Comprised of Division features, accolades and achievements, as well as valuable "In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)" news you can use, each edition of the newsletter highlights key information and resources across the Division's departmental, operational and service unit areas. Subscribe to the A&F listserv.

Dear Colleagues:

June is a month of projects and division-wide preparation for the division. One of the most significant focus areas for the Administration and Finance departments is support for and participation in new student orientations and resource fairs for our in-coming first year and transfers students.

I am grateful for the commitment of our staff members as they welcome in-coming University of Houston students and prepare them, and their parents, with resources and university facts to help these new Coogs assimilate into UH academic and student life. I hope that you enjoy seeing the photo gallery of our departments in action at orientations and resource fairs in this month’s newsletter.

June is also National Safety Month, a time designated to remind us of the importance of safety in all aspects of our life. At UH, there are plenty of campus safety resources and training options available to the campus community. Please take a moment to read the National Safety Month feature to learn more about these important campus resources.

Other highlights in this month’s newsletter include:

• A feature story on Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, which occurs this summer in July, with tips to ensure your vehicle is safe on and off campus.
• A reminder about hurricane preparedness from the Office of Emergency Management via their hurricane response guide that provides tips for pre-storm preparation and post-storm recovery.
• A look into the university’s 2023’s Safety Service metrics that highlights the ways the university and A&F department help keep the campus community safe.

These are just a few of the feature articles in this month’s newsletter. I encourage you to review the newsletter to stay connected with all our divisional updates and accolades.

Thank you for all that you do every day to support our UH community.

A&F Departments Engage with New Coogs at Student Orientations and Resource Fairs

Throughout the summer, several Administration and Finance departments dedicate their time to helping new first-year and transferring students at the University of Houston by participating in orientations and resource fairs. These orientations aim to provide students and their parents with all the necessary information to ensure the student's first year at UH is successful. See the photo gallery to see these A&F departments in action.

Harris County Department of Education Rents Cullen Performance Hall for Scholastic Awards Ceremony

The University of Houston’s Cullen Performance Hall has rented its facility for numerous national and international musical acts, theatre performances, lectures, ESPN’s College Game Day, commencement ceremonies, and much more.  Now, it can add the Harris County Department of Education Scholastic Art & Writing Awards to its list.

One of the County’s goals for this event was to connect this event with a local post-secondary institution to provide student attendees engagement and connection with the institution. The two-day event encompasses award recipients from Harris, Fort Bend, and Galveston Counties. Read more about how Cullen Performance Hall made the event a memorable one for attendees.

Facilities/Construction Management Hosts Annual Employee Awards and Celebration

Facilities/Construction Management held its annual departmental employee lunch and award celebration at the Student Center South, Houston Room with over 300 F/CM employees attending. The event provided an opportunity for F/CM to congratulate and honor the entire department for winning the 2023 APPA Award for Excellence in Facilities Management.

The luncheon also included the announcement of the Strategic Teams for 2024 and a recognition of the staff that participated in trainings as part of the Leadership Education and Development Program. Read more about F/CM’s award luncheon and find out who won the individual and team awards.

Facilities/Construction Management Releases New Issue of Facilities in Review Magazine

Facilities/Construction Management’s latest issue of the ‘Facilities in Review’ magazine is now available to read. This year’s edition highlights accomplishments from the department in 2023. Highlights include the department winning an APPA Award of Excellence. Read the full 'Facilities in Review Magazine' to learn more about Facilities/Construction Management.

Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center Hosts Topping Out Ceremony

Earlier this month, a topping out ceremony was held for the Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center at TDECU Stadium. The topping out signifies that the last beam has been placed atop the operations center. Facilities/Construction Management staff attended the celebration of the construction project’s milestone.

The center will feature additional premium seating to TDECU Stadium with 14 suites, a 450-seat club section with access to an 11,000-square-foot club and 300-seat roof terrace facing inward to John O’Quinn Field. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025. See the live construction cameras to see the progress.

Parking & Transportation Has a New Website

Parking & Transportation has launched a new website that it hopes will make it easier for users to navigate. Site visitors will notice an improved user interface that makes it easier to find information about the resources offered by Parking & Transportation. Additionally, the website has more detailed information about the services and resources offered by Parking & Transportaion including up-to-date information regarding parking permit availability by Zone and Garages. Check out the new Parking & Transportation website to learn more.

Stay Cougar S.A.F.E.

	National Safety Month June is recognized as National Safety Month, a time designated to pay extra attention to the importance of safety in all aspects of our lives. At the University of Houston, many resources and services are offered to the campus community to keep them safe both on and off campus. These include Community Emergency Response Training, CPR/AED Training, Fire Safety Training, and Active Shooter Training, to name a few. Read more about National Safety Month and all the available resources to the campus community.
	Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Month In car-centric Houston, vehicles are as important as air conditioning in the summer months, and more than half of University of Houston students, staff, and faculty drive to campus daily, parking their vehicles in one of the campus parking zones and garages. Vehicles help campus community members arrive for class and work on time, but if their car is stolen or damaged by a thief, it becomes a costly and inconvenient matter. Summer, particularly, is the worse season for vehicle theft. For that reason, July has been designated as Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Month. Learn more about Motor Theft Prevention Month and how you can keep your car safe on campus.
	2023 Safety Service Metrics  In 2023, Parking and Transportation Services provided 6,443 after-hour rides delivered by the Cougar Ride Service, while the University of Houston Police Department provided 6,432 security escorts with a response time of under 16 minutes. These are only a tiny fraction of the safety service metrics from 2023 that showcase how the university keeps the campus community safe. Discover 2023's Safety Service Metrics, including how many campus buildings were inspected by Fire & Life Safety, how many campus community members attended safety training, and much more.
	OEM’s Hurricane Preparedness and Response Guide Hurricane season is upon us, and the Office of Emergency Management has developed a Hurricane Response Guide to assist the campus community with tips for pre-storm preparation, post-storm recovery, and the management of campus during a storm. The guide also provides tropical weather terms and breaks down what steps the campus will take in a hurricane. Learn more about hurricane preparedness as well as what to have in your hurricane readiness kit.
	UHPD Receives Reaccreditation by IACLEA The University of Houston Police Department was awarded Reaccreditation by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The accreditation constitutes the recognition that a department conforms to the highest professional standards for campus law enforcement and protective services. The accreditation process consists of five steps: Candidacy, Self-Assessment, On-site assessment, Commission Review and Award, and Maintain Compliance.

Cougar Cudos

To nominate a fellow staff member, fill out the Cougar Cudos Nomination Form.

DaNesha Allen Presents at NACAS South CX

Director of Food Service, and Director of Contract Compliance, DaNesha Allen gave two presentations at this year’s NACAS South Conference. Allen co-presented Stories in the Data - Breaking Down Data Silos to Drive Better Outcomes in Auxiliary Services with dining colleagues from Auburn University, University of Tennessee - Knoxville and The Solution Design Group. The presentation showcased how UH and the universities use RevenueVision.

Allen also co-presented SOCIAL ARCHITECTURE: The Missing Ingredient with Porter Khouw Consulting. The presentation highlighted how universities can develop a valuable dining program that can increase student success. The presentation showcased how UH transitioned its dining program to 24/7 service, and how it embraced innovation.

UH Dining Services Recognized with Loyal E. Horton Dining Silver Award

The University of Houston’s Dining Services was honored with a NACUFS 2024 Loyal E. Horton Dining Award. The department won silver in the Residential Special Event of the Year category that awards a university department for an outstanding event taking place in residential dining for its strong focus on the student experience. UH Dining Services received recognition for its Diwali celebration that took place at Cougar Woods Dining Commons. The celebration is part of the department’s Cultural Event Series.

University Information Technology Attends HPE 2024 Conference   

The University of Houston was in the spotlight at the annual Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) conference. The annual conference is a major tech industry event and training venue attended by more than 14,000 technology professionals and vendors from around the globe. This event is a showcase of HP Enterprise and Aruba Networks technologies and introduces new technological innovations and industry best practices. Read more about UIT attending the HPE 2024 conference.

Reminder to Secure Your P&T Cards

The university has seen an uptick in incidents of theft involving P&T cards on campus. If you use a P or T-card cards, and it’s been lost, stolen, please report the theft to UHPD and take the following steps.

Notify the bank immediately at 1-800-248-4553 (outside the U.S., call collect 1-904-954-7314). Representatives are available 24 hours a day. Notify AP P-Card Manager or AP Travel Manager and the custodian, in the case of a Multiple User Travel Card, of the lost/stolen/damaged card within 24 hours. If a P-Card or T-Card is found after it has been reported lost or stolen, it must be destroyed by cutting it in half.

The same procedure applies if a card is damaged. The AP P-Card Manager or AP Travel Manager must be notified, and both card halves must be submitted to the department business office to be shredded and discarded.

UH/UHS FY2024-25 Key Dates Calendar

The University of Houston and the University of Houston System have released an updated fiscal year 2024-2025 calendar. This calendar provides deadlines and submission instructions for administrative and financial activities at the end of fiscal year 2024 and the beginning of fiscal year 2025. You can find the new updated calendars and schedules on their website. See the new updated calendars and schedules.

Cougar Card Office Call for Volunteers

Sign up to help the Cougar Card Office distribute Cougar Cards and educate customers on the Photo Upload and the Appointment/Virtual Line processes for Residential Move-in and semester startup. Assistance is needed August 14-16 and August 19 and 20. To register, sign the Cougar Volunteer Interest Form. If you have any questions, please contact Daisy Del Fierro at 713-743-6027 or via email at dkdelfierro@uh.edu.

UH Dining Summer Hours

Summer hours for UH dining locations are now in effect. New student orientation sessions, resource fairs, and camps will also be active. Faculty, staff, and camp and conference coordinators are encouraged to schedule any camps and conferences ahead of time with UH Dining Services to avoid conflicts with increased demand for dining commons on orientation dates. Take a look at the hours of operations before heading out to a campus eatery.