Clear Lake High School students who wish to experience college, explore careers and earn college credit can register for classes at San Jacinto College and attend classes on the University of Houston-Clear Lake campus. 

Honors, Pre-Advanced Placement and Advanced Placement courses are available in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades to help high school students get ready for college. Students who score high enough on the AP exams can receive advanced placement in college courses to earn dual credit for high school and college.  

Several concerns have been raised by UHCL students about sharing our university campus with high school students. These concerns include: parking, utilities and conduct. UHCL executive counsel raised a question as to whether these high school students pay for parking on the campus. 

“These students who are currently taking courses on our campus do pay for their parking at the Arbor Building,” said Kay Brown, staff assistant in the dean of students office. 

Brown said that SJC is limited in space and  that is why the classes are being offered at UHCL. Moreover, CLHS is just across the street which makes it easier for the students to attend classes on our campus. 

“The AP classes are being offered by SJC’s professors at UHCL,” Brown said. 

The other concern raised was the extended use of electricity by the high school students, because the buildings must stay open for extended hours to accommodate these classes. 

“How would you calculate the percentage of electricity they are using,” said Anthony Jenkins, dean of students. “And why should they be required to pay for additional use when other students do not. Our partnership with the high school serves several purposes: it enhances the university’s outreach efforts into the community; it exposes the university to a set of stakeholders who otherwise may not have been exposed to our campus; and it also serves as an advertising/marketing opportunity,” Jenkins said. “Therefore, when trying to develop these relationships we, the university, agree to incur certain costs.”

“In our partnership with the local high school we have used their facilities for different functions and programs, and they did not charge fees for using their electricity or parking spaces,” Jenkins said. “We also have San Jacinto College students taking courses on our campus as well. There are no similar concerns that have been raised regarding these students.”

Steven Steiner, student government association vice president - committee coordinator, agreed that CLHS is limited in space. 

The biggest concern voiced involved the misconduct of high school students that has been witnessed on campus.

 Steiner reported to have seen a few high school students skateboarding in the SSCB and had to personally tell one of the students not to do so. Some high school students are also heard making harmful racial and cultural comments about UHCL students. 

“If any UHCL student overhears our high school guests making hurtful, racial and/or cultural comments, they should immediately address the issue and engage our guests in an educational conversation about their comments and how they fall below the standards of our community philosophy on diversity,” Jenkins said. “It is important to note that if our students fail to address these issues, they are no better than the students making the inappropriate statement. Our students have to play a significant role in developing, implementing and maintaining community standards for our university – yes the faculty, administration and staff must do their part as well.”

Jenkins said, “UHCL is a public university and we, as students, have a purpose to strengthen our community and create a sense of inclusion.”

“The university’s relationship with the high school is not a burden on any student,” Jenkins said. “Since their arrival, no UHCL student has been forced out of a parking space. No UHCL student has been kicked out of a classroom. No UHCL student has had their education disrupted.”

“It would be nice to see our student leaders working to build relationships with the local high schools. To collaborate with them on civic engagement activities, develop programs that invite them onto campus and expose them to college life,” Jenkins said. “These are the issues college students should be focusing on, not electricity bills.”

Moreover, high school students engage in civic activities and developmental programs that invite them onto campus and expose them to college life. 

“The issues of campus safety have been addressed with the students directly,” Steiner said. “Issues concerning funding and racial comments have been passed along to the appropriate administrator at UHCL. SGA was assured that both concerns would be addressed to the principal at CLHS. SGA will be following up on this issue Nov. 20.”

Anyone who witnesses inappropriate actions by any student, high school or college, is encouraged to report the inappropriate behavior to the Dean of Students Office.