É«»¨ÌÃ

VISION 2027 Strategic Publication

The Division of Administration and Finance has released its new divisional strategic plan, VISION 2027. The new strategic plan highlights and outlines how the nine departments within A&F will collectively work with university leadership to forge a path toward becoming a top 50 public university. VISION 2027 illustrates the division’s dedication and focus to an ongoing improvement to processes, programs, and service enhancements over the next five years. Read more about A&F’s VISION 2027 and how each department will contribute.

Highlights

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  A&F Departments Inform New Students at Orientations and Resource Fairs

  Departments from the Division of Administration spend part of their summer educating incoming É«»¨Ìà freshmen, transfer students, and their parents with all the necessary information to ensure their student's first year at É«»¨Ìà is a success. On hand to share information were Cougar Card Services, Parking & Transportation Services, Campus Safey, the É«»¨Ìà Campus Store, and the É«»¨Ìà Police Department. See how these departments engaged with new Coogs.

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  A&F Engages with Kids During Take Your Child to Work Day

  The É«»¨Ìà Police Department, Fire & Life Safety, and Environmental Health & Safety took time out of their workday to participate in Take Your Child to Work Day in June. The day, observed at É«»¨Ìà during June, welcomes children from faculty and staff to get a glimpse into the work being done at the É«»¨ÌÃ. Read more about how A&F engaged in Take Your Child to Work Day.

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  É«»¨Ìà Employees Put Boots on the Ground at HR’s Wellness & Benefits Fair Bootcamp

  The É«»¨ÌÃ’s Recreation Center was buzzing with energy as benefit-eligible faculty and staff gathered for Human Resources’ annual Wellness & Benefits Fair. This year’s event drew an impressive 1,475 attendees, making it one of the most well-attended fairs in recent years. The fair offers employees a valuable opportunity to engage directly with health and wellness providers, ask questions, and gather information about their benefits. Read more about this year’s Wellness & Benefits Fair.

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  É«»¨Ìà Employees Wellness Summer Challenge

  Coming soon, HR POWER UP Employee Wellness has partnered with É«»¨Ìà Athletics to host a 5-week summer walking challenge. For the challenge, faculty and staff will be encouraged to walk 30 minutes, 5 days a week, for all 5 weeks! To help you succeed, the Fertitta Center concourse will be accessible Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, beginning Monday, July 14 and concluding on Friday, August 15. Buddy up with a colleague to make the activity more fun and to help keep you accountable. Learn more about this challenge.

• While for most, the summer is a time for relaxation and vacations but at Cougar Woods Dining Commons, crews are busy working on multiple projects at the dining facility. These include the Phase II refresh, an air curtain project, a generator project, and general facility improvements, such as new cabinetry, the replacement of HVAC exhaust fans, and lighting improvements. Read more about all the exciting new projects underway at .

• É«»¨Ìà Dining Services has dining refreshers in the mix for the fall semester that will enhance the unmatched value the department’s services provide. These include, the phase II refresh of Cougar Woods, extended hours at Moody Dining Commons, additional weekend options, such as barbecue, and 24/7 dining commons to name a few. For more details on what’s happening in Dining Services, visit the .

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  Waste Not: É«»¨Ìà Dining’s Sustainability Program

  The É«»¨Ìà Dining Services department has a program, Waste Not, aimed at tracking its sustainability efforts throughout the semesters with the goal being to reduce food waste from ending up in landfills. How did É«»¨Ìà Dining Services do this past semester? At Moody Dining Commons, the É«»¨Ìà Dining Services team exceeded its Waste Not goal of more than 120 entries twice, once in February and March. In total, É«»¨Ìà Dining Services composted approximately 78 tons of food waste. That’s the equivalent of 4 full 18-wheeler trucks.

• A reminder that É«»¨Ìà is currently undergoing a transformation as part of the Centennial Construction project in preparation for the university’s Centennial Celebration in 2027. The university’s main entrance, University Drive, is closed for public vehicular traffic through 2026 for construction work. See a of the centennial project construction to see the affected areas and read more about the .

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  Parking & Transportation Paving the Way for Fall Semester

  Parking & Transportation is paving the way for the fall semester by reinvesting in the campus lots and garages. One of the upgrades Parking & Transportation is undergoing is in lot 19C and Zone C where standing water would pool after rain. The standing water would create hazardous conditions. This summer, crews have repaved the parking lot to alleviate the situation. Read about all the upgrades Parking & Transportation is working on this summer.

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  Delivery Services Team Receives Stamp of Gratitude on National Postal Worker Day

  On July 1, National Postal Worker Day recognizes the hard work and achievements of postal workers nationwide. At the É«»¨ÌÃ, it’s a time to celebrate the dedicated efforts of the Delivery Services team in providing their services to ensure that letters and packages make it to their destinations for students, faculty, and staff.   about National Postal Workers Day.

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  Student Favorite Pizza Hut Returning to É«»¨Ìà in Fall 2026

  Pizza Hut is set to return to É«»¨ÌÃ, taking over the former McDonald's spot in Student Center South. Pizza Hut has a storied history at É«»¨ÌÃ, with the restaurant chain previously having multiple locations on or near campus, the latest one being across from the É«»¨Ìà Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. Auxiliary Services, along with É«»¨Ìà Dining Services, had an inkling that a pizza restaurant should be the one to replace McDonald’s due to student responses from surveys they have conducted in the past years. Read more about Pizza Hut’s return to É«»¨ÌÃ.

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  Detour, Large Banners Added to Construction Fencing

  Members of the Copy and Print Services team hung up large banners to the fencing that surrounds the construction as part of the Centennial Project to transform the campus of the University. The department had completed the printing and installation of smaller detour banners that provided helpful directions to locations on campus. Larger banners of up to 20 feet were then developed by University Marketing and Communications to promote brand awareness and É«»¨Ìà colleges. In total, there will be close to 30 large banners.

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  A&F Team Begins Training on Shasta Chatbot

  Administration and Finance departments began their initial training on Shasta Chatbot Phase II at the Technology Commons on June 24. A brainstorming workshop provided an opportunity for attendees to list the top questions students have on their webpages, point out the most important services their department provide to students, and highlight the best way to implement, review and update their chatbots. Training has been scheduled throughout July for the team to prepare for the Aug. 1 launch.

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  Facilities/Construction Management Restructuring Announcement

  Facilities/Construction Management has undergone a slight restructuring that includes the creation of a new unit: Facilities Customer Relations & Communications (FCRC). FCRC will be comprised of two dedicated teams: Customer Relations Team and Communications Team. This restructuring represents a great opportunity for F/CM to continue evolving. With a renewed emphasis on customer service and strategic communications, we are confident that FCRC will play a pivotal role in building stronger campus partnerships.

• The É«»¨Ìà and the É«»¨Ìà System have released an updated fiscal year 2025-2026 calendar. This calendar provides deadlines and submission instructions for administrative and financial activities at the end of fiscal year 2025 and the beginning of fiscal year 2026. about the É«»¨ÌÃ/É«»¨ÌÃS FY2025-26 calendar and schedule.

• Now is the perfect time to review your upcoming needs and submit any remaining print or promotional items requests to Copy, Print and Delivery Services. By placing your orders before the fiscal year ends, you can lock in current pricing before any potential rate changes take effect, and ensure your projects are scheduled early and avoid the fall rush. Email CPD at cpd@uh.edu or call 713-743-5900. The deadline to submit requests is Friday, Aug. 29, to take advantage of current pricing for your future print and promotional needs.

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  A&F Employees Received Staff Council Scholarship

  Two A&F employees were the recipients of a 2025-26 Women Gender Resource Center Scholarships at the 2025 Staff Council Awards & Scholarship Ceremony. Jennifer Rea, Executive Director, Facilities Construction Management, and Maia Solomon, Emergency Management Specialist, Office of Emergency Management each received the scholarship. Rea is pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration while Solomon is currently attaining a Doctorate of Public Policy.

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  É«»¨ÌÃPD Lead Security Officer Alan Pravel Recognized

  É«»¨Ìà Lead Security Officer Alan Pravel is being praised for assisting a É«»¨Ìà PHD candidate in need of assistance the day before his dissertation. The candidate, a Department of Economics student, needed to enter his assigned room to set it up but discovered that it was locked. Pravel arrived, but none of the keys he had worked. Eventually, using professional tools and without damaging the door, he managed to open it successfully. Officer Pravel’s professionalism and determination reflect the values É«»¨ÌÃPD strives for.

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  Cougar Card Check-In Devices: Changing The Student Engagement Game

   To assist with student success efforts, Cougar Card Services implemented the check-in device program to be a resource for departments and student organizations to track student engagement. When planning for upcoming events, departments should consider check-in devices to gain deeper insights on the event’s attendees. Read more about these devices and how you can request them for your event.

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  Cougar Card Office Seeks Volunteers to Welcome New, Returning Coogs

  Cougar Card Services invites faculty and staff to volunteer during this Fall Move-In Week and the start of the semester — Aug. 20-22 and Aug. 25-26 — at the Welcome Center, Suite 151. Last fall, Cougar Card Services successfully issued cards to returning students, new staff, and a record-breaking 6,200 incoming freshmen. To volunteer, sign the . If you have any questions, please contact Daisy Del Fierro at 713-743-6027 or via email at dkdelfierro@uh.edu. Check out what past volunteers had to say about their experience!

Accolades

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  Copy and Print Wins ACUP+ Award

  The É«»¨ÌÃ’s Copy and Print department were recognized by the Association of College and University Printers (ACUP+) with an ACUP+ Platinum Award in the Offset Single Page category for their Report on Philanthropy brochure that details É«»¨ÌÃ’s philanthropy efforts. The awards were announced at ACUP’s 2025 Conference held in Costa Mesa, California.

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  Recognizing Leadership: Cindy Crews Honored for Excellence

  Parking & Transportation Director Cindy Crews received the Parking Employee Award of Excellence at the 2024 Texas Parking and Transportation Association (TPTA) Annual Conference, held April in Galveston. Crews received the recognition for her outstanding leadership and customer-focused initiatives at É«»¨ÌÃ. Under her guidance, the department has made major strides in operational efficiency and service quality while managing a $25 million parking permit program. 

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  Innovation in Action: Lot Spotters Takes the Spotlight

  The department’s Lot Spotters program, launched in March 2024, earned the Parking Program Award of Excellence at the 2024 Texas Parking and Transportation Association (TPTA) Annual Conference, held April in Galveston. Lot Spotter was recognized for its creative, cost-effective approach to customer service and issue resolution. Using QR code-enabled signage, Lot Spotters empowers users to quickly report parking-related issues — such as broken elevators, litter, or maintenance needs — via a short online form. 

• Mark Rosanes, a dedicated member of the É«»¨ÌÃ’s University Information Technology department, was recently awarded the President’s Excellence Award in the Technical, Service, and Craft category. With over two decades of service at É«»¨ÌÃ, starting in December 2001 and transitioning to UIT in May 2009, Mark has become an essential part of the campus’ communication infrastructure. Mark’s recognition in the Technical, Service, and Craft category celebrates the technical expertise he has brought to his role over the years. about Rosanes receiving the President's Excellence Award.

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  Assistant Chief of Police Nominated for 911der Woman of the Year

  Assistant Chief of Police Chandra Johnson has been nominated as a 2024 911der Woman of the Year candidate. The honor recognizes the incredible achievements and dedication of women working in the 9-1-1 industry. Johnson’s nomination highlighted her over 35 years of experience in law enforcement, the last 10 of which have been spent at É«»¨ÌÃPD, where she instituted an evidence tracking system and helped the department become an accredited police agency with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.

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  É«»¨Ìà Dining Sr Executive Chef Chad McDonald Wins Awards at NACUFS Nationals

  É«»¨Ìà Dining Senior Executive Chef Chad McDonald won third place at the NACUFS Culinary Challenge as part of the NACUFS 2024 National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Representing the Southern Region for the second consecutive year, McDonald’s fruit de mer put him among the top three, winning an American Culinary Federation (ACF) gold medal in the process. McDonald bested his performance from a year ago where he won an ACF silver medal.

A&F News

• Administration and Finance News

Departments

• É«»¨Ìà is committed to ensuring a safe environment for students, faculty, staff and all visitors to our campus.

• The Office of Equal Opportunity Services acts on behalf of the University as a neutral fact finder that enforces the University’s Equal Opportunity Policies

• Facilities Planning and Construction delivers exceptional and enduring projects that maximize value and support the University's Tier One strategic initiatives through superior facilities planning and project management services.

• The Office of Finance is the source for all financial information, training, reports and policies at the É«»¨ÌÃ. All finance-related forms, calendars and references can be found here

• Houston Public Media is a service of the É«»¨Ìà and supported with financial gifts from the community. Houston Public Media combines broadcast and digital assets to serve residents of Southeast Texas with quality local news and entertainment, as well as national programming from NPR and PBS. With a combined weekly audience of more than 1.5 million, Houston Public Media is committed to delivering content that expands minds and possibilities with trusted information.

• To attract, develop, motivate, and retain a competitive and engaged workforce committed to supporting and enhancing the mission of the University. We accomplish this through providing Tier One customer service and partnering with the É«»¨ÌÃS community to maximize the potential of our greatest asset – Our Employees.

• The É«»¨Ìà Police Department (É«»¨ÌÃPD) strives to enable students, faculty, staff and visitors to be safe while pursuing their on-campus endeavors. 

• An exemplary portfolio of on-campus services ranging across third-party dining, parking, shuttle and bookstore operations among the program areas of Auxiliary and University Services, as well as system master planning through the É«»¨Ìà System-wide Public Art Committee, an advisory committee to the É«»¨Ìà System Board of Regents, and fundamental initiatives of best practices in sustainability, assessment and evaluation.

• The É«»¨Ìà is an open campus filled with people who care about each other. Because of its open accessibility, all students, faculty and staff are encouraged to exercise a sense of personal responsibility for their own safety and well-being, and the safety and well-being of others. While crime can happen anywhere, when we act as a community that knows and cares about the safety of others, ourselves and our property, we lessen the likelihood of being victimized, and we showcase our Cougar Pride.

• University Information Technology - Infotech - offers support across the board for all student, faculty, and staff IT requirements.