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The University of Houston-Victoria’s FIRST 200 is now more like the FIRST
300.
UHV has
significantly surpassed its goal of attracting 200 underclassmen to the Victoria
campus this fall. As of Wednesday evening, 303 underclassmen ̶ consisting
of 223 freshmen and 80 sophomores ̶ had registered for face-to-face
classes in Victoria, and that number is expected to grow as registration
continues through noon Sept. 2.
Underclassmen classes are scheduled to begin Sept. 7, although not all
students who register for classes will necessarily decide to attend UHV.
“We are
gratified to have exceeded our FIRST 200 goal,” UHV Interim President Don Smith
said. “We could not have accomplished this without the hard work of all the
faculty, staff and existing students at UHV.”
Recruitment efforts began after Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed House Bill 1056 in
June of 2009 to allow UHV to admit underclassmen for the first time ever in the
fall of 2010. Two recruiters were placed in San Antonio and two in Houston.
Recruiters based out of Victoria focused their efforts on attracting UHV
students from the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, Corpus Christi and the surrounding
areas.
“I always
believed we would meet our goal,” said Chari Norgard, associate vice president
of student success and enrollment management, of which recruiting is a part.
“With our convenient location, affordable prices and smaller size, we’ve got all
the pieces that are attractive not only to parents, but also to students.”
Tammy
Lackey, senior recruitment coordinator for the Houston area, said she heard from
many of the incoming underclassmen that they wanted to go to UHV because they
would be making history as the first freshmen and sophomores to attend the
university.
“These
students are a very pioneering group,” Lackey said. “They are excited to be a
part of something new.”
For Megan
Carter, a recent graduate of Woodsboro High School who will be a pitcher for the
Jaguars softball team, the university’s size is part of what attracted her to
UHV.
“I’m
excited about the small class size at UHV and getting a personal, one-on-one
experience,” she said.
Hope
Salgado, senior recruitment coordinator for the San Antonio area, heard from
many students who liked the smaller class sizes and from parents who liked
Victoria’s size and location.
“The
parents are happy that their students will only be a couple hours away from
home,” she said. “They also like the prices we offer at UHV.”
In
addition to being one of the most affordable universities in Texas, UHV’s Jaguar
Pledge is allowing new Texas freshmen and sophomores coming to UHV from outside
the Victoria region to save at least 50 percent off their tuition and fees their
first year.
For
Victoria residents, UHV’s success means success for the entire community.
Additional underclassmen also are expected to start classes in the spring
semester.
“UHV’s
expansion will transform Victoria and bring economic growth to this area,” said
Randy Vivian, president and CEO of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce. “It is not
surprising to me that the goal of 200 underclassmen was exceeded when students
were told about all the great things happening at UHV.”
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