University of Houston System
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| University of Houston System | |
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| Established: | 1977 |
| Type: | State university system |
| Endowment: | $522 million[1] |
| Chancellor: | Renu Khator, Ph.D. |
| Faculty: | 4,301 |
| Students: | 56,946 |
| Undergraduates: | 44,188 |
| Postgraduates: | 12,758 |
| Location: | Houston, Texas, USA |
| Campus: | 4 campuses, 2 multi-institution teaching centers |
| Colors: | Scarlet Red and Albino White |
| Website: | www.houston.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.
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.
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[edit] History
The University of Houston System was established by the Texas Legislature in 1977 as the University of Houston celebrated its 50th anniversary. Phillip 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.
[edit] Institutions
[edit] General universities
There are four universities within the University of Houston System. These universities are independent of each other, not campuses of one another.
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.
The University of Houston–Downtown is an open-admission four-year undergraduate university beginning limited expansion into graduate programs. It has a student population of over 11,000 and was founded in 1974.
The University of Houston–Clear Lake (founded in 1974) and the University of Houston–Victoria (founded in 1973) are both upper division and master's-level universities.
In Summer of 2007, the University of Houston system sought to purchase additional property in the Northwest Houston. The A&M Prarie View university objected to this purchase, saying that it would lead to competition for students in the area. The Texas Higher Education board approved the deal, but under stringent conditions. Subsequently, UH withdrew from the land purchase deal. [1]
| Campus | Campus land area (in acres) | Founded | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Athletics affiliation |
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| University of Houston | 560 | 1927 | 34,663 | Cougars | Scarlet Red & Albino White | NCAA Division I - Conference USA |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake | 524 | 1971 | 7,706 | Egret | Blue & Green | no athletics |
| University of Houston-Downtown | 20 | 1974 | 11,793 | Gators | Blue & Red | NCBA Division II |
| University of Houston-Victoria | 20 | 1973 | 2,784 | Jaguars | Purple, Red, & Gold | NAIA - Region VI |
[edit] Health science center
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.
[edit] Multi-institution teaching centers
There are two multi-institution teaching centers serving all four UH System institutions:
- University of Houston System at Cinco Ranch (founded 1980)
- University of Houston System at Sugar Land (founded 1996)
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.
[edit] References
- ^ Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2007. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
[edit] External links
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