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News

Gogue to address UH community

by JAMAICA NEGRETE
The Daily Cougar

In his fourth year as UH president, Jay Gogue sees the University growing academically and as a community.

The president's State of the University Address, which starts at 10 a.m. Friday in the University Center's Houston Room, will review all aspects of this growth and discuss the University's master plan.

The master plan is a blueprint for growth at UH that is slated to be realized within the next year. A three-dimensional campus model, which can be viewed in the Architecture Building, serves as a visual representation of the plan's goals.

"We're excited about (the master plan)," Gogue said. "We met with staff, board members, elected officials and community leaders to talk about the framework for planning."

The plan entails transforming UH from a commuter-oriented school to more of a small community, and includes plans for building new campus housing, adding more bus routes to campus and a potential extension of Metro Light Rail that would run to the intersection of Scott and Wheeler streets. 

The speech is also aimed at UH alumni and will encourage them to give back to their alma mater.

The address and the events for Homecoming will actively involve alumni, so that they may generate interest in the school, potentially resulting in monetary contributions, Gogue said.

"This year we tried to do Homecoming bigger and better than we have in the past," Gogue said. "I created a (Homecoming) committee back in the spring comprised of faculty, students and department representatives to focus on the task of making Homecoming more hard-hitting for the alumni."

Another topic being addressed will be increasing number of residence halls -- and possible faculty housing -- to create a community environment.

"We want a host of things that create openness to the community," Gogue said. "We don't want to wall it up like some universities."

Gogue will also touch on the University's economic effect on Houston.

"I'll talk a little bit about the economic impact that the University has on the city, which is roughly $3 billion," Gogue said.

In addition to the address, a reception and tailgating for the Homecoming game against Tulsa will take place Saturday, and an alumni golf tournament will be held Monday.

More than 170,000 messages have been sent out to alumni encouraging them to attend the State of the University Address and the other festivities. Students and faculty are also encouraged to attend.

"If I can get a few hundred in attendance and they're charged up, I would be happy," Gogue said. "There are events and times that truly transform your life and I would argue that college, for most people, is one of those."

For more information visit www.uh.edu/homecoming.

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