2019–20 Annual Report - University of Houston
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2019–20 Annual Report

Campus Life

The University of Houston offers a number of opportunities for students to be engaged on campus, and departments within the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services help support Coogs’ efforts to get involved and develop leadership skills, character and discipline. We offer a number of programs and activities to help enrich the Coog experience, as we also promote positive living and learning communities through social and service activities.

The Quadrangle Becomes The Quad

construction rendering

The University of Houston Quadrangle was a home away from home for UH students from 1950–2018. In April of 2015, the University announced that The Quadrangle, the oldest residential building on campus, would be demolished to construct a new residence hall with additional beds. During its 68 years on campus, The Quadrangle was home to thousands of residents.

Preserving the History

In 2018, Student Housing and Residential Life (SHRL) began to rebuild the historic community to support the growing population of students at the University of Houston. A distinct feature of The Quadrangle was the limestone walls and foundation, which was mined from Indiana Bedford Limestone, a Mississippian grain stone.

To preserve The Quadrangle's spirit, SHRL secured pieces of the original limestone to be installed in the new building near the elevators and shared spaces. Because those who lived, studied, and socialized in The Quadrangle had strong ties and fond memories in the hall, SHRL launched a donation campaign in 2019 to allow former residents and alumni to own a piece of The Quadrangle. A small quantity of four-by-four-inch limestone cubes and building-specific mailbox doors from the original construction was made available for purchase by donation.

SHRL raised over $21,000 in donations from the campaign and the funds collected were used to develop and expand the outdoor amenities for students living in the new residence hall.

A New Quad

Under its new name, The Quad added 1197 beds to housing's portfolio and features suite-style living with private bedrooms, modest kitchens, and shared common areas in each suite. The Quad is also home to seven townhomes, which house several Living Learning Communities, where students with common interests benefit from high levels of interaction and faculty engagement outside of the classroom. As a tribute to the original Quadrangle, five unique outdoor courtyard areas were designed and named after the original residence halls within the Quadrangle: Bates Courtyard, Law Courtyard, Oberholtzer Plaza, Settegast Courtyard, and Taub Courtyard.

Although the original Quadrangle no longer exists on campus, the history remains. The Quad seeks to honor that history, while also looking forward to the future, hoping that it will be called home by generations of University of Houston Cougars to come.

Student Centers program, COOG$ave, offers discounts to Coog community

Sales. Coupons. Discounts. Everyone likes a good deal.

The Cougar community is no different.

The Student Centers launched a new program this past year to help faculty, staff, students and even alumni at the University of Houston save a little money on events, venues and activities in the city of Houston and beyond: COOG$ave.

This new program, said Student Centers Director Eve Esch, really “emerged from the concept of connecting students and other members of the Cougar family to these discounts.”

So how does it work?

On the COOG$ave website, those interested in saving a little money simply sign up for a membership with PerksConnect and then just scroll through the discounts and promotions from local and national businesses. The PerksConnect membership is free and never expires. Students can continue to access the program after graduation.

Student Centers partnered with PerksConnect to broaden the amount of available offers, Esch said, and it is currently at no cost to the University.

Some of the discounts Coogs have been able to take advantage of include: pet services, flowers, theme park tickets, restaurants, auto loans, auto rentals, hotel discounts, and even discounted gift cards.

The response from users has been very positive, Esch said, with almost 1,200 people signed up for the program so far. The feedback shows users appreciate the discounts, particularly as the pandemic has been financially worrisome for so many.

“Through COOG$ave, I was given access to well-known brands at unbeatable prices all by using the student discounts,” Ashlynd Bunce, a graduate student in Sport & Fitness Administration, told the Student Centers.

Esch said she anticipates that the program will continue to expand in the future. “We look forward to the growth of this program and hope to encourage students to take advantage of offers that are out there while helping to compile and share even more discounts,” she said.

Anyone who has questions about the program can contact Andrea Trevino.

By the Numbers

Students have a number of opportunities to be engaged on campus — from student clubs, to leadership opportunities, to living-learning communities — and we support these initiatives, with notable results from the Fiscal Year 2019-2020.