1.1 History
The University of Houston-Victoria is one of four separately accredited institutions that comprise the University of Houston System. UHV is the only institution offering bachelor’s and master’s degree programs within a 100-mile radius of Victoria, Texas.
UHV was founded in 1973 as an upper-level, off-campus center to provide upper-level and graduate programs for students within the Coastal Bend region. In 1978, the university was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1983, Senate Bill 235 was passed by the Texas Legislature establishing the University of Houston-Victoria with permanent status as a degree-granting university. The university was initially organized into three academic schools: School of Arts & Sciences, School of Business Administration, and School of Education. In 2004, the School of Education was renamed the School of Education & Human Development, and in 2016 it was changed again to the School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development. A fourth school, School of Nursing, was approved in December 2007 and operated under UHV until fall 2015 when it transitioned to the University of Houston. In fall 2016, UHV was approved to begin offering the BSN program under the School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development. In October 2021, UHV was approved by the Board of Regents to change the naming convention from Schools to Colleges. In addition, a new College was formed. Academic programs are now housed in four colleges: College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, College of Business, College of Natural and Applied Science, and College of Education and Health Professions.
The Victoria campus includes the University West building, which was built in 1992 and purchased from Victoria College five years later. The University Center was completed in March 2000. A 13,000-square-foot addition to University West was completed in February 2004. University North building was completed in 2015. University Commons, which houses a student center, library, and bookstore, was completed in fall 2019. University South, which houses STEM programs and faculty, was completed in fall 2021. The university also purchased Town Plaza Mall in July 2017; the building has been renamed University Northwest and houses the Small Business Development Center, the Center for Regional Collaboration, university athletics, as well as meeting, laboratory and classroom space.
The university expanded its outreach efforts in 1996 when UHV classes were offered at two UH System teaching centers at Cinco Ranch and Sugar Land in Fort Bend County. The purpose of these collaborations was to expand access to quality higher education courses and programs to residents of Greater Houston. UHV classes in business, education and other fields are now offered at a teaching center in Katy.
UHV was an early pioneer in providing distance learning classes online and through Interactive Television. By the first decade of the 21st century, UHV had become a national leader in making entire degree programs available online. During that same decade, new programs were developed, and additional faculty members were hired as enrollment nearly doubled.
A major milestone was reached in 2005 when the School of Business Administration received accreditation from AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Counseling programs in the School of Education & Human Development were accredited in 2010 by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
In 2009, Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation that expanded the university’s mission to include admitting freshmen and sophomores, a process referred to as downward expansion. During fall 2010, UHV enrolled its inaugural class of freshmen and opened its first residential facility, Jaguar Hall - part of the major transformation involved in making UHV a destination university. Also that fall, the UHV men’s and women’s golf and soccer teams began play. They joined baseball and softball, which began three years earlier when UHV fielded athletics teams for the first time. By fall 2012, UHV opened its second residential facility, Jaguar Court, Jaguar Suites opened in fall 2013, and a fourth residence hall, Don and Mona Smith Hall, opened in fall 2020.
With an overall enrollment of nearly 4,500 students, UHV has been growing quickly. Offering bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and concentrations, UHV provides a wide range of academic choices as well as some of the lowest tuition rates in the state.