Campus News

Following housing controversy, UH has largest number of residents move onto campus

Days after a mandatory freshmen-housing proposal was shot down by UH alumnus and state senator John Whitmire, 700 volunteers, also called “Cougar Movers,” helped move in 7,000 residents for the fall semester, marking the largest move-in effort in campus history.

“We recruit student organizations as well as individuals who are proud Cougars with a heart for volunteering,” said Cougar Crew Member Madison Richards. “(They) provide a positive experience for all students moving onto campus, showing the University cares and what it means to be a Houston Cougar.”

This is the second year the UH Housing and Residential Life Department has used the Cougar Movers to help incoming freshmen get into their new homes smoothly. The program was started last year when the department took notice of the chaos that resulted from the dramatic rise in students living on campus.

“It’s just great seeing their reaction to seeing us,” said student volunteer Daniel Osinloye. “A lot people were not expecting us to be out there helping them. We take everything up for them and unload … (and) make it as easy for them as we can.”

The 7,000 new student residents this fall come on the heels of Whitmire’s claim that UH will never be a destination school. UH has increased on-campus living facilities radically since President and Chancellor Renu Khator was appointed in 2008. Thanks to the three new dorms built — Cougar Villages 1 and 2 and the Calhoun Lofts, along with the reconstruction of Cougar Place — UH now offers the second most number of beds in Texas for on-campus living.

[email protected]

8 Comments

  • Way to go! We had a great move in experience (again) so I applaud the job well done. As parent I support the UH improvement initiatives, one of those being trying to increase retention of students. Studies show that living on campus, especially during the adjustment period of the first year of University has a positive impact, particularly grade point average. It seems folks forget that besides exemptions, the residential proposal is ONLY for freshman. Students can choose to remain on campus or live elsewhere during the remainder of their studies. Student have many choices around the metro area to pursue freshman level courses if they choose to live at home and then transfer to UH in pursuit of their degree. Keep up the good work Dr Khator, students, staff and faculty! It’s my opinion that with the kind of alumnus “support” Senator Whitmire provides, UH doesn’t need enemies!

      • do you understand the social implications of that? that they are training journalism students (who are forced to write for the paper) to do public relations? not to mention that its fraud.
        do you understand the importance of journalism to democracy?

        • I’m sorry if the rest of us don’t want to take legal/journalistic advice from someone who spends half his time commenting on worldstar hiphop videos and the other half walking into Cougar articles and slamming the paper without even reading them anymore.

          • yeah because ad hominem attacks on thedailycougar are way better. legal advice? huh? you must be a daily cougar employee

  • So if this is the largest move-in in camps history, can we all admit now that a mandatory policy of “you must live on campus unless you can give literally any dumb reason why you don’t want to” was not only flexible to the point of being pointless, but also completely and entirely unnecessary?

Leave a Comment