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UHV works to recruit freshmen outside region
By TimHudson in Hudson On Higher Learning
October 6, 2009

We’re working hard to spread the word outside of our immediate area about the University of Houston Victoria’s new status as a genuine four-year university accepting freshmen on up in the fall of 2010. The competition for qualified students is keen, but we have some assets that will serve us well as we recruit our first class, the pioneers, who will become the future ambassadors for UHV as a destination university.

First, Victoria is in a great location – far enough but not too far (that “two- to four-hour” zone coveted by university recruiters everywhere) from a lot of places with growing high school populations. The obvious are Houston, San Antonio and Austin and their suburbs. The not-so-obvious is the Valley, where our early efforts to connect with potential university students, their parents and advisers have been surprisingly successful.

In late September, for instance, we attended college fairs in 21 locations in the Valley and Corpus Christi regions and collected 200 serious inquiries. We talked with parents, students and counselors about UHV. We learned from them some of the attributes they associate with UHV. Prospective students value our small class size and excellent professor-to-student ratio, the location and size of the Victoria community and our program mix.

Parents appreciated the personalized attention and assistance they felt their students would receive at UHV. The availability of UHV staff to visit high school campuses to increase college awareness and access were strong attributes of UHV from the counselors’ perspectives.

We already have invitations for return visits to seven high schools in the Valley and two districts in the Corpus Christi area.

Add to all of this the fact that we have a growing athletics program; a “big-enough-but-not-too-big” community; a reputation for quality in the more popular academic programs such as psychology, literature, business and education; and a staff dedicated to student success. The early signs are that UHV can indeed “compete” and bring to Victoria freshmen and sophomores from outside our region. What about housing? Stay tuned and I'll be writing soon about our near-term and "dream"-term solutions for that issue.

UHV page

Comments


  • toolchest69 toolchest69 Report a ViolationReport a Violation
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    superdad: UHV is getting a Golf and Soccer team as well.

    October 8, 2009 at 10:09 a.m.

  • superDad superDad Report a ViolationReport a Violation
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    vox, you are probably right. But I am going on what is just written. I don't know all the agreements that was made to the State.

    October 7, 2009 at 10:32 p.m.

  • vox vox Report a ViolationReport a Violation
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    superDad, did you stop to consider that UHV may not be able recruit freshmen and sophomore students in the Victoria College service area per their agreement?

    I think it's a little out of line to assume that UHV isn't recruiting in the region because there's no faith in the local students.

    October 7, 2009 at 9:58 a.m.

  • superDad superDad Report a ViolationReport a Violation
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    So are you even trying to recruit from Victoria and crossroad area??? Is there no faith in our local kids as student/athlete? There is only 2 sports now if I am correct--baseball and softball.

    Unless you are wanting the out-of-county resident fees to pay for UHV Budgets.

    October 7, 2009 at 7:41 a.m.