May 15, 2025

Dear Students,

Congratulations on completing this academic year. Making it to the finish line deserves applause. I hope you excelled academically, made positive connections and found balance with our many activities and resources this year. And if you are an incoming freshman, welcome to the Cougar family!

On behalf of the UH faculty and staff, let me say that we are all so happy to have each and every one of you here. You are the manifestation of our purpose, and we take great pleasure in helping you reach your goals. Here are a few updates on happenings across campus:

Congratulations Graduates: Last weekend, 7,040 amazing Cougars received their UH degree and marked the start of a bright new beginning. We are proud of each and every one of you and wish you great success. Please stay connected with your alma mater via the UH Alumni Association and seek help from University Career Services should you need to.

No Tuition Increase Next Year: Following Governor Abbott’s order, your tuition will remain the same next year. We continue to work hard to ensure that the state invests in its universities to provide inflationary adjustments so we can continue to provide you with the highest quality of education and experience.

Enroll Now for Summer and Fall: To help you plan your educational journey, we are using predictive analysis tools to offer enough classes and sections. Now the course calendar is available one year in advance so you can plan your 2-3 semesters of courses ahead of time. Please enroll now for your fall classes.

Graduate in Four Years: Our goal is to offer you every opportunity and support to graduate in a timely manner. We are putting many measures in place to accomplish that goal, including a redesign of difficult courses, better course scheduling and AI tools to help alert you if you are in danger of not meeting your goal. Get in touch with your adviser to make sure that you know the requirements for your major and do not enroll in courses you don’t need.

Safety and Security: When it comes to major crimes, data suggests that all UH campuses in Houston, Sugar Land and Katy are safe in comparison to our peers. Nonetheless, we know that we can do better because even one incidence is one too many. Following last semester’s crimes on campus, I created a Task Force on Campus Safety and hired an outside expert to help us take additional measures. We are committed to providing you with a safe learning environment and I look forward to us bringing you future updates on our progress.

Major Construction Ahead: On June 1, many areas of the campus will be fenced off for new construction. Three new academic and research buildings, a new dining hall and a new 1,000- bed residence hall are among the new projects. Another major project is the Centennial Project, which includes a new multi-purpose gathering space (Centennial Plaza), a pedestrian-friendly University Drive and a brightly lit campus. Once finished in 2027, the campus will have a more welcoming and connected feel; however, we will have to endure construction noise, traffic disruptions and other inconveniences until then.

I encourage you to visit the Centennial Construction Project website for alternative access routes. There you will also find information about shuttle stop relocations, construction updates and FAQs.

Cougar Football: After a spectacular basketball season, our attention will turn to Cougar football in the fall. I encourage you to come out loud and proud to cheer our Cougars on next season!

Once again, congratulations on a stellar year. I hope you take some well-deserved time off this summer to relax and rejuvenate. Come back Cougar strong in the fall!

Go Coogs!

Renu Khator
President