FAQs

• We do not have a bookstore on campus here at the Houston site. Follett UTHSC Nursing Bookstore, located only a few blocks from TWU on Bertner Street does have some materials ordered by faculty members for their respective courses.
• As always, alternative web sites like Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com carry numerous textbooks, and many are offered at a very reasonable price.
• There is a bulletin board on the 3^rd floor in the vending area that often posts flyers of individuals selling their textbooks. This information may also be available on Canvas through your academic department. When purchasing textbooks from those who have already taken the class, please make sure that the same edition of the book is being used in the semester you will be enrolling.
• The Houston Center Library, located on the 4^th floor behind the Computer Lab in Room #4132, also has several books that can be loaned out to students for various lengths of time, including for some textbooks, the entire semester.

• The TWU Bookstore in Denton offers many of these products for purchase on-line.  
• Additionally, we are grateful to be able to host each year a TWU Logo Fair here at the Houston site. A small “store of logo items” is staged on the 2^nd floor across from the Student Life Office. You are welcome to stop by and shop for those favorite mementos that will hold many remembrances of your time here at TWU.

• If you believe you have misplaced or lost a personal item, please contact DPS, either by calling them at 713-794-2222 or meeting them in person by the Information Desk on the 1^st floor. And please don’t be discouraged if your item has not been turned in the first time you ask DPS about it. Students often don’t have time to take items immediately to DPS, and it is not unusual to find your items with the Security Officers days later.

• The TWU – Houston site does not have a Health Services Clinic on campus. However, we do have a relationship with the University of Texas Health Services located just one block away at 7000 Fannin, in Suite 1620. It is preferred that you call to make an appointment. The contact number is 713-500-3267 or 713-500-3248. Please take your TWU ID Badge with you when entering not only the U.T. building, but also the actual clinic itself where you will be treated. They accept most insurance plans. For further information, visit our Health Services page.

The TWU Houston Center Library is available on the 4th floor behind the Computer Lab in Room # 4132. It houses materials shared from the various academic departments that are available for students to check out and to view materials placed on class reserve. In addition, some current textbooks required for classes are available for semester-long and other check-outs. 

TWU does pay for membership with the Texas Medical Center Library (TMC Library) located at 1133 John Freeman Boulevard (across from the former location of the TWU – Houston site). This library is one of the finest medical libraries in the nation, and TWU students can share with others in the opportunity to check out materials and fully utilize the facility.

• Take your TWU ID badge and TWU email to the TWU Houston Center Library to complete your registration.  This will allow you to obtain your library card(s) as well as check out paper-based books and journal issues. You can register to visit where you will have access to all electronic data sources at the TMC Library.

• Study rooms are at a premium here at the Houston site. There are four Student Study Rooms on the 3^rdfloor, used on a first come, first served basis: 3110, 3118, 3120 and 3128. Also in the TWU Houston Center Library (located in the back of the Computer Lab on the 4^th floor, Room # 4132), there is another study room and tables. The 4th floor Computer Lab has several Collaboration/Study Rooms on the left hand side as you enter the lab area: 4118, 4120, 4122, 4128, and 4130. Students have traditionally “camped out” to study in the table/chair lounge areas on the 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th, and 6^th floors (Fannin/Holcombe corner of the building), as well as The Legacy Room on the 8^th floor (when not reserved).
• Students are often able to utilize classrooms when not in use. To check the availability before entry, reference "Scheduled Events" on the University Scheduling web page. Points of navigation are as follows:
  
  • Choose the “Scheduled Events” link in the upper right hand corner of the page.
  • Under “Location”, select “Houston” from the drop down menu.
  • Under “Building”, check IHSH.
  • Under “Date”, choose whatever calendar date you are seeking.
  • Under “Room Type”, select “All Spaces” from the drop down menu.
  • After all the selections have been made, click on “View Report” on the far right side of the screen.
  • It will display the reservations that have been secured for that day. If the classroom is empty, you would be able to use it.

Please NOTE: This will only show classrooms that are in use for a particular day. If a particular classroom is not in use at all for that day, it will not come up as one of the rooms to be reviewed. The list of rooms for a particular day will only show those that have at least one reservation. Otherwise, they are not included at all.

Advisory: This is not 100% accurate, as there can be last minute classroom changes for courses.

• Presently, at the TWU – Houston site, we do not have any Greek organizations. If you have an interest in starting such an organization, please get in touch with Deborah Unruh at 713-794-2157 for the appropriate paperwork. You will need at least 10 interested people as beginning members, 2 staff/faculty advisors and composed By-Laws.

• There is a Cyber Café located on the 1^st floor between the elevator bank and the stairwell. Items include sandwiches, frozen foods, salads, muffins, bagels, beverages, coffees, smoothies and the like. Hours are 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Saturday. There are also two vending machine areas located on the 3^rd and 6^th floors. Each floor has a beverage and snack machine in the same room.

• If you are seeking tips with resume building, Resume Quick Start Guide may be for you!There is also a modest Career Resources Library at the Houston site located in the Career Consultant's office on the second floor in the Student Life Suite # 2300.

• Whenever you are on campus or in the Texas Medical Center as a TWU student, it is strongly encouraged that you wear your TWU ID badge. Having your badge in plain view on your person assists DPS in recognizing who “belongs” to TWU, and ensures a secure environment wherever you travel in the Medical Center. The Student Life Office on the 2^nd floor can create an ID badge for you Monday through Friday, 7:30a – 5:30p.  All that is required is another form of ID that has your name and photo on it, like a Driver’s License. Replacements for ANY reason will be associated with a $25 fee. 

• Students have access to the Fitness Center anytime the campus is open.

• Behind Enrollment Services past the double wood doors on the 1^st floor, there is a Central Receiving Mail Room. Here you can place already stamped items to be mailed in a bin for the postal service. Our apologies, but postage is not sold at this office or any other place on campus. 

Depending on the type of challenges you are experiencing, there may be two departments to contact.

The Pioneer Center for Student Excellence located on the 10^th floor in Room # 10300 offers Academic Coaching which would include assistance with time management, study skills, test taking, note taking as well as study efficiency.

Counseling and Psychological Services located on the 2^nd floor (past the Fitness Center) in Room # 2250 has over a hundred handouts in the lobby area on topics ranging from time management and study skills, to procrastination and study efficiency. Numerous other topics are available in their Self Help Materials section, and no appointment is necessary. You are encouraged to browse as long as you want, and take with you materials of interest.

• *Unfortunately, as an individual or a group of students, you would not be permitted to reserve a room through University channels. You may, however, look at the “Class Schedule” icon on one of the public computer desktops to determine which classrooms would not be in use during your “planned project meeting time”, and choose a classroom to meet in. The ’05 Seminar Rooms (located between the elevator bank and the stairwell) tend to be a convenient size to use for group projects. However, if they are already occupied with students studying, you can easily use one of the classrooms (not already reserved for class) and gather around a table. Many individuals also use one of the corner lounge table/chair areas found on the 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th floors (Fannin/Holcombe corner of the building) or even The Legacy Room on the 8^th floor.
• To check room availability through the University Scheduling web page, follow the instructions below.
  
  • Choose the “Scheduled Events” link in the upper right hand corner of the page.
  • Under “Location”, select “Houston” from the drop down menu.
  • Under “Building”, check IHSH.
  • Under “Date”, choose whatever calendar date you are seeking.
  • Under “Room Type”, select “All Spaces” from the drop down menu.
  • After all the selections have been made, click on “View Report” on the far right side of the screen.
  • It will display the reservations that have been secured for that day.  If the classroom is empty, you would be able to use it.

Please NOTE: This will only show classrooms that are in use for a particular day. If a particular classroom is not in use at all for that day, it will not come up as one of the rooms to be reviewed. The list of rooms for a particular day will only show those that have at least one reservation. Otherwise, they are not included at all.

Advisory: This is not 100% accurate, as there can be last minute classroom changes for courses.

• Finding a compatible roommate takes much perseverance, and can be a very sensitive process. A list is indeed kept at the Student Life Office, and you are encouraged to make contact with Deborah Unruh at 713-794-2157 to place an announcement of space in your residence for a roommate, or as a person coming to campus for the first time, seeking to find someone to share rent with. The lists are kept confidential, and as possibilities for matching present themselves, Student Life will contact both parties to communicate with each other, and explore the possibilities of sharing the same rental space.
• You are also encouraged to reach out to others in your particular academic department, perhaps through established social media networks for your cohort.  There are likely other colleagues who are looking to keep expenses to a modicum by sharing a living area with another in your academic program.

The Career Connections website has a link on it main page to “TWU Connect/Handshake”.  You will be prompted to sign in and create an account.  Once that is accomplished, all campus positions will be made available for you to view and pursue.  Graduate Assistant positions are typically made known through your respective academic departments, who will additionally advertise openings and specific criteria as they become available.

• If you are locked out of a room where a class is scheduled to begin shortly, please get in touch with DPS by calling 713-794-2222. Please do NOT make such a request to one of the maintenance staff; they have been directed to not open the doors for anyone.

• Please take your ID Badge to the Student Life Office and have it checked out. There are a number of possibilities why you might be experiencing some challenges, and the trouble shooting can be accomplished on site. But in most cases, it is a “quick fix” and we can have you on your way within just a few minutes. For further information, you are invited to reference the ID Badge Station page.

• Log into your Pioneer Portal account
• Click on My Info
• Choose Immunization Info
• Select https://twu.medicatconnect.com/
• TWU SHS Online Student Health (OSH) Information site will give you two options:
  
  • First Time Users
  • Returning Users
• Log in to the OSH web page with the same User Name and Password you have selected for Pioneer Portal
• Click Immunizations noted on the left side of the screen
• Choose Immunization once more
• Use the Print Icon on the right side of the screen to make a hard copy of the shot record for your files/instructors
  

For further information, you are invited to reference the Health Services page.

• A “Pioneer Alert Emergency Notification System” has been put in place for individuals to be notified by text messaging on your cell phone. As a TWU student, you are automatically enrolled to receive Pioneer Alerts, and there are regular “TEST Text Messages” just to ensure solid communication. Please visit the Pioneer Alert page for more information. Usually, there is also an announcement posted on the main TWU web page as well as the Houston TWU web page if you are able to access it. If you are able to make a phone call, the Campus Closure Emergency Line for Severe Weather Conditions is 713-794-2310.
• You are additionally encouraged to visit the Main Houston TWU web page. The “Red alert button” links you to various resources that can be well utilized in case of severe weather conditions.

• The one phone number to memorize immediately when you step foot on campus for the first time is 713-794-2222. This is the contact number for DPS and can be used for things ranging from opening rooms to reporting an incident. The red phone is a direct connection to the DPS in Denton. No digits need to be dialed — there is an immediate response from Security Officers at the Denton site.
• Please be advised that each floor has red phone mounted in prominent places in the hallways.
• There are also two tall blue cylinders directly outside the TWU – Houston building. One is on the Fannin Street side, and the other is on the Old Main/Holcombe side of the building. Pushing the buttons on these cylinders also connects you directly with DPS in Denton. 
• In the unlikely chance you are stuck in one of the elevators, please be advised that the Emergency Button inside the elevator cab connects you with DPS in Denton. You need describe your location as originating in Houston.