UHD President Loren J. Blanchard

In just 10 days, our fall 2023 classes will begin. I eagerly anticipate the buzzing excitement as everyone joins together again. To our first-time in college, transfer and graduate students, new faculty and staff, and others who are joining us for the first time, welcome to our UHD Community! You are joining us at a very special time in the history of our university. 

This academic year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the University of Houston-Downtown. For 50 years, UHD has had a profound impact on our community and region through its rich academic heritage. As we celebrate this important milestone in the history of UHD, each of you will find an opportunity to explore, discover, learn, and contribute meaningfully to life on our campus and in our local communities. It is my hope that you will take advantage of the many opportunities available to you. 

If you are not familiar with our Strategic Plan, A New Paradigm, I encourage you to read it. The important work outlined in this plan holds us all accountable for continued growth and improvement. Student success remains our barometer, and we will continue our investment in services that optimize student success and enhance our academic environment. Through our rich community partnerships and research initiatives, we will promote knowledge creation and dissemination, as well as professional development, with the complexities of our urban environment in mind. Together, we are making the University of Houston-Downtown an inclusive university of choice for Houstonians seeking to contribute to the social, intellectual, and cultural lives of their communities. 

This year, our fiftieth anniversary celebrations will bring greater attention to our student success initiatives and community outreach programs, such as our Basic Needs Center, Wellness and Success Center, Counseling Services, connections with the arts community, and partnerships with the city of Houston and various local businesses and nonprofit agencies. We will highlight increasing numbers of notable alumni as we showcase the value of a UHD degree and the marketability of a UHD graduate. As we continue elevating the visibility and recognition of the University of Houston-Downtown, we will spotlight the accomplishments and contributions of our talented faculty and staff, who contribute remarkably to student success and university excellence. Our anniversary celebrations will include a year-long series of events from January 2024 to December 2024 through which we will all clearly see that we are not only the University of Houston Downtown, but we are also Houston’s Downtown University. 

Sincerely, 

Loren J. Blanchard, Ph.D. 
President, University of Houston Downtown