Fine Arts 

Dudley Air Handler 

Replace heaters and relocate air handlers to address the noise issues 

July 7 – 20, 2024 

Fine Arts 

Dudley Lights  

Work Order submitted for complete lighting update since bulbs no longer available for existing fixtures. Determining intermittent solutions while project planning 

Temp Stage Lighting Solution – Summer 2024 

Project - TBD 

Fine Arts 

Dudley Stage Refinish Issues 

Adding additional layers of finish to address acoustical concerns created with the refinish 

Summer 2024 

Fine Arts 

Foundation & Water Remediation 

Add drainage and address various areas of water infiltration  

Complete by June 1 (fencing removed) 

Fine Arts 

Roof Repair & Replacement 

Extensive roof leaks across the building (current project was only focusing on band-aiding 20% of the roof), Facilities discussing a full replacement.  

FY 25 

Fine Arts 

Organ Recital Hall 

Convert into a general classroom (est 108 seats) 

Postponed – Date TBD 

MSM

Renovation of room 252 for new Fisk Studio Organ 

Raise the ceiling and other adjustments to accommodate the new organ 

Complete – Organ being installed week of May 6th 

Outdoors

Loop Road Project (Entrance 16/18) and Wilhelmina Grove 

Installing an underground water detention system, extending sidewalks, and adding trees and landscaping to improve stormwater management and enhance the area's pedestrian and aesthetic appeal. 

Goal to Have General Contractor selected by end of July 

Wortham Theatre 

New Dance sprung floor in WT 207 

Walkthrough with Facilities on 5/8 to determine best path forward to expedite through procurement 

2024 

Wortham Theatre 

Rigging System Replacement 

Delayed due to additional structural requirements in design by WP Moore 

TBD

During the previous fall's recruitment cycle, we engaged with over 500 students across 15 cities. This effort has led to the current admissions cycle yielding nearly 750 admitted students from a pool of over 1,500 applications across all areas of study. 

A new FAFSA process was introduced this year, with the University of Houston starting the process in the last week of April, ahead of the timelines set by UT and A&M. 

We achieved significant milestones this semester and focused on expanding our programs. We saw a 44% increase in weekly music class enrollment for spring 2024 compared to spring 2023, indicating strong community interest. 

We presented the Artist Round Table career training sessions and published a 32-page "Field Guide to Houston for Thriving Artists," offering valuable insights for local artists. The re-launch of Cougar Band Camp after a three-year pandemic hiatus was a notable success, as was the launch of the Chamber Music Institute and HISD/UH Art Intensives. Additionally, the Mexica Mariachi Camp grew by 40%. 

Our collaborations with the Blaffer Art Museum and UHS Public Art on the "Arts Adventures" field trips brought theater, music, and visual arts experiences to students, with a focus on college readiness during their visits to UH. 

These successes reflect our commitment to providing diverse and engaging arts experiences to our community. We look forward to building on this momentum in the coming semesters. Thank you to everyone who contributed to these achievements. 

This semester, our College IT Services department launched several key initiatives to improve our technology infrastructure, laying the groundwork for standardizing support and technology resources. 

Thank you to everyone who assisted with inventory and updated their off-campus technology forms. Your efforts were critical for tracking our technology assets and ensuring compliance with university policies. This data also allowed us to begin developing a standardized faculty-staff computer refresh program. By having this program in place, we can better ensure that everyone has the technology they need to succeed in their roles, reducing disruptions and streamlining workflows. 

Additionally, we assessed all classroom technology to plan for future upgrades and improvements. Our goal is to create modern learning spaces that support effective teaching and learning. 

This semester, our marketing and communications efforts have achieved significant growth, especially on Instagram. Across the KGMCA and its schools, our follower count increased by a total of 655. Here's the breakdown by department: 

• KGMCA: +132

• School of Theatre & Dance (SoTD): +135

• Moores School of Music (MSM): +212

• School of Art (SoA): +176 

Our Instagram impressions reached a combined total of 293,163, with engagement across all accounts totaling 8,209. These numbers represent a substantial increase in our social media presence and engagement with our audiences. In terms of content, we featured 10 stories and news articles and released 2 press releases. Additionally, we have 5 featured stories lined up for the summer, along with 1 press release. This success owes much to the integration of Monday.com and the introduction of our streamlined communication form.

We are focusing on creating a well-designed, effective website with clear calls to action for our key audiences—prospective students, current students, faculty, staff, and both new and existing supporters. This robust digital foundation is essential for launching future campaigns and initiatives. We've invested considerable time and resources in this project, and while we hoped to have it substantially completed by the end of summer, the university's transition to a new CMS will delay our timeline. Although this shift extends our schedule, it will ultimately provide greater success and functionality. We'll keep you updated as we learn more about the new timelines. 

We continue to concentrate on creating messages and collateral that highlight the robustness of the McGovern experience and its benefits, rather than focusing on individual components. This approach ensures a cohesive and compelling narrative across all communications. 

 Finally, we are collaborating with each department to develop strategic marketing and communication plans that streamline our priorities for the year. This coordinated approach will help us manage the diverse marketing and communication needs across the college while ensuring alignment with our broader goals. 

This semester, we achieved significant milestones in alumni relations, donor events, and operational streamlining, contributing to a vibrant and engaged college community. 

In alumni relations, we laid the groundwork for launching the KGMCA Alumni Association, reaching out to faculty and staff who are alumni or supporters and inviting them to participate in its early stages. As a result of these efforts, we established our inaugural board with the following members: 

• Nerissa Gomez 12’ – President 

• Evan Leslie 05’ – Vice President 

• Jennifer Lanham 23’ – Secretary 

• Alan Austin 91’ & 93’ – Treasurer

• Brian Chin – Scholarship Chair 

• Drue DaSilva (93’, 99’ and 2020 – 2022 UHAAF President) – Membership Chair 

• Vacant – Events Chair 

Our outreach at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) event was also successful, with 65 alumni expressing interest in learning more about the association. 

Donor events were a highlight this semester, featuring several successful gatherings. The Morry the Opera House Mouse luncheon and book signing in January received positive feedback, with plans to donate the books to local schools. The MFA Thesis VIP Reception was another successful event, drawing notable interest and engagement from attendees. These events reflect our ongoing commitment to creating meaningful experiences for our donors and supporters. 

In operational streamlining, we made progress in several key areas. A new procedure for thanking donors was established, and we initiated the rebranding of Friends of Moores to better align with our college's goals. These changes aim to enhance efficiency and ensure that our communications are consistent and effective. 

The Student Success Office has made notable progress in promoting student success and establishing best practices. From January 1 to May 7, we scheduled 1,382 appointments through the Navigate system, highlighting our dedication to student engagement and accessibility. Our Academic Advising team, recognized as a leader within the University, played a pivotal role by providing proactive support to boost enrollment and connect with students at risk, on academic warning/probation, and first-time college students. As part of our ongoing efforts to connect with students, we launched an early outreach collaboration with Admissions to better engage incoming Fall 2024 students with KGMCA from the moment they are accepted. 

Our partnerships with university departments like Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), University Career Services, the Dean of Students, and the Center for Student Empowerment bolster our ability to support student success. By collaborating with these key partners, we create a comprehensive network of resources for our students. Additionally, in partnership with LAUNCH, we've designed an academic coaching model that requires students on academic warning or probation to meet with LAUNCH to develop a recovery plan. This plan encompasses academic advising, academic coaching, tutoring, success workshops, and connections to campus resources to ensure students have the support they need to succeed. 

On the technology front, we're transitioning to a complete digitization of all paper files, a process expected to be completed by this summer. This move will enhance efficiency and improve access to important documents. Additionally, Kara's role in the college's strategic initiatives task force provides unique and needed advising and student success perspectives to our strategic efforts.

As a new division within the College of the Arts, we are tasked with managing both venues and the execution of productions. One of our main focuses over the last eight months has been streamlining the production management process for the Moores Opera Center. We have worked on a total of three major opera productions over the course of the fall and spring semester. In that time, we have developed high expectations to ensure opera productions are well communicated within the production team, on time, and within budget. By the third opera production of the season, Cosi Fan Tutte was the first opera in at least 20 years that was technically ready by the opera dark day (the day before opening). We were also able to come in strongly under budget saving the program thousands of dollars.  

In addition to opera, this team has focused largely on the Moores School of Music operations, providing the school with much needed technical support in the Moores Opera House and the Dudley Recital Hall. We have created centralized support to ensure the Opera House is ready for each ensemble that produces two major concerts every semester. We have also provided central support to aid MSM in setting up for Cookie Concerts and Moores Society Meetings and Receptions. In the Dudley Recital Hall, we have begun taking on the task of venue oversight and are in the process of streamlining technical functions in this multi-use space.  

Lastly, we have slowly been aiding School of Theatre and Dance in production management operations and plan to increase our involvement to lend a hand in their busy and demanding schedule.