The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a public university in Houston, Texas. It is part of the University of Houston System and has a campus that spans in Downtown Houston with a satellite location, UHD-Northwest in Harris County. Founded in 1974, UHD is the second-largest university in Houston. The university serves students in four academic colleges and offers 57 degree programs—46 bachelor's and 11 master's. UHD also offers 15 undergraduate-completion programs and 3 fully online master's programs. Awarding more than 3,600 degrees annually, the UHD boasts more than 64,000 alumni.
History
UHD'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.
UHD celebrated a milestone when 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, and local and national artists. Dedicated to the health and wellness of the Campus Community, the Wellness & Success Center opens its doors in January 2023.
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 UHS 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.
William I. Dykes (interim), 1974–1975
J. Don Boney, 1975–1979
Alexander F. Schilt, 1980–1987
Manuel T. Pacheco, 1987–1991
George W. Magner (interim), 1991–1992
Max Castillo, 1992–2009
William V. Flores, 2009–2016
Michael A. Olivas (interim), 2016–2017
Juan Sánchez Muñoz, 2017–2020
Antonio D. Tillis (interim), 2020–March 2021
Loren J. Blanchard, March 2021–present
Academics
The University of Houston–Downtown is primarily an undergraduate institution. It offers 46 undergraduate and 11 graduate degree programs in the four following academic colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business College of Humanities & Social Sciences College of Public Service College of Sciences & Technology
Admissions
The University of Houston–Downtown was the final state university in Texas that had not yet abolished open admissions. The University of Houston System Board of Regents unanimously approved new admissions standards in February 2012, with closed admissions for UHD in the fall of 2013.
Campus
The UHD campus consists of 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 at three campuses: UHD-Northwest, Lone Star College Kingwood, and Lone Star College CyFair.
UHD's student current ethnic demographics are: 53% Hispanic, 20% Black, 13% White, 8% Asian, 2% International (regardless of race and/or ethnic origins), and 3% multi-racial. 63% of the student body identified as female, 37% identified as male.
In 2020, UHD opened the College of Sciences and Technology building. The new Wellness & Success Center will opened its doors in January 2023.