UHD Announces Fall 2020 Plans for Food Service, Bookstore and Parking
By Mark Kramer
With a limited number of face-to-face and hybrid courses being held on campus as the fall semester begins on Monday, Aug. 24, the UHD Bookstore and Dining Services will be open with modified hours.
“We want to be able to create a safe environment to provide services to our campus community,” said Mary Torres, UHD Director of Business Services. “We are planning to phase in these services as the conditions improve and students and others are able to return to campus.”
Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to make use of the new Boost app for mobile ordering to promote additional distancing in UHD's dining area.
Plans for the various auxiliary services on campus are as follows.
Dining Services
- Starting Aug. 24, Starbucks will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Starting Sept. 8 (after Labor Day) Burger713 will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Grab-n-Go and Convenience Snack Items, such as packaged sandwiches and salads, will be available.
- Mobile ordering via Boost is in the planning stages for both Starbucks and Burger713 (updates will be provided soon). Standard payments at the registers will still be available.
- Food Court seating will be available, but modified in order to adhere to the appropriate safety protocols.
Bookstore
- In-store services: 8 a.m. – Noon, Monday – Thursday
- Curbside:
- Noon – 4 p.m. Monday – Thursday
- 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Friday
- To use this service, log on to https://www.bkstr.com/houstondowntownstore and select the curbside option.
- Curbside service will be available near the Girard Street student pick-up areas.
- To reduce foot traffic in store, online ordering is encouraged.
Vending
- Face covering masks will be available in vending machines.
- Larger combo vending machines will be installed to provide more substantial food products, such as sandwiches, salads and microwavable items.
Parking Permits
Three parking permit registrations will be available for faculty and staff through the year. Fall permit registration is now available for faculty and staff with a deadline of August 24. Parking permits for students, faculty and staff will be discounted by 50 percent for the fall semester. For more information, visit the Parking and Transportation website.
For more information on UHD's COVID-19 efforts, visit the UHD Coronavirus website.
The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.
