06
April
2022
|
17:13 PM
America/Chicago

Message From the UHD President: Join Us at the Student Success & Equity Summit

UHD President Loren J. Blanchard

Hello, Gator Family!

The University is hosting the second part of a Student Success & Equity Summit as part of our dedication to performing the work that is necessary in our community while enhancing our collective impact on student success. And it gives me great pleasure that our Campus Community can engage in this important discussion via the President’s Lecture Series on Justice, Equity and Inclusion.

This Summit underscores something that is inherent in the work taking place at our University. We are transforming today’s diverse student population into tomorrow’s leaders, who will be prepared to work in a multifaceted, ever-changing world. To ensure UHD can meet this critical mission, we must strengthen our efforts around student success in order to ensure college degree completion that enables our graduates to reach their career goals and become leaders in their fields and communities.

I hope that you have registered for the Student Success & Equity Summit, Part II scheduled for Friday, April 8. Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Tia Brown McNair, Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Student Success at the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Her topic will be Inclusive Excellence: The Way Forward – Recommitting to Student Success.

I am pleased with the day that the Committee for Student Success and Equity has developed. In addition to Dr. Brown’s presentation, our own UHD staff will share their expertise in interactive panel discussions and workshops. This two-part Student Success & Equity Summit, led by Dr. Tim Renick on March 4 and Dr. Brown next Friday, is a critical launching point by which we can evaluate our current practices, learn new best practices, and begin to prepare for a UHD that is re-committed to student success. I look forward to spending the day with you in an environment of inquiry, learning and good fellowship.

The full schedule for April 8 is listed below:

PLS Sring 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more detailed information about the President’s Lecture Series and Dr. Brown McNair, visit UHD.edu/President.

The Summit is just a launching pad for much more good work to come. I shared with you recently, and I will do so again, that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has selected the University of Houston-Downtown as one of four campuses throughout Texas to engage in a National Institute of Student Success Diagnostic, which will result in a Student Success Playbook for our campus. This process will provide key insights and steps for our University Community to implement a more comprehensive and focused student success plan.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the dedication of our UHD Community. Keep up the good work, and I’ll see you next Friday.

Sincerely,

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