New mindset at UHD
Latest leader wants to address inequities on the road to degrees
When Loren Blanchard first arrived at University of Houston-Downtown as its newest president, the campus felt a little lonely, he said. Restrictions and safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic meant most students, who commute, were taking classes online, and his first few weeks were focused on mitigating the virus and planning a full reopening for this fall.
Still, Blanchard came to campus almost daily.
“I wanted to see the environment and feel it and experience it,” he said.
Since his March arrival, Blanchard, UHD’s seventh president, has embarked on a campus listening tour — meeting with 140 community leaders and more than 1,100 community members. He’s sat in on classes, wandered through UHD’s hallways, and conversed with staff and faculty about the college’s legacy, pride, community and signature programs. He’s heard concerns, suggestions and “not so gentle” reminders about much-needed
improvements, but also raves about UHD’s diversity, accessibility and affordability.
“What I learned during these visits and listening tour sessions is that this university is valued, respected and needed in Houston and the surrounding region,” Blanchard said during his state of the university address last week.
But now, it’s time to shake up the understanding of UHD as a commuter school, he said.
“No longer must UHD be viewed as merely a sister institution within the University of Houston System, but rather a vital regional university that serves Houstonians and Texans,” he said.
Blanchard has outlined various initiatives for the minority-serving institution, which sits in the heart of downtown and educates more than 15,000 students, of whom more than half are Hispanic and 21 percent are African American.
Student success and UHD’s commitment to educating and supporting a diverse student population, however, is first and foremost, he said. It’s been part of Blanchard’s mission and experience, not only as the former vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at California State University and provost of Xavier University, an HBCU in New Orleans, but also as a first-generation college graduate of an HBCU, himself.
“It was transformational for my life,” said Blanchard of his education. Ensuring students can complete their education and benefit from the resulting opportunities is an important goal for UHD moving forward, he said. This means also improving the college’s sixyear graduation rate of 30 percent.
“I have long repeated this mantra during my time in higher education, and it is fitting for this university: Once a student is enrolled, then the clock begins ticking on our responsibility to make sure they persist and graduate,” he said. “... As that clock begins ticking, it is imperative that students have the support they need to reach the finish line with degrees in hand, ready for the road ahead.”
To serve students, though, it’s important to understand the population and the inequities they might face and to help ensure those “inequities don’t linger with these students as they complete their degrees and go on to professional school or a career,” Blanchard said.
Many UHD students work jobs, full-time or parttime, and might need more accommodations when it comes to their class schedule or how the class is delivered. Of the 13,358 students who attended last fall, nearly 50 percent were parttime and Pell Grant eligible, according to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board data.
But to offer more support to students in need, the school, too, needs more money and resources, Blanchard said. While the University of Houston flagship receives $9,118 per fulltime student, UHD — which has proportionately fewer full-time students — receives $5,315. Blanchard says UHD will be asking for more support from the state.
“Following this recent biennium, it is clear that the university must continue to communicate its story to our state legislature .... Our mission, our accomplishments and our increasing size warrant significant support from the state we serve,” he said.
Under Blanchard, the university has also launched “Determined, Dedicated, Downtown,” a new campaign that replaces its “Finish UHD Strong.” The slogan conveys its mission to ensure students stay the course, get their degree and become leaders in their community. He’s highlighted hopes to improve campus infrastructure, increase enrollment, prepare reports for upcoming accreditation, and continue to mitigate COVID-19 on campus and its lingering effects on higher education. He also promises that the campus will grow with additional parking, a future Student Union, and the anticipated Student Wellness and Success Center, which will include an updated fitness center, learning spaces, lounge areas and resources for physical and mental wellness.
Retaining and nurturing employees is also a part of the university’s strategic plan, Blanchard said. The university launched a study to evaluate salaries at other colleges in the hope of ensuring UHD’s salaries are comparable and to help recruit and retain faculty and staff.
“We don’t always pay as close attention to what faculty and staff need to be successful,” he said, and often people assume that by hiring them, they’re prepared enough. “We really do want to make sure we continue to invest in their success and provide opportunities outside of the university to faculty and staff of color who are often difficult to retain.”
The role of a university president during a pandemic has been no easy feat. COVID-19 forced colleges to be as nimble as possible, with the goal of still promising quality — no matter the delivery of education or services, Blanchard said. Though UHD had some preparation considering 30 percent of its classes were already offered online pre-pandemic, Blanchard said the school can still take it up a notch — offering improved customer service to students, whether in-person or remotely.
Despite these needs for improvement, Blanchard said he’s been reassured that UHD is “ascending.”
“It is not just a university in Houston, but a university for Houston,” he said. “And I’m honored to serve as its president.”