Last semester, a new program began on campus called Cougar Trading Cards.
Cougar Cards are a way to encourage students to attend and promote the various events going on around the campus.
When a student attends a Cougar Card event, one or more Cougar Cards are given out.
Once a certain amount of cards are collected, the student can redeem them for a prize. Prizes include anything from material items to scholarships towards their education right here at UH.
Cougar Cards contain a photo on the front and descriptive information on the back. The cards include alumni, students, faculty members, regents members, and athletic coaches.
According to instructional chemistry professor and director of Undergraduate Affairs and Advising Simon Bott, there are many different rewards to be reached.
Bott said there are 55 different cards and when a student collects 15 cards, they get a poster. When they collect 25, they get a T-shirt. Once they have 40 cards, they are entered into a weekly drawing for prizes.
“Prizes have included UH apparel, signed memorabilia and certificates for a UH Class ring. Once a student collects all 55 cards, they win a $1000 scholarship,” Bott said.
In the fall semester, one student collected all 55 Cougar Cards and won the $1,000 scholarship. The number of scholarship winners has now grown.
“We have now had five scholarship winners. There are a lot more scholarships to be won,” Bott said.
Ways to collect the Cougar Cards vary. For example, students can get cards through athletic events, concerts, plays, workshops, and student groups. Students can also get cards for going to advising or tutoring at Learning Support Services and the Center for Academic Ssupport and Assessment. Some faculty members have given them out to student for earning A’s on tests.
Bott encourages students to start collecting the cards.
“The program is continuing this semester with the same set of cards so it’s not too late to start collecting cards now,” Bott said.
All scholarships won by students will be subject to all regulations of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Scholarships won by students will be applied for either the Spring or Fall 2010 semesters. In order to collect their prizes, students either must turn in their collected cards temporarily or have their cards punched, according to the Cougar Card web site.
The complete list of Cougar Cards events and information is located at www.uh.edu/tradingcards.
