General Information
History
In the decade of the 60’s, it became obvious to the citizens of the
Victoria area that greater opportunities were needed in higher
education: no institution within a 100-mile radius offered baccalaureate
and master’s degrees. There were many junior college students and
graduates in the region who wanted to continue study beyond the
associate degree, and a growing number of people who had bachelor’s
degrees were anxious to pursue master’s degrees. Most of these potential
university students had families and jobs in the area and would find
leaving home difficult if not impossible. By April of 1969, an organized
group began working to bring an upper level institution to Victoria.
After many meetings between Texas legislators and community leaders,
approval was granted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to
establish an off-campus center of the University of Houston in Victoria.
In 1973 about 100 students entered the newly opened University of
Houston Victoria Center. Ten years later, in April 1983, Senate Bill 235
was passed by the Texas Legislature, and the center became the
University of Houston-Victoria, with permanent status as a
degree-granting university.
The student population has now grown to more than 2,600 students, and
nearly 9,000 bachelor’s and master’s degrees have been conferred.
In addition to degree programs, the university honors 2+2 transfer
agreements with Austin Community College, Blinn College, Coastal Bend
College, Houston Community College, The Victoria College, and Wharton
County Junior College. Similar agreements are being developed with North
Harris Montgomery Community College District.
Mission
The University of Houston-Victoria shares with all institutions of
higher education the universal mission of teaching, research, and
service. It shares with the other institutions of the University of
Houston System a special responsibility to serve educational needs, to
promote economic well being, and to advance the quality of life in the
region.
The university’s most distinctive commitment is to make higher education
accessible to able students who might otherwise lack the opportunity.
Its most compelling commitment is to make the quality of education they
receive nonetheless competitive. The university emphasizes student
learning, related research, responsiveness to student needs, and
collaboration in the development and delivery of academic programs.
Outreach has characterized its mission and history.
The university is an upper-level and graduate institution with selected
bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in the Arts and Sciences,
Business Administration, and Education and Human Development and Nursing.
In cooperation with community colleges, which offer the first two years of
instruction, the university provides an opportunity for students to
complete baccalaureate degrees. At both the undergraduate and graduate
levels, the university admits only students whose records demonstrate
successful academic performance at the college level.
The university serves students on campus in Victoria and delivers
instruction to other communities in the area. In collaboration with
other UH System universities, it offers degree programs at teaching
centers in greater Houston. It provides extensive course offerings,
selected degree programs, learning support, and many student services
entirely online.
In addition to degree programs, the university extends educational,
informational, and cultural opportunities to the public through library
services, outreach and professional development programs, and a variety
of special events.
In reaching out to students online and on site in multiple communities,
the University of Houston-Victoria is evolving beyond location. But
though its identity may have changed, its basic mission remains the
same: to provide able students, often with job and family obligations,
convenient access to higher education that is affordable, credible, and
relevant to their lives, their communities, and their world.
Key Facts
UH-Victoria is governed by the Board of Regents and the Chancellor of
the University of Houston System. Administrative responsibility is
vested in the President. The System consists of four public
universities: the University of Houston, University of Houston-Clear
Lake, University of Houston-Downtown, and University of
Houston-Victoria.
UH-Victoria is an upper-level/graduate institution, serving students on
campus, at off-campus centers, and online. It has three academic
schools: Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Education and
Human Development.
Undergraduate students are eligible to transfer to UH-Victoria after
completing a minimum of 54 semester credit hours of academic coursework
(with at least a 2.0 GPA) at an accredited institution. They may
concurrently enroll at UHV and their home institution after completion
of 30 semester credit hours.
Educational Standards – Accreditation
University of Houston-Victoria is accredited by the Commission on
Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866
Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097: Telephone number
404-679-4500) to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
The UH-Victoria School of Business Administration is accredited by AACSB
International, 777 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 750, Tampa, FL
33602-5730, Telephone 813-769-6500, www.aacsb.edu, to offer both
bachelor's and master's degrees in Business.
Location and Facilities
Victoria, center of the South Texas Crossroads in the heart of the
Golden Gulf Coast, is a still-expanding historic city on the banks of
the Guadalupe River. More than 150 years old, it is one of the first
three towns chartered by the new republic when Texas won its
independence from Mexico in 1836. Famous battles of the Texas revolution
were fought at nearby sites.
Pioneer charm and high-tech industry mingle in the city of 62,000
inhabitants, near the Gulf of Mexico on a popular coastal route between
Houston and Mexico. It is a short distance by car to Houston, San
Antonio, Austin, and Corpus Christi. Victoria is the home of many
petrochemical industries, such as DuPont, Alcoa, Dow, Formosa, INVISTA,
BP Chemicals, and Equistar Chemicals. Victoria is surrounded by vast
expanses of ranch lands, held by descendants of early Texas settlers,
and offers economic as well as cultural diversity.
The University of Houston-Victoria campus includes University Center,
completed in Spring 2000, which contains classrooms, offices, a
state-of-the art biology lab, and media and computer labs; and
University West, which houses classrooms and faculty and administrative
offices.
Teaching Centers
UH-Victoria is the managing partner of the UH System’s off-campus
teaching centers at Sugar Land and Cinco Ranch. Additionally, UHV
delivers courses to other sites within the service region. A number of
UHV faculty and staff are located at these centers.
Building and Office Hours
Building hours are posted outside the main entrance of each facility.
Individual office and departmental hours may vary, but are normally 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, unless posted otherwise.
Campus Safety and Security
The safety and health of the campus community is a primary concern of
the University. However, a safe and healthful environment does not
happen by chance. As a student and a member of the campus community, you must assume an active role in your own safety and the safety of others.
Learn to observant and aware of your surroundings. If you notice suspicious activity or observe a crime, make mental notes of circumstances,
descriptions, and times. Do not hesitate - call 911 or Campus Security! Never assume someone else has reported and incident. If you don't carry a phone,
911 can be dialed without coins from any campus phones, or dial 9-911 from any office phone.
Keep Informed!
Check your campus e-mail accont at least weekly! Your university assigned e-mail account is the primary way the University communicates information,
such as general news, financial aid information, monthly safety information and so on, to you. You can access your e-mail account through a portal
on the UHV home page www.uhv.edu. If you have a safety or security related question or want to report
an unsafe condition or other security matter, please e-mail campussafety@uhv.edu.
Campus Crime and Security Act
In compliance with federal law, annually, by October 1st, the university publishes and distributes a Campus Crime and Safety Report. This report
contains campus security policies and crime statisics for the most recent three years and is readily available to anyone - students, employees,
or other interested parties. We will also mail a copy of this report to anyone upon request. To view or print the report, go to the Campus Safety
website at
http://www.uhv.edu/fin/safety/manual/Incident_Log/Incidlog.htm.
Crime Incident Reports
On a monthly basis, the university also publishes a Campus Safety and Risk Incident Report which provides students, employees and the public with information
about monthly safety and security related incidents, training opportunities and other general safety information. To see the most recent report, check your
assigned e-mail account or log on to
http://www.uhv.edu/fin/safety/manual/Incident_Log/Incidlog.htm.