UH's medical school may see regent vote soon, Khator says Khator says it's among proposals for expansion

University of Houston President Renu Khator welcomes everyone to the University of Houston-wide commencement at TDECU Stadium Friday, May 12, 2017, in Houston. University of Houston President Renu Khator welcomes everyone to the University of Houston-wide commencement at TDECU Stadium Friday, May 12, 2017, in Houston. Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close UH's medical school may see regent vote soon, Khator says 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The University of Houston's board of regents next month might evaluate the feasibility of creating a medical school, a long-discussed project that university officials say could expand primary care in thesoutheast Houston neighborhoods around the school.

Regents hope to discuss the results of a feasibility study requested by state lawmakers at their November meeting, UH President and Chancellor Renu Khator said at an annual fall address Wednesday.

The university would begin the formal application process if regents accept the study and decide to move forward, she said, speaking to regents, faculty and some students at the campus' Moores Opera House.

"This initiative will not only fill a void in Texas by serving currently underserved communities, but it will also strengthen teaching and research throughout the university, particularly in health-related fields," she said.

The medical school, she said, is one element of UH's "bigger and bolder" path ahead in Khator's tenure.

Since she arrived nearly a decade ago, UH has seen enrollment growth and higher graduation rates. Khator used Wednesday's address to outline the university's progress under her leadership and describe future goals.

A $1 billion capital campaign launched in January has raised $780 million from 161,272 donors, she said.

Enrollment has grown to 45,364 students this semester, up from 34,663 students in 2007. UH grants thousands more degrees each year.

The university has more heavily invested in facilities over the last decade, too. From 1997 through 2006, Khator said, UH spent $266 million on facilities. Over the last decade, that figure has grown to $1.2 billion, she said. Projects under construction include a 1,200-bed housing complex.

"Rarely a day goes by when someone does not express his or her astonishment at the magnitude of this transformation," she said. "And if he or she has not been on campus in a few years, the words typically are, 'I can't believe my eyes.'"

Khator said she was proud of UH's response to Hurricane Harvey this fall, including raising $880,000 so that the university could help more than 220 students continue their studies.

The university halted classes temporarily during the storm, but resumed after Labor Day.

"We realized that we had won the war against Harvey," she said. "Our enrollment remained intact. Our students were back. Our hurricane heroes succeeded."

She then recounted an email exchange between a professor and a student as the latter's house flooded during Harvey's deluge:

"Put a white sheet in your window or white towel … go on roof, not in the attic," economics professor Polly Hardee wrote to her student.

"We called the Coast Guard and got rescued by boat. We are safe now," the student, Amana Waheed, responded.

"Don't be concerned about your graded assignments. They have all been postponed. Of the utmost importance is that you are out of harm's way," Hardee wrote.

She asked the two to stand, prompting cheers from the audience.

"This is the spirit and character of the University of Houston," she said.

Khator's presence at UH has been constant amid leadership changes at the system's three other standalone universities. Her 10 years in office so far is longer than the national average of seven years, according to the American Council on Education.

Nearby, the University of Houston-Downtown has seen four presidents over Khator's tenure, including one interim president.

The University of Houston-Victoria has seen four presidents in that time and launched a search for its next leader this week.

The University of Houston-Clear Lake welcomed Ira Kincade Blake as a new president earlier this year.