UHD and UH will hold a UH System Open House from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, at Lone Star College - University Park, SH 249 and Louetta Road, north of Willowbrook Mall.

The UHD Staff Council will meet at 2 p.m. today in room N-1099, One Main Building, and the guest speaker will be Penny Cureton, UHD executive director of special projects, who will discuss UHD's location and its impact on the community.

All staff are welcome. A flyer is available here.

The Institute of Business, Ethics and Public Issues in UHD's College of Business will host Gordon Massie, former head of AIG's Leveraged Finance Group  at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, in room A-405 in the Academic Building. He will discuss AIG's acquisition of American General Corporation om 2001.

Massie will detail AIG's accounting practices for its high-yield bonds, the discovery of accounting fraud, and how accounting fraud was confronted.

Massie has been a regular speaker at high-yield bond and investment management conferences in the United States and Europe. He has worked in the financial/investment business for 30 years with companies including Texas Commerce Bancshares, Prudential Insurance Company, American General Corporation, and American International Group (AIG). At American General, he was responsible for the management of American General's $3 billion high-yield bond portfolio for 16 years.

Massie earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master's in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley. He is in the process of publishing his first book titled, "The Whistleblower's Dilemma.Confronting Fraud at AIG".

In recognition of Latino Heritage Month, UHD will host Nicolas Kanellos, the Brown Foundation Professor of Hispanic Literature at the University of Houston, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, in the Cullen Robertson Auditorium, third floor, Academic Building.

Kanellos is a noted author and director of the national research project, "Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage," that is designed to identify and preserve Hispanic literature. He also founded Arte Publico Press, one of the country's oldest publishers of Hispanic literary works. His presentation is free and open to the public

Kanellos will discuss one of his many works: "Hispanic Firsts: 500 Years of Extraordinary Achievement." Attendees can purchase his book and following the discussion he will be available to sign copies of the book. Complimentary refreshments will be served. The reception will take place in the Coffeehouse outside of the auditorium.

For information, contact Maria Garrett, coordinator of Student Activities, at 713-221-8573 or email GarrettM@uhd.edu. A flyer is available here.

The UHD Office of Student Activities is hosting Activities Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 pm. today on the South Deck and the Portico area (in front of the METROrail stop) so student organizations can showcase their activities and raise funds.

Student groups and organizations will host information tables, and the event will include food, music and giveaway items (sponsored by the UHD Campus Activites Board) and more.  Activities Day is open to the public.

For information, contact Maria Garrett, coordinator of Student Activities at 713-221-8573 or email GarrettM@uhd.edu.

Jesus F. de la Teja, chair of the history Department at Texas State University-San Marcos and the first State Historian of Texas, will discuss "Cultural Realities and Culture Wars: Texas History Education in the 21st Century" at noon Friday, Sept. 29, in room A-436, Academic Building

The debate over history and how it's taught has fueled culture wars in the United States for many years. Most recently, national attention focused on the Texas State Board of Education's selection of social sciences standards for textbooks. de la Teja was one of six experts the Board consulted during the process.

"Texas history education faces numerous challenges, funding shortages, competition with TAKS preparation, but especially outdated paradigms emphasizing mythological masculine memes, " de la Teja said. "The formulation of heroic white men conquering a wild land, savage Indians, and mongrel Mexicans and spearheading a Southern version of Manifest Destiny that ignored blacks except as an amorphous mass of labor, a la T. R. Fehrenbach's still popular Lone Star, runs up against the reality that is our urban, multicultural, multiracial society.

"The presentation makes the case that the relevance of Texas history education rests on re-examining the Texas experience to re-balance the story to more directly reflect the concerns and realities of the children we have in our classrooms."

The event is sponsored by Achieving the Dream, the UHD Department of Social Sciences History Faculty, and the Alpha-Nu-Epsilon Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society.

For more information and to RSVP, contact Gene B. Preuss, UHD associate professor of History, at 713-222-5308 or email PreussG@uhd.edu. A flyer is available here.

UHD Sports and Fitness is sponsoring the workshop "Exercise vs. Nutrition" from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, in room N-1099, One Main Building.

Is exercise or nutrition more important where your health is concerned?  If you want to know your personal answer, register for this workshop.Participants will receive individual measurements and set personal fitness goals to strengthen muscles and decrease overall body fat.In addition, everyone will receive a specific nutritional guide to maintain or strive for a healthy weight according to their specific body type. Once you have both of these components, you will be able to answer the question. The workshop is free to UHD staff, faculty and students.

Snacks and an appreciation gift will be provided.To reserve a spot for this seminar call 713-221-8481 or email schererr@uhd.edu. A flyer is available here.

Tom Lyttle, professor Arts and Humanities, will hold an information meeting at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19, in the O'Kane Theatre, (N-364) for a drama trip to Las Vegas May 15-20.

Lyttle will lead the trip where participants will have several opportunities to learn about and experience theater. Trip participants will see popular Broadway plays and shows; visit backstage at several theatres to observe first-hand the technical side of theater today (including scenery, lighting, costumes and sound design); and meet and talk with people who earn a living in Las Vegas theater, either on the performing side, the technical side, or the arts administration side.

Individually-selected non-group activities could include a helicopter visit to the Grand Canyon, a behind-the-waterfalls tour of Hoover Dam, and an up-close viewing at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art of the art work of such world-class artists as Renoir, Picasso and Giacometti.

For more information, contact Lyttle at 713-221-8118. 

UHD's Student Life Center has Houston Dynamo tickets on sale for the College Night Out for the match between the Dynamo and Toronto at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at UH's Robertson Stadium.

The Student Life Center has a limited number of tickets available for $10 for college students with a valid student ID card. Each student is limited to four tickets. A flyer is available here.

Additional tickets are available by calling 713-276-7500 or visiting the website, www.houstondynammo.com/college.

The Center for Public Deliberation is sponsoring a the public discussion, "Muslim Community Center Near Ground-Zero" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, in the Cullen Robertson Auditorium, third floor, Academic Building.

Michael Duncan, UHD assistant professor of English; Derek de la Pena, UHD assistant professor of Psychology, and a speaker from the Institute for Interfaith Dialogue and he Turkish cultural center will discuss different arguments about the proposed Muslim community center being located near Ground-Zero, where the World Trade Center buildings stood before they were destroyed Sept. 11 in terrorist attacks. The speakers will give brief presentations followed by a question and answer session.

Snacks will be provided for participants.A flyer is available here.

The Scholars Academy office has made arrangements with Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions to have free practice tests for the GRE, LSAT, NCLEX, MCAT, DAT, OAT, PCAT* available on-campus Friday, Sept. 17. 

Students need to register online with Kaplan for the free practice tests. Kaplan will also provide a detailed score analysis and strategies to help students prepare for test day. The MCAT, GRE, and LSAT tests begin at 10 a.m. while the NCLEX, DAT/OAT, and PCAT tests begin at 10:30 a.m.

To sign up call 1-800-KAP-TEST or visit www.kaptest.com/practice. A flyer is available here.

*Test names are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

The Kemah Boardwalk Jazz Fest will be Sept. 17 -19 on the Kemah Boardwalk, 215 Kipp Ave., Kemah, the University of Houston-Downtown co-sponsors the annual event that features local jazz musicians as well as musicians of note come from throughout the country.

The festival was started 13 years ago by UHD jazz-artist-in-residence Robert Wilson and Houston Professional Musicians Association (HPMA) Local 65-699 to show case local talent and has grown into a nationally-known jazz festival. To read more....

The Center for Public Deliberation is sponsoring a the public discussion, "Religion and the Public Sphere," from, 8 to 9:45 a.m. Oct. 12 in room N-420, the Library Special Events Room, One Main Building.

The discussion will focus on religion and the First Amendement of the U.S. Constitution.

Students will address a set of questions about how religion fits and does not fit in public spaces like universities, government, courts, and the media. The discussion will focus on the document, "God and the Commons," produced by the Kettering Foundation. Snacks and beverages will be provided for participants. A flyer is available here.

Leonardo A. Villalón, associate professor of Political Science and director of the Center for African Studies at the University of Florida, will present "Debating Islam and Democracy: West African Experiences," from 10 to 11:15 a.m. Monday, Sept. 20, in the Cullen Robertson Auditorium, third floor, Academic Building.

Villalón is the author of Islamic Society and State Power in Senegal (Cambridge University Press, 1995), and co-editor of The African State at a Critical Juncture: Between Disintegration and Reconfiguration (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1998), and The Fate of Africa's Democratic Experiments: Elites and Institutions (Indiana University Press, 2005), as well as of numerous articles and book chapters on politics and religion in West Africa.

Villalón taught for two years as a Fulbright senior scholar at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal. He has also taught at the Université Gaston Berger in St. Louis, Senegal, and has lectured and directed seminars and workshops at universities and other institutions in numerous West African countries. These have included seminars on civic education and democracy for teachers in rural Mali, workshops on democracy and the role of legislatures for the national parliaments of Chad and of Burkina Faso, and a seminar on consensus building for all parties to the conflict in Côte d'Ivoire.

From 2001-05 Villalón served as president of the West African Research Association (WARA), the only sub-Saharan African member institution of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), based at the Smithsonian Institution.

The Facilities Management Department is requesting all UHD faculty and staff members take a brief customer service survey.

The survey will give Facilities Management insight on how to improve its operation in servicing the university. Respondents' answers will be completely anonymous. The link directs you to the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FMcustomerservicesurvey

UHD Veterans Services is starting a support group for veterans in partnership with the Employee Assistance Program conducted through the University of Texas Health Science Center (UT EAP).

Start-up sessions will meet from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 22 and 23, in Room N-420, the Library Special Event Room. Sessions will continue on Wednesdays and Thursdays through October.

"Please attend one of the start-up sessions and hear what we have to offer," said Michael Records, UHD Veterans Services manager. "Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to and listen."

Veterans can have difficulty readjusting to civilian life and dealing with a variety of issues including the federal Veterans Affairs Department.

The support group will address such topics as marital and family problems, post traumatic stress disorder, transitioning to civilian life, addictions and traumatic brain injuries. The group can also serve as an information resource to help veterans and their families, Records said.

For more information, contact Records at 713-226-5581 or email him at recordsm@uhd.edu or contact Delphi Medina, LMSW, LCDC, at 713-500-3156, medinad@uh.edu.

UHD has launched a new search for its next Senior Vice President and Provost.  Don Bates, dean of the College of Business, chairs the search committee.

"We have already advertised the position and are also sending out letters to higher education leaders to encourage applications and nominations," Bates said.  R. William Funk & Associates, a higher-education executive search firm, is handling the search for the University.

Others appointed to the committee are:

Ed Apodaca, Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management; Elaine Pearson, Division Business Administrator III, Academic Affairs; David Ryden, Associate Professor, Social Sciences; Phil Lyons, Associate Professor, Natural Sciences; Ermelinda Delavina, Associate Professor, Computer and Mathematical Sciences; Barbara Belbot, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice; Lucille Pointer, Associate Professor, Management, Marketing, and Business Administration; and Ali Abedi, Student Government Association, President.

UHD's newest major, the BAAS in Applied Administration opened its doors this fall to 23 students.

Karen Kaser, who coordinates the program, said the new degree builds on associate degrees in applied administration. "Our market research shows many individuals who already have an associate degree will need a bachelor's degree as they move to supervisory and administrative roles," she said. "We will see a significant demand for this degree as Baby Boomers retire."

Students who choose UHD's program can build on their associate degrees instead of starting a new bachelor's degree at the beginning. UHD is working with Lone Star College System, Houston Community College, San Jacinto College and others to make transferring to UHD as seamless as possible.

Students who are interested in the new major can drop by the program's office in One Main Building, Suite 400-South, or call 713-223-7992. Email inquiries should be sent to advisor_baasaa@uhd.edu.

Smart Financial Credit Union will present a Lunch and Learn session, Recycle Your Dollars the Smart Way, from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, in the Buffalo Bayou Room, Special Events Center, third floor, Academic Building.

The session will cover such information as what is a credit union, what are the benefits of joining a credit union, how can I budget and save more and how do I save for retirement. Advance registration is highly recommended to assure enough materials and lunches are available. The course code is UHD 803, session 0001. A flyer is available here.

To register, click here.

UHD employees can purchase  tickets to the Texas Renaissance Festival at the 'Group Ticket" discounted rate of $15 for adults and $6 for children ages 5 to 12.

The festival will be from 9 a.m. to dusk Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 9 - Nov. 28, and the Friday after Thanksgiving.

To receive the 'Group Ticket' rate, you must use the discount code UHS-1488 and must purchase tickets in advance via credit card by phone or fax. The ticket handling fee of $1 per ticket will be waived. To place an order by phone, call 1-800-458-3435. To place an order by fax, use the attached form and fax to 1-936-894-2391. Orders are accepted 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Visit www.texrenfest.com for festival information.

If you have any questions, please contact Bobbie Horack, Work/Life Coordinator, at horackb@uhd.edu or 713-222-5318.

UHD employees can now save with the new State of Texas Discount Purchase Program at www.discountprogramERS.com.

UHD employees, retirees and their families are eligible for discounts on a variety of products and services from cars to theme parks to sporting events. The Discount Purchase Program is provided at no cost. Just go to the website, click on the category or company that appeals to you, and start saving. Discounts will change and new products and services will be added, so check back often. Contact the customer service line at 1-800-683-2886 if you have questions.

Individuals who take the training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) use are more likely to use the training on someone they know versus a complete stranger. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn what to do in case of an emergency situation.

CPR/AED Certification        

Oct. 14-15, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Nov. 11-12, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

First Aid Certification

Oct. 29, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Dec. 3, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.                                           

The class fee is $5 for UHD students, faculty and staff members and $10 for others. The sessions are limited to the first 15 people who prepay for the class. The certification is valid for one year.

To reserve a spot for this training, stop by the Student Life Center. For more information call 713-221-8225. A flyer is available here.

IT Training for Faculty/Staff/Alumni

Register for IT training opportunities at the links below.  To schedule a one-on-one appointment or other assistance, please call 713-221-8200. 

Blackboard Vista

Today
1-3 p.m. - Open Lab: Shea Building

Thursday, Sept. 16

2-3 p.m. - Blackboard Vista: Assignments

Friday, Sept. 17
               10-11:30 a. m. -Softchalk Lesson Builder

Monday, Sept. 20
1-2 p.m. - Blackboard: Assessments

Tuesday, Sept. 21
               9-11 a.m. - Open Lab: Commerce Building

Wednesday, Sept. 22
               10-11:30 a.m. - Respondus Open Lab

Thursday, Sept. 23
11-12 p.m. - Blackboard: Mail, Calendar & Who's Online

Monday, Sept. 27
1-2 p.m. - Blackboard: Communication Tools

Wednesday, Sept.. 29
               10-11:30 a.m. - Respondus: StudyMate 

e-Portfolio

Tuesday, Sept. 28 
1-2:30 p.m. - TaskStream e-Portfolio

Microsoft Office

Today
                  1-3 p.m. - Open Lab: Shea Building

Tuesday, Sept. 21
                   9-11 a.m. - Open Lab: Commerce Building

Tuesday, Sept. 21 

10-11:30 a.m. - Access Basics

Friday, Sept. 24

10-11:30 a.m. - Excel Macros 

See all current IT training available