The University of Houston-Victoria is commemorating four decades of higher education achievements with a new website.  

The university recently launched its 40th anniversary website, 40th.uhv.edu. The site details UHV’s rich history through a series of stories and photographs. Viewers can read a 40-year timeline, meet 40 notable alumni and learn how UHV became a four-year destination university in 2010.  

Phil Castille

“Of all the many changes UHV has gone through during the past 40 years, admitting freshmen and sophomores through downward expansion has been the most transformative for Victoria,” UHV President Phil Castille said. “This website is an excellent reminder of how much this university has grown and flourished through the last 40 years.”  

The university, which was initially known as the University of Houston Victoria Center, began in 1973 as an off-campus center. In the first semester, there were just 356 students and 24 faculty.  

Four decades later, UHV has become a cornerstone of regional educational access and opportunity, with more than 4,300 students and 200 faculty. The university’s alumni number more than 12,000 with over 14,000 degrees awarded.  

“UHV has grown beyond anyone’s dreams in 1973 when the University of Houston opened it as its first branch campus,” Castille said. “This website covers how the schools, programs, faculty and staff have evolved over time to meet the higher education needs of the Crossroads region. It documents, for instance, how UHV became a national leader in developing online degree programs, which are so vital to place-bound students.”  

While covering the extensive history of the university, the website pays special attention to the exciting past five years. One article delves into how adding freshmen and sophomores in fall 2010 changed the landscape of the Victoria campus. Another article details the rise of UHV’s successful athletic programs.  

The website also has a section on what prominent alumni have done after graduation. Videos and updates about 40th anniversary community events will be added to the website throughout the year. In addition, there are plenty of photographs, including some from the early years of the university.  

The website is just one component of UHV’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Since the beginning of the school year, UHV has launched new programs and opportunities. The university has added a school mascot, started a new lecture series, broken ground on a new residence hall on the Houston Highway and introduced a $10,000 accelerated bachelor’s degree program. Groundbreaking on a new academic and development building next to Ben Wilson Street is scheduled for later this spring.  

A special UHV 40th anniversary special section also was inserted into the March 3 Victoria Advocate. The section can be picked up for free at the information desk inside UHV’s University Center, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St.