Ive learned a lot here praise Dr. Khator publicly but apparently loathe what she’s turning our University into…a majority Traditional School.
Look at the tuition rates the year before she took over and look at them today…and tell me we are a “commuter school” value option still
I think everyone is missing the point of his posts. It’s not hatred towards UH but how to make UH better moving forward which is evolution of the institution or a business.
We will still have room for commuters even after the 25% on campus and even if we reached 50% , commuters can still be a part of the equation.
No need to fight about this issue. Institutions and businesses need to evolve which is what Khator wants also to get where we want to be.
The 100 yr plan with that new dorm which puts us at 10k on campus is proof she agrees.
Evolve or get left behind bc all schools are trying to evolve other than established ones like Ohio st, Lsu etc
Thanks Top25,
I expect it from my fellow Cougar alums.
Very few of our alums lived ON CAMPUS, worked ON CAMPUS, ate all of their meals ON CAMPUS, joined Greek (or similar ON CAMPUS organization), drove to UH for ON CAMPUS functions over the weekend (other than sporting events)…so they have no frame of reference.
I they have no basis point to understand that a College Degree is maybe only 40% of what their college chapter of their life could be.
And news flash UH is charging you 100% whether you take full advantage or don’t.
The second we accepted a P4 it was over…commuter cimmunity college type of schools are NOT in P4.
They just aren’t…sorry!
Adding 2000 more students to the on-campus living scene isn’t going to change the fact that most students will still live off-campus, and it probably won’t represent an increase in the percentage of students living on-campus, unless enrollment numbers stop growing. What will change things is if large-scale near-campus residential options proliferate.
Even dorm residency requirements will have numerous exceptions allowing students to live at home or off-campus with family, just like they do at other campuses with those requirements.
As an urban university, a large commuter population is a given. That’s not a negative, despite some people whining that it makes UH a community college, which is just stupid and not worth discussing with people who say it.
No…have to be 80% on campus.
Can’t be both.
Its like that old saying…you have 2 quarterbscks, you really have zero
That’s a 100% made-up number that doesn’t mean anything.
Most people I know are sending their kids to Lone Star or HCC because of cost and kids not sure what degree they want.
We will never reach 50% on campus
There’s not a single school in Texas with 50% of students living on campus
If you want more kids living close to the campus in off-campus housing, then you need to find a way to convince both inner loop and suburb Houston high school grads to live near UH - that means UH needs to reach academic rankings close to UT & A&M while also providing a social scene that mirrors both schools (such as Greek Life)
But what is the point when those voids are already filled? Texas A&M alone will never just give up their target demographic of students from Houston just to allow UH to win
You guys are completely oversimplifying how all of this works
100% as in the % of Freshmen that are REQUIRED to live on campus at LSU.
So many clueless people in this thread as to what other P4 schools are doing
I guess I don’t understand the angst.
I don’t feel like there’s a crisis or emergency going on at UH. Should I?
There isn’t one
The crisis is that 1927’s wife left him for an LSU grad.
Replying to this and other posts. Up front spoiler: this is a phd candidate + pre-covid alum perspective. my involvement on campus with anything undergraduate in the past year was limited to the cougar catalysts (spirit stuff which not a lot of things happened) and the bookstore (they did great things). I am currently involved with the Graduate Student Organization.
New stadium: used six times a year and the tailgating scene only looks to be swinging back to something decent (though I just go to the alumni ones).
Student centers: Some spots to eat (with one shut down, another one with monstrously long lines, and other overpriced spots run by Chartwells). and a games room that’s just got bowling (I go there once a week, kinda empty).
Residence Halls: No knock on these.
Research Facilities: You’re not seeing many undergrads use these. They’re not choosing to come here over UH’s “Subsea Systems Institute”. Grad students, professors being recruited to run their own labs, and postdocs are in these.
Myself and other people in my circle that are on campus right now but were students before COVID all agree: the efforts put out for ‘traditional campus’ were higher back then than they were now. Buildings are one thing, a Big 12 program is another thing, but culture and lifestyle is what dominates it.
There was a podcast that called UH the unsexiest campus. It isn’t talking about the people.
Law is correct about the tech students. Pretty sure that entire department or some majors in there are going to get axed. It’s already merged with Cullen (and somehow there are majors that shouldn’t even be engineering ones in there)
The Icon/Lofts is currently reserved for TSU students (I believe while they’re fixing up other residence halls).
The 8500 students on campus at a game was not just rare, but a broken record in terms of attendance. Thursday game was a smart move.
But this week they’re doing a 4PM meeting for Greek’s “Behind The Letters”. Cage Rage is on a Wednesday evening. Wednesday.
kae71463 is correct. Kids are CHASING the SEC/Greek culture. UH can stay commuter and everything but it needs to be embraced and promoted, especially after 2027. This will be a huge factor in future realignment/school ranking/perception/reputation.
TSU’s Greek Life is top 20. UH’s is in the dumps. Some members of Greek that I’ve spoken to are surprised that we used to have two chapters (DU and Pike, the latter being one of the best in the country). 20k kids leave the state of Texas to the SEC for WHAT? Mississippi State Academics??? If UH goes AAU that’s one helping factor but a lack of a life and an unsexy campus is what drives people AWAY.
Doesn’t mean forcing commuters out. To those kids, it’s their only choice. UH Main or bust. Not on their own, but for reasons that can be out of their control (i.e parents). Said parents will force them to commute. Why throw them out of here and send them to lesser rate schools, or the CCs, because of THAT? Come on now… You can be as traditional you want with the commuters. I myself was one, and at schools like UT/TAMU, THOSE COMMUTERS ARE JUST AS INVOLVED AS WELL.
But the way the campus has treated the kids… Man, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re sending theirs away as alums. I’m walking around support offices and they just look depleted and defeated. A few staff that I know are waiting on some of their first rounds of kids to graduate, then they’re out. They’re staying for them. Many have worked hard for this place and in their job to support student success but have admitted to being naive.
UH needs to get as many students involved to give input on how to support student life other than Fiesta and Hoco (both feeling watered down in years past). Greeks, spirits, academic orgs, minority orgs, just about everything. Student Affairs does a great job, but in places much higher than them, it feels out of touch with the base and so naive. There were also rumors of the school trying to get rid of Fiesta, the greatest college show on earth. Cub Camp was cancelled (allegedly due to low enrollment), and they tried to take a fee before ending it for an ‘online cub camp’. And the Student Government Association is currently shut down until 2026, kinda violating state law rn.
There’s even a feeling that no matter how much Khator has done for this school and she will be cemented with statues and praise through for the rest of time, it could be time for a leadership change. The new dorm is for demand since we have 6600 frosh here right now. Further demand can be fulfilled through the surrounding area, off campus apartments (similar to wampus). But townhomes are going up and I don’t think land is being bought out for new high rises similar to the Haven or Global Student Living.
I agree but the point is we will be 25% residential which is a benchmark to no longer be commuter by standards set by others than us. We can still have commuters within this framework so I don’t see the problem with trying for more dorms etc and having both.
You need that critical mass on campus to make the goals achievable which is a more vibrant campus
8500 students were at the last game which I doubt happens if we stayed at 4400 on campus which was the 90s version.
The point missing is we can be both
There most definitely is a crisis.
Traditional schools make money because they sell a product people want and then they give back
UH can’t keep accepting LOW ROI STUDENTS that turn into apathetic alums…THAT is a crisis and we are pribably dead last in that regardnin the entire P4.
Khator took outva BUNCH of loans over the last 20 years to build our campus into a Traditional University.
We CAN NOT continue to be a commuter community college with a P4 Athletic department.
NOT SUSTAINABLE
1927’s wife left HIM for a TRADITIONAL STUDENT you say?
Oh my god, he probably has nightmares
Jesus dude… Do you know what the purpose of a university is?
It’s to learn and get an education, and hopefully that helps those improve their lives.
From what I recall 1927 WAS a Traditional Student
For people like you
ONLY get a degree
For the other 98% of P4 Students to embark on the most important growth chapter of their lives
They should end online class for anything. I believe it was still an option even last year.
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