Even the smallest monetary contributions can add up. The Coog Cents program has been going on for less than two years to encourage students and alumni to give back to the University. In 2012, alumni raised more than $4 million to support students.

“Cougar Cents began in the summer of 2011. The program is kicked off each year at orientation as freshmen donate spare change for a Change for Change Scholarship,” said Liz Castro, young alumni development coordinator for UH Student Philanthropy. “At graduation, they receive a Cougar Cents piggy bank. Essentially, the same thing they did at orientation is done through Cougar Cents but on a bigger scale, as they are helping support all students on campus — not just those in their class.”

Each semester, Coog Cents hosts events on campus called Pig Drops. Students who attend are eligible to win prizes and may also give a donation. On Feb. 12, a Pig Drop was held at the University Center Satellite to raise money for UH’s annual spring festival, Frontier Fiesta. In addition to financially supporting a tradition like Frontier Fiesta, Coog Cents raises money for other purposes such as scholarships, resources for the library and student-run programs.

“The main goal of Cougar Cents is to educate students on the importance of giving back, regardless of the amount.  The UH Class of 2016 has donated over $1,000 to UH, which impacts students each day,” Castro said.

According to the UH Student Philanthropy website, more than 700 graduating seniors in the Class of 2012 raised around $7,000 for campus as a part of Coog Cents. If every graduating senior in that class had donated $50, 15 future students would have one free year of education. While UH is a public university and receives funds from Texas, these funds cover only 22 percent of what UH needs to function. Tuition and student fees make up another 42 percent. The remaining 36 percent is covered through donations.

“Coogs should give back because they are proud and want to help future Coogs, too. The University of Houston was founded on the tradition of giving. The Cullen family is just one of the various donors who made this university possible,” Castro said. “It is because of all proud UH supporters that UH is what it is today. Donations help make scholarships, create more areas for students, improve technology and provide a great experience to students.”

Coog Cents accepts donations of any value. Spare change may not seem like a lot of money, but all coins and dollars can make a difference.

“Giving back as students and alumni also shows your confidence in your university and helps invest in your future,” Castro said.  “When you graduate and you tell people about the university you graduated from, they think of the way the University is now and how great it is and what it is currently doing and achieving. Gifts directly affect a university’s reputation, which directly affects the value of your degree.”

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In the next eight months, 4,720 low-income students in Texas will lose their financial aid, and another 1,450 students will either lose or be unable attain work-study jobs because of the sequester that went into effect Friday, according the whitehouse.gov.

The sequester, an $85 billion federal spending cut occurring through Oct. 1, is intended to reduce the gap between the nation’s deficit and gross domestic product by decreasing government agency and state budgets. 

“These cuts were largely across the board, which essentially means that nearly every federal program or service, with a few exceptions, was evenly cut with no discretion,” said political science and economics senior Jorge Jerez.

“The effects will be considerable to those heavily invested in these programs.”

Funding for education will take a considerable amount of the damage across the nation, and Texas will likewise feel the impact of sequestration substantially as the fourth most affected state overall and the second most affected state for education funding cuts, behind California, according to calculations by the Pew Center on the States. 

The Texas state budget may lose up to $334 million in cuts to public education programs and, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, the Texas Education Agency may lose grants totaling as much as $167.7 million.

The agenda will occur during the first phase of budget reductions and will last until October; yet sequestration is a 10-year plan that will cut spending by $1.2 trillion over the next decade. 

College students will begin to feel the strain of sequestration in the coming academic year. Although Pell Grants are exempt from cuts in the first year of the budget decreases, it is likely to experience reductions in the coming years, which can affect more than 9 million students nationwide, according to National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

“The effect will be brutal, but hopefully the universities will make changes to their budget to soften the blow,” Jerez said.

“I have studied in a program that has been cut by state funding before and though these cuts were noticeable, most students adapted to the change. I would have preferred for education to have been exempted in these cuts, but they occurred and I believe we are very resilient.”

The impact of the sequestration goes beyond student financial aid.

As a research university, our federal research contracts and grants will see a 5.1 percent reduction, said President and Chancellor Renu Khator.

Likewise, as students graduate in the coming years, searching for a job may become increasingly difficult. According to whitehouse.gov, assistance for job searching will lose more than $2.2 million in funding and more than 83,000 fewer people will get the help they need to find employment in just the first eight months of sequestration.

It has become clear that the federal cuts will affect current and future students, as well as new graduates, for years to come.

“It’s disappointing that the university hasn’t said more on this,” said history sophomore and Council of Ethnic Organizations office assistant Eric Kao.

“I just hope that our tuition isn’t increased to cope with these budget cuts.”

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A UH Law Center professor will retire after a 60 year career.

Law Center Professor John Mixon kept his students intrigued by drawing cartoons | Courtesy of UH

John Mixon began as a student at the law school in 1952 and, upon graduation, began to teach at the law center.

“I have watched the school change in so many ways,” Mixon said. “The changes have been enormous, with more buildings, more and better students, more and better professors and a steady climb to academic excellence.”

The UH Law Center has grown from the basement of the M.D. Anderson Library to its own sector on the northeast corner of campus.  The center’s student body was made up of a small group, mostly men, and has developed into classes of more than 300 — almost equally divided between men and women.

Born in Crandall, Texas, and raised on a farm near Cushing in East Texas, Mixon, 79, said he became interested in the law as a teenager when he met a lawyer and admired his fashionable blue and white suit. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree at Stephen F. Austin University, Mixon enrolled as a student at the University of Houston Law Center.

Mixon was offered the position by the founding dean of the center, A.A. White, to join the small faculty before graduating with his law degree.

“Coming directly out of law school, I didn’t know what I was doing,” Mixon said. “I could have used some seasoning.”

Mixon taught classes such as contracts, land finance, oil and gas and properties and developed a unique way of teaching using cartoon drawings to illustrate points of law in the classroom.

“Professor Mixon always arrived to class early to cover the whiteboard with cartoons and notes,” said Erin Osbourne, a 3L candidate May 2013, who has taken classes with Mixon. “He would then sit quietly until the second hand ticked past twelve and he was off. He had a booming voice that commanded attention and kept us all on the edge of our seats.”

The cartoons started more than 40 years ago, as a personal trigger for remembering his talking points during spontaneous speeches and developed into a law school institution, he said. Students asked him to post his notebook doodling online at the end of class, and he realized the sketches might help them remember also.

“Mixon taught his students more than just the black letter law — he taught us how to argue and to consider our audience,” Osbourne said.  “He asked his students to think and not just memorize rules.”

The rules of law provide a starting point toward understanding a problem and solving it, Osbourne said.  Mixon began to take a broader view of the law, taking into account science, psychology, sociology and other social factors to make more sense out of the law.

“The rules are handy, stable, rational, but whether they do justice is another matter,” Mixon said.

In Mixon’s book, “Autobiography of a Law School: Stories, Memories and Interpretations of My Sixty Years at the University of Houston Law Center,” he describes the computer as being the greatest change for students — especially the laptop.

“I encourage students to work hard, study a lot, argue about what is right and leave your computers at home,” Mixon said. “Computers in a wireless classroom are a total distraction.”

Computer-driven information has caused people to take law, as a process, less seriously, and graduates today are likely to come out with a sense of justice and propriety, Mixon said. He suspects computers will lead to longer opinions, as entire pages of case law will be cut and pasted into decisions.

Mixon said he enjoyed his legal career but is ready to leave academia.

“It was the best way I could have spent my professional life. Retirement is fun. I will miss students and colleagues, but I don’t miss grading exams.”

Mixon said he plans to enjoy Houston life and travel with his wife.

“My wife and I will continue to travel in our van, sleep in national parks and Walmart lots and enjoy our life in Houston,” he said. “We also have vacation homes in Galveston, Lake Hudson in Oklahoma and Vignanello, Italy, 40 miles north of Rome.”

Mixon had a huge impact on his students and developing their way of thinking, Osbourne said.

“Professor Mixon introduced me to legal philosophy and the arbitrariness of law. He taught his students to consider reality when forming an argument. Judges are people, and their decisions are influenced by a variety of factors outside of the law. I’m very thankful to have had Professor Mixon. I only wish I had decided to attend law school a few years earlier and had the opportunity to take more classes with him.”

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The initial post made by the UH Department of Public Safety regarding the campus gunman was based on a false alarm.

UH Department of Public Safety posted an emergency warning at around 12:30 p.m. that said an Asian male carrying a small handgun had been spotted near Agnes Arnold Hall and the Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall. The alert was sent out in a mass text message to all UH students shortly after the initial post.

Students were encouraged to avoid the area.

The individual who made the report mistook an inventory scanner for a handgun, said Executive Director of Media Relations Richard Bonnin.

UHDPS has issued an all-clear alert.

UPDATED 12:56 p.m. with background information.

UH Department of Public Safety has posted an emergency warning on the University’s website about an Asian Male wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans carrying a small handgun. The alert was also sent out in a mass text message to all UH students.

Students are encouraged to stay clear from Agnes Arnold Hall and the Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall where he was spotted.

For more information, please visit www.uh.edu/emergency.

Two new assistant professors at the Conrad N. Hilton College have been awarded the New Faculty Research Grant, an annual research opportunity from the University.

The grant is awarded to only a few assistant professors. The applications go through a university committee that chooses a recipient based on his or her merits within the field. Priyanko Guchait and Yoon Koh are two of the grant’s recipients for their research projects this month.

“We have a great group of assistant professors,” said Dean of the Hilton College John T. Bowen. “In a way, it just validates that we chose a couple of more good people. We are very selective.”

Guchait and Koh have published numerous papers and articles in distinguished journals in their fields, have earned doctorates and have at least three years of experience working in the industry.

Guchait’s growing interest in what he calls the people aspect of management within the business field led him to the hospitality industry and eventually to UH and the Hilton College.

Guchait said he is ready for the challenge that this grant brings.

“I definitely feel the pressure to maintain the standards. But it’s a positive pressure. I think I can play at this level,” Guchait said. “That was one of the reasons I moved here. My colleagues are very supportive and helpful but we have a healthy competition going on in the department, which keeps all of us motivated.”

Guchait’s research project is titled “Error Management in Hotel Teams: Impact on Employee and Firm Performance.” The research will focus on error-management culture within the hospitality industry.

According to a summary of the project, it encompasses organizational practices related to communicating about errors, to sharing error knowledge, to helping in error situations and to quickly detecting and handling errors.

Guchait highlights the tendency for companies to focus on the negative aspects of error, how to prevent it and proposes a positive look at error.

“Some positive consequences of errors are learning, knowledge management and creativity. You learn from errors and you get better in anticipating errors,” Guchait said. ”You can avoid the errors from happening again in the future, and you can share the error knowledge with others so they do not repeat the same mistakes. You come up with better and innovative solutions to tackle the challenges in future.”

Koh said she is excited to be selected and eager to begin her research at UH with her research project “Seeking an Optimal Speed in International Expansion: U.S. Restaurant Industry Perspective.” It deals with the speed of globalization of firms as an important time-based dimension within the context of the U.S. restaurant industry that Koh said has been largely ignored by hospitality literature.

“I hypothesize that there is an optimal speed in international expansion and firm performance for the U.S. restaurant companies since too fast and too delayed international expansion may not be beneficial in maximizing a firm’s financial performance,” Koh said.

The issue of internationalization is something she has researched for years.

“Thinking about interesting topics in my focus area of research is one of the things I enjoy,” Koh said. “Each topic has its own story, but many times topics come from a combination of many different things.”

Bowen has faith in Koh and Guchait as they begin their work and help advance the college and the hospitality industry as a whole.

“Both of them are recent graduates from Ph.D. programs, so I know they would be on the cutting edge of things that are happening,” Bowen said. “They both have some industry experience, so they will be able to relate with that as well.”

Koh and Guchait will be able to enhance their knowledge and hopefully gain recognition in the field toward their area of research.

“They need to focus,” Bowen said. “Today there is so much threat to what you can do in any discipline that you don’t want to be a generalist, but you want your name to come to mind when talking about a certain area. You want to be known for something.”

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Starting in the fall, incoming freshmen and undergraduate transfer students will have the opportunity to choose a four-year fixed tuition rate.

The UH System has asked Texas Legislature for a delay in the implementation of the option until Fall 2014, among other requests. To the Board of Regents, the UH Political Action Committee and Chancellor Renu Khator, the time necessary to inform students and program changes required for student information systems just isn’t enough.

The University welcomes the idea of a four-year fixed tuition option, said President and Chancellor Renu Khator.

“But we are proposing modifications to make it a true option for students, since many of our students are part-time and many are unable to make a four-year financial commitment at once,” Khator said.

According to the Almanac of Higher Education 2011, 23 percent of full-time undergraduate students, who are 24 or younger, work 20 hours or more per week. With limited time to take classes, some are forced to extend their time passed the typical four years in college.

“I am completely for the four-year fixed tuition. It makes sense to pay the same amount while you’re in school,” said political science and liberal studies double major senior Yesenia Chavez. “But it does concern me to have a fixed amount of time, because I’m definitely not graduating in four years and that’s basically an old-school institution kind of thing.”

Students who opt for a double major degree plan will graduate after completing a minimum of 150 semester credit hours. Even enrolling full-time, double majors typically don’t graduate in the traditional timeframe.

Among graduates in 2009 who continuously enrolled full-time, 45 percent needed an extra year or more to earn a four-year degree, according Beginning Postsecondary Student Rates from the National Center for Education Statistics.

In 2012 the four-year graduation rate for UH was 12 percent, while the six-year graduation rate was higher at 41 percent, according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

“Four years definitely isn’t going to happen for me. I’ve changed my major three times and I might even do it again,” said biology junior Hien Nguyen. “It’s hard to choose what I want to be doing after I graduate. The job market is tough. I need to be sure.”

When a student changes his major, any courses already taken not directly related to the new major are essentially wasted. Students are forced to play catch-up by taking additional classes to replace credits lost. As a result, the number of semesters it takes to graduate steadily increases.

Preparations for the program have yet to be developed pending legislation outcomes. Currently, the option doesn’t allow for academic progress or continuous enrollment requirements for students to maintain eligibility.

“If academic progress requirements were allowed, UH would likely require students to earn 24-30 hours per year to remain eligible,” said Assistant Vice President for Planning and Policy Chris Stanich. “But we are not moving forward until we have more clarity on the outcome of this bill.”

Fixed-tuition pricing tends to be more expensive than the non-fixed variety. This is in part to account for inflation during the four-year period, Stanich said. The higher price tag is balanced by the certainty of knowing the total cost of a college education up front. An exact amount has not yet been discussed.

Pending the outcome of the provisions to the bill, a press release will be issued officially announcing the program to incoming students. A fixed-tuition option for current students has not been discussed.

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The following is a partial report of campus crime between Feb. 25 and Monday. All information is selected from the files of the UH Department of Public Safety. Information or questions regarding the cases below should be directed to UHDPS at (713) 743-3333.

Aggravated kidnapping – At 7:56 p.m. Feb. 25 at the East Parking Garage, a student was kidnapped, and the student’s non-UH affiliated ex-boyfriend was arrested for the offense and transported to Harris County Jail. The case is cleared by arrest.

Theft — At 1:03 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Cullen College of Engineering 2 building, a student reported the theft of his secured and unattended bicycle. The case is inactive.

Theft — At 2:27 p.m. Feb. 26 in Parking Lot 1D, a staff member reported an unknown individual or individuals stole an unattended and unsecured golf cart. The case is inactive.

Theft — At 12:52 p.m. Wednesday at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, a faculty member reported the theft of his unattended and unsecured laptop. The case is inactive.

Theft — At 4:10 p.m. Wednesday at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, a student reported the contents of his unattended and unsecured wallet were stolen. The case is inactive.

Traffic offense — At 2:45 p.m. Thursday in Parking Lot 19C, a student reported a vehicle struck his unattended vehicle and the striking driver failed to leave the information required by Texas law. The case is active.

Criminal mischief/consumption of alcohol by a minor — At 2:25 a.m. Friday at Bayou Oaks Apartments, an underage student was arrested for alleged consumption of alcohol by a minor and was issued a Harris County citation on suspicion of criminal mischief. The student was transported to Harris County Jail. The case is cleared by citation.

Possession of marijuana/possession of drug paraphernalia – At 3:57 a.m. Friday at Cambridge Oaks Apartments, a visitor was arrested for alleged possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia and released to Harris County Jail. The case is cleared by arrest.

Disorderly conduct — At 8:39 p.m. Friday in Parking Lot 5A, a student and a UH visitor were arrested for alleged disorderly conduct following a public fight. Both were released to Harris County Jail, and the student received a Student Life referral. The case is cleared by arrest.

Criminal mischief — At 11:38 p.m. Friday at the Rebecca & John J. Moores School of Music, an unknown individual dispersed the contents of a fire extinguisher in the basement. The case is inactive.

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After teaching for more than 40 years at UH, a political science professor has promised, through his will and a contract with the University, to financially endow a chair in the Political Science Department, as well as other financial support.

“The two go hand-in-glove. If the university isn’t clear what to do with the money that I have left in the will then they might spend it on new furniture in the Cullen building or something,” said Robert Carp. “So, it needs to be clear between me and the University exactly what is to be done with the inheritance”.

Carp said he made the decision because he has a love for the University and has believed in the University and the UH System since he first began teaching after receiving his doctorate at the University of Iowa in 1969.

“It’s a pledge; as of this point I haven’t given the University a nickel, and until I die, they really won’t be getting too much. So I’m almost a little bit reluctant for people to thank me yet because I’m still alive and kicking,” Carp said, who specializes in public law.

Throughout Carp’s notable career, he has he received the UH Teaching Excellence award in 1996, served as the associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences until 2000, co-authored several books and wrote several articles.

Susan Scarrow, chair of the Political Science Department, said Carp’s gift expresses his trust in the faculty’s ability to educate future students.

“I’m thrilled because it’s such a great vow of confidence in our department and his colleagues,” Scarrow said.

“He thinks our students are the future and I think it’s more than a wonderful gift, it’s also a wonderful message because it shows that you don’t have to be the Cullens to do this kind of thing. Even ordinary people can have the resources, if they plan right, to make significant gifts that can considerably help our university.”

Carp said he is still reached by former students for recommendation letters, questions and comments. Students who still think of him and the positive impression he has made on their lives also get in touch simply to check up on him, he said.

“I came here as a young kid, and it makes me feel good that this institution that has put bread on my table for the last 44 years will give me a chance to give back and say thank you,” Carp said.

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A new master’s program launching in the fall will give students the opportunity to learn the necessary skills to operate retail businesses in the marketplace.

The 36-hour, Master of Science in Global Retailing program aims to prepare students for innovative retail marketers and provides the opportunity to develop new brands as well as new markets for companies.

“This program goes beyond teaching theory to practical applications. Executives in residence and UH faculty provide a stimulating experience where students will explore cross-cultural trends in retail management,” said graduate adviser for the College of Technology Tiffany Roosa.

The program was designed for professionals seeking advanced preparation for leading and operating retail businesses for the expanding global market. It will emphasize the worldwide dynamics of consumer behavior, financial models and profitability, educating students on topics such as international product sourcing and distribution as well as international trade regulations.

The courses will teach the best practices and use the latest research required for global leadership, sustaining a competitive advantage in the expanding retail world market, Roosa said.

Houston offers plenty of prospects for job opportunities dealing with industries that have international clients, and the city deals with many industries that involve product sourcing and trading.

“We are an international city, with companies expanding each day into new global markets and we have the expertise in our university and city to deliver an exceptional program,” said the program’s faculty adviser and coordinator Shirley Ezell.

Students will have the chance to meet with retail executives with experience in branding, global products and analytical skills. A network of global thinkers will be introduced to coach and provide opportunities for development beyond the classroom experience.

All bachelor’s degrees are relevant and applicable to this program. The application deadline for the fall is July 1. Students may also apply for next spring, which has a Dec. 1 deadline.

Ezell said she thinks the program will benefit many hard-working students.

“This is a perfect degree program for people who want to think creatively and lead their careers in new directions in expanding markets,” Ezell said.

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