Last night, Tropical Storm Hermine formed off the northern coast of Mexico.  As of this afternoon, it's eye is poised to make landfall overnight Tuesday morning in Mexico and then travel through the tip of Texas, then central and northern Texas.  

Hermine has current sustained winds of 60 mph and is traveling North/Northwest near the Mexico/Texas border at a speed of 15 mph.  None of the National Hurricane Center's computer models show Hermine deviating from its projected path through central Texas.  The Houston/Galveston area will receive rain from the Hermine storm front, but should not experience any cyclonic conditions.  However, if you are traveling to central or northern Texas, please be aware that the storm will roll through this area from Tuesday afternoon through Thursday.

The Hurricane Center is also tracking a tropical disturbance near the eastern Caribbean.  This disturbance may be upgraded to a tropical storm within the next 48 hours.  At present, there are no released estimates as to this prospective storm's travel path.  UHCL PD will keep you up to date via emails and through our website (www.uhcl.edu/police) over the course of the week.

TO ALL STUDENTS:

In an effort to reduce the long lines at the Police Window, and allow the Police Department to serve you better, we are changing our parking permit distribution practice.

Beginning today, August 25 - August 27; we will only be processing permits for students whose last name starts with A - M.

Beginning Monday, August 30 - September 3; we will only be processing permits for students who last name starts with N - Z.

If you cannot come on these designated dates to pick up or purchase your permit, you can still come by the Police Window (at Bayou 1636) the week of September 7-10.

Parking Permit Enforcement will be delayed and now will begin Monday, September 13th.

We hope this change to our process will serve everyone better.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at policechief@uhcl.edu.

TO ALL STUDENTS:

Last week the Police Department announced that student parking permits are now available.  Please note that in order to pick up your permit you must have paid your registration or partially paid your registration.  

We apologize for any misinformation or inconvenience.

TO ALL STUDENTS:

The UHCL Police Department will begin selling annual and fall semester permits to students beginning Sunday, August 1st.  This year annual permits are $85 for the year.  Semester permits are $50 per semester.  There is a signifigant savings purchasing the annual permit if you know you will be here for fall and spring.

Pearland students, permits are required at UHCL Pearland.  The same permits used at UHCL will be used at UHCL Pearland and will be honored at both campuses.

If you have already purchased your permit with registration, bring your picture ID to the UHCL Police window at UHCL campus, Bayou Building Suite 1636 (main lobby of Bayou Building) and pick up your permit. If you have not purchased your permit with registration, please make sure to bring cash or check to the UHCL Police window.  And yes, we are open on the weekends! 

Take advantage of early permit distribution days.  Don't wait until the semester begins - that is when the lines are the longest!

Have a great semester.

Tropical Storm Bonnie Update:

http://prtl.uhcl.edu/portal/page/portal/POL/index/Alerts_News/Community%20Bulletin%202010-014%20Gulf%20Storm%20Bonnie%20Update.pdf

With the 2010 hurricane season under way, we want to remind our campus community about the importance of providing and/or updating your emergency contact information. 

University of Houston-Clear Lake maintains an online emergency information center (http://www.uhclemergency.info/) to enhance communication with students, faculty and staff during emergency situations or inclement weather.

Through the Public Information and Emergency Response (PIER) system, UH-Clear Lake may send messages to your UHCL and personal e-mail addresses and has the capability of sending text messages if needed. Most messages will be sent by e-mail; however, text messaging will be used during incidents requiring immediate action or response.

Please take a moment to check the accuracy of and/or update your emergency contact information today to help ensure you receive vital information from the university in a timely and reliable manner during emergencies.

Click on the appropriate link below for instructions on updating your emergency contact information.

Students, click here.                                   

Faculty & Staff, click here.

To All,

The Police Department is delaying its parking enforcement activities for another week in order to give everyone enough time to make their permit purchases.  Police Officers will begin enforcing parking permits on Monday, June 14th.

Please assure you have your permit hanging from the rear view mirror of your car.  Permits must be visible to someone standing at the front of the car.  For more information about permit placement and a full listing of all University Parking and Traffic Regulations and much more, please visit our website at www.uhcl.edu/police or click this direct link to the website's parking page: http://prtl.uhcl.edu/portal/page/portal/POL/index/Parking.

To: UHCL Faculty, Staff and Students

Every effort is made to maintain normal operations of all facilities at University of Houston-Clear Lake; however, there are times when emergencies, most often weather-related, warrant closure of our campus. In preparation for the 2010 hurricane season (June 1 - November 30), we should all take a moment to review university closure procedures.

Sole responsibility for the decision to close the university in the case of any threatened or actual emergency rests with the president. The decision to open following such a closing, likewise, rests with the president. In the president's absence, his designee in the following sequence makes the decision to open or close the university: 1) Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, 2) Vice President for Administration and Finance, 3) Executive Associate to the President.

For weather-related emergencies, the UHCL Chief of Police or his designee is responsible for monitoring the National Weather Service System for severe storm, tornado, hurricane and flooding watch/warning reports. This information is used by the president or his designee to make the decision to close or reopen the university.

UHCL's Director of Communications or her designee is responsible for coordinating university closing or opening announcements with the University of Houston System as well as notifying the local news media. Contacting the media in a coordinated fashion is necessary to minimize the possibility of public confusion or misunderstanding, given the similarity of institutional names and the likelihood that individual UHS universities will make different decisions regarding closings.

If the university is in session at the time of the emergency, the decision to close will be conveyed to faculty, staff and students by use of a public address system, UHCL's emergency Web site, e-mail, telephones and word of mouth. If not in session, the president or his designee will notify each vice president, who, in turn, will notify faculty and staff members of decisions to close and/or reopen. UHCL Emergency Information e-mails and/or text messages will be sent as appropriate to update faculty, staff and students. Media coverage enhances this effort and conveys the information to the community-at-large.

During inclement weather, it is vital for everyone to stay abreast of news coverage about weather or road conditions and emergency information regarding personal safety and evacuation instructions. Recognizing the diverse range of personal circumstances faced by individuals, UHCL urges faculty, staff and students to make decisions in the best interest for themselves and their families. Employees who are unable to report for regularly scheduled work hours should coordinate anticipated vacation or other applicable leave with their direct supervisors before taking time off while the university is open and operating under normal conditions. Students who are unable to attend scheduled classes should coordinate missed sessions and coursework with their professors.

It is important to note that UHCL is not authorized, nor prepared, to serve as a general shelter for employees, students or the general public. If UHCL is closed, only essential emergency management and response personnel may remain in the university buildings or on the campus grounds. This is not a matter of personal choice. Remaining in your office, a classroom or anywhere else on campus once the university is closed puts you at risk and could endanger emergency personnel who may have to rescue or assist you.

The best sources of information as to whether the university is open or closed are the UHCL Hotline (281-283-2221) and UHCL Emergency Information Web site (www.UHCLemergency.info). 

William A. Staples      

President

Tomorrow morning, Friday, 12 March 2010 at approx. 930AM, UHCL's Entrance 2 will be closed for inbound traffic due to road work.  Outbound traffic will still be able to exit the University from Entrance 2; however, no one will be able to make entry to campus from that location.  It is anticipated the road work should end by 100PM.

The University of Houston-Clear Lake is open and operating under normal conditions.  We are monitoring the winter storm front, but do not believe it will adversely impact school operations, or the ability of students and staff to get to campus.  As always during inclement weather, please give yourself extra time to travel to your destination.

If the status of the University changes, an email update will be sent, and the UHCL Emergency Information Hotline (281-283-2221) will be updated.