Undergraduate Catalog
2003-2005

University of Houston
General Policies

Table of Contents

• Introduction to the Undergraduate Studies Catalog
• Changes
• Equal Educational and Employment Opportunity
• Other University Policies
• Mission Statement
  • Preamble
  • Mission
  • Shared Values Within the Mission
  • Priority Areas and Associated Goals
• Catalog Publishing Statement

Introduction to the Undergraduate Studies Catalog

The Undergraduate Studies catalog acquaints students with the policies and procedures, rules and regulations, and responsibilities and rights affecting them.

It provides answers to most questions concerning academic and administrative requirements for admission, registration, retention, financial aid, student life, degree requirements, and graduation.

All students are responsible for observing the standards and regulations governing this institution as published in this catalog and in other official publications.

Changes

The University of Houston reserves the right to change the provisions of this catalog, including, but not limited to, degree requirements, course offerings, fees, and listings in the calendar as necessitated by university or legislative action.

Equal Educational and Employment Opportunity

The University of Houston is fully committed to the principle of providing equality of treatment and opportunity to all persons in an environment which appreciates and respects the diversity of the community it serves. University policy prohibits discrimination in employment and educational services based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation, except where such a distinction is required by law, and to promote the full realization of equal opportunity through an affirmative action program.

For more information concerning this policy, contact:

Office of Affirmative Action
University of Houston
153 Student Service Ctr 2
Houston, TX 77204-3020
713-743-8835

Other University Policies

Information on other University of Houston policies, including the Academic Honesty Policy, Student Life Policies, Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Policy, AIDS Policy, Smoking Policy, and the Sexual Harassment Policy, can be found in the Student Handbook published by and available in the Dean of Students Office.

Mission Statement

Preamble

The University of Houston (UH), located in the nation's fourth largest metropolitan area, is a public, urban institution of higher education, chartered by the state of Texas. As a major comprehensive university, UH is committed to four shared values: excellence, integrity, innovativeness, and responsiveness in accomplishing the traditional triad of teaching, research, and service. These together form the higher purpose and underlie our three-fold mission which is designed to address the challenges of an environment characterized by increasing complexity, diversity, and global interdependence.

Mission

The mission of the University of Houston is to:

Provide a range of educational programs that foster an intellectually and culturally diverse environment that enhances individual growth and development. Prepare a broad community of students (undergraduate, graduate, professional, and non-degree seeking) to make lifelong learning commitments that result in personal, social, economic, and community contributions to an increasingly globally interdependent world.

Create, discover, disseminate, and preserve knowledge and understanding by engaging in basic and applied research, scholarly and artistic activities that benefit students, scholars, and external constituencies.

Serve as a major resource for local, state, national, and global communities by applying scholarly analysis and experience to community problems. Recognize its special responsibility to the Houston metropolitan area by making the knowledge base and other resources of the institution readily accessible to its citizens.

Shared Values Within the Mission

As its primary goal, the University of Houston is dedicated to becoming a nationally recognized institution of the 21st century. The university will anticipate and respond to changing demographics in an increasingly diverse and globally interdependent world. It will use its resources to:

Meet the challenges of educating a dynamic mix of nontraditional and traditional students.

Promote excellence within the context of basic and applied research and scholarship.

dentify and respond to the economic, social, and cultural challenges affecting the quality of life in Houston, the state of Texas, and the world through its education, research, and service.

Priority Areas and Associated Goals

Undergraduate Education

Improve the quality of instruction and facilities to enhance undergraduate educational programs in each academic unit.

Graduate Education

Ensure that the quality of instruction and facilities results in high quality, nationally ranked graduate and professional education programs.

Research

Improve the quality of research and enhance the level of productivity to qualify for Tier I stature among higher education institutions.

Campus Environment

Build an environment that is inclusive, positive, human, and physically accessible where all participants (students, staff, faculty, and visitors) feel welcome.

Outreach and Access

Increase the dissemination of knowledge and problem solving skills between UH and society. Improve the accessibility of UH resources to society in general and to the Houston community in particular.

Enrollment Management

Ensure the proper balance of growth, retention, and graduation of a diverse, knowledgeable, and skilled undergraduate, professional, and graduate student body.

Accountability

Recognize the need for accountability at all levels by establishing and maintaining comprehensive and systematic methods of assessment for educational programs, institutes and centers, human resources, organizational structures, and fiscal integrity.

Published by the
University of Houston
Office of the Senior Vice President
for Academic Affairs
214 E Cullen Building
Houston, Texas 77204-2019
713-743-9101