University of Connecticut

This article is about the public university in Storrs, Connecticut. For the private institution in New London, Connecticut, see Connecticut College.

University of Connecticut

File:UConn Seal.png
Type	Public, Land Grant
Established	1881
Endowment	US $263 million
President	Susan Herbst
Academic staff	University System: 4,555 UConn Health Center: 4,874
Undergraduates	21,881
Postgraduates	8,153
Location	Storrs, Mansfield , CT , USA
Campus	Urban, rural, and suburban Storrs and regional campuses, 4,104 acres (16.62 km²) Farmington: UConn Health Center, 162 acres (.655 km²) Total, 4,266 acres (17.27 km²)
Colors	Blue & White
Nickname	Huskies
Affiliations	BIG EAST, AHA, HEA
Mascot	Jonathan the Husky
Website	www.uconn.edu
File:UConn logo.png

The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public research university in Connecticut. Founded in 1881 as a land-grant university, UConn serves more than 30,000 students on its six campuses, including more than 8,000 graduate students in multiple programs.

UConn's main campus is in Storrs, Town of Mansfield. The university's president is Susan Herbst.

UConn is one of the founding institutions of the Hartford, Connecticut/Springfield, Massachusetts regional economic and cultural partnership alliance known as New England's Knowledge Corridor. UConn is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and a member of the Big East Conference.

History

The school, about 1903

UConn was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School. It was named after Charles and Augustus Storrs, two brothers who donated the land for the school as well as initial funding. Women began attending classes in 1891 and were officially admitted in 1893, when the name was changed to Storrs Agricultural College and it became Connecticut's land grant college. In 1899, the name changed again to Connecticut Agricultural College; in 1933, to Connecticut State College; and finally in 1939, to the University of Connecticut.

In 1940, the school was first divided into individual colleges and schools, reflecting its new university status. This was also the year that the School of Social Work and School of Nursing were first established. The graduate program was also started at this time, and existing schools of law and pharmacy were absorbed into the university. Ph.D.s have been awarded since 1949.

During the 1960s, the University of Connecticut Health Center was established in Farmington as a home for the new School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine. John Dempsey Hospital was opened in Farmington in 1975 and has been operated by UConn ever since.

In 1995, a state-funded program called UCONN 2000 was passed by the Connecticut General Assembly and signed into law by then-Gov. John G. Rowland. This 10-year program set aside $1 billion to upgrade campus facilities, add faculty, and otherwise improve the university. An additional $1.3 billion was pledged by the State of Connecticut in 2002 as part of a new 10-year improvement plan known as 21st Century UConn.

Academics

Aerial view of campus.

UConn has repeatedly been ranked the top public university in New England by U.S. News and World Report.

UConn offers 105 majors, eight undergraduate degrees,16 graduate degrees and five professional degree programs. Students can choose from 64 different minors at UConn, including some areas of study that are not offered as formalized majors. Some areas of study offered formally only as minors at UConn include: Asian American Studies, Aquaculture, Bioinformatics, Criminal Justice, Film Studies, Human Rights, Middle Eastern Studies, Native American Studies, and Slavic & East European Studies.

Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs are offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences College of Agriculture and Natural Resources the College of Continuing Studies the Graduate School the Neag School of Education the School of Allied Health the School of Nursing the School of Business the School of Dental Medicine the School of Medicine the School of Engineering Office of International Affairs the School of Family Studies the School of Social Work the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture the School of Pharmacy the School of Law, and the School of Fine Arts

UConn is especially known for its programs in law, health care administration, dentistry, gifted and talented education, and family studies. The University of Connecticut School of Law and the University of Connecticut School of Business are two of the top-ranked public graduate schools of their kind in the nation, and the School of Fine Arts' puppetry department is the most influential in the United States.

Admissions and rankings

Academic rankings
National
Forbes	275
U.S. News & World Report	69
Washington Monthly	97
Global
ARWU	152–200
QS	338
THE	NA

The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 21,000 students applying for undergraduate admission each year. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually. UConn's retention rate is within the top 25 public universities in the nation, with 93% of students returning for their sophomore year.

According to the U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges listings, the University of Connecticut is a "Tier 1" university. The university's undergraduate programs are ranked 64 among all national universities tying with the University of Iowa and Purdue University, and placing it well ahead of the other public national universities in New England. Reflecting the university's national status, more than 10,500 out-of-state students apply for admission each year.

UConn participates in the New England Board of Higher Education's Regional Student Program (NERSP), which allows students from the five other New England states to enroll at the university at a reduced out-of-state tuition rate if their intended major is not provided by one of their in-state universities.

The university participates in an articulation agreement with the Connecticut Community Colleges (CCC) that allows students graduating with an Associate's degree to automatically transfer to UConn's Bachelor of General Studies program. A special articulation agreement with Manchester Community College allows graduating students with a 3.5 GPA or higher to enroll in UConn's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Each year, more than 1,000 transfer students are admitted to the university.

Campuses

University of Connecticut School of Law (formerly the Hartford Seminary campus)

The main university campus is located in Storrs, a division of the Town of Mansfield, approximately 28 miles (45 km) east of Hartford, the state's capital. It is situated between North Eagleville Road and South Eagleville Road. The Storrs Road (CT Route 195) cuts through the campus from north to south. In addition to the main campus in Storrs, there are five regional campuses: Avery Point (in Groton), the Greater Hartford campus (West Hartford), Stamford, Torrington, and Waterbury.

The University of Connecticut School of Law is located in Hartford, the School of Social Work is on the Greater Hartford Campus in West Hartford, and the School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine are both located at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington. There is a downtown Hartford branch that houses teaching and research facilities for the School of Business.

Health Center Campus

The University of Connecticut Health Center campus in Farmington is home to the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, John Dempsey Hospital and faculty practices in medical and dental health care. [46][47]

The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, which is housed at the University of Connecticut Health Center, was one of eight federally-funded National Network of Libraries of Medicine libraries from 1991–2001.

Avery Point Campus

The Avery Point (Groton) Campus was formerly the summer estate of Morton Plant, a railroad, steamship and hotel magnate. Branford House, the mansion overlooking Long Island Sound, was reportedly worth $3 million when it was completed in 1904. Also located on the estate was a caretaker's house (the current police station) and a barn and horse stable (the current physical plant buildings). The estate included what is now the Shennecossett Public Golf Course located just north of the campus.

The Plant estate was turned over to the State of Connecticut in the 1930s. During World War II, it was leased to the Coast Guard as a training center. During that period, the Coast Guard built the present cinder block buildings. In 1967, the estate was converted to the Southeastern Campus of the University of Connecticut, later renamed the University of Connecticut at Avery Point.

In the last few years, the Avery Point campus has undergone a major transformation. Included in a recent $50 million renovation project is a new Marine Sciences and technology building, the renovation of the Branford House, the gym, and classrooms in the Academic Building, a new Project Oceanology building, a new research vessel and new landscaping for our campus-by-the-sea.

Students have access to classes for all UConn's traditional majors as well as the Bachelor of General Studies. In addition to the Bachelor of General Studies degree, there are three other majors that students are able to complete at the Avery Point campus. Coastal Studies is a new marine-science based major, Maritime Studies is a humanities based major focused on marine topics, and American Studies deals with all aspects of the Western Hemisphere. All this plus dedicated faculty and staff and small class size provides students who choose Avery Point a unique experience and a quality education.

Greater Hartford Campus

UConn's Greater Hartford campus, as its name indicates, serves a broad section of the area’s populace. Opened in 1939 in the City of Hartford, the University of Connecticut’s Greater Hartford Campus moved in 1970 to its present park-like location in West Hartford. The Greater Hartford Campus offers students from the Hartford Metropolitan Region the flexibility of balancing family, work, and other personal commitments while receiving the full benefit of the University of Connecticut’s high quality education and resources.

The Greater Hartford Campus offers a wide range of Liberal Arts and Sciences courses and degrees to over 2000 undergraduate and more than 600 graduate students. Students pursue undergraduate degrees in American Studies, Business and Technology, Business Administration, General Studies, Human Development and Family Studies, Individualized Studies, Psychology, and Urban and Community Studies. The Center for Continuing Studies provides a number of certificate program options, in addition to the Bachelor of General Studies, an interdisciplinary degree program tailored to meet individual needs and goals of returning, non-traditional, part-time adult students. Due to the Greater Hartford Campus’ proximity to the State Capitol and legislative offices, the University’s Department of Public Policy is based on the Greater Hartford Campus and offers a Master of Arts in Survey Research and a Master of Public Administration, as well as certificate programs. The University’s School of Social Work is also located at the Greater Hartford Campus and offers a Master of Social Work and Ph.D in Social Work. GHC also offers the popular one-year Master of Education with Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates.

Located on a 58-acre (230,000 m²) campus, the Greater Hartford facilities include the Harleigh B. Trecker Library, which is fully integrated with and linked to the University Library System, including Storrs, all Regional Campuses, the Law School, and the UConn Health Center; a state- of-the-art Information Technology Center which features high-tech computer labs and distance learning facilities; the Writing and Quantitative Center, a peaceful study environment for tutorial help and assistance in Writing, Math, Accounting, Chemistry, Biology and Statistics; the UConn Co-op; and an art gallery. The Hartford County Cooperative Extension Center delivers objective, research-based information to help manage resources in the community.

The Greater Hartford Campus serves the Metropolitan Region through extensive community outreach programs which connect the university with those who are underrepresented or disadvantaged in the community. Through on-going partnerships with schools, businesses, government, national and neighborhood organizations, GHC outreach provides hands-on learning experiences and serves as a model of community service, opportunity, and success for urban campuses.

Torrington Campus

The University of Connecticut at Torrington was founded in 1957; it opened on its own campus in 1965 with the construction in a quiet rural setting in the western outskirts of the city. The 100-acre (0.40 km²) campus consists of the M. Adela Eads Classroom Building (named after the late long-time Senate Republican Leader, a champion of the campus) and the Litchfield County Extension Service Building. The facility includes several high-tech classrooms, a learning center, an art studio, computer rooms, a UConn-Co-op bookstore, at 250-seat auditorium, a student lounge, and a cafeteria. The Julia Brooker Thompson Library comprises a collection of about 17,000 books and videos and 20 print journals and newspapers. Approximately 400 students matriculate at the campus, enjoying a student-faculty ratio of about 10 to 1. UConn Torrington offers six undergraduate degree programs: American Studies, Human Development and Family Studies, General Studies, Business and Technology, and Urban and Community Studies. Also noteworthy is the Litchfield County Writers Project, a focus for cultural activity in the region. Since 2009, UConn Torrington has been the site of the northwest Connecticut regional competition for History Day. It has also sponsored Locally Grown History, a program designed to showcase the historical and cultural treasures and organizations of the region. The campus's Academic Plan (drafted in 2007) envisions an increasing focus on the arts and humanities. Dr. Michael Menard serves as campus director.

Waterbury Campus

The University of Connecticut's Waterbury campus serves more than 1,000 students annually. In its sixty years of operation, UConn Waterbury has opened the doors to educational access and excellence to thousands of Connecticut residents, many of whom have distinguished themselves in the fields of community service, business, education, law and politics. Today, the campus is located in a modern, state-of-the art facility in the heart of downtown Waterbury.

Students at UConn Waterbury enjoy smaller classes and a more intimate campus environment. With a low student to faculty ratio, students are able to engage in frequent classroom discussions with the school's distinguished faculty. Professors come from diverse academic backgrounds and are actively involved in scholarly research. Many serve as student advisors and mentors. Uconn Waterbury offers a variety of campus resources and support services. Students can use the library, writing center, math center, peer tutoring assistance, computer labs and counseling services.

Through the generous support of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI), the Waterbury campus houses the OLLI at UCONN program which is an academic cooperative that provides mature adults 50 and over with opportunities for intellectual development, cultural stimulation and social interaction. The programs are centered around classes developed and taught by members who volunteer their time and talents to share their knowledge and interests with other members. A diversified program of courses is offered from the fields of art, computers, culture and language, health and wellness, history, horticulture, literature and writing, math and science, music, performing arts, personal development, social sciences, visual arts, and more.

Institute for Teaching & Learning

The members of the Institute install and maintain high-technology and distance learning classrooms as well as provide guidance on curriculum design and delivery. Faculty can drop by the Instructional Resource Center for help on the university’s learning management system HuskyCT or to develop an electronic portfolio. The Media Designers shoot photography, print posters and produce video for classroom instruction.

Student life

Approximately 75% of all students, including many graduate students, live on campus. The university sponsors many events throughout the year for its students, and also oversees more than 300 student organizations available at UConn for both undergraduates and graduate students.

There is a wide variety of student organizations on campus, including fraternities and sororities, musical groups, and religious, athletic, political, cultural, business, military, artistic, and community service clubs. There are also student organizations set up with the intent of governing student life itself, such as the Student Union Board of Governors, the Undergraduate Student Government, the InterFraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, UConnPIRG, Residence Hall Association, and the various residence hall councils. The university also has a daily student-run newspaper, The Daily Campus, which is the largest student newspaper in the state of Connecticut. As well as the newspaper, the university has a Huskyvision cable network, channels 14 and 16 at the university. Channel 14 is UCTV, a cable TV network consisting of student-made Public-access television shows. Channel 16 is the UConn Movie Channel, showing recent and not-so-recent movies almost all-day long.

As with most rural schools, most area activities are held on campus, though the university provides free bus transportation to many area events and also arranges frequent bus trips to Boston, Manhattan, and the Connecticut shoreline. Some students, however, express displeasure with the rural location of the campus, leading it to be ranked #13 on the 2005 Princeton Review list of schools with more to do on campus than off.

Spring Weekend

The annual Spring Weekend concert has attracted top artists and bands such as Outkast and Third Eye Blind in 2000, Guster and Nelly in 2001, Fat Joe and Nine Days in 2002, 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes in 2003, Ludacris and Kanye West in 2004, Nas and Fabolous in 2005, O.A.R. in 2006, Dashboard Confessional, Reel Big Fish and The Starting Line in 2007, Method Man, Redman, Flo-Rida, and T-Pain in 2008, 50 Cent and Naughty by Nature in 2009, Jack's Mannequin and KiD CuDi in 2010, and most recently, B.o.B and Far East Movement in 2011. It is also known for sizable outdoor parties that typically draw well over 10,000 attendees, particularly at one of its parking lots (X-Lot), and the privately-owned Celeron and Carriage House apartments, located less than a mile off campus.

Some of these parties have led to near-riot situations, characterized by incidents of property destruction and unruliness requiring a sizable police presence every year, thereby giving Spring Weekend a degree of local notoriety. In order to give students more alternative options during that weekend, the Spring Weekend committee advertises all the events occurring for the UConn community. It should be noted that the vast majority of incidents of property destruction and unruliness are perpetrated by individuals not associated with the university (non-students who come to the university for the weekend festivities)

Greek life

Since 2003, the University has taken much stronger steps towards producing a quality fraternity and sorority experience with the addition of university-operated Greek housing in the "Husky Village" area atop Horsebarn Hill and the hiring of a full time staff to deal with fraternity and sorority operations. Currently, 30 Greek organizations have chapters at UConn.

Athletics

Main article: Connecticut Huskies

Outside and inside of Gampel Pavilion, where some of the 40,000 prospective students who tour the campus each year are shown the Women's Basketball championship banners

UConn's sports teams, known as the Huskies, participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big East Conference, except for the men's hockey program, which competes in Atlantic Hockey, and women's hockey, which is a member of Hockey East. Many UConn athletes, including Darin Lewis, Damani Ralph, Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor, Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong. Caron Butler, Jake Voskuhl, Marcus Williams, Clifford Robinson, Kevin Ollie, Donyell Marshall, Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva, Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Nykesha Sales, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams, Kara Wolters, Asjha Jones, Svetlana Abrosimova, Jennifer Rizzotti, and Footballer Dan Orlovsky, have gone on to success in professional sports.

Approximately 69% of all UConn student-athletes graduate from the university, and almost 50% maintain a 3.0 GPA. The women's lacrosse team had the second-highest team GPA in the country in 2004, and numerous UConn student-athletes, including former basketball star Emeka Okafor, have been named Academic All-Americans. In 2003, the football team was also honored for being one of only seven schools in the U.S. to graduate 80% or better of its members; it was the only public school on the list.

UConn is best known for having its men's and women's basketball teams consistently ranked in or near the top 10 in the nation in their respective divisions. The men's team won NCAA Division I titles in 1999, 2004 and 2011 led to victory by Kemba Walker and the women have won in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, and 2010. In 2004, the University of Connecticut became the first and only Division I school to win National Championships in both men's and women's basketball during the same year. Additionally, UConn is a perfect 9-0 in National Championship games played. The women's basketball team went undefeated in the 1995, 2002, 2009 & 2010 seasons. The Huskies won their 89th consecutive game on December 21, 2010. The team holds the record for consecutive wins with 90.

In addition to its basketball success, UConn is known for its championship soccer teams, which have the highest average attendance in the nation for both men's and women's teams. The men's team has been the national champion three times (1948, 1981, and 2000), while the women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA National Championship title game in 1984, 1990, 1997, and 2003.

UConn also is a national power in Field Hockey, having advanced to the Final Four 9 times and winning the National Championship in 1981 and 1985.

UConn football moved up to Division I-A status in 2000 and became a full Big East member in 2004. The Huskies had their first bowl victory in the 2004 Motor City Bowl. In 2007, the football team recorded their first national ranking, climbing as high as 13th in the BCS standings.

Other intercollegiate sports offered are baseball, men's and women's track and field/cross country, field hockey, men's golf, women's rowing, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, and women's volleyball.

Symbols

Written by Herbert France in the late 1940s, the lyrics to UConn Husky are as follows:

UConn Husky, symbol of might to the foe

Fight, fight Connecticut / It's victory, let's go (let's go!)

Connecticut UConn Husky,

Do it again for the white and blue

So go (fight!) – go (fight!) – go (fight!) – go!

Connecticut, Connecticut U (Spell it!)

C – O – N – N – E – C – T – I – C – U – T, Connecticut

Connecticut Husky, Connecticut Husky

C – O – N – N – U (Fight!)

(repeat)

Until 1933, the mascot of UConn had been the Aggies. This was because of the original agricultural nature of the University. In 1933, the University changed its name from Connecticut Agricultural College to Connecticut State College. To reflect this change, athletic teams were known as the Statesmen. In December 1934, the Husky was chosen as the mascot. All UConn huskies are named Jonathan in honor of Jonathan Trumbull, and all but the first, a brown and white husky, have been white with one brown eye and one blue eye. The current "real" Jonathan is Jonathan XIII; he is often seen greeting fans and eating dog biscuits at sporting events. Jonathan is one of the few university mascots in the nation to have been selected by students via a popular poll.

"Jonathan's" was the name of a fast food restaurant in the south end of the Student Union building until that section was closed for construction. A statue of Jonathan can also be found outside near the entrances to Gampel Pavilion and the natatorium. This statue, by artist Larry Waisele, was dedicated in 1995. Students are known to rub its nose for good luck, though it is also common to see students climbing on top of the statue to "ride" it.

The UConn fight song, officially titled UConn Husky but commonly called The Husky Fight Song, is one of the most recognizable in the country, due in large part to its frequent playing by the Pride of Connecticut during nationally televised sporting events.

A Macromedia audio presentation of UConn Husky is available on the UConn Alumni Association website. A full history of the song can be found on the UConn Advance website.

The colors of UConn are white and national flag blue, though small amounts of red often appear on athletic uniforms. The Pantone standard for the exact shade of blue used is #281.

The visual symbol of the university is the oak tree, which is also the state tree of Connecticut. This is because the Latin word for oak, robur, also refers to moral and physical strength. The oak leaf appears on the university symbol and next to the word UConn on official letterhead.

Facilities

Utilities

The swimming pool in UConn Student Recreational Facility, which is open during most of the weekdays.

Because it is situated in a fairly rural area, the UConn campus at Storrs has facilities that allow it to be virtually self-sufficient. All heat on campus is steam, and where possible sidewalks were laid over the underground connectors to keep the snow off. In 2005, a cogeneration plant was activated, which generates most of the electricity for the campus, and uses the exhaust steam for the campus central heating system.

There is also a waste treatment plant, and a water filtration plant which is supplied by the nearby Mansfield Hollow reservoir. Like many UConn facilities, these three are also used for live research and as test environments for students who are engaged in related fields.

Libraries

The University of Connecticut Libraries form the largest public research collection in the state of Connecticut.

The main library is the Homer D. Babbidge Library, formerly the Nathan Hale Library, at the Storrs campus, which underwent a $3 million renovation that was completed in 1998, making it then the largest public research library in New England. The Storrs campus is also home to the university's Music and Pharmacy libraries, as well as the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, home to the university's archives and special collections, including university records, rare books, and manuscript collections. Each of the regional campuses also have their own libraries, including the Jeremy Richard Library at UConn-Stamford and the Trecker Library in West Hartford. These libraries are tied into the Babbidge library through a shared catalogue.

The Babbidge-based collection, which places UConn among the top 30 universities in the nation for both library holdings and funding, contains more than 2.5 million print volumes; approximately 2,500 current print periodicals; more than 35,000 unique electronic journals available through the eJournal locator; 2.8 million units of microform; 180,000 maps at the Map and Geographic Information Center (New England's largest public map collection); thousands of electronic books; and an array of free electronic information sources. The UCL also license approximately 265 electronic search databases, many of which contain the full-text of research journals, monographs, and historic documents. Members of the UConn community can access these resources from off-campus by logging in to the VPN with their netID and password.

The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, which is housed at the University of Connecticut Health Center, was one of eight federally-funded National Network of Libraries of Medicine libraries from 1991–2001. The University of Connecticut School of Law houses the School of Law Library at its campus in Hartford. The Stowe and Law libraries have catalogues separate from the Babbidge system, making the total library holdings of the University of Connecticut much higher than the 2.5 million print volumes of Babbidge.

The University of Connecticut Health Center.

Additionally, UConn is the home of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, which is the world's most comprehensive survey and public opinion data library.

In addition to their own libraries, UConn participates in outside library consortia, including the New England Law Library Consortium. The Dodd Research Center has also formed a partnership with the African National Congress to share materials with South African scholars.

Athletics

The most notable athletic facilities are:

• Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on the Storrs campus, the regular home for both men's and women's basketball
• XL Center in Hartford, the second home for both basketball teams
• Rentschler Field in East Hartford, home to the football team

Improvement projects

UConn 2000 was a public-private partnership to rebuild, renew and enhance the University of Connecticut from 1995 to 2005. It was paid for by the State of Connecticut, UConn's students, and private donations. UConn 2000 was enacted by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1995 and signed into law by Governor John G. Rowland. The construction projects were overseen by President Philip E. Austin. The legislature continued the construction investment through 21st Century UConn. Several projects resulted in financial problems and many of the new buildings had fire code violations. These problems were investigated by a special committee organized by Governor Jodi Rell.

21st Century UConn is the continuation of UConn 2000 and is another billion dollar construction investment by the state of Connecticut to upgrade facilities at the University of Connecticut. It passed the Connecticut General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor Rowland in 2002. By the time of the project's completion, every building on campus will be either new or completely renovated. Money has also been put into the regional and satellite campuses, such as the new School of Business facility in downtown Hartford.

University people

Main article: List of University of Connecticut people

References

• Susan Shackelford; Grundy, Pamela (2005). Shattering the Glass: The Dazzling History of Women's Basketball from the Turn of the Century to the Present. New York: New Press. ISBN 1-56584-822-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links

• Official website
• Official Athletics website