During Jay Gogue’s first year as University of Houston president, he saw many things he liked. At the same time, his keen eyes focused on several areas that needed attention.

Citing the university’s successes and its needs for improvement, Gogue delivered the State of the University Address during the Fall Faculty Assembly and Faculty Senate Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 13.

“Each day, the image of this institution is improved,” Gogue said. “From the quality of the graduates to the emphasis in research, this university’s accomplishments have been rather remarkable.”

Gogue applauded recent campus facelifts, such as classroom enhancements, renovations to the M.D. Anderson Library, which will be completed in February and the addition of 830 new parking spaces.

He said that a planned parking garage would add 850 more spaces to the campus, noting that improved parking was an expensive but necessary step in the UH’s growth.

“The cost of this garage will be close to $13,000 per slot,” he said. “I don’t think any of us like these numbers, but my concern is that this cost is not going to become less expensive over time. It’s important for us to go ahead with these additional parking spaces now.”

Gogue also touted a revamped reimbursement policy for faculty and staff members who incur costs while traveling on university business. Before, the process to repay personal funds spent on business trips often took weeks, but Gogue said that it now takes 24 hours.

“If this process is not working and reimbursements are not being received in a timely manner, I need to hear about it,” he said.

In planning for the future, Gogue emphasized the importance of enrollment management and UH’s response to Houston’s growth. He said that the university should focus on future freshmen in terms of class size and academic requirements.

Just as incoming students are a priority, so are current faculty members. Gogue said that UH must do a better job in retaining its faculty. He added that this is an issue that needs close attention due to the time and cost involved with hiring new faculty members.

Gogue said that shared governance also is an issue that is key to the university’s success. Still, it’s a complicated process because of the university’s many internal constituents. He said that across-the-board communication between faculty, staff and student organizations is vital in achieving shared governance, which in turn is key in making decisions for the university.

Streamlined processes also are important in strengthening UH, Gogue said. He applauded John Rudley, vice president for administration and finance, for modernizing many aspects of the UH’s operations. He said that outdated policies and procedures should be reviewed and updated.

“We need to be constantly vigilant when it comes to our processes,” Gogue said. “Outdated processes can sap the energy out of an organization and drive the morale down. If we have the opportunity to change policies that have outlived their usefulness, then we have to do it.”

Gogue concluded his address by reminding everyone that the university had much to be proud of and that the continued efforts of its constituents would bolster both its image and its service to the community.

“I learn a lot each day, and it’s always exciting to come to work,” he said. “We all have an opportunity to make a difference in this organization, so let’s celebrate our successes and work hard on the areas that need improvement.”

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu