University of Houston Campus Developments

[BayouBoomtown]

We as a city/metro need to do more to aid our higher education as that's the real big thing we lack in. Houston should really strive to make UH the third Texas flagship university (quite frankly we need a major university in each region) as it could really change the landscape of Houston. 

 

I'm sorry but how do we lack in higher education when we have one of the most prestigious and highly ranked universities in the nation--Rice? Houston being host to Rice and UH, along with UST and TSU, is doing fine in the higher education department IMO. 

[shasta]

I'm sorry but how do we lack in higher education when we have one of the most prestigious and highly ranked universities in the nation--Rice? Houston being host to Rice and UH, along with UST and TSU, is doing fine in the higher education department IMO. 

 

BayouBoomtown- Rice isn't a public school it is a private school..it has nothing to do with the state. All of the funding for Rice comes from Private funding.

 

States are ranked on how well they develop and support their public school systems.

 

Under the current Texas system (written into the Texas Constitution)  the only two schools that receive a huge chunk of the state's funds are the University of Texas system and the Texas A&M system.

 

It's called the Texas University Permanent Fund (link below) and only those two public schools/systems have access to it. ALL of the other public schools in the state (Texas Tech, University of Houston, Texas State, North Texas, Sam Houston, etc.) have to split a CONSIDERABLY SMALLER fund. The difference in state funding between those two is quite drastic and of course the two major schools that have access to the PUF (UT and Texas A&M) then decide how much their system schools (UTSA, UTEP, Texas A&M Kingsville, etc.) receive...and its not a lot compared to the two big schools.

 

University of Houston is trying to make the case that they have shown enough investment in their University that they deserve to be included as a "flagship" state university and receive a equal share on the PUF, along with University of Texas and Texas A&M.

 

Texas Permanent University Fund

 

Other Texas public universities—notably all institutions in the University of Houston System, the University of North Texas System, the Texas State System, the Texas Tech System, and some UT System and Texas A&M System institutions—are prohibited by law from sharing the income from this endowment, but since 1984 have been served by the Higher Education Assistance Fund, a much smaller fund. Addition of the other university systems or individual institutions to the Permanent University Fund would require an amendment to the Texas Constitution.

 

Compare this system to California...which funds its U CAL system equally.

 

AS a cougar, there are many things to be proud of. The University gets a fraction of the funding from the state, as compared to UT and Texas A&M yet is in the top 3 public schools.  UH gets a fraction of the revenue from athletics because Texas politics left them out of the Big 12 or another Power conference yet finds a way to grow.  Also, UH has managed to build the second most number of on-campus housing in the state of Texas (behind only Texas A&M) and now has a rail connection to the rest of Houston. The University of Houston has the potential to be one of the most cutting edge urban campuses in the United States.

 

In fact, when I was considering Architecture schools, I was alarmed to find out that Texas A&M DID NOT offer an accredited undergraduate program. Meaning the NAAB did not feel that the Aggies met the MINIMUM  requirement and would deny any graduate with an A&M architecture degree to sit for the licensing exam because it was deemed INFERIOR. They also designated Texas Tech with the same inferior verdict.  UH's undergraduate program was accredited. (Only UH, Rice and UT offer accredited undergraduate architecture programs)

 

http://www.naab.org/architecture_programs/home

 

Now, both graduate architecture degree programs ARE accredited but their undergraduate architecture degree programs are not.

 

I really feel that since the state continues to underfund the University of Houston that we should turn to the city for funding. We should strive to make the University of Houston the #1 public school in the state of Texas. The city of Houston could benefit from this partnership and the influx of quality talented students could only help the city as most UH alums stay and CONTRIBUTE to the local economy.

Edited May 24, 2015 by shasta

[KinkaidAlum]

Rice is a great school but it lacks so many things compared to it's peers. Seriously, compare Rice to USC, Columbia or NYU, Northwestern or Chicago, Boston U or Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Emory, Stanford, Penn, Georgetown, etc...

 

Those schools graduate thousands more every year than Rice and offer fields of study in Education, Medicine, Law, Social Work, Pharmacy, etc... that Rice doesn't offer. 

 

My dream is for Rice to continue to get bigger. The largest hurdle for Rice getting bigger is it doesn't want to lower its academic reputation and #1) the Houston/Texas area doesn't produce enough well-qualified candidates and #2) the Houston/Texas area is a detriment to enticing outsiders to come here. 

[kdog08]

I'm sorry but how do we lack in higher education when we have one of the most prestigious and highly ranked universities in the nation--Rice? Houston being host to Rice and UH, along with UST and TSU, is doing fine in the higher education department IMO. 

 

Not compared to cities like Boston, Seattle, Bay Area, LA, and NYC. We eventually need a large public school in this city to serve a rapidly growing city/state/country/global population.

[kdog08]

Rice is a great school but it lacks so many things compared to it's peers. Seriously, compare Rice to USC, Columbia or NYU, Northwestern or Chicago, Boston U or Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Emory, Stanford, Penn, Georgetown, etc...

 

Those schools graduate thousands more every year than Rice and offer fields of study in Education, Medicine, Law, Social Work, Pharmacy, etc... that Rice doesn't offer. 

 

My dream is for Rice to continue to get bigger. The largest hurdle for Rice getting bigger is it doesn't want to lower its academic reputation and #1) the Houston/Texas area doesn't produce enough well-qualified candidates and #2) the Houston/Texas area is a detriment to enticing outsiders to come here. 

 

Rice is a private research university, I'd prefer they expanded on that. They certainly have the land and a large endowment to add a few thousand more students while maintaining they elite level of education. Even as big and impactful as the TMC is, it is vastly underused in collaboration. 

Edited May 27, 2015 by kdog08

[Urbannizer]

 

http://www.labdesignnews.com/news/2015/06/health-and-biomedical-sciences-building-2-univ-houston-wheeler-street-houston

 

[toxtethogrady]

Rice is a great school but it lacks so many things compared to it's peers. Seriously, compare Rice to USC, Columbia or NYU, Northwestern or Chicago, Boston U or Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Emory, Stanford, Penn, Georgetown, etc...

 

Rice ranks as a Top 20 school nationally, which puts it ahead of most of those schools. Exceptions would be Columbia, Harvard and Stanford (possibly Penn and Northwestern). What they lack in the way of theater or film, they make up for with their music department. And the Baker School is getting a lot of national press for global policy issues. I suppose you could make the school larger, but more students won't add to its prestige. If there is any criticism of the school, it's that they have not created many commercial ventures off "bucky-balls". But then, UH created superconductors and didn't monetize those, so everyone's missed their opportunities.

[toxtethogrady]

And if it makes anyone feel better, Dallas went to a lot of effort to get the University of Texas at Dallas created as a high technology center, but it does not appear to have created the "silicon prairie" that everyone up there thought would come of it. UT Arlington is still the better of the two UT institutions up there.

 

There was talk once of absorbing UH into the University of Texas system, but that got discouraged. Now UH has satellite campus.

[KinkaidAlum]

Rice ranks as a Top 20 school nationally, which puts it ahead of most of those schools. Exceptions would be Columbia, Harvard and Stanford (possibly Penn and Northwestern). What they lack in the way of theater or film, they make up for with their music department. And the Baker School is getting a lot of national press for global policy issues. I suppose you could make the school larger, but more students won't add to its prestige. If there is any criticism of the school, it's that they have not created many commercial ventures off "bucky-balls". But then, UH created superconductors and didn't monetize those, so everyone's missed their opportunities.

 

Rice is a great school but it doesn't offer professional degrees in Medicine, Law, Education, Nursing, and many other fields. It simply can't compete because of it's size and lack of offerings. 

 

That's why it is vital to support UH's efforts to improve and to hope that Rice can increase it's size and course offerings. 

 

And, in the professional fields that Rice does offer, it is not in the top 20. In engineering, Rice ranks behind these urban privates..

 

MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Cal Tech, USC, Columbia, Penn, Harvard, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, and Duke.

 

In Biz, Rice ranks behind Stanford, Harvard, Penn, Chicago, MIT, Northwestern, Columbia, NYU, Duke, Yale, Wash U St Louis, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, Georgetown, USC, and Vanderbilt. 

[Trae]

I love what is happening at UH as well. However, the arms race is coming at a price. The new dorms are not cheap. Moody and the Quad are relatively more affordable than Village/Lofts but not much. The plans to replace the quads include "townhomes" and I have to imagine that those will cost a pretty penny.

I stayed at the lofts for a year (a year too long I say) and decided to move to Cambridge Oaks to finish out my last year. Basically had everything I needed or wanted at Cambridge Oaks, plus a private balcony. The Lofts are very overrated and since the Vue opened, has lost some residents. Though I will say, taking that elevator up to my room or sky lobby in the lofts impressed some dates . Was only a matter of time before they moved onto the Quads. Hopefully the new dorms are made more affordable.

[Urbannizer]

 

 

 

[monarch]

^^^ wonderful progress thus far!  rock on...

 

[KinkaidAlum]

That basketball facility improves the Cullen streetscape dramatically. Hofheinz was getting so drab and that grassy knoll never looked good. 

[nate4l1f3]

So,is this a practice facility or is it replacing Hofheinz?

[jmitch94]

Practice. 

[KinkaidAlum]

2 1/2 courts in total. One for the men. One for the women. And a half court. Also, coaches' offices, meeting rooms, training rooms, and academic space. 

 

The tennis complex is moving forward. Over $2 million raised. New plan calls for 6 indoor courts and 12 outdoor courts which will allow UH and Zina Garrison's Academy to bid on NCAA and USTA events. 

 

Baseball is rumored to be adding a new facility down the left field line that will include a two story batting cage, new player lounge, and a VIP/Club seating area for fans. When completed, baseball will donate the old batting cage building to the tennis team and ZGA providing even more opportunities for programing for after school events with ZGA.

[monarch]

2 1/2 courts in total. One for the men. One for the women. And a half court. Also, coaches' offices, meeting rooms, training rooms, and academic space. 

 

The tennis complex is moving forward. Over $2 million raised. New plan calls for 6 indoor courts and 12 outdoor courts which will allow UH and Zina Garrison's Academy to bid on NCAA and USTA events. 

 

Baseball is rumored to be adding a new facility down the left field line that will include a two story batting cage, new player lounge, and a VIP/Club seating area for fans. When completed, baseball will donate the old batting cage building to the tennis team and ZGA providing even more opportunities for programing for after school events with ZGA.

now see, this is what i have been speaking of, whenever UH wants to get things accomplished... IT GETS DONE!  meanwhile, in austin, TEXAS, is finally, after all of this time... moving forward (after pure hell, bureaucracy, and multitudes of political arguments and red tape) upon it's brand new $17mm TEXAS TENNIS CENTER.  this new facility designated primarily for outdoor events, shall now encompass 12x courts, along with lounges, offices, pro shop, and all accommodating bells and whistles imaginable as per budget.  TEXAS, already has a new state of the art tennis facility designated primarily for indoor events and tournaments etc.  nonetheless, this was no easy fete to say the least....

Edited June 18, 2015 by monarch

[amashgo]

2 1/2 courts in total. One for the men. One for the women. And a half court. Also, coaches' offices, meeting rooms, training rooms, and academic space. 

 

The tennis complex is moving forward. Over $2 million raised. New plan calls for 6 indoor courts and 12 outdoor courts which will allow UH and Zina Garrison's Academy to bid on NCAA and USTA events. 

 

Baseball is rumored to be adding a new facility down the left field line that will include a two story batting cage, new player lounge, and a VIP/Club seating area for fans. When completed, baseball will donate the old batting cage building to the tennis team and ZGA providing even more opportunities for programing for after school events with ZGA.

 

When is the tennis complex slated to go? They did prelim budgets based on conceptuals close to a 2 years ago... I'm curious to see if they start back there or if they are farther along with drawings then they were then.

[amashgo]

Practice. 

 

Oh heaven forbid Kelvin Sampson hears anyone say that. And I quote (seriously) "This is not a practice facility, we practice where we play." He mentioned something about it being a development building or something like that. Whatever. Its call the practice facility no matter how much the coach wants to yell at people about it.

 

I digress. Aside from just the practice facility building they are working through concepts for reskinning Hofheinz to make it less of an eye sore.

[toxtethogrady]

"This is not a practice facility, we practice where we play."

 

I suppose he sh!ts where he eats, too. 

[Urbannizer]

https://www.opt.uh.edu/our-college/news-events/college-news/health-and-biomedical-sciences-building-ii-construction/

 

Construction of the University of Houston’s Health and Biomedical Sciences Building II will begin on Friday July 10, 2015.  Much of the parking lot adjacent to the University Eye Institute will then no longer be available, so UEI patients will be able to park at no cost in the Welcome Center Student Garage across from the J. Davis Armistead and Health and Biomedical Sciences buildings on Calhoun Road.

[Urbannizer]

From Austin Industries FB Page: 

 

 

 

[monarch]

^^^ nice progress thus far!  props for the update urbannizer....

 

[Urbannizer]

[monarch]

^^^ cool video!  props for sharing urbannizer...

[Urbannizer]

http://www.uh.edu/facilities-planning-construction/projects/under-construction/MREB/

 

[Mab]

 

 

HOUSTON – Houston Baseball continues to raise the bar on its facility improvements as Head Coach Todd Whitting and Vice President for Athletics Hunter Yurachek have unveiled the initial rendering for the new Baseball Player Development Center and Clubhouse to be located at Cougar Field.

The Development Center is in the design stages with one exterior rendering showcasing the facility’s 20,645 square-foot size and presence that will be featured along the third base line near the berm at Cougar Field.

“The new Player Development Center and Clubhouse has been a long-term goal for my staff since we arrived in 2010,” Whitting said. “Once this project is completed, it will conclude the master plan for our facility that has included a turf field, video board, new lighting, padded outfield walls, construction of new bull pens, new sound system, an upgraded accomplishment billboard and many other upgrades.”

The 20,645 square-foot facility will feature a new clubhouse, dedicated batting cages for baseball, players’ lounge, fueling station, video area, hot and cold tubs, training room, as well as a suite and lounge for in-game viewing.

Houston Baseball’s new Player Development Center and Clubhouse will provide the student-athletes a comfortable working environment that will feature all the necessary amenities to enhance the success of each individual on and off the field.

“As we continue to build champions for life and focus on our student-athletes’ success, we recognize our commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities for our sport programs,” Yurachek said. “Our vision of being the best begins on this campus, and the facilities our student-athletes touch on a daily basis are a major component of our goals. We are extremely appreciative of our supporters and their commitment to taking Houston Athletics to a championship level.”

 

DEVELOPMENT CENTER AMENTITIES
First Level
Locker Room
Locker Area
Showers/Wet Room
Training Room
Coaches Locker Room
Players’ Lounge
Fueling Station
Hot/Cold Tubs
Steam Room
Laundry/Storage
Video Area
Lobby/Stair/Elevator
Mud Room
Batting Cages
Grass Patio

Second Level
Suite/Lounge
Observation Deck
Kitchen

 

http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/093015aab.html

[jmitch94]

Very nice, those games are always fun to go to. 

[bobruss]

As a graduate of U. of H., I am very excited to see all of these improvements to our campus. I went to the Texas State game and

was pleasantly surprised at the turnout for the game. It was close to full and you can see the change in spirit out there even

for a lower level non conference opponent. It used to take a Texas Tech, or Ok. St., or nationally ranked team to get this kind

of turnout so its nice to see more fans showing up to support the Coogs. Hope we can keep this win streak alive this weekend at Tulsa.

Eat em up!!!

[Timoric]

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Edited July 9, 2019 by Timoric