/buildings_large.html?ID=83 |title=Wortham House |publisher=University of Houston Libraries |work=UH Through Time |accessdate=2008-06-26] The house was designed by Alfred C. Finn, and built by Frank P. Sterling in 1925 as the "Sterling House". In 1948, the house was donated to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and later sold to Gus and Lyndall Wortham in 1951. Upon her death in July 1980, Lyndall Wortham donated the property to the University of Houston. The house, located in the Houston neighborhood of Southampton, serves as a facility for small functions or gatherings of UH and UHS. [cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2008_4548973 |title="Dinner party dishes out praise, humor" |author=Hodge, Shelby |date=2008-04-14 |publisher=Houston Chronicle |work=chron.com |accessdate=2008-06-26]

Chancellors

* Philip G. Hoffman (1977-1979)
* Charles Edwin Bishop (1980-1986)
* Wilbur Meier (1986-1989)
* Alexander F. Schilt (1989-1995)
* William P. Hobby, Jr. (1995-1997)
* Arthur K. Smith (1997-2003)
* Jay Gogue (2003-2007)
* Renu Khator (2007-Present)

Institutions

General universities

There are four universities within the University of Houston System. These universities are "independent" of each other, not campuses of one another.

University of Houston

[
University of Houston] Founded in 1927, the University serves more than 35,300 students in 12 academic colleges and in the interdisciplinary Honors College on a convert|560|acre|km2|sing=on campus southeast of Downtown Houston. UH offers 109 bachelor's, 131 master's, 51 doctoral, and three professional degree programs.cite web |url=http://www.uh.edu/uh_glance/index.php?page=info |title=UH at a Glance |publisher=University of Houston |accessdate=2007-10-12] It currently is the third-largest university in Texas and twenty-third largest university in the United States by enrollment, awarding more than 6,600 degrees annually. [cite web | url = http://www.txhighereddata.org/reports/Docfetch.cfm?DocID=1263&Format=XLS |title=Texas Higher Education Enrollments |publisher=Texas Education Agency |accessdate=2007-10-11 ] [cite web |url=http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/dt07_225.asp |title=Enrollment of the 120 largest degree-granting college and university campuses, by selected characteristics and institution: Fall 2005 |publisher=U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics |accessdate=2008-03-16]

The University of Houston is the largest and only nationally recognized doctoral degree-granting institution in the UH System. The University of Houston is the system's flagship university. During the 1980s, the University of Houston changed its name to "University of Houston-University Park" to distinguish itself from the rest of the universities in the system. However since 1988, the institution has officially been known as simply the "University of Houston". Each other system university was, at one point in each of their histories, part of this institution.

University of Houston–Clear Lake

The University of Houston–Clear Lake, often shortened to simply "UH–Clear Lake" or "UHCL", is an upper-level university located on a convert|524|acre|km2|sing=on campus partially in Houston and partially in Pasadena in southeast Harris County, Texas, United States. UHCL was founded in 1971 as the "University of Houston at Clear Lake City".

Like UHV, UHCL does not offer lower-level courses, and many of the student body attend area community colleges to complete their basic curriculum requirements. Each students is admitted to a specific degree program at the University of Houston–Clear Lake after he or she has obtained 54 semester hours of college credit with a minimum grade of C or if he or she has earned an associate's degree.

University of Houston–Victoria

The University of Houston–Victoria, often referred to as "UH–Victoria" or "UHV", is a public university located in Victoria, Texas. It was founded as an upper-level institution in 1973 as the University of Houston Victoria Center and became a permanent part of the University of Houston System in 1983. UHV is the smallest university by enrollment in the system.

The university shares facilities and some services with Victoria College and also works with Coastal Bend College, Wharton County Junior College and Houston Community College System. The student population has now grown to over 2,600 students, and has conferred 4,200 bachelor's and master's degrees.

University of Houston–Downtown

The University of Houston–Downtown, often simply called "UH–Downtown" or "UHD", is a four-year college in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. With an enrollment of about 11,793 students, UHD is the second-largest institution of the University of Houston System.

The institution was founded in 1974 when assets of the private South Texas Junior College were acquired and transferred to the University of Houston. UH–Downtown opened as a branch campus of UH and by 1979, it had separated from UH as the Texas Legislature approved the new institution as a freestanding university within the UH System.

University comparison

Multi-institution teaching centers

There are two multi-institution teaching centers serving all four UH System institutions:

The University of Houston System at Cinco Ranch was founded in 1980 as the "West Houston Institute" as a part of the University of Houston. In 2001, it was reorganized as a higher education teaching center of the University of Houston System located in northern Fort Bend County, Texas near the city of Katy.

The University of Houston System at Sugar Land, often referred to as "UHS at Sugar Land" or "UHSSL", was founded in 1996 as a higher education teaching center of the UH System located in Sugar Land, Texas. It was originally named the "Fort Bend Institute", and later the "University of Houston System at Fort Bend" prior to its current name.

Other institutions

In Summer of 2007, the University of Houston system sought to purchase additional property in the Northwest Houston. [cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2006_4200944 |title="UH pulls plug on plan for NW site / President says state's conditions made campus unworkable" |author=Tresaugue, Matthew |publisher=Houston Chronicle |work=chron.com |date=2006-09-30 |accessdate=2008-06-26] Prairie View A&M University objected to this purchase, saying that it would lead to competition for students in the area. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the deal, but under stringent conditions. Subsequently, UH withdrew from the land purchase deal.

Lone Star College-University Center

Although not a part of the University of Houston System, two UH System universities (UH and UHD) offer classes at a satellite of the Lone Star College System called the University Center. The center works in conjunction with other Texas public universities such as Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University.

Proposed health institutions

The University of Houston Health Science Center is a proposed medical school that will be located at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. It plans to offer the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program and will be the third medical school in Houston.

Additionally, the University of Houston System at Texas Medical Center has been proposed to be the third multi-institution teaching center of the UH System. [ [http://www.uhd.edu/sacs/LINKS/Strategic_Principles_Update.pdf Microsoft Word - Strategic_Principles_Update.doc ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.uhsa.uh.edu/ University of Houston System]
** [http://www.uh.edu/ University of Houston]
** [http://www.uhcl.edu/ University of Houston–Clear Lake]
** [http://www.uhd.edu/ University of Houston–Downtown]
** [http://www.uhv.edu/ University of Houston–Victoria]