Update - Summer & Fall Semesters - University of Houston
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Update - Summer & Fall Semesters

May 5, 2021

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Dear Students,

Congratulations on completing a very challenging semester! A double congratulations to the seniors graduating next week!  With the improvement in the fight against COVID-19, we now have plans in place for the UH community to return to normal during the next few months. For those of you not graduating this spring, please read on to learn about the coming semesters.

Summer Semester: If you are enrolled for summer, you will once again be utilizing online and virtual formats for your courses. Given the current CDC guidelines, only a small number of courses are being offered face-to-face this summer. But it’s still a good opportunity to continue your academic progress.  And it is not too late to enroll for summer.

Fall Semester: Eighty percent of classes in the fall are scheduled to be offered face-to-face.  On campus, you will find robust in-person student services and activities, including career counseling, academic advising, counseling and psychological services, a variety of dining options, live music, dance and theater performances, recreation, social events and intercollegiate sports. Our residence halls will offer the exciting residential experience so many of you seek.

With the return to campus, you can enjoy the immersive environment our Tier One University has to offer.  You can learn from team projects, casual interactions, lab research and organized discourses. Online learning remains a great option and if that is what suits you, there are hundreds of classes available in a virtual format. The experience of the past three semesters has allowed us to use online platforms more effectively than ever before. Whatever the format of your classes -- and it’s likely to be a combination -- you can continue to make progress toward your degree. Your advisers and the staff in the Welcome Center are here to assist you on your path to graduation.

Financial Help: Please make sure you have filled out your FAFSA or TAFSA so you can receive the financial assistance for which you qualify.  UH also offers you the opportunity to research your scholarship opportunities for both on-campus and external options through a new resource, Scholarship Universe. Finally, the federal government has provided three different Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds, offering direct assistance to students.  Students who meet the criteria will be notified by the office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. For more general information, go to our Scholarships & Financial Aid site.

Your Health and Safety Are Our Priority:  We have been making great strides in combatting the pandemic through vaccinations and other preventive measures, and I want to assure you maintaining the safety of our campus community remains paramount in our planning. You can count on UH continuing to follow all state and CDC standards, with our offices and classrooms strategically arranged to meet strict guidelines. We are strongly urging everyone to be vaccinated. If you have not yet been inoculated, please consider doing so.

The prospect of our campus returning to normal in the fall is very encouraging. I anticipate a vibrant community of students and scholars and staffers re-establishing a dynamic campus atmosphere that promotes education and engagement at every turn. I hope you appreciate the sense of discovery and serendipity the University offers, never knowing what you might learn or whom you might meet just walking to the Library, grabbing lunch at the Student Center or heading back to a parking lot or student residence hall.

I hope you will be joining me in all these experiences this fall. If you have not enrolled yet, you should do so now and you can still inquire about living on campus. Our Cougar family misses you, and I’m really looking forward to a joyous reunion. 

With warm regards,

Renu Khator