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Archived Suggestions ::
April 2008
Suggestion: 1054
Subject: UHV Phonebook Entries
Forwarded to: Telecommunications Specialist
Someone needs to update the Victoria phonebook entries
for UHV. It still lists ISS and MSW, both of which I
think have been gone for quite some time.
Response
Thank you for your suggestion. A corrected phone list
has already been submitted to AT&T. Due to a change in
the publication schedule, AT &T opted to issue a “white
pages only” directory in March this year and they did
not include the corrections. A complete directory with
both white and yellow pages should be available in May
and should include the changes.
Suggestion: 1055
Subject: UHV Summer Marketing
Campaign
Forwarded to: Director of Marketing
I have a concern about the university's summer marketing
campaign which featured the "Take it easy and take
classes" slogan. I received an email dated March 25,
2008 which mentioned that the university has created a
marketing committee. I did not feel like the ad featured
on the webpage (with a young woman and a laptop in front
of a boat) portrayed UHV in a very positive light, and I
mentioned this to several members of the marketing
committee. I was surprised when they responded that the
marketing committee had not had the opportunity to
review or provide feedback on this marketing campaign.
Will the marketing committee have the opportunity to
provide feedback on the design of future ad campaigns?
Response
In an ideal scenario, the marketing committee would
have had the opportunity to give input and address any
concerns about the campaign. The scenario leading up to
the summer campaign was not ideal, but it did present an
opportunity the marketing department wanted to support.
At our first marketing committee meeting, it was
announced that representatives from the schools had met
and decided to host an Open House on April 8. The
discussion turned to marketing support for the Open
House. Unfortunately, there were no marketing dollars
budgeted to promote such an event. The best opportunity
to promote it was to include the Open House information
on the direct mail planned for the summer campaign. This
was a good idea, but it meant that the files needed to
go to the printer within the next several days (about
two weeks earlier than originally planned). We had a
tight window to make this happen, and I pointed the
creative team in the direction of the message. The
members of the committee, who represent the schools,
only had an opportunity to review the piece for
accuracy.
I appreciate your opinion on the ad, but perhaps I could
ask you to view the ad from a
different perspective. Seventy-five percent of our
students are part time. The average age of our students
is 32. One could interpret this by saying that the
students we attract have established lives. They have
full-time jobs and families of their own. As we market
the university, we are not necessarily competing with
other universities for students so much as we are
competing for students' free time - free time that is
devoted to family, friends, leisure, etc. The summer can
be particularly challenging because this is a time when
people are thinking about vacation and "taking it easy"
with their family. The summer campaign plays off this
reality. The visuals are an attention-getter that
reinforce the concept of summer vacation. What we are
saying with this piece is that it is possible for you to
enjoy your summer and still get in a class or two at
UHV. I stand by the message.
Thank you for submitting your opinion.
Suggestion: 1056
Subject: UHV Restroom
Amenities
Forwarded to: Director of
Facilities
Have you considered putting
flushable personal hygiene wipe dispensers in the
restrooms on campus? I'm sure a lot of people would
appreciate them, particularly given the abrasive nature
of the toilet paper.
Response
Your
request is the first request I have received for
flushable personal hygiene wipe dispensers in the
restrooms on campus? I will forward this request to the
student senate to determine the level of support and
need for this product.
We have
requested a softer toilet tissue, but have not been able
to find a better product that will fit in our commercial
toilet dispensers. We will continue to seek a vendor
for this product.
Suggestion: 1057
Subject: Academic Advising
Forwarded to: Provost
Please fix the advising situation. Allowing students to
evaluate advisors might help a lot. At least advisors
may start paying more attention to what they are doing.
I found getting into UHV relatively easy; however, the
advising has been a nightmare. I either can't get a hold
of the person who is supposed to advise me, or if I do,
she seems uninterested in really helping me. I've also
heard a lot about students being misadvised. Students
are talking a lot about problems with advising.
Response
Thank you for sharing your frustration about your
experience with UHV advising. We have a strong
commitment to meeting our students' academic needs and
have hired additional advisors to assist students.
Please contact your School Dean if you continue to find
an advisor is non-responsive. Also during summer
registration, UHV is introducing a Student Solutions
Center to respond to students' questions. Hopefully
these suggestions will be helpful.
Suggestion: 1058
Subject: UHV Downward Expansion
Forwarded to: Vice President for Administration and
Finance
Since -- "On Aug. 22, University of Houston-Victoria
President Tim Hudson committed to sharply reducing and
eventually eliminating all of the university's global
warming emissions and accelerating the research and
educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the
earth's climate. "-- we have a great opportunity to add
this as another reason to transition to a four-year
university. The campus could be a living experiment for
such tech. as Geothermal Cooling, Wind power etc. In
doing so construction/research grants should be
available thus furthering the reduction of total cost.
Response
Thank you for a great suggestion. If UHV is approved to
build a new campus, then the new buildings will be built
within the climate commitment that President Hudson
supports. There are three categories of "green
buildings" - silver, gold, and platinum. The UH System
will be designing future buildings at the silver level.
We will also be looking at other areas such as
landscaping plant selection that takes less water,
exterior lighting that is energy efficient, alternative
utility generation, retarding gases from being released
into the environment, constructing "healthy" buildings,
reuse of wastewater, etc.
Suggestion: 1059
Subject: UHV Open Houses
Forwarded to: Sr. Community College Program Coordinator
Regarding Open Houses in Victoria: I think for our community you need a Carnival-like event to get people come. Otherwise boring = low turn out and students that would have stopped by regardless.
Response
Thank you for your comment in reference to the UHV Open House events. We want to encourage this sort of dialogue with you and the Victoria community to nurture the feeling of being more a part of the University of Houston-Victoria family and we always welcome the opportunity to address these types of issues.
Your suggestion that the Victoria community would prefer a more Carnival-like event to increase attendance at the UHV Open House is a good one. In consideration of this feedback we convened a group of UHV planners of the event to review the process to see how this event could be improved for the future.
The team analyzed various outreach events which are sponsored by UHV for the purpose of introducing UHV to the community and promoting higher education. After some discussion they agreed that the Open House will continue to be held once a year in the Spring time. One reason for this is because during the period between March and April is when the Spring session at UHV is already well on the way and preparations are being made for the Summer session registration. Secondly, the new academic year typically begins each Fall. Holding the Open House in the Spring also allows those potential students plenty of time to gather their necessary documentation to proceed with enrollment. The UHV Open House is held during the later hours of the afternoon and is designed with the purpose in mind to meet the needs of individuals and potential students that might not otherwise get an opportunity to visit the campus during normal work hours from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and meet face to face with UHV staff to help them explore educational and career opportunities.
The planning team determined that a Carnival-like setting would not be conducive for an Open House event where one-to-one conversations between potential students and UHV service staff are taking place to focus on the business of education. However, considering the need to engage the community in a more festive environment and to add a lighter flavor to education, UHV through efforts of a committee called the Spanish Speaking Initiative hosts various other outreach events. The committee make up consists of UHV and VC staff, representatives from the Victoria Cultural Council, and community leaders. The mission of the Spanish Speaking Initiative is to increase the educational attainment levels of Hispanics in Victoria and the surrounding region through cultural and educational activities. One such event is the Fiesta Day which is planned this year to take place on May 1, 2008 at the UHV Center Building, Multi- Purpose Room.
As in years past, there will be folklorico dancers, music, cultural awareness activities, and the like. This year in particular, UHV is hosting Jesus “Chuey” Negrete, nationally recognized as an enthralling entertainer and scholar. Negrete has been hailed as “the Chicano Woody Guthrie” by oral historian and radio host Studs Terkel.
Part of the Fiesta Day activities will also include student information sessions where the different UHV academic schools will conduct presentations on the various degree programs. Students also receive information from other departments such as Career Services, Financial Aid, Student and Academic Services, and Admissions. In effort to maintain a high level of integrity in the process and to demonstrate a commitment to the quality of educational programs available at UHV, the sessions will be held separately in a different facility before the entertainment and festivities begin.
The Spanish Speaking Initiative is also now preparing for activities in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 13 through October 15, 2008. In connection with this month long celebration, the activities will be kicked off with a parade featuring numerous entries. Planned activities include a concert by a popular Latin rock group, educational seminars, art exhibit, and a youth art/poster contest. The winner of the contest will receive a scholarship.
We at UHV appreciate your input and are always looking for ways to improve ourselves and the services we provide our students and the community. You are cordially invited to join a campus organization or visit with us at the next meeting of the Spanish Speaking Initiative committee.
Suggestion: 1060
Subject: UHV
Newswire
Forwarded to: Director
of Marketing
Please consider sending a weekly newsfeed instead of daily.
Being bombarded with the UHV Newswire day after day has now
resulted in them being deleted unread. So now it's as bad as
not being informed of anything because most of what we're
being fed is trivial. Also, all the baseball news is old
news. I'm becoming less and less interested in our teams due
to overkill by our Marketing Department. Start thinking less
is more.
Response
It is
unfortunate that you are deleting the UHV in the News emails
without simply scanning the headlines for stories that are
of interest to you. Marketing provides this service so that
faculty, staff and students are aware of both the positive
and the negative stories that appear about UHV in the local
media. We have been fortunate with the level of media
attention that our baseball and softball programs have
received. The season is coming to an end, so you will see a
decline in the amount of coverage UHV receives. Thank your
for your suggestion. We will look into how we might
consolidate the daily notices into a weekly or bi-weekly
email.
Suggestion: 1061
Subject: UHV in
the News
Forwarded to: Director
of Marketing
It is not just students who are getting annoyed with all the
UHV in the News emails. What about providing a link to where
these news stories reside and sending that to us. We can
then choose to go there or not and will not have our inboxes
innudated with emails.
Response
Thanks
for the suggestion.
We are
looking at several strategies on how we could reduce or
consolidate the number of emails informing you of stories
that appear about UHV in the local media.
Suggestion: 1062
Subject: UHV
Library Resources
Forwarded to: Sr.
Director of Libraries
I'd encourage the library to provide a link to the Academic
Center's material on APA/MLA. I've used their resources and
they're wonderful; however, the library links to other
university resources and not our own, which seems odd.
Response
The Library’s webpage on “How to Cite Your Sources” includes
the following information:
The Academic
Center at the University of Houston-Victoria maintains a
Documentation Style page
, which has quick guides to both the MLA and
the APA styles as well as other helpful tips.
This section comes before the list of “other online sites.”
Since this link apparently was not found by the person making
the suggestion, the Library will consider ways to make this
information more prominent.
Suggestion: 1063
Subject: RN to BSN Program
Forwarded to: Interim Co-Director of Nursing
Nursing program appears not to be built around full time
working moms. The full day of lecture sounds fine, but
the time line tight. Hope there is consideration for a
slower pace program where we can take longer to complete
the degree plan.
Response
Students always have the option of enrolling either full
or part-time. The part-time option allows a slower pace
and longer to meet program demands.
Suggestion: 1064
Subject: UHV In The News
Forwarded to: Director, Marketing
Let's lighten up on all the news items that keep getting
dumped in our e-mail. We have plenty of school business
that needs to be addressed. If Marketing doesn't have
enough to do, other than send out daily, or sometimes
twice daily, news items, perhaps they can go pick up
some work from other departments and help out.
Response
Based on
your positive suggestion and the suggestions we have
received from others, Marketing has scaled back on the
number of its outgoing weekly e-mails. Marketing has
begun sending out “UHV in the News” on Mondays and
Wednesdays. “UHV in the News” is made up of stories that
appear in the local media about the university. However,
if there is a significant story about UHV featured,
look for “UHV in the News” as soon as we become aware of
it. With the end of the Jaguars season, there should be
a significant reduction in the coverage UHV has been
fortunate enough to receive. As in weeks past,
“NewsWire” will be sent out on Thursdays or more often
during busy weeks. “Newswire” is, of course, made up of
press releases generated internally about UHV.
Thank you
Suggestion: 1065
Subject: UHV Downward Expansion
Forwarded to: Executive Assistant to the President
Since downward expansion is so important to UHV and will
involve all of us, why has the steering committee not
shared the report with the internal audience? Since it
has already been sent to others outside UHV, when will
this report be shared with us?
Response
As part
of her 100 day initiative, Chancellor Khator asked the
steering committee to include the committee’s draft as a
part of the data and documents to be considered by UH
System consultants hired to look at all aspects of the
System. This has been done. On May 3, at the Board of
Regents retreat, the System consultants will report out
on their findings. Unless prohibited from doing so, it
is our intention to make available to any interested
party a copy of the committee report – due to the length
of the report, which includes several other reports
itself, it is likely that a public copy will be provided
to the library to be placed on public access reserve.
Also, I will be glad to discuss the report personally
with any individual or group.
Thank you
so much for your interest, as many hours have gone into
the preparation of the report.
Suggestion: 1066
Subject: Kudos to UHV
Forwarded to: Sr. Director of Student and Academic
Services
Whether I call admissions, financial aid or my
department everyone at UHV is so helpful and friendly!
My past school should learn a thing or two from UHV.
Every person I have talked to took an extra step in
helping me. I am so delighted to be a student at UHV!
Response
We are very pleased you are a
student at UHV. Thank you for your recent post
complimenting our office staff. We strive to provide
students with the support they need and appreciate
knowing that we have succeeded. Don’t hesitate to
contact me or anyone else at UHV if you need anything.
You might also be interested in knowing that we have
created UHV Student Solutions, a one-stop shop that
allows students to call or email us with any admissions,
financial aid, or bill payment questions. You can call
Student Solutions at 361-573-0000 or toll free,
1-800-687-3738, or you can email us at
solutions@uhv.edu with any questions you may
have. Our goal is to ensure that student expectations
are met so please call us if you need any assistance.
Suggestion: 1067
Subject: Faculty/Staff Identification
Forwarded to: Safety & Risk Manager
my concern is that as i walk around the halls, there
is nothing to identify university staff or faculty
are there any security policies about name badges
seems like anyone could walk into a classroom
without a blink of an eye
Response
There is a continual interest to ensure
the University of
Houston-Victoria maintains a safe respectful,
caring learning environment for faculty, staff,
students, and visitors.
The University of Houston-Victoria does not have an
administrative policy or procedure which requires
faculty, staff, students, or visitors to wear
identification badges. The University is an open
campus which allows the University community access
to buildings, classrooms, conference rooms, etc.
However, the University does require Contractors
performing work on campus to check-in with
Facilities Services prior to starting work. The
University also requires Contractors whose employees
do not wear company uniforms to wear a visitor’s
badge showing the name of the company and the
employee. The badge is provided at check-in by the
University and must be returned after completion of
the work.
In addition, Facilities Services personnel
(Custodial, Grounds, Maintenance and their
respective Supervision) wear uniforms for easy
identification by faculty, staff, students, and
visitors.
In response to the growing focus on school violence
in recent years, many schools are turning to a
variety of measures to maintain an environment to
help keep their faculty, staff, students, and
visitors safe and secure. The University of
Houston-Victoria will continue to review security
and safety systems
Suggestion: 1068
Subject:
MBA Accounting Courses
Forwarded to: Director of Programs, School of
Business Administration
Hello I am a UHV MBA student at the Sugar Land
campus. I have picked Accounting as my major.
However, I do not see accounting concentration
courses being offered in Summer,08 or Fall,08. I am
interested in taking the following courses - ACC
6371 Advanced Auditing ACC 6372 Advanced Studies in
Taxation However, I see that classes have not been
offered for the past 4 semesters. In summer, 08 the
only Acc class being offered is International
accounting. I will be able to graduate in Fall only
if the above two courses (ACC 6371 and ACC 6372) are
offered in Fall, 08. I am sure there are other
students like me who are unable to pick Accounting
as their major because of death of accounting
classes. May I request the UHV accounting department
to please look into this matter? Thanks a lot for
your help. Pooja I have checked the schedule for the
last 4 semisters and
Response
In fall 2008, the School of Business Administration
is offering four graduate accounting courses
appropriate for use on the accounting concentration:
ACC 6300 Accounting Ethics (online), ACC 6372
Advanced Studies in Taxation (Sugar Land and
Victoria), ACC 6373 Contemporary Issues in
Accounting (online), and ACC 6377 International
Accounting (online). In addition, students seeking
the accounting concentration may choose one course
from either economics or finance, and in the fall
these options will include ECO 6367 Global Economics
(online and Cinco Ranch), FIN 6361 Investments
(online), FIN 6363 Financial Modeling (online), and
FIN 6367 International Finance (online).
ACC 6371 Advanced Auditing is generally offered in
the fall in alternate years. Since it was last
offered in fall 2007, we anticipate offering it
again in fall 2009.
Semester course schedules are determined based on
several considerations, including student demand,
student preparation, and faculty availability. You
can help us optimize future course schedules by
doing two things:
- Make sure that the School of Business
Administration knows what concentration you are
pursuing. If you did not indicate it on your degree
plan, or if you have changed your concentration
since then, you can declare your concentration using
the online form at
http://www.uhv.edu/bus/pdf/MBAConcChange.pdf
.
- Verify with your advisor that you meet
prerequisites for the courses you’re interested in.
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