1, 1974, the Clear Lake Graduate Center facility became part of UH/CLC and took on the name "Arbor Building". The Bayou Building opened in September 1974 and classes began at UH/CLC under the leadership of the institution's founding president, Alfred R. Neumann. The first-class day enrollment was 1,069 students with 60 professors comprised the charter faculty. In 1977 the 65th Texas Legislature established the University of Houston System that included UH/CLC as a component institution. The University of Houston at Clear Lake City was renamed University of Houston–Clear Lake on April 26, 1983. During the 73rd Texas Legislature in 1993, an unsuccessful attempt was made by the City of Pasadena to change the institution's name to the University of Houston at Pasadena. In January 2011, Senate Bill 324 was filed in the 82nd Texas Legislature for the institution's downward expansion by adding freshman and sophomore course offerings. The bill was passed and signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry on June 17, 2011. The university began offering freshman and sophomore classes in fall 2014. Presidents The office of the president of the University of Houston–Clear Lake, held by interim President Richard Walker, was created with the establishment of the university in 1971 as the chief executive officer of the institution. Alfred R. Neumann (1972–1982) Thomas M. Stauffer (1982–1991) Glenn A. Goerke (1991–1995) William A. Staples (1995—2017) Ira K. Blake (2017-2021) Richard Walker (2021-) Organization The University of Houston–Clear Lake (UHCL) is one of four separate and distinct institutions in the University of Houston System. The institution is separately accredited, offers its own academic programs and confers its own degrees, and has its own administration. UHCL is a stand-alone university; it is not a branch campus of the University of Houston (UH). Although UHCL and UH are both component institutions of the University of Houston System, they are separate universities. The organization and control of the University of Houston–Clear Lake is vested in the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System. The Board has all the rights, powers, and duties that it has with respect to the organization and control of other institutions in the System; however, UHCL is maintained as a separate and distinct institution. The president is the chief executive officer of the University of Houston–Clear Lake, and the position reports to the chancellor of the University of Houston System. The president is appointed by the chancellor