After campus facilities were declared safe and sanitary in the wake of Hurricane Ike, UH President Renu Khator said the University would open its doors to begin fostering a sense of community at a time of crisis for the city.
"It is essential for us to come together as a community," she said. "Our city and our community expect us to show leadership and to start helping the city and the community to stabilize the environment."
Emergency Management Team Chairman and Associate Vice President of Plant Operations Dave Irvin said starting Sept. 13 Houston’s department of Environmental Health and Risk Management inspected each campus building on a floor-by-floor basis to determine whether the facility met safety and sanitation standards.
Khator also said her decision to reopen Tuesday was based on the University’s obligation to education.
"We have an educational mission, and we have to get back to that mission as soon as we can," Khator said.
All classes began Tuesday with the exception of night classes after 7:30 p.m. because of a 9 p.m. city curfew.
But as the majority of Houston was plagued with gas shortages and power outages, Khator said allowances would be made for those who could not return to classes.
Khator asked professors to be understanding of the crisis at hand and hold tests, quizzes and due dates for projects until this week.
Interim UH Vice President of Academic Affairs and Interim Provost Jerald Strickland said five professors were found in violation
"That’s probably a failure of communication on our part," Strickland said.
As of this time there will not be an extension to the academic calendar, but professors will instead be encouraged to work with students to find a way to make up lost class time.
Strickland consulted with each of the colleges’ deans to determine whether they would need more time.
"I would really prefer not to extend the year, to take up any of the vacation time," Strickland said.
Funds for additional tutors at each of the colleges will be distributed to ensure students stay on track academically.
"It shouldn’t take too long for students to catch up," Strickland said. "Students can also take advantage of notes of students that were here"
