It’s an all-star first day of classes here at UHD as the Houston Astros Shooting Stars cheerleading team, Astros mascot Orbit, and the World Series 2022 Championship trophy make a triple play at the Marilyn Davies College of Business (MDCOB), home to one of the largest MBA programs in the region. UHD’s own star mascot, Ed-U-Gator, will be on hand to welcome students back to Gator Country.

This celebration kicks off a series of events for UHD’s Week of Welcome (WOW). As downtown Houston’s only four-year university, UHD creates a sense of community and belonging on its growing campus with its WOW tradition. Today UHD welcomes more than 14,000 new and returning students to campus for the 2023-24 academic year.

Check out a few of the events below, and visit the Student Activities website to see the full calendar! Oh and Gators, let us be the first to say Welcome back! We missed you!

P.S. Remember to follow us on social media for the latest news and information!

The One Main Building will come alive Monday morning at 9 a.m. with tables of free snacks, games, and swag for students. Chat with representatives of all the offices and services you need to know, including:

• UHD Police Department (need to know how to get an escort to your car after dark?) 
   
• Office of Disability Services (need special accommodations for a class?)  
   
• W.I. Dykes Library (need help with a research paper? Or coffee?)  
   
• UHD Marketing (want to serve as a model for UHD marketing and get the best swag?)  
   
• Plus student organizations and more! 

Be sure to stop by the What’s Your Story? table to share a few facts about yourself with the UHD Communications team—you may see your story on UHD’s official social media sites! 

Plus, you’ll get exclusive swag items not available at any other table!

UHD Sports & Fitness (S&F) will host a variety of events outside and inside the Wellness & Success Center (WSC) to let students know S&F is here on campus and ready to serve student health and wellness needs! 

• Monday and Tuesday: Sports on the CrossRoads Join S&F team members in front of the CST building for catalogs, snacks, and details about the fall programming. Monday and Tuesday, club sports representatives will be out to generate interest; healthy snacks and demos of various fitness programs will be available; and a Fitness Frenzy will be held in the mural area of OMB from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday where fitness instructors will demonstrate the more than 40 classes offered at the WSC. Massage therapists will be out promoting the massage program as well.   
   
• Wednesday: Field Day! The S&F team will move back to the WSC for field day activities. In addition to various classes throughout Wednesday, S&F will offer challenges and sporting events to welcome students to the program.  
   
• Thursday: Welcome Week Bash! Sponsored by S&F, the Bash will see UHD Chief of Police Casey Davis grilling burgers at lunch for students. From 2-4 p.m., let the games begin! Options will include bull riding, monster trikes, wipeout, and obstacle courses.