Dear Faculty and Staff, 

Happy new year and welcome back. The campus is full of life now that our students are back. Walkability on campus continues to be challenging due to the ongoing construction. Thank you for your patience and for being sensitive to the challenges of our students as they navigate their classes from one end of the campus to another. 

Here are some important updates for you.

Academic Freedom and Responsibility 

At the University of Houston, we uphold academic freedom and we also accept the academic responsibility that comes along with this freedom. In my communication, on Nov. 21, I outlined two processes, one regarding the core curriculum as required by SB 37, and the other regarding all courses to ensure that students are being exposed to different perspectives and not being indoctrinated into one. 

For the first process, Offices of the Provost and General Counsel have completed their review and are now engaged with the colleges to seek their input. Members of the Faculty Council will also be engaged in this process. We are expected to provide a report at the next meeting of the Board of Regents in March. 

For the second process, I had requested all faculty to review their course titles, syllabi and content to ensure that the principles of academic responsibility are not being violated. I had further asked deans and chairs to help their faculty in this review. The Provost’s Office is now in the process of assuring that these steps have been completed. 

University Marketing and Communications 

After 20 years of dedicated service at the University of Houston and 10 years of passionate leadership of University Marketing and Communications, Lisa Holdeman has decided to retire from the University. Under her leadership, the University of Houston has secured the No. 1 position among all Texas universities in social media engagement. Further, she accepted the challenge of placing our faculty expertise in top media outlets and we are seeing the results of her work today. When global energy markets were shaken by the U.S. operation that removed Venezuela’s president from power, news organizations turned to UH Energy experts. Our faculty were featured 545 times in media coverage, including The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, The Washington Post and ABC News. 

Lisa’s last day will be January 30. I’ve appointed Sr. AVC/AVP of Strategic Communications Shawn Lindsey, who has managed media relations and strategic communications at UH for the past 16 years, to serve as Interim VC/VP of Marketing and Communications. Please join me in wishing Lisa well on her well-deserved retirement and thank her for her incredible service. 

New Dean of Pharmacy 

Dr. Arash Bashirullah joins us as the new dean of the College of Pharmacy at a critical point in the evolution of the University of Houston’s health footprint. He brings a wealth of experience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, where he served as an associate dean for research and graduate education. As we take a step into the new era, let’s remember to thank Dr. Lamar Pritchard for his incredible vision and leadership in making the UH College of Pharmacy a formidable force in the state and the nation. 

Centennial Celebrations 

After careful consideration, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tonja Jones as the director of centennial celebrations. She will help coordinate various activities and events for the Centennial year. I have no doubt that her passion for the University, combined with her keen sense of project management, will make the year a very special one for all of us. 

Campus Safety 

Two recent incidents at the TDECU branch on campus made us pause yet again and think about safety. While no one was hurt, the incident raised security questions regarding applicable security protocols at the TDECU branch. As a result, UH Police met with TDECU administration resulting in modified and enhanced safety measures. I have always said that even one crime is one too many and there is no excuse for it, but, unfortunately, no community of this size is immune to it. So, let’s ask these questions in terms of campus safety: 

How safe is UH? Actually, the University is quite safe, and our crime statistics 
are better than other flagship universities in Texas and much better than that of the City of Houston itself. Here is the link to the comparative data from the federal database for UH and other universities: 2025 annual safety reports. Also, let’s remember that UH, with 55,000 people, is the size of a small city and is likely to have all the issues that a city has. 

Are we doing enough? Last year, UH formed a Safety and Security Taskforce and based on its recommendations, added 80 additional officers to the team. At this point, UH has as many or more police/security officers on campus than most. UH has over 3,400 security cameras and all garages are staffed with security personnel. The entire periphery now has modern bright lighting to ensure safety. UH has also added a UH Police Department substation in the Welcome Center for added visibility and access. This being said, we are constantly looking at best practices and evaluating ways to improve. 

Does UHPD act after incidents? Absolutely, if a crime happens, UHPD investigates it with the utmost urgency and sincerity. To give an example, the last TDECU incident resulted in the suspect being identified within the first 48 hours and taken into custody soon thereafter. 

Why do some people feel unsafe? Perceptions can be stronger than facts. I encourage you — faculty and staff — to, first, help make our campus safe by being vigilant, and second, help negate these perceptions by understanding the facts. Please help us create the correct narrative with accurate facts. 

Football and Basketball 

Let’s start the year on a high note. Cougar Football, with a 10-3 record, is ranked in the postseason poll and we expect it to be ranked in the preseason polls for next year. Do you have season tickets yet? 

Cougar Men’s basketball is ranked No. 10 this week, has knocked out five Big 12 Conference teams in 2026 and our Kingston Flemings is one of three Division I freshmen to score 40 points or more in a game on a single day for the first time in Division I history! Attend a game, take a selfie and be the envy of your friends! 

Once again, I thank you for your dedication to UH and for making our mission to transform lives and communities into reality. I hope you have a wonderful semester. 

With warm regards,

Renu Khator