UHD 2000/2001 Catalog UHD Catalog Home | General Information | About UH-Downtown Table of Contents | Previous Section | Next Section | Index | How to Use the Online Catalog University of Houston-Downtown History and Future on the Bayou Campus Safety and Security Accreditation 1 The University of Houston-Downtown UH-Downtown is a public four-year undergraduate university, beginning limited expansion into graduate programs. The university‘s dynamic campus is located in downtown Houston, easily accessed from all major freeways. At UHD, the emphasis is on teaching excellence and student success. With dedicated faculty, small classes and innovative course options, UHD offers excellent educational opportunities through more than 30 bachelor’s degree programs in three colleges: Business, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Sciences and Technology. In the 2000–2001 academic year, UHD offers its first master’s degree—the M.S. in Criminal Justice. As specific academic needs are identified, UHD will expand its service to the community by offering additional undergraduate and graduate degrees. UHD is nationally recognized for its outstanding academic opportunities, including its accredited programs and productive community partnerships. One result of UHD’s successful partnerships is the total amount of scholarships awarded to UHD students each year. An average of $800,000 is given annually to deserving students, and that number will increase to nearly $1.2 million in the next year, thanks to a recent major gift. Flexible schedules and class options—such as live interactive television, videotape and computer modem—make degrees available to students throughout the metro area. UHD participates in partnerships with the UH System at Fort Bend in Sugar Land, the University Center in the Woodlands, and San Jacinto College North. The Weekend College and evening classes put a degree within reach for students with full-time jobs. UHD prepares individuals to thrive in the multicultural workplace of the 21st century through interaction with its student population, which is diverse in every sense of the world—in ethnicity, age, financial background and life situation. U.S. News and World Report names UHD one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse institutions of higher learning. UHD‘s “vertical campus” is multi-storied, offering all classes under one roof. The campus is especially accessible to students with physical disabilities, with elevators connecting every floor. Students can easily find comfortable areas to gather with friends and classmates, and they have ready access to sports and recreation facilities. The adjacent Jesse H. Jones Student LIfe Center includes gymnasiums, a dance studio and a fitness center. History and Future on the Bayou UHD is creating an exciting future based on a fascinating past. It all began in 1974, when the assets of the private South Texas Junior College were transferred to the University of Houston. By 1979, the Texas Legislature approved the new institution as a separate entity within the University of Houston System. In 1983, the name was changed to the University of Houston-Downtown. UHD’s One Main Building was constructed in 1929 on the banks of White Oak and Buffalo Bayous as the Merchants and Manufacturers Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and by the Texas Historical Commission. Today, UH-Downtown is the second largest institution in the University of Houston System, which includes a total of four free-standing universities: UH-Downtown, the University of Houston, UH–Clear Lake, and UH–Victoria. All four institutions are governed by the UH System Board of Regents. The chief administrative officer at each university is the president. Within the last few years, the university‘s facility grew with the addition of the Academic Building, comprising more than 40 classrooms and lecture halls, the Technology Teaching and Learning Center, the Wilhelmina Cullen Robertson Auditorium and a food court, and the Student Life Center. The newly renovated third floor of the One Main Building now offers a “one-stop” student service center, UHD’s latest effort to more efficiently and effectively serve students. Students will be able to get information about UHD, register for classes, seek financial aid and scholarships, meet with advisors, and pay fees in one area. The new area offers students access to walk-up computer stations, which can be used to access on-line class schedules and other useful data. UHD makes technology available to students on an ongoing basis, with state-of-the-art computer labs located throughout the campus. In the near future, UHD will seek to expand its space, to accommodate a growing student body. Enrollment in the fall semester of 1999 was approximately 8,700. Campus Safety and Security Information on campus safety and security, including three-year crime statistics, is provided by the UH-Downtown Police Department on the UHD website. Also available is safety and crime prevention information, campus policies on alcohol, firearms and sexual assault, crime alerts and more. The following section was inadvertently omitted from the printed version of the UHD 2000/2001 Catalog. Accreditation The University of Houston–Downtown is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate degrees. Accreditation documentation is available in the Office of the President. The bachelor of business administration programs of the College of Business are accredited by AACSB—the International Association for Management Education. Accreditation documentation is available in the Office of the Dean of Business (1009-North). The Engineering Technology majors in Electrical/Electronics Design, Structural Analysis and Design, and Process and Piping Design are accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Accreditation documentation for these programs is available in the Office of the Dean of Sciences and Technology (723-North).