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UH System provides hidden student benefits
By Holly Smith
The UH System consists of four campuses: University of Houston, UH-Clear Lake, UH-Downtown and UH-Victoria. The system
also has two teaching centers, one in Katy and the other in Sugarland.
In addition, the UH System includes KUHF-FM, Houston's National Public Radio station, and KUHT-TV. Being a part of this system has both direct and indirect advantages for students and faculty.
The UH System indirectly benefits students by getting bills passed through legislation in Austin.
"A system with four universities lobbying in legislation is more effective," said Wendy Adair, associate vice chancellor
of university relations for the UH System.
UH-Clear Lake is getting a new student services/classroom building because the new building was the system's top
priority in the last legislative session.
Arthur K. Smith, chancellor of the UH System, along with his executive staff, made the decision for the new building
to be a top priority, said Michelle Dotter, vice president of administration and finance.
Students are also indirectly benefited by the UH System allowing individual campuses to increase their purchasing power
through shared contracting.
According to Adair, the universities get better discounts as a system because more is purchased. For example, when
advertising with the Houston Chronicle, the system gets a better price because discounts are based on quantity of ads
placed with the paper.
Also, Steve Sutton, assistant dean of students, added that the universities share one beverage contract with The
Coca-Cola Co.
This type of shared contracting provides lower costs to both students and the UH System.
The UH System offers two Multi-Institutional Teaching Centers open to students enrolled at any of the system's
universities. These centers are the University of Houston System at Sugarland and the University of Houston System at
Cinco Ranch.
Faculty from all four universities teach at the two satellite campuses, which offer both courses and degrees.
Benefits that affect the students most directly are shared library privileges, discounts at sporting events and at
Cougar Byte, a software store on the main campus.
The reason sporting events are not free to all UH System students, Adair said, is that students on the main campus are
charged these fees as part of their tuition. Students from any of the campuses can obtain tickets at a discount after
the student allotment at main campus has been met. For example, if the main campus has 100 tickets to sell and only 50
main campus students purchase tickets, then 50 students from the other campuses can purchase the remaining tickets at a
discount.
Officially, however, we are four separate institutions. Each university has its own mission statement and goals. Also,
each university and the system itself seeks funding separately. To attend the four campuses students have to transfer,
just as they would from any other university.
Each university has different entrance requirements; for example, SAT requirements vary from
campus to campus.
Classes have different requirements, and although some may appear similar, advisers have to evaluate them carefully
when transferring between each of the universities.
And with the exception of the two teaching centers, campuses do not share faculty and staff.
Although the president of UH-Clear Lake, as well as the four other university presidents, is governed by the UH System,
each operates autonomously.
More information about the UH System can be found at
www.uhsa.uh.edu/factbook.uhsa history.html.
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