A workable University of Houston Northwest plan should be approved

Northwest Houston received a blow recently when the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved a proposal to establish a University of Houston Northwest campus, but with so many limitations and stipulations that UH officials now say the idea is no longer workable.

The plan was to house the campus at a 47 acre property which was formerly part of the HP complex at Hwy. 249 and Louetta. The UH NW plan includes over 40 programs of study in education, engineering, IT and others. It would offer third and fourth year courses, and provide a seamless transition to a four-year degree for students attending North Harris Montgomery Community College. Because the HP property already contains buildings and parking garages, classes were slated to begin in 2007. Graduate programs were also on the drawing board.

The property is served by Metro, and among other benefits the plan would eliminate some of the burden on our freeways since at present more than 8,000 students from northwest Houston commute to UH's Downtown and Central campuses. The HP property is being pursued by other investors.

The UH Northwest plan is supported by all government and community leaders in northwest Houston. The opposition comes from officials at Prairie View A&M and Sam Houston State, who fear that a UH Northwest campus might cost those institutions students, and result in a financial loss. Prairie View operates a satellite campus on Steubner Airline, and Sam Houston State operates one in The Woodlands.

According to a UH press release on September 29, the THECB "amended its original proposal to substantially extend the time period that Prairie View A&M could preclude UH from offering more than a dozen academic programs at the proposed Northwest campus. It also extended the time period in which Prairie View A&M and Sam Houston State University could choose to exercise an option to lease and/or purchase space at the newly created facility." UH officials say the proposed facility is no longer financially viable. They are looking for alternative ways to address the need for more higher education resources in northwest Houston.

The north Houston area is the fastest growing area of Houston, and is now home to at least 1.5 million people. It is hard to imagine that too much access to higher education is going to be a problem. The original plan would seem to have contained adequate safeguards to protect other institutions. The THECB should revisit the UH Northwest issue immediately so that this valuable opportunity will not be lost. You can visit the THECB on the web at www.thecb.state.tx.us.

(Near Northwest Banner, November 2, 2006)