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Academic Resouces



Academic Calendar
The Academic Calendar, with important dates and deadlines, is published online. In it you will find registration dates, fee payment deadlines, financial aid and refund dates, school holidays, drop/add deadlines when to apply to graduate, reading days, and final examination days. Students are responsible for reviewing the calendar and becoming aware of all applicable deadlines. UHD reserves the right to change these calendars at any time as necessitated by university or legislative action.
 
Academic Computing Lab
OMB S800, 713-221-8540
The Academic Computing Lab provides resources and user support for instructional activities at UHD. The Lab is located at S800 in the One Main Building. There are more than 100 computers using the Windows operating system in S800 General Lab. Additional computers are available in the Academic 4th and 6th-floor study area. These computers have Microsoft Office and Internet access. Distance-learning classrooms are available in the Technology Teaching and Learning Center located on the seventh floor of the Academic Building. To access the lab, you must be currently enrolled with a valid UHD ID card.

Academic Grievances
If you have a question or complaint concerning an action by a UHD instructor or employee in an academic office, you should address the issue first to the person whose action is the source of the complaint. Most problems are resolved on this level. If there is an occasion when this is not sufficient, you should follow the chain of command below:​​

  • Instructor/Employee
  • Department Chair or Employee's supervisor
  • Academic Dean of the College/Director of Office
  • Vice-President of Academic Affairs or designee


Academic Honesty
The Academic Honesty Code is embraced by all members of the University of Houston-Downtown academic community and is an essential element of the institution's academic credibility. The Honesty Code states, “We will be honest in all our academic activities and will not tolerate dishonesty." The purpose of the Academic Honesty Policy is to deal with alleged violations of the Honesty Code in a fair and consistent manner. The policy is administered jointly by students and faculty. It is each student's responsibility to read and understand the Academic Honesty Policy (PS 03.A.19).

Academic Support Center
N925, 713-221-8669​
The Academic Support Center (ASC) offers support for students to improve their writing, reading, math, and statistics skills. The Writing & Reading Center (WRC) and the Center for Math and Statistics Support (C4MS2) are in the ASC, and each area offers a range of tutoring services designed to accommodate students' unique needs. These include in-person and online support services for individuals and groups as well as consultation with faculty tutors, professional tutors, and peer tutors. The ASC also provides access to a variety of learning tools such as computers, textbooks, writing guides, and graphing calculators.

Accreditation
University of Houston - Downtown is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate and master's degrees.  Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of the University of Houston – Downtown may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commissi​​on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling 404-679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC's website (www.sacscoc.org).

The Marilyn Davies College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International, 777 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 750, Tampa, FL 33602-5730; 813-769-6500; www.aacsb.edu). Accreditation documentation is available in the Marilyn Davies College of Business, Room B400, Shea Street Building.

The Computer Science and Engineering Technology Department's Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology degree programs in Control and Instrumentation Engineering Technology and Structural Analysis with Design Option in Engineering Technology are accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET (415 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; 410-347-7700; www.abet.org).

The Urban Education Department's programs that lead to teacher certification are accredited by the Texas Education Agency (1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, TX, 78701; 512-463-9734; tea.texas.gov).

The Natural Science Department's Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree program is approved by the American Chemical Society (1155 Sixteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20036; Telephone: 800-227-5558; www.acs.org).

The Criminal Justice and Social Work Department's Bachelor of Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (333 John Carlyle St., Suite 400, Alexandria, VA, 22314; 703-683-8080; www.cswe.org).

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program (R.N. to B.S.N.) at the University of Houston- Downtown is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

CommencementS365, 713-221-8580
The Events and Conferences Department, in partnership with the Registrar's Office, coordinates the University's Commencement exercises, twice a year. To learn more about the Commencement, please visit our web page, and read the FAQ's page.

Grading System
The following grades are included in the calculation of grade point averages:

​Grade ​​​​ ​​​​Grade Points
​A ​Superior  ​4.0
​B ​Above Average ​3.0
​C ​Average ​2.0
​D ​Below Average ​1.0
​F ​Failure​ ​0.0

Also included in the calculation of grade point averages are incomplete letter grades. Incomplete letter grades are I/A (4 points), I/B (3 points), I/C (2 points), I/D (1 point), and I/F (0 grade points).

The following grades are not included in the calculation of grade point averages:

Grades
A* - Non-credit grade 
B* - Non-credit grade
C* - Non-credit grade
IP - In Progress
AUD Audit
S - Satisfactory (Passed)
U - Unsatisfactory (Failed)
W - Drop
CA - Credit Awarded
WM - Withdrawn-Military

GatorMail
To login to UHD GatorMail O365 go to www.uhd.edu/gatormail.  
Click on O365 – New GatorMail Login
Username: [email protected] Password: Type in your UHD network account password.
Use of e-mail services is governed by existing policies as described in UHD Policy Statements: Academic Honesty, Regulations for Using Academic Computing Facilities and Resources, Student Rights and Responsibilities. Guidelines include: 
  • Students should check their e-mail on a frequent and consistent basis to stay current with university-related communications. Students must recognize that certain communications may be time critical.
  • To ensure the availability of e-mail service for educational purposes, the university limits the amount of storage space allocated for each student's e-mail account. Once this limit is reached, the student must delete existing messages. The university is not responsible for e-mail messages that are not delivered to the student's account if the student's e-mail account has exceeded its size limit.
  • Students should exercise caution in using e-mail to communicate confidential or sensitive matters and should not assume that e-mail is private and confidential.
  • All messages and files that exist at the time an account is terminated will be deleted and cannot be recovered.
  • Use of student email is restricted to sending and receiving messages consistent with academic and scholarly activities. Students must properly identify themselves as originators of email messages, and refrain from using email for any purpose that is not consistent with the policies regarding UHD student conduct.
  • Students are responsible for the activity of any account that has been assigned to them. If a student suspects that another person has accessed his or her account, UHD IT Security should be notified.
  • Students should observe the rules of “netiquette" in e-mail “Netiquette" means the decorum of conduct as established for the UHD campus community as expressed in UHD student conduct policies. Netiquette, is simply, a set of rules/expectations for behavior online.
  • Students shall not send messages or postings with the intent to intimidate, harass, or create a disruptive or hostile atmosphere, or that could be construed as abusive or threatening.
  • Students shall not send messages or postings for commercial or personal gain.
  • Students should not propagate chain letters (e.g., any communication which requests or demands the recipient forward the message to one or more individuals) or send the same message to multiple groups.
  • Students shall not attempt to perform mass mailings to the entire campus (or a large subset of the campus).
  • Students shall not deliberately alter or attempt to conceal their identity, return mail address, or the origination location of the message.
  • Students shall not deliberately set forth to interfere with the reception of e-mail by an individual.
  • Student e-mail should not be used for any unlawful activity.
  • Students shall not deliberately set forth to intercept or receive, and/or view another individual's e-mail without that user's consent.
  • Students shall respect the laws governing the use of copyrighted, intellectual property, which includes computer software.
  • Students shall not commit acts associated with denying, interfering with, or disrupting the service of UHD's e-mail service or that of any other agency.
  • E-mail services are not to be used for any type of harassment of an individual or organization.
  • UHD assigns student e-mail accounts as a means of communication between faculty, staff, and students. The use of e-mail services should be for legitimate educational purposes.
International Students
GSB 308, 713-221-8048
Individuals from countries outside of the United States seeking admissions to UH-Downtown must apply through the Admissions Office. Classification as an International Student can be obtained by following the procedures below to obtain an I-20 Immigration form.
  • Application - A new international student must file an application for admission with Enrollment Services and pay the nonrefundable $80 application fee by the application deadline. The application and fee will be valid for a period of one year.
     
  • Transcripts - Freshman students must provide official transcripts of secondary school scores, including mark sheets and date of graduation, in their original language. A certified English translation of all transcripts must be included if the originals are not in English. Transfer students must provide official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. If the original transcripts are not in English, a certified translation must accompany the original documents. In addition, all foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an evaluation service recognized by UHD to receive transfer credit. Students transferring from another college or university in the United States must submit a transfer form that has been completed and signed by the foreign student advisor at the previously attended institution.​
  • Affidavit of Support - A signed Affidavit of Support must be submitted showing that a sponsor(s) will be responsible for all educational and living expenses.​
  • Bank Letter - A certified bank letter, indicating that the sponsor is financially capable of meeting the student's education and living expenses, must be submitted. This letter must indicate, either in U.S. dollars or in the local currency, the amount maintained in the account(s). The letter must have been issued within the past three months.​
  • Language Proficiency - A valid TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 550 for the paper version or 213 for the computer-based version or 80 for internet-based or higher or an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher is required. Students with a TOEFL score of less than 550 or an IELTS score of less than 6.5 may attend the English Language Institute (ELI) prior to beginning academic studies at the university. ELI students study noncredit English classes until they are either recommended by ELI for academic study or achieve a 550 TOEFL score. Graduates of ELI can apply to the undergraduate academic programs at the University of Houston- Downtown without taking the TOEFL. Transfer students may be exempt from taking the TOEFL if they have passed twelve or more college-level hours in the United States, including Composition I and II, with a grade of C or better.
Health Insurance - International students must carry health insurance for the duration of their studies. The University of Houston-Downtown requires students to obtain adequate health insurance coverage that meets the following requirements: No annual limit on medical/ preventive care benefits, at least $50,000 on medical evacuation coverage, and at least $25,000 on repatriation coverage. International students who wish to apply for a health insurance waiver, please make sure the coverage meets the above minimum requirements and go to uhd.myahpcare.com to submit the waiver request online.

myUHD2.0​
In our ongoing effort to provide better, faster, and more convenient access to our students, both on- and off-campus, UHD has created the myUHD2.0 portal. Students can access from home, work, or school to:
  • ​Look up open classes
  • Check your registration eligibility
  • Print your schedule of classes
  • Pay your tuition/fee bill
  • Access your semester grades
  • Check the status of your financial aid
  • Register online
  • Change your address
  • Request transcripts

Supplemental Instruction
S405, 713-222-5338
Supplemental Instruction (SI) offers regularly scheduled, out-of-class review sessions to all students enrolled in historically difficult courses. SI study sessions consist of informal study groups in which students review notes, discuss readings, develop organizational tools, and prepare for examinations. Students learn how to integrate course content with reasoning and study skills.

Technology Teaching and Learning Center​
ACAD 700, 713-221-2786
The Technology Teaching and Learning Center (TTLC) assists faculty to develop and implement interactive teaching and learning technologies that increase the effectiveness of their pedagogy. Offering a wide range of programs, tools, and activities, the TTLC houses three electronic classrooms, a technology training lab, and an instructional television studio, with two conference rooms (ACAD 701 & ACAD 700H). The TTLC Group provides web and instructional technology assistance, web design consultation and training, video production and editing services, lecture capture, multimedia checkout services, digital signage support, and technology troubleshooting via the help desk, technology training, technology consultation, and support for staff and faculty who develop online and hybrid courses at UHD.

UHD Wireless
OMB S700, 713-221-8031, x3000 or [email protected] 
UHDWIFI and UHDLEGACY provide UHD faculty, staff, students, and UHD guest access to the web from anywhere on campus 24 hours a day 7 days a week without the constraints of cumbersome cables or wires. UHD's wireless network infrastructure supports most mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Any wireless device that supports the 802.11b, g, n, and ac will be able to connect to UHD's secure wireless network.