What is the sobriety length requirement?
There is no sobriety length requirement. Students with less than 90 days that are interested in becoming a member of the community will be asked to review and sign a 90 Day Recovery Protection Plan. Students will be considered a Supported Members until they have completed the 90 Day Recovery Protection Plan. The Recovery Protection Plan includes students attending 90 meetings in 90 days, becoming engaged with a sponsor, attend weekly Community Check-In’s, Schedule an appointment to meet with a counselor at Counseling and Psychological Services and Meet with CIR staff weekly for a 15 minute individual session. If the student can adhere to and complete the plan then they will become official members of the CIR community, thus giving them full access to all services provided by the program.

Do I have to have completed an inpatient treatment or intensive outpatient program to be eligible to join the community?
This is not a requirement for membership, although it is suggested that the potential student have a solid foundation of recovery prior to attempting to return to academia and joining the community. College can be a stressful and hostile environment for a student that is in early recovery. However, with a strong foundation of recovery, students are more likely to be successful in their academics and recovery than they would be without this foundation.

If my GPA is below University of Houston admission requirement will I still be able to be a member of the community?
CIR advocates for students who may be just below the GPA, SAT, and ACT requirements, but it is not guaranteed that the Office of Admissions will admit the student. For transfer students, the GPA requirement will vary depending on the major of interest, amount of credit hours accrued and cumulative GPA. For freshmen students, the SAT/ACT requirement will depend on the major of interest and the rank in class.

Another option for students that do not meet the admission requirements is to apply to the other locations within the UH system (UHD, UHCL and UH Sugarland). As long as students are enrolled in classes within the UH system, CIR can accept them into the community.

Is there a GPA requirement to maintain membership eligibility?
It is strongly encouraged for students within the CIR community to maintain a 3.0 each semester, but it is not a requirement to maintain membership. Maintaining a 3.0 GPA qualifies students for eligibility to be awarded the CIR Recovery Scholarship. Scholarships are awarded based on having one year of continuous recovery, earning a 3.0 for both the fall and spring semester and participation within the community.

Do I have to live on campus to be a member of the community?
Students interested in joining the CIR community do not have to live in the Recovery Housing Community or in any on campus living space to be a member of the community. Although, studies show that students who live on campus tend to perform well academically.

Can I be a member of the community if I am not in recovery from a substance use disorder?
CIR is a program that support student that are in all forms of recovery. It is important to CIR to support students who are in recovery from other process addictions such as sex/love addiction, gambling addiction, self-harm and eating disorders. CIR does not offer treatment of any addiction, we only provide recovery support services. We do ask students that are not in recovery from a substance use disorders commit to being abstinent out of respect for those in the community that are.

Can I join CIR if I do not attend class at UH main campus?
CIR provides services to students throughout the University of Houston system including UH Downtown, UH Clear Lake, UH Sugarland, UH Katy, and UH Victoria. Students in recovery or seeking recovery support services are welcome to join us for Community Check-In (peer support process group), Recovery Tailgate, Recovery Celebration meeting, Lunch in the Lounge, and any other functions CIR hosts throughout the year. Staff is also available for individual support as requested. Additionally, CIR has a hybrid option for students to join our Community Check-In remotely.