University of Houston classes Katy University of Houston System officials announced June 24 the addition of classes at two locations in Katy. Building No. 2 at 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Katy, will house classes for UH Victoria students. Graduate courses will also be held at Houston Community College Northwest-Katy Campus on Foxlake Drive.[/caption]

Students at the University of Houston System will be able to take a variety of undergraduate and graduate-level classes this fall at two new locations in Katy, university officials announced June 24.

Two graduate level courses related to the oil and gas industry will be offered by the UH Cullen College of Engineering at the Houston Community College Northwest-Katy Campus on Foxlake Drive.

University of Houston-Victoria students will be able to enroll in a wide range of undergraduate classes aimed at transfer students as well as graduate degree courses in education, business and computer science. The UHV classes will be held at separate facility north of I-10; located in Building No. 2 at 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Katy.

According to a press release from UH officials, the courses are intended to provide students in the Katy area with classes over the next several years while a new 46-acre campus in Katy is constructed.

“This is another step toward expanding our footprint and furthering ties between the community and the UH System,” said Paula Myrick Short, UH System senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, and UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, in the press release.

UHV intends to consolidate its programs currently offered at UHS Cinco Ranch, UH Sugar Land and HCC Northwest-Katy Campus into the new facility, said UHV President Vic Morgan.

“We’re excited about coming over,” Morgan said. “We’re especially excited about being able to combine all of our teaching into one location. It’ll make it more collegial with that many people there.”

Morgan said that the new space will allow for HCC Northwest-Katy Campus to host its English as a Second Language courses during the day at the Grand Parkway site, while UHV will conduct its classes predominantly at night at the location.

In exchange, HCC Northwest-Katy Campus has agreed to allow some of its classrooms to be used for the UH Cullen College of Engineering courses to be hosted at the Foxlake Drive facility, he said.

Audrey Grayson, director of communications for the UH Cullen College of Engineering, said the college will offer two graduate degree-level petroleum engineering classes at the HCC campus—pressure transient testing and subsea pipeline design. Classes will begin Aug. 22, each class will have a capacity of 30 students and the sessions will be live-streamed to the university's main campus, she said.

“Non-degree seeking students can apply for these classes [too]; we will vet [non-degree] students very closely,” Grayson said. “These will be our first two engineering courses [at the Katy location].”

Lance LaCour, president and CEO of the Katy Area Economic Development Council, said the KAEDC worked in conjunction with UHS officials to bring the classes to Katy while the new Katy campus is being built.

“I think [the classes] will address the needs that local companies have; it will help with recruitment,” LaCour said. “One of the things they asked was what flags should they plant here; what specialties would they offer. One was oil and gas engineering and the other was medical [training].”

Morgan said that he and other UH System officials are excited about the leasing of the new temporary facility as well the eventual transition into Katy campus.

“We’re very excited for the opportunity and believe that it’s going to be very beneficial for the University of Houston System, for UHV, for UH and for the people in Katy,” he said. “We think it’s going to open up some educational opportunities that, while [currently] available, are going to be a lot closer.”