UH System Launching Katy Programs this Fall Community Impact Newspaper, 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Building 2. Photo Credit: Ryan Graff The University of Houston will offer classes beginning with the Fall 2016 semester at the Houston Community College (HCC) Northwest-Katy Campus through the UH-Victoria (UHV) System. Students will be able to enroll in face-to-face classes at a new leased facility about a mile north of I-10 at 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Building 2. The arrangement will allow UH and UHV to continue serving the higher education needs of the region while a new UH System campus is built near I-10 and the Grand Parkway. UH System Regents last month approved plans to purchase 46 acres from Parkside Capital and build a state-of-the-art academic building in the fast-growing suburban area. UH's 10-acre system campus at Cinco Ranch will be sold. "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. "By providing increased course offerings in the Katy region, we're furthering the success of our students toward timely and accessible degree completion." "HCC and UH have been working hard to collaborate and provide more value to students and the community," said Zach Hodges, President of HCC's Northwest Region. UH will offer graduate courses in petroleum and subsea engineering, both in high demand along the West Houston Energy Corridor. UHV will offer both bachelor's degrees for transfer students and master's degrees in business, education and computer science, along with programs in a number of other disciplines. Additional programs are offered online. "The workforce in the Katy area and within our 30-minute drive time contains more than 40 percent of all engineers in Houston," said Lance LaCour, president and CEO of the Katy Area Economic Development Council. "Increasing college-level educational opportunities - particularly in fields that fuel our local economy like energy, technology and business - is important for our community and the quality of life of our residents." The new leased location will allow UHV to consolidate programs it has offered across the western edge of the metropolitan area, in Sugar Land, Katy and Cinco Ranch. All of its Greater Houston degree programs will now be offered at the new facility until a new, permanent campus is constructed at the northwest corner of the Grand Parkway and I-10. "UH has worked closely with our industry partners to identify courses that are relevant to the energy sector and the professional engineers already living and working in the Katy," said Joseph W. Tedesco, dean of the UH Cullen College of Engineering. "It is exciting to be able to launch these programs in Katy even sooner than we expected." Chanda Cashen-Chacon, President of Texas Children's West Campus and West Houston Association Board Member is encouraging UH to establish a nursing and health professions program at the new campus. "With the tremendous growth in the healthcare infrastructure in West Houston, offering nursing and other medical professional programs at the [Katy] campus will support the continued expansion in this area. Establishing a bachelor-qualified nursing program in Katy would fill a need close to home and provide a timely and lasting benefit to the area." UHV will continue to offer a broad range of undergraduate and master's degrees in Katy, along with several certificate programs. In addition to undergraduate degrees for transfer students in Digital Gaming & Simulation, Information Systems, Criminal Justice, Psychology, and other humanities, it will offer a variety of bachelor and master degrees in business and education. Full details on UHV's offerings in Katy are available at www.uhv.edu/katy.