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The University of Houston (UH) has been recognized with the 2024 Barefoot and Gardner Award, presented by the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. This award is given annually to institutions that support historically underrepresented students, highlighting UH's commitment to academic innovation and student success.
The Gardner Institute acknowledged UH for its efforts in assisting students to overcome challenges in gateway courses required by all majors. The university's Undergraduate Student Success Center played a key role in helping faculty identify obstacles in high enrollment courses such as College Algebra, Fundamentals of Chemistry, and Principles of Macroeconomics.
To address these challenges, UH provided professional development opportunities for faculty members. Fourteen faculty participated in the Gardner Institute’s Teaching and Learning Academy, while 97 others earned the Certificate of Effective College Instruction from the Association of College and University Educators.
Additionally, UH collaborated with the Gardner Institute on its Gateways to Completion initiative, which helped redesign courses with high rates of drops, withdrawals, incompletes, and failing grades (DWIF). These rates were notably high among underserved students. From fall 2021 to fall 2023, there was an improvement in DWIF rates among Black, Hispanic, first-generation, and Pell Grant-eligible students.
Teri Longacre, senior vice provost and dean for Undergraduate Student Success at UH, accepted the award during the Symposium on Transforming Postsecondary Excellence on October 10 in Pittsburgh. “Earning this award has been a team effort,” Longacre stated. “Our faculty and academic leadership have worked hard to ensure our students not only emerge successfully from these gateway courses but remain on a trajectory to graduation.”
Diane Z. Chase, UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost expressed pride over receiving the award: “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students who continually strive to push the boundaries of higher education.”
In addition to this accolade, UH was recently inducted into the FirstGen Forward Network for its efforts supporting first-generation students. As UH welcomed a record 6,200 freshmen this fall semester, it continues various initiatives aimed at enhancing student success.
“UH fosters a learning environment where innovation thrives and every student has the opportunity to succeed,” Chase added.