FordGuyHTX

An editorial by FordGuyHTX: I was thrilled to have learned that the UH System ("UHS") Board of Regents approved the initiation of a name change for the University of Houston-Downtown ("UHD"). When I saw the headline in the Houston Chronicle about UHD initiating the name change, I said to myself, "IT IS ABOUT TIME!!!" I have been hoping for this moment (UHD to change its name) ever since I started my freshman year at the University of Houston ("UH") back in 2002. There had been discussion about possible name change of UHD since 2004, but it never went anywhere. I am glad both UH System and UHD are moving forward with the name change in 2008 thanks to the support of Renu Khator (Chancellor of UH System and President of the University of Houston) in cooperation with Max Castillo (President of UH-Downtown). Although this is late, but never late then ever. I believe the UH-Downtown name change initiation is part of the UH System agenda for the University of Houston (UH) to move forward and become the next third flagship university in Texas--along with The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. As a graduate of the University of Houston's Bauer College of Business (BBA '06), I am tired of people asking me what "campus" I attended and having to explain that UH only has one campus located at 4800 Calhoun Rd. I have refrained from referring to my alma mater as "UH-Central" or "UH Main Campus" as the University of Houston is not a multi-campus university. Most people think that UH-Downtown is a branch, satellite or extension campus of UH, which it is not. The general public thinks that UH-Downtown and UH are the same university. Hopefully the name change of UHD will end the reference of UH as "UH-Central" or "UH main campus". References to UH such as "UH-Central" and "UH Main Campus" are misnomers. With all these people referring to UH as "UH-Central" or "UH Main Campus" are the reasons why UH System and the students/alumni at UH advocate the name change of UH-Downtown. A lot of UHD students and graduates I have met believe that they are part of UH. They would tell me they attend or graduated from UH, but to find out that they really attend or graduated from UHD (they lied, either intentionally or unintentionally)! People who graduated from UHD or not UH graduates and they do not have any rights pertaining to UH. The students and alumni at UH do not want to be associated with UHD. A lot of UHD graduates also falsify their resumes by putting down they graduated from "University of Houston" when they should have put "University of Houston-Downtown". The time has come to elevate the status of the University of Houston (UH) by renaming UH-Downtown to something else without the root name "University of Houston." UH doesn't have the image it deserves because it has been negatively affected by UH-Downtown by the general public thinking they are the same university. For the last time, the flagship institution of the UH System (UHS) is referred to as the University of Houston ("UH"), not "UH-Central" or "UH Main Campus". Additionally, UH-Downtown (UHD) is not a branch or satellite campus of UH. With all these people referring to UH as "UH-Central" or "UH Main Campus" are the reasons why UH System and the students/alumni at UH advocate the name change of UH-Downtown. For the renaming of UH-Downtown, I would suggest the following: Cullen State University (CSU) Houston Metropolitan University (HMU) University of Houston-Commerce (UHC) Although I prefer the name University of Houston-Commerce, it would defeat the 90% purpose of renaming UH-Downtown. I don't have anything against UH-Downtown, but it needs to have a name other than "Downtown" in order to eliminate the confusion of being a branch or satellite campus of the University of Houston ("UH"). The University of Houston (UH) had officially changed its name to "University of Houston-University Park" in 1985, but reverted back to "University of Houston" in 1988. This name change was an effort by the UH administration to give its flagship institution of the UH System a distinctive name that would eliminate confusion with the other three UH System (UHS) universities (UH-Clear Lake, UH-Downtown, and UH-Victoria). The University of Houston (UH) will not go through another name change again--we are the University of Houston and will remain that way. It is now UH-Downtown's turn to change its name and establish their own identity to end the confusion with the University of Houston.

Most people think that UH-Downtown is a branch, satellite or extension campus of UH, which it is not as per my post above. The general public thinks that UH-Downtown and UH are the same university. Hopefully the name change of UHD will end the reference of UH as "UH-Central" or "UH main campus". References to UH such as "UH-Central" and "UH Main Campus" are misnomers. With all these people referring to UH as "UH-Central" or "UH Main Campus" are the reasons why UH System and the students/alumni at UH advocate the name change of UH-Downtown. A lot of UHD students and graduates I have met believe that they are part of UH. They would tell me they attend or graduated from UH, but to find out that they really attend or graduated from UHD (they lied, either intentionally or unintentionally)! People who graduated from UHD or not UH graduates and they do not have any rights pertaining to UH. The students and alumni at UH do not want to be associated with UHD. A lot of UHD graduates also falsify their resumes by putting down they graduated from "University of Houston" when they should have put "University of Houston-Downtown". The time has come to elevate the status of the University of Houston (UH) by renaming UH-Downtown to something else without the root name "University of Houston." UH doesn't have the image it derserves because it has been negatively affected by UH-Downtown by the general public thinking it is the same university.

That UH student was correct! The University of Houston-Downtown ("UHD") is not part of the University of Houston ("UH"). UHD is not a "branch," "extension" or "satellite" campus of UH. UHD is a stand-alone (autonomous) university with its own president, grants their own degrees, and is separately accredited. Therefore, people attending or alumni of UHD are not UH students or alumni! The University of Houston ("UH") only has one campus, and it is located at 4800 Calhoun Road by Interstate 45 and Spur 5. All the confusions and misconceptions of referring the University of Houston (UH) as "UH-Central" or "UH main campus" are evidences of confusion/ignorance among the general public. These are strong enough evidences which support the name change of the University of Houston-Downtown to something else without the root name 'University of Houston' included in hoping that the University of Houston (UH) will just be referred to its official name of "University of Houston" or "UH" without 'central' or 'main campus' associated with it. The University of Houston is NOT and does NOT operate as a multi-campus university like the University of California or local community colleges such as HCC or San Jacinto. As a graduate of the University of Houston's Bauer College of Business (BBA '06), I am tired of people asking me what "campus" I attended and having to explain that UH only has one campus located at 4800 Calhoun Rd. I have refrained from referring to the school as "central campus" or "main campus" as noted above the University of Houston is NOT a multi-campus university. The University of Houston System ("UH System" or "UHS") oversees four independent degree granting universities. These universities are independent of each other, not campuses of one another (i.e. UHCL, UHD, and UHV are not branch or extension campuses of UH). Below is a hierarchy of the UH System (UHS) to illustrate that the University of Houston (UH) is not the "central" or "main campus" of anything and they do not oversee other schools. University of Houston System (UHS) o University of Houston (UH) o University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) o University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) o University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) Simply put, UH-Downtown is not part of UH, but both are part of the UH System (UHS). As anyone can see, all four universities are independent (autonomous) of each other and they all report to the University of Houston System (UHS). Additionally, there are two multi-institution teaching centers (or satellite campuses) serving ALL four UH System universities: University of Houston System at Sugar Land (UHSSL) University of Houston System at Cinco Ranch (UHSCR) The above two teaching centers are not stand-alone or degree granting universities. I must admit, the UH System is confusing in general and because of this, the reputation of the University of Houston (UH) has been affected negatively