Archived Suggestions :: January 2008

Suggestion — 1028

Subject — On-Line Classes

Forwarded to — Provost

Suggestion / Comment

I attended UH-Victoria for 2 semesters, but I ended up transferring in part because of a major trend I see taking place in the university's philosophy of education: everything is going online. While I understand this may be convenient for some people attending the school, it is saddening to students like me who value professors not as technological entities but as teachers. Online classes to me were never more than self-teaching environments. I felt the professor was only there to give out readings and assignments, but there was as little interaction with the actual professor as possible. It's a strange direction for the university to move toward, especially considering the implementation of a sports program. Doesn't something like that program indicate the need for a more on-campus oriented school? If the university continues to make distance education not only easier but almost the only option for its students, how will it ever successfully build up other programs and entice the university community into participation? I would encourage the university to maintain a primarily face-to-face classes philosophy, one in which online options are available but are in the minority, not the majority of class options. It was a huge discouragement to me to find that staying here would mean getting jilted educationally just because school authorities prefer going online.

Response

We have found that significantly more students are served in online courses than in face-to-face ones. I am sincerely sorry that UHV was not able to meet your educational needs. I do hope you finish your degree and wish you success.

Suggestion — 1029

Subject — Financial Aid

Forwarded to — Financial Aid Director

Suggestion / Comment

Please listen to and change the phone mail message for financial aid. It begins with a very long description of financial aid procedures and then ends with a 7-item menu selection. It is not at all user friendly.

Response

Financial Aid will review/edit the phone mail message. However, the office will continue to have telephone prompts in order for students to speak with the specialist regarding his/her reason for calling.

Suggestion — 1030

Subject — Registration Deadline

Forwarded to — Provost

Suggestion / Comment

I suggest that a registration deadline be set of at least 2 weeks before classes start. This would improve the assistance that students receive from personnel available.

Response

Early registration is available for students who plan ahead. Many UHV students register the week before classes begin because they know their work schedules and have been advised. We are setting up a "one stop shop" where students can go to one place for assistance during registration. This service will improve as the staff have more experience in helping students.

Suggestion — 1031

Subject — UHV's Web Page

Forwarded to — Web Services Manager

Suggestion / Comment

The UHV home page is ill designed, antiquated, and redundant and user un-friendly. The "white" space is wasted, empty space and is, in a word, ugly. Look at the websites of UT-Austin, North Texas and Texas State. They are colorfully eye-catching, aesthetically appealing and informative. I especially like the drop-down menus created by hovering over column names, as the UHV's SoBA has on its site. Who has time to click through four links to get someplace when one click should have been enough? If UHV wants to expand and compete with 4-year institutions, it had better start appealing to a younger audience. And if you don't think the looks and user friendliness of a website matters, you are sadly out of touch with reality. The website is the first impression for some future students. Let's make a statement with our website, not bore them to death or waste their time. Put some color on the page or use the jaguar in the logo.

Response

Thank you for your suggestion. We are already in the process of redesigning the UHV homepage. In the meantime, if you would be interested in being part of a focus-group or user test for the redesign, please let us know. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Suggestion — 1032

Subject — Face-to-Face MBA Classes at Sugar Land

Forwarded to — Dean, School of Business & Administration

Suggestion / Comment

I am an MBA student and have came to know quiet a few full time MBA students at the Sugar Land campus. Have you considered offering some daytime face-to-face MBA courses at Sugar Land, especially the upper level MBA courses?

Response

We plan to pilot day-time MBA courses next fall in Sugar Land. Based upon the market response, we may add a full-time MBA during the day for our MBA students in 2009.

Suggestion — 1033

Subject — Career Services

Forwarded to — Career Services Coordinator

Suggestion / Comment

Sugar Land and Katy students should have access to UH-Houston’s career service and its website. We are looking for careers in Houston, not Victoria. Why is it that the UH system does not allow other campuses to access each other’s career services. UHV’s career services would be useless for students seeking opportunities in their home cities.

Response

UHV Career Services provides students with information about employment opportunities in several large metropolitan areas including Houston, not just in Victoria.

We also provide details about job fairs and other recruiting events. One job fair, in particular, is the Texas Job Fair which is sponsored by the Houston Area Consortium of Career Centers. More than 130 employers will attend. UHV Career Services offers free transportation to students and alumni who wish to attend. Registration is required and is available online at www.uhvconnect.org. This year the Texas Job Fair will be Tuesday, February 12 on the University of St. Thomas campus. This job fair is for all majors. We will meet on the UHS Sugar Land campus at 8:30 a.m. and travel to the University of St. Thomas campus. We will return when all students have had an opportunity to meet with employers. A complete list of registered employers is available at www.haccc.org.

UHV Career Services also coordinates a Teacher Job Fair every Fall and Spring where students and alumni can meet with school district representatives from across the region. Houston ISD, Katy ISD, Alief ISD, and other districts from the Houston area attend regularly. This event is held on the Victoria campus; however, free transportation is available for Sugar Land and Katy students. Contact Career Services for a complete list of registered districts or if you are interested in utilizing the free transportation.

Career Services also provides assistance to all UHV students and alumni with resume and cover letter review, tips to prepare for the interview, job search strategies, and more. Students are welcome to contact Career Services to arrange for an online, phone, or face-to-face appointment. Students are encouraged to visit www.uhvconnect.orgregularly to view list of events.

Career Services Contact information:
Coordinator: Eunice G. Mesa
Website:
www.uhv.edu/careerservices
Phone: Direct line: 361-570-4369
Toll Free: 877-970-4848 x369
Email: MesaE@uhv.edu
Event Calendar: www.uhvconnect.edu

Suggestion — 1034

Subject — Chamber of Commerce Survey on Downward Expansion

Forwarded to — Executive Assistant to the President

Suggestion / Comment

Release the report from the Chamber to faculty and staff. It seems odd that students would get this information, an article would appear in the Advocate, and a student blog would be created before any of the rest of us have even seen the report students refer to and have.

Response

According to student leadership consulted, the reference in the article is to information they obtained through independent inquiries to the Chamber. The administration has not released any Chamber "report" to the students. Assuming that the suggestion box writer is referring to the Chamber's membership survey on the four year university issue, Chamber leadership indicates that it will release the results of their survey very soon, maybe by the end of January; when this occurs UHV plans to post and distribute those results as well.

Suggestion — 1035

Subject — Evening & Weekend Classes

Forwarded to — Provost

Suggestion / Comment

My suggestion is to have graduate classes, and even undergrad courses offered 6p and later. For those who are working a full time 9-5 position, making it to class any earlier is difficult. I believe that weekend courses should also be considered.

Response

Thank you for your suggestion. I will share it with Dr. John Stansell, Dean of Education and Human Development. This semester only eleven out of 65 evening classes are scheduled to meet at 5:00 pm (8 courses)or 5:30 pm (3 courses)and all eleven are Education graduate classes.

Suggestion — 1036

Subject — Vista 4

Forwarded to — Academic Systems Coordinator

Suggestion / Comment

I hear we will be moving to Vista 4. Please send an update to faculty regarding when this will occur and what we should expect since other than the students, we will be the ones impacted by this move and seem to always be the last to find out anything.

Response

The UHS is currently configuring and evaluating the latest Vista 4.0 product release from Blackboard. Currently, planning is all in the preliminary stages with regard to the release of Vista 4.0 and the date it will be made available to all WebCT users. We expect the installation and certification process to be completed by this Spring

Regular e-mail updates will be provided to faculty, adjuncts, and staff as the test environment is configured and made available for evaluation. After successful pilot testing and approval from all schools and current WebCT business owners, a final release date will be announced.

UHS is currently evaluating training needs for WebCT users, and will have a better idea what level of training should be made available once the test environment is made available.

Suggestion — 1037

Subject — Gaming Simulation Program

Forwarded to — Dean, School of Arts & Sciences

Suggestion / Comment

Does UHV have any plans to do something large scale with its Gaming Simulation program? See following link to see an example of collaboration with industry and community outreach. http://www.visual3d.net/Education/tabid/63/Default.aspx

Response

The School of Arts and Sciences recognizes that digital gaming and simulation technology impacts many dimensions of contemporary society. We find it utilized in a wide range of areas: from health, education, and business to the military, news media, and entertainment industry. The School of Arts and Sciences is committed to developing innovative curriculum in digital gaming and simulation that is both responsive to the broad-ranging impact of this technology on society, and prepares students to utilize this technology in the workforce. Given the large scale impact of gaming and simulation technology in society, the deep interest in this area among the current generation of students (Houston Community College alone has over 200 students studying gaming), and the potential to utilize ones classroom learning in this area in ones career, a large scale program with links to industry and community outreach is something toward which we are actively working. Thanks for the link--it's a good example of the exciting opportunities available to us.

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