University of Houston–Downtown
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 in Downtown Houston with a satellite location in northwestern Harris County. Founded in 1974, UHD is the second-largest university in the Houston area. The university serves students in four academic colleges. UHD offers 53 degree programs: 44 bachelors and 9 masters. Awarding more than 3,600 degrees annually, the university has more than 60,000 alumni. History. 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 60,120 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 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 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. Academics. 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. In August 2011 the University of Texas System Board of Regents approved new admission standards for University of Texas at Brownsville, the second to last such school, 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. The UT Brownsville closed admissions were also scheduled to begin  in the northern hemisphere fall of 2013. Campus. The main campus of UHD is located in eight buildings at the north end of Downtown Houston and the south end of Northside, next to the crossing of Interstate 10 and Main Street. The university is located near the site where Houston was founded, Allen's Landing. 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: 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. 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.