When its students speak, the University of Houston listens.

After a growing concern about core curriculum classes filling up quickly, university officials came up with a plan to address the problem — Weekend University.

Designed to provide students an alternative when scheduling classes, Weekend University currently consists of nine undergraduate courses that will be taught on Saturdays beginning fall 2004. Officials hope that by exempting these classes from the $10 per semester credit hour tuition increase to be implemented fall 2004, students will take advantage of the program.

“We have a variety of in-demand courses set up right now, so this will remedy the scheduling conflicts some students experience,” said John Antel, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences dean. “I also think new students will appreciate the personal attention they’ll get in the smaller classes on Saturday.”

The program also aims to address another student concern, Antel said.

“Parking on campus is something all our students are concerned about, and we hope Weekend University will help alleviate the problem,” he said. “By utilizing the classrooms we have at off-peak times, we hope to relieve some of the congestion during the week.”

Antel said that although Weekend University is still a pilot program, administrators, faculty, staff and students are optimistic about its future success. The program will accommodate the city’s growing population, ensuring future Cougars get a high degree of convenience and hospitality while attaining their degree.

Weekend University also will benefit current students who have
part-time or full-time jobs. By taking one or two classes on

Saturdays, students can better manage their weekly schedules. Hybrid classes, such as history of art, allow students to complete part of a class online, making more time available for off-campus responsibilities. Two other hybrid courses — English 1303 and History 1307 — must be taken concurrently, because the instruction of the 2 classes is integrated. Students who sign up for one of these courses must also enroll in the other.

“This program strives to meet the needs of our students, in terms of both time and money,” Antel said. “We want to keep the costs of higher education down while making classes available at times convenient for our students.”

Student Government Association President Jon Quintanilla agreed, saying that the program ensures all students receive a solid education by offering them more choices and opportunities for learning.

“There’s a lot of excitement right now,” he said. “I think the students appreciate the efforts made by university officials, from ensuring there’s adequate weekend security to recruiting high-quality faculty to teach the courses. It’s going to be a great benefit to students.”

Information about Weekend University will soon be available at all freshmen orientations, in the class schedule, on the UH Web site www.uh.edu and on the Office of Enrollment Services’ Web site https://www.stu.uh.edu/uoh/newmenusys/intro.jsp.

Leticia Vasquez
Lvasque5@central.uh.edu