UHV to delay next step in phased reopening plan
In light of the state of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the Victoria and Katy areas, the University of Houston-Victoria has chosen to delay the Aug. 3 move to Phase 3 in the university’s phased reopening plan. The university still plans to open for fall classes in late August.
UHV’s executive committee met Monday to discuss the state of the pandemic in communities and the university’s reopening plan. While the committee continues to believe that staff working on the Victoria campus and at UHV Katy are in a safe environment, the committee also thinks that area conditions do not support moving on Aug. 3 from Phase 2 to Phase 3, UHV President Bob Glenn said. The executive committee will reconsider the matter on Aug. 3 to determine when conditions support moving forward.
“Although we are eager to work toward reopening the university and helping our students, we also understand the importance of ensuring that our employees feel safe when it comes to returning to work,” Glenn said. “With that in mind, the executive committee is choosing to favor caution and delay our reopening process by at least a week. Our primary concern is always the safety and wellbeing of our faculty, staff and students.”
On June 15, about 15 percent of UHV staff came back to their offices on the Victoria campus and at the UHV Katy instructional site since the locations closed because of the pandemic. Both locations continue to be closed to the public, and classes are being offered online throughout the summer.
Phase 3 of the reopening plan would have seen about 30 percent of UHV staff return to campus, including those with individual offices.
During the fall semester, classes are expected to be taught both in-person and online this fall through hybrid, real-time online or traditional online formats. Classrooms would be limited to 50 percent occupancy with about 70 percent of faculty and staff on campus and at UHV Katy.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
