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The University of Michigan
File:Umichigan color seal.gif
MottoArtes, Scientia, Veritas ("Arts, Knowledge, Truth")
TypeFlagship
Public
Sea-grant
Space-grant
Established1817
EndowmentUS $7.1 billion[1]
PresidentMary Sue Coleman
Academic staff
6,238
Students41,042
Undergraduates26,083
Postgraduates14,959
Location,
Campus3,176 acres (12.85 km2)
Total: 20,965 acres (84.84 km2), including arboretum
SportsWolverines
ColorsMaize and Blue            
NicknameU of M, Michigan, Wolverines
Websitewww.umich.edu
University of Michigan "Block M"

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (U of M, UM, U-M or simply Michigan) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Michigan. The university was founded in 1817 in Detroit, about 20 years before the territory of Michigan officially became a state, and moved to Ann Arbor in 1837. Today, it is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan system, which now has two satellite campuses, the University of Michigan, Flint and the University of Michigan, Dearborn.

The school is internationally renowned for its academics. In its last published survey in 1995, the National Research Council ranked UM 3rd in the United States in a study that aggregated evaluations of 41 graduate disciplines.[2] In 2007, U-M produced the highest number of Fulbright awards for any American University, surpassing both Yale and Harvard.[3] The university also has one of the largest research expenditures of any American university and one of the largest number of living alumni at 420,000.[4] The university owns one of the most well-regarded academic medical centers in the United States, the University of Michigan Health System.[5] UM is recognized for its history of student activism and its athletic teams, notably in football, men's basketball, and ice hockey. It is considered as one of the original eight Public Ivys.[6]

Despite being a public institution, the University of Michigan is known for its high student fees; in 2007, tuition for out-of-state students was the most expensive in the country.[7]. However, in 2008, Michigan reclaimed its status in Kiplinger's as the 16th best value in public education. The university has also been at the center of a national controversy involving the use of affirmative action in admissions. Though the university successfully affirmed before the U.S. Supreme Court that consideration of race as a factor in admissions to universities was constitutional for the holistic Law School admissions process in 2003,[8] the Supreme Court also expressed an opinion on the degree to which race could be used by striking down the policy for undergraduate admissions in a separate court case. The former policy automatically awarded 20 points to underrepresented minority applicants in its points-based system.[9] Michigan voters responded by approving restrictions on affirmative action in public universities and governmental hiring in November 2006, forcing the university to cease using race and gender as criteria for admissions.[10]

History

The University of Michigan, was established in Detroit in 1817 as the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania, by the governor and judges of Michigan Territory. Ann Arbor had set aside 40 acres (16 ha) that it hoped would become the site for a new state capitol, but it offered this land to the university when Lansing was chosen as the state capital. The university moved to Ann Arbor in 1837. The original 40 acres became part of the current Central Campus. The first classes in Ann Arbor were held in 1841, with six freshmen and a sophomore, taught by two professors. Eleven students graduated in the first commencement in 1845. By 1866, enrollment increased to 1,205 students, many of whom were Civil War veterans. Women were first admitted in 1870, making UM the first major university to do so (and the third college overall, after Oberlin College in 1833 and Lawrence University in 1847). James B. Angell, who served as the university's president from 1871 to 1909, aggressively expanded UM's curriculum to include professional studies in dentistry, architecture, engineering, government, and medicine. UM also became the first American university to use the seminar method of study.[11]

The Central Campus Diag, viewed from the Graduate Library, looking North.

From 1900 to 1920 many new facilities were constructed on campus, including facilities for the dental and pharmacy programs, a chemistry building, a building for the natural sciences, Hill Auditorium, large hospital and library complexes, and two residential halls. The university fortified its reputation for research in 1920 by reorganizing the College of Engineering and forming an advisory committee of 100 industrialists to guide academic research initiatives. Michigan's reputation as an elite national university also began to grow at this time. It became a favorite alternative choice for Jewish students from New York in the 1920s and 1930s when the Ivy League schools were applying a quota to the number of Jews to be admitted.[12] As a result, UM gained the nickname "Harvard of the West," which became commonly parodied in reverse after John F. Kennedy referred to himself as "a graduate of the Michigan of the East, Harvard University" in his speech proposing the formation of the Peace Corps.[13]

During World War II, UM's research grew to include U.S. Navy projects such as proximity fuzes, PT boats, and radar jamming. By 1950, enrollment had reached 21,000, of whom 7,700 were veterans supported by the G.I. Bill. As the Cold War and the Space Race took hold, UM became a major recipient of government grants for strategic research and helped to develop peacetime uses for nuclear energy. At present, much of that work, as well as research into alternative energy sources, is pursued via the Memorial Phoenix Project.[14]

On October 14, 1960, Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy proposed the concept of what became the Peace Corps on the steps of Michigan Union.[15] Lyndon B. Johnson's speech outlining his Great Society program also occurred at UM.[15] Also during the 1960s, UM saw many protests by student groups. On March 24, 1965, a group of UM faculty members and 3,000 students held the nation's first ever faculty-led "teach-in" to protest against American policy in Southeast Asia.[16][17] In response to a series of sit-ins in 1966 by Voice–the campus political party of Students for a Democratic Society–UM's administration banned sit-ins. This stimulated 1,500 students to conduct a further one-hour sit-in in the administration building. Former UM student and noted architect Alden B. Dow designed the Fleming Administration Building which was completed in 1968. The building still houses the offices of the University president, and its narrow windows, all located above the first floor, and fortress-like exterior led to a campus rumor (that still persists) that it was designed to be riot-proof. Dow denied those rumors, claiming the small windows were designed to be energy efficient. The administration at that time was located in the LSA Building which didn't have air conditioning, and its large windows allowed too much heat to enter during the summer and escape during the winter. The plans for it in were drawn the early 1960s, before student activism prompted a concern for safety. The ideal design would have been a long, low building with small windows, but the lack of space between the Michigan Union and the Student Activities Building required a small building footprint and taller structure. [1]


Law Quadrangle

During the 1970s, severe budget constraints challenged the university's physical development; however, the 1980s saw a surge in funds devoted to research in the social and physical sciences. Meanwhile, the university's involvement in the anti-missile Strategic Defense Initiative and investments in South Africa caused controversy on campus. During the 1980s and 1990s, the university devoted substantial resources to renovating its massive hospital complex and improving the academic facilities on the North Campus. The university also emphasized the development of computer and information technology throughout the campus.

In the early 2000s, UM also faced declining state funding due to state budget shortfalls. At the same time, the university attempted to maintain its high academic standing while keeping tuition costs affordable. There were also disputes between UM's administration and labor unions, notably with the Lecturers' Employees Organization (LEO) and the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), the union representing graduate student employees. These conflicts led to a series of one-day walkouts by the unions and their supporters.[18]

The Lawyer's Club

In 2003, two lawsuits involving UM's affirmative action admissions policy reached the U.S. Supreme Court (Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger). President George W. Bush took the unusual step of publicly opposing the policy before the court issued a ruling. The court found that race may be considered as a factor in university admissions in all public universities and private universities that accept federal funding. However, a point system was ruled as being unconstitutional. In the first case, the court upheld the Law School admissions policy, while in the second it ruled against the university's undergraduate admissions policy. The debate still continues, however, because in November 2006 Michigan voters passed proposal 2, banning most affirmative action in university admissions. Under that law race, gender, and national origin can no longer be considered in admissions.[10] UM and other organizations were granted a stay from implementation of the passed proposal soon after that election, and this has allowed time for proponents of affirmative action to decide legal and constitutional options in response to the election results. The university has stated it plans to continue to challenge the ruling; in the meantime, the admissions office states that it will attempt to achieve a diverse student body by looking at other factors such as whether the student attended a disadvantaged school, and the level of education of the student's parents.[10]

The August 1, 2006, publication of The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students highlighted the University of Michigan as one of the 20 best campuses for LGBT students.[19] The guide acknowledged colleges and universities across the United States for making strides toward the advancement and integration of LGBT individuals via a wide variety of student support groups, resources, events, policies, and other efforts to create for them an overall exceptional educational climate.

Academic profile

Central Campus: Angell Hall, one of the major buildings of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

The university has 26,083 undergraduate and 14,959 graduate students [20] in 600 academic programs, and each year about 5,400 new students are enrolled. Students come from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries.[21] 98% of the university's incoming class of 2006 earned a high school GPA of 3.0 and higher, while the middle 50% of the incoming class earned a high school GPA of 3.60 to 3.90.[22][23] The middle 50% of applicants reported an SAT score of about 1920–2180 and an ACT score of 27–31, with AP credit granted to over 3000 freshmen students.[24] About 22% of newly-enrolled undergraduates and 25% of all undergraduates are members of ethnic minority groups.[23]

About 65% of undergraduate students are enrolled in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LS&A), while the College of Engineering has about 20%. Fewer than 3% of undergraduate students are enrolled in the Ross School of Business. The rest of the undergraduate students are enrolled in the smaller schools, including the School of Kinesiology, School of Nursing, the School of Natural Resources and Environment, and the School of Art and Design.[25] Most graduate students are enrolled in the Rackham Graduate School, the College of Engineering, the Law School, the Ross School of Business, and the Medical School. The Medical School is partnered with the University of Michigan Health System, which comprises the University's three hospitals, dozens of outpatient clinics, and many centers for medical care, research, and education. Other academic units include the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and the Schools of Dentistry, Education, Information, Music, Theatre & Dance, Natural Resources and Environment, Public Health, and Social Work, of which Social Work has been ranked first by the U.S. News and World Report every year since 1994.[26]

There are over 6,200 faculty members, 73 of whom are members of the National Academy, and 435 of whom hold an endowed chair in their discipline.[27] The university routinely leads in the number of Fulbright Scholars in the late 1990s and 2000s,[28][29][30][31][32] and has also matriculated 25 Rhodes Scholars.[33]

In one recent rankings summary, more than 70% of UM's 200 major programs, departments, and schools were ranked in the top 10 in the nation.[34] The 2008 U.S. News and World Report ranks UM 25th among all American universities and 3rd among public universities.[35] In its 2007 annual college rankings, The Washington Monthly ranks UM sixth nationally with criteria based on research, community service, and social mobility.[36] Newsweek International rates UM 11th globally based on "openness and diversity" as well as "distinction in research".[37] Similarly, the 2007 edition of the Fiske Rankings rates UM with "5 Stars"—reserved for only those universities of the highest academic quality. Furthermore, UM's academic reputation has led to its inclusion on Richard Moll's list of Public Ivies.[38]

A concern about academics at UM is the high level of educational expenses for a public institution, especially for out-of-state undergraduate students, who pay between US $31,301 and $36,352 annually for tuition alone. In 2005, out-of-state tuition at UM was the most expensive in the United States for a public college or university.[39] Conversely, in-state undergraduate students paid between US $10,447 and $14,442 annually.[40] Notwithstanding the quoted tuition levels, the university is attempting to increase financial aid availability to students. To that end, the university has, built as part of its larger university campaign, a greater than US $1.4 billion endowment in order to support aid to students .[41][42]

Research and endowment

Biomedical Science Research Building at the UM Medical School.

The university is one of the founding members (1900) of the Association of American Universities, the nation's most significant consortium of research universities. The university has one of the largest annual research expenditures of any university in the United States, totaling about US $775 million per annum from 2004 to 2005, and US $797 million in 2006, and $823 million as of year end 2007.[43] The Medical School spent the most at over US $333 million, while the College of Engineering was second at more than $131 million.[43] UM also has a technology transfer office, which is the university conduit between laboratory research and corporate commercialization interests.

UM helped develop one of the first university computer networks (the Merit Network) and has made major contributions to the mathematics of information theory. Other major contributions included the precursor to the National Science Foundation computer networking backbone,[44] the virtual memory model, and computer databases. The university is also a major contributor to the medical field with the EKG, gastroscope, the announcement of Jonas Salk's polio vaccine, and the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system or ECMO. The university's 13,000 acre (53 km²) biological station in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan is one of only 47 Biosphere Reserves in the United States.[45]

UM is home to the National Election Studies and the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index. Political scientists and policy analysts use UM's Correlates of War project as a gauge of nations' relative global power and a barometer for the outbreak of war. The university is also home to major research centers in optics, reconfigurable manufacturing systems, wireless integrated microsystems, and social sciences. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute is located at the university, and support was recently given to the life sciences with the establishment of the Life Sciences Institute and the construction of associated facilities. Undergraduate students are able to participate in various research projects through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) as well as the UROP/Creative-Programs.[46]

UM's financial endowment (the "University Endowment Fund") was valued at $5.65 billion in NACUBO's 2006 ranking.[1] It is the seventh largest endowment in the U.S. and the third-largest among U.S public universities, as well as the fastest growing endowment in the nation over the last 21 years.[47] The endowment is primarily used according to the donors' wishes, which include the support of teaching and research. In mid-2000, UM embarked on a massive fund-raising campaign called "The Michigan Difference," which aimed to raise $2.5 billion, with $800 million dollars designated for the permanent endowment.[48] Slated to run through December 2008, the university announced that the campaign had reached its target 19 months early in May 2007.[49]

Libraries and museums

Law School Library reading room

The UM library system comprises 19 individual libraries with 24 separate collections—roughly 8.27 million volumes, growing at the rate of 177,000 volumes a year.[50] In the most recent academic year for which such figures are released (2005), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) — using a variety of metrics — ranked UM's library system as one of the top academic library systems in the U.S.[51]

UM was the original home of the JSTOR database, which contains about 750,000 digitized pages from the entire pre-1990 backfile of ten journals of history and economics. The University recently initiated a book digitization program in collaboration with Google. As of August 31, 2006, UM has rolled out the first phase of the Google archive retrieval.[52]

Two prominent libraries, the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library and the Shapiro Undergraduate Library (also called the UGLi, which is officially an acronym but was used by students as a reference to the building's uninspired appearance prior to its recent renovation), are on Central Campus and are connected by a skywalk. The Duderstadt Center on North Campus houses books on art, architecture, and engineering. The Duderstadt Center also contains multiple computer labs, video editing studios, and a 3D virtual reality room. North Campus is also home to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and the Bentley Historical Library.

The UM Museum of Art on Central Campus.

The University of Michigan is home to a number of museums, whose focuses include archeology, anthropology, paleontology, zoology, dentistry, and art. The natural history public collections are housed at the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History, which displays items from the collections of the paleontology, zoology, and anthropology museums. The Exhibit Museum also holds the largest display of dinosaur specimens in Michigan, as well as specimens of the state fossil, the mastodon (the only such display in the world containing adult male and female specimens: the Buesching and Owosso mastodons).[53] Another major university museum is the University of Michigan Museum of Art, with a permanent collection of European, American, Middle Eastern, Asian, and African items, and temporary exhibits on a wide variety of subjects.

Campus

File:UM AA.png
Locations of the three main U-M campuses in Ann Arbor

The Ann Arbor campus is divided into four main areas: the North, Central, Medical, and South Campuses. The physical infrastructure includes more than 500 major buildings, with a combined area of more than 29 million square feet (664 acres or 2.69 km²).[54] The campus also consists of leased space in buildings scattered throughout the city, many occupied by organizations affiliated with the University of Michigan Health System. An East Medical Campus has recently been developed on Plymouth Road, with several university-owned buildings for outpatient care, diagnostics, and outpatient surgery.

In addition to the UM Golf Course on South Campus, the university operates a second golf course called "Radrick Farms Golf Course" on Geddes Road. The golf course is only open to faculty, staff, and alumni.[55] Another off-campus facility is the Inglis House, which the university has owned since the 1950s. The Inglis House is a 10,000 square foot (930 m²) mansion used to hold various social events, including meetings of the board of regents, and to host visiting dignitaries.[56] The university also operates a large office building called Wolverine Tower in southern Ann Arbor near Briarwood Mall. Another major facility is the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, which is located on the eastern outskirts of Ann Arbor.

All four campus areas are connected by bus services, the majority of which connect the North and Central Campuses. There is a shuttle service connecting the University Hospital, which lies between North and Central Campuses, with other medical facilities throughout northeastern Ann Arbor.[57] The Central and South Campus areas are contiguous, while the North Campus area is separated from them, primarily by the Huron River.

Central Campus

Hill Auditorium, Burton Tower, and the Rackham Building

Central Campus was the original location of UM when it moved to Ann Arbor in 1837. It originally had a school and dormitory building (where Mason Hall now stands) and several houses for professors on land bounded by North University Avenue, South University Avenue, East University Avenue, and State Street.[58] Because Ann Arbor and Central Campus developed simultaneously, there is no distinct boundary between the city and university, and some areas contain a mixture of private and university buildings. Central Campus is the location of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, and is immediately adjacent to the medical campus. Most of the graduate and professional schools, including the Ross School of Business and the Law School, are on Central Campus. Ten of the buildings on Central Campus were designed by Detroit-based architect Albert Kahn between 1904 and 1936. The most notable of the Kahn-designed buildings are the Burton Memorial Tower and nearby Hill Auditorium.[59]

North Campus

File:UMNorthCampus.jpg
Much of North Campus has a modern architectural style.

North Campus is the most contiguous campus, built independently from the city on a large plot of farm land — approximately 800 acres (3.25 km²) — that the university bought in 1952.[60] It is newer than Central Campus, and thus has more modern architecture, whereas most Central Campus buildings are classical or gothic in style. The architect Eero Saarinen, based in Birmingham, Michigan, created one of the early master plans for North Campus and designed several of its buildings in the 1950s, including the Earl V. Moore School of Music Building.[61] North and Central Campuses each have unique bell towers that reflect the predominant architectural styles of their surroundings. Each of the bell towers houses a grand carillon.

North Campus houses the College of Engineering, the Schools of Music, Theater & Dance, and Art and Design, the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and an annex of the School of Information. Each summer, the computer labs, residence, and dining halls of North Campus are used to host Camp CAEN, the College of Engineering's summer computer camp for high school students.

South Campus

South Campus is the site for the athletic programs, including major sports facilities, such as Michigan Stadium, Crisler Arena, and Yost Ice Arena. South Campus is also the site of the Buhr library storage facility (the collections of which are undergoing digitization by Google), the Institute for Continuing Legal Education, and the Student Theatre Arts Complex, which provides shop and rehearsal space for student theatre groups. The university's departments of public safety and transportation services offices are located on South Campus.

UM's golf course is located south of Michigan Stadium and Crisler Arena. It was designed in the late 1920s by Alister MacKenzie, the designer of Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia (home of The Masters Tournament).[62] The course opened to the public in the spring of 1931. The University of Michigan Golf Course was included in a listing of top holes designed by what Sports Illustrated calls “golf’s greatest course architect.” The UM Golf Course’s signature No. 6 hole — a 310-yard (280 m) par 4, which plays from an elevated tee to a two-tiered, kidney-shaped green protected by four bunkers — is the second hole on the Alister MacKenzie Dream 18 as selected by a five-person panel that includes three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo and golf course architect Tom Doak. The listing of “the best holes ever designed by Augusta National architect Alister MacKenzie” is featured in SI’s Golf Plus special edition previewing the Masters in April 4, 2006.

Athletics

The University of Michigan's sports teams are called the Wolverines. They participate in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (formally Division I-A) and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey, which is a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. In seven of the past ten years, UM has finished in the top five of the NACDA Director's Cup, a ranking compiled by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to tabulate the success of universities in competitive sports. UM has finished in the top eleven of the Directors' Cup standings in each of the award's twelve seasons and has placed in the top six in each of the last eight seasons.[63]

A football game at Michigan Stadium

The UM football program ranks first in NCAA history in both total wins (860) and winning percentage (.745).[64] The team won the first Rose Bowl game in 1902, and has the longest current streak of consecutive bowl game appearances. The last year in which UM did not appear in a bowl was 1974, which was also the last season in which Big Ten teams other than the champion were not eligible for bowls; UM's last losing season was in 1967. The Wolverines have won a record 42 Big Ten championships, including five in the past decade. The program has eleven national championships, most recently in 1997,[65] and has produced three Heisman Trophy winners: Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson.[66]

Michigan Stadium is the largest college football-only stadium in the world, with an official capacity of more than 107,501 (the extra seat is said to be "reserved" for Fritz Crisler[67]) though attendance—frequently over 111,000 spectators—regularly exceeds the official capacity.[68] The NCAA's record-breaking attendance has become commonplace at Michigan Stadium, especially since the arrival of head coach Bo Schembechler. UM has fierce rivalries with many teams, including Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, the latter of which has been referred to by ESPN as the greatest rivalry in American sports, along with the Notre Dame-USC and Army-Navy rivalries.[69] UM has all-time winning records against Michigan State University, University of Notre Dame, and Ohio State University.[70]

The men's ice hockey team, which plays at Yost Ice Arena, has won nine national championships, while the men's basketball team, which plays at Crisler Arena, has appeared in four Final Fours and won a national championship in 1989. However, the program became involved in a scandal involving payments from a booster during the 1990s. This led to the program being placed on probation for a four-year period. The program also voluntarily vacated victories from its 1992–1993 and 1995–1999 seasons in which the payments took place, as well as its 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances.

Through the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, 178 UM students and coaches had participated in the Olympics, winning medals in every Summer Olympics except 1896, and winning gold medals in all but four Olympiads. UM students have won a total of 116 Olympic medals: 54 gold, 27 silver, and 35 bronze.[71]

Student life

Residential life

Mosher-Jordan Residence Hall

The University of Michigan has the sixth-largest campus housing system in the U.S. and the third-largest family housing operation, accommodating up to 12,562 people.[72] The residence halls are organized into three distinct groups: Central Campus, Hill Area (between Central Campus and the University of Michigan Medical Center) and North Campus. Family housing is located on North Campus and mainly serves graduate students. The largest residence hall has a capacity of 1,277 students, while the smallest accommodates 31 residents.[72] A majority of upper-division and graduate students live in off-campus apartments, houses, and cooperatives, with the largest concentrations in the Central and South Campus areas. The higher cost of living in Ann Arbor has prompted some students to live in nearby communities such as Ypsilanti or Plymouth.

The residential system has a number of "living-learning communities" where academic activities and residential life are combined. These communities focus on areas such as research through the Michigan Research Community, medical sciences, community service and the German language.[73] The Michigan Research Community, usually housed in Mosher-Jordan Hall, is currently located in East Quadrangle (East Quad) due to renovations in its former building. The Residential College (RC), a living-learning community that is a division of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, also has its principal instructional space in East Quad. In 2006, the university approved plans for a new residence complex for 550 students on the northern corner of Central Campus. When completed, this residence complex will comprise a second living-learning community.[74]

Groups and activities

Michigan Union on Central Campus

There are more than 1150 student clubs and organizations at the university.[75] With a history of student activism, some of the most visible groups include those dedicated to causes such as civil rights and labor rights. Two of the most notable of these groups were Students for a Democratic Society, which recently reformed with a new chapter on campus as of February 2007, and the Weather Underground. Though the student body generally leans toward left-wing politics, there are also conservative groups, such as YAF, non-partisan groups such as the Roosevelt Institution, and religious groups like "JAAM" (Jewish Awareness America). Fraternities and sororities, many of which are located east of Central Campus, play a role in the university's social life. Intramural sports are popular, and there are recreation facilities for each of the three campuses.[76] There are also several engineering projects teams, including the University of Michigan Solar Car Team, which placed first in the North American Solar Challenge four times and third in the World Solar Challenge three times.[77] Michigan Interactive Investments, the Nation's largest collegiate investing and finance organization, is also affiliated with the university. The Michigan Economics Society fills the gap that the economics curriculum alone does not fill. The university also showcases many community service organizations and charitable projects, including SERVE, PROVIDES, Circle K, The Detroit Project, Habitat for Humanity,[78] and Ann Arbor Reaching Out.

The Michigan Union and Michigan League are student activity centers located on Central Campus; Pierpont Commons is on North Campus. The Michigan Union houses a majority of student groups, including the student government. The William Monroe Trotter House, located east of Central Campus, is a multicultural student center operated by the university's Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs.[79] The University Activities Center (UAC) is a student-run programming organization and is composed of 15 committees.[80] Each group involves students in the planning and execution of a variety of events both on and off campus.

The Michigan Marching Band, composed of over 350 students from almost all of UM's schools,[81] is the university's marching band. Being over 100 years old,[82] the band performs at every home game and travel to at least one away game a year. The student-run and led University of Michigan Pops Orchestra is another musical ensemble that attracts students from all academic backgrounds. It performs regularly in the Michigan Theater. The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club, founded in 1859, is a men's chorus comprised of over 100 members. Its eight member subset a cappella group, the University of Michigan Friars, which was founded in 1955, is the oldest currently running a cappella group on campus.[83]

The Michigan Daily is the student-run daily newspaper. Founded in 1890, The Daily is published five days a week during the normal academic year, and weekly during the spring and summer terms. Other student publications at the university include the conservative The Michigan Review, the progressive Michigan Independent, the Michigan Journal of Political Science, and the humor publications The Michigan Every Three Weekly and the Gargoyle. WCBN (88.3 FM) is a freeform radio station; WOLV-TV is a student-run television station that is primarily shown on the university's cable television system.

Student government

Anti-Coke banner at the University of Michigan, February 2005. Coca-cola products were briefly banned on campus due to student groups pressure in 2006.

Housed in the Michigan Union, the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) is the central student government of the University. With representatives from each of the University's colleges and schools, the MSA represents students and manages student funds on the campus. The Michigan Student Assembly is a member of the statewide Association of Michigan Universities. In recent years MSA has organized airBus, a transportation service between campus and the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and has led the university's efforts to register its student population to vote, with its Voice Your Vote Commission (VYV) registering 10,000 students in 2004. VYV also works to improve access to non-partisan voting-related information and increase student voter turnout.[84]

There are student governance bodies in each college and school. The two largest colleges at the University of Michigan are the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LS&A) and the College of Engineering. Students in the LS&A are represented by the LS&A Student Government (LSA SG). The University of Michigan Engineering Council (UMEC) manages student government affairs for the College of Engineering. In addition, the students that live in the residence halls are represented by the University of Michigan Residence Halls Association.

A longstanding goal of some members of the student government is to create a student designated seat on the Board of Regents, the university's governing body. Such a designation would achieve parity with other Big Ten schools that have student regents. In 2000, students Nick Waun and Scott Trudeau ran for the board on the state-wide ballot as third-party nominees. Waun ran for a second time in 2002, along with Matt Petering and Susan Fawcett.[85] Although none of these campaigns has so far been successful, a recent poll shows that most students consider student activity fees to be taxation without representation on the board. Another poll conducted by the State of Michigan in 1998 concluded that a majority of Michigan voters would approve of such a position if the measure were put before them. A change to the board's makeup would require amending the Michigan Constitution.[86]

Fight song

The University of Michigan's fight song, The Victors, was written by student Louis Elbel in 1898 following the last-minute football victory over the University of Chicago that clinched a league championship. The song was declared by John Philip Sousa as "the greatest college fight song ever written."[87] The song refers to the university as being the "Champions of the West". At the time, UM was part of the "Western Conference", which would later become the Big Ten Conference. Although mainly used at sporting events, the fight song can be heard at other events that UM competes in. President Gerald Ford had it played as his entrance anthem in preference over the more traditional Hail to the Chief during his term from 1974 to 1977.[88] The fight song is also sung during graduation commencement ceremonies. The university's alma mater song is The Yellow and Blue. A common rally cry is "Let's Go Blue!", written by former students Joseph Carl, a tuba player, and Albert Ahronheim, a drum major.

Notable people and alumni

UM has more than 420,000 living graduates.[4] In addition to the late U.S. president Gerald Ford, the university has produced twenty-five Rhodes scholars[33] and 116 Olympic medalists,[71] seven Nobel Prize winners, and Fields Medal winner Stephen Smale. Several astronauts are alumni, including the all-UM crews of Gemini 4 and Apollo 15. UM's contribution to aeronautics also include aircraft designer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson of Lockheed Skunk Works fame, Lockheed president Willis Hawkins, F-16 designer Harry Hillaker, and Robert Hall, designer of the Granville Brothers Aircraft Gee Bee Model Z racer, test pilot and later vice president of Grumman. UM numbers among its matriculants sixteen billionaires, as well as a number of alumni who have founded or co-founded many companies and organizations (see also: List of Entities Founded by University of Michigan alumni).

Notable writers who attended UM include playwright Arthur Miller, novelist Betty Smith, screenwriter Judith Guest, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Theodore Roethke, authors Charles Major and Sandra Steingraber, Japanese literature translator Juliet Winters Carpenter and composer/author/puppeteer Forman Brown. In Hollywood, famous alumni include actor James Earl Jones; actresses Lucy Liu, Selma Blair, and Ruth Hussey; and filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan.

Other UM graduates include TV journalist Mike Wallace, Dana Jacobson and Steve Phillips of ESPN, Rich Eisen of the NFL Network, entrepreneur Eric Sadek, singer Joe Dassin, former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, professional golfer John Schroeder, Google co-founder Larry Page, conservative pundit Ann Coulter, assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, Weather Underground radical activist Bill Ayers,[89] activist Tom Hayden, Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski, architect Charles Moore, famous avant-garde painter Aethelred Eldridge, Mannheim Steamroller founder Chip Davis, the Swedish Holocaust hero Raoul Wallenberg, and Benjamin D. Pritchard, the Civil War general who captured Jefferson Davis.[90] Clarence Darrow, one of the leading attorneys in the U.S., attended the Law School at a time when many lawyers did not receive any formal education. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent, attended the UM School of Medicine. Pop singer Madonna, professional baseball player Derek Jeter, and rock legend Iggy Pop attended but did not graduate.

UM athletes have starred in the National Football League and National Basketball Association as well as other professional sports. Notable among recent players are Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Chris Webber, who plays for the Golden State Warriors. Three players have won college football's Heisman Trophy, awarded to the player considered the best in the nation: Tom Harmon (1940), Desmond Howard (1991) and Charles Woodson (1997).[66]

The university claims the only alumni association with a chapter on the moon, established in 1971 when the all-UM crew of Apollo 15 placed a charter plaque for a new UM Alumni Association on the lunar surface.[91] According to the Apollo 15 astronauts, several small UM flags were brought on the mission. However, no flag made it to the surface or was left there. The presence of a UM flag on the moon is a long-held campus myth.[92]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Nelson, Gabe (October 23 2007). "'U' endowment rises 25% to $7.1 bil". The Michigan Daily. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |title= (help)
  2. ^ "A Brief Summary of the NRC Rankings". Texas A&M University. 1997. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  3. ^ "U-M leader for Fulbright Scholars". University of Michigan. 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
  4. ^ a b "About the Association". University of Michigan Alumni Association. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  5. ^ "America's Best Hospitals 2006: Honor Roll". US News and World Reports. 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  6. ^ "Comparing Black Enrollments at the Public Ivies". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  7. ^ Sahadi, Jeanne (October 28 2005). "The 10 most expensive colleges". CNN/Money. Retrieved 2005-02-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "University of Michigan Affirmative Action Lawsuit". University of Michigan Documents Center. February 12 2003. Retrieved 2006-12-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) — a collection of news articles and other documents relating to affirmative action in college admissions.
  9. ^ "Split Ruling on Affirmative Action". National Public Radio. June 23 2003. Retrieved 2007-10-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b c Associated Press (January 11 2007). "University of Michigan Drops Affirmative Action for Now". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-01-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Brubacher, John Seiler (July 1 1997). Higher Education in Transition. Transaction Publishers. p. 187. ISBN 1-56000-917-9. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  12. ^ "Getting In". October 10 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "Remarks of Senator John F. Kennedy". Peace Corps. October 14 1960. Retrieved 2007-10-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "MMPEI". Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  15. ^ a b "University of Michigan Timelines — General University Timeline". Bentley Historical Library. April 2005. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  16. ^ Newman, Matthew (October 1995). "Vietnam teach-in 30 years ago". Michigan Today. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  17. ^ "A Decade of Dissent:Teach-Ins". Bentley Historical Library. September 29 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Saini, Kjyot (March 25 2005). "GSIs walk out". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Bruce C. Steele and Neal Broverman (August 29 2006). "College Made Easy". The Advocate. Retrieved 2007-03-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  20. ^ "University of Michigan-Enrollment by School and College, Gender, and Class Level For Term 1660 (Fall 2007)" (PDF). September 24 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
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  23. ^ a b "University of Michigan - Common Data Set 2004–2005 (Page 11)" (PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget & Planning. August 16 2005. Retrieved 2007-03-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ "Undergraduate Admissions - Fast Facts". University of Michigan Office of Admissions. 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  25. ^ "Enrollment by Degree Type and School/College" (PDF). UM News Service. 2004. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  26. ^ "America's Best Graduate Schools 2007 - Health: Social Work (Master's)". US News and World Report. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  27. ^ "The Top American Research Universities" (PDF). The Center (University of Florida). December 2004. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  28. ^ "U-M national leader for 2007-2008 Fulbright Scholars". University of Michigan News Services. October 22 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ "Fulbright fellowships: 29 U-M students awarded". University of Michigan News Services. November 14 2005. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ Seguine, Joel (November 15 2004). "18 students receive Fulbright award". The University Record Online. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ "U-M: 29 Fulbright winners". University of Michigan News Service. June 11 2004. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ Powell, Stephanie (September 17 1996). "23 'U' Fulbright scholars to learn in foreign lands". The Michigan Daily Online. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ a b Fiona Rose became the 24th Rhodes Scholar from UM on December 6, 1997. Joseph Jewell, a UM engineering student, became a Rhodes Scholar in 2004.
  34. ^ "University of Michigan - Ann Arbor: Recent Rankings for Graduate & Professional Academic" (PDF). University of Michigan. July 13 2005. Retrieved 2007-11-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) — an aggregation of rankings from sources such as U.S. News & World Reports and the National Research Council.
  35. ^ "America's Best Colleges 2008". U.S. News & World Report. August 17 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ "National Universities" (PDF). The Washington Monthly. August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  37. ^ "The Complete List: The Top 100 Global Universities". Newsweek International. August 13 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ Moll, Richard. (1985). The Public Ivys: America's Flagship Undergraduate Colleges. New York: Viking Adult. ISBN 0-670-58205-0.
  39. ^ Sahadi, Jeanne (October 28 2005). "The 10 most expensive colleges". CNN/Money. Retrieved 2007-11-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ "Academic Year Tuition and Fees for Full-Time Students" (PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget & Planning. July 19 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ "Campaign Goals of UM School, Colleges, and Units". The University of Michigan Office of Development. 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  42. ^ Serwach, Joe (August 14 2006). "M-PACT expansion replaces some loans with grants". The University Record Online. Retrieved 2007-03-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ a b "Annual Report on Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity at the University of Michigan FY2006" (PDF). UM Research. January 18 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. ^ "Merit Network: History". Merit Network. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  45. ^ "United States of America - Focal point for biosphere reserves". United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. November 1 2000. Retrieved 2007-03-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. ^ Gregerman, Sandra (2005). "UROP is First". LSA Magazine. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |title= (help)
  47. ^ Keenan, Matthew (November 22 2005). "Yale Posts Highest Endowment Returns, Topping Stanford, Harvard". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2007-03-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  48. ^ "Campaign Goals - The Michigan Difference". The University of Michigan Office of Development. 2005. Retrieved 2005-12-30.
  49. ^ Gershman, Dave (May 18 2007). "U-M's Michigan Difference campaign hits goal". Ann Arbor News. Retrieved 2007-05-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  50. ^ "University of Michigan Libraries" (PDF). January 11 2005. Retrieved 2005-09-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "University of Michigan News Service" ignored (help)
  51. ^ Martha Kyrillidou and Mark Young (2006). "ARL Statistics 2004–05 A Compilation of Statistics from the One Hundred and Twenty-three Members of the Association of Research Libraries". Association of Research Libraries. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |title= (help)
  52. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions about MBooks at the University of Michigan". University of Michigan - University Library. August 10 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  53. ^ "Scientists use manufacturing methods to reconstruct mastodon". University of Michigan News Service. April 4 2005. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  54. ^ "Environmental Stewardship at the University of Michigan" (PDF). University of Michigan Occupational Safety and Environmental Health. 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
  55. ^ "Welcome to Radrick Farms Golf Course". University of Michigan. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  56. ^ Duderstadt, Anne (2007). "The Inglis House Estate at the University of Michigan". University of Michigan. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  57. ^ "Bus Routes & Medical Center Parking Express Shuttles". University of Michigan Parking & Transportation Services. 2005. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
  58. ^ "The Central Forty and The Diag (1837)". University of Michigan History and Traditions Committee. 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
  59. ^ "A Chronology of University of Michigan Buildings, 1840-1999". Bentley Historical Library. June 2002. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
  60. ^ "North Campus Tour". Michigan Engineering. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
  61. ^ Carter, Brian (2000). "Eero Saarinen-Operational Thoroughness A Way of Working". Dimensions Volume Fourteen. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |title= (help)
  62. ^ "UM Golf Course". MGoBlue.com. 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  63. ^ "Sports Academy Directors' Cup". National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  64. ^ "Official 2006 NCAA Divisions I-A and I-AA Football Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletics Association. 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  65. ^ "University of Michigan Football - National Championships". Bentley Historical Library. 2002. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  66. ^ a b "Heisman Winners". Heisman Trophy at Heisman.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  67. ^ "Michigan Stadium". MGoBlue.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  68. ^ "The Michigan Stadium Story - Once Again the Biggest House, 1998". Bentley Historical Library. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  69. ^ "The 10 greatest rivalries". ESPN.com. January 3 2005. Retrieved 2007-03-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  70. ^ "University of Michigan Football All-Time Records vs. Opponents". MGoBlue.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
  71. ^ a b "Michigan in the Olympics". Bentley Historical Library. September 28 2005. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  72. ^ a b "Housing Fact Sheet". University of Michigan Housing. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
  73. ^ "Michigan Learning Communities". UM Undergraduate Housing. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  74. ^ "North Quad to feature study of media, information technology". University of Michigan News Service. January 26 2005. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  75. ^ "University of Michigan Student Organizations - Maize Pages". University of Michigan Student Assembly. 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  76. ^ "About Our Facilities". UM Department of Recreational Sports. January 22 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  77. ^ "UMSolar - About Us". UM Solar Car Team. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  78. ^ "UM Habitat for Humanity". UM Habitat for Humanity. 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
  79. ^ "William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center". UM Campus Information Centers. May 9 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  80. ^ "About UAC". University Activities Center. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  81. ^ "Sections". The Michigan Marching Band. 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  82. ^ "History". The Michigan Marching Band. 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  83. ^ "Our History". The University of Michigan Friars. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  84. ^ "About Voice Your Vote". University of Michigan MSA. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  85. ^ "Regent candidates discuss tuition, health care issues at forum". The University Record Online. October 21 2002. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  86. ^ Holmes, Erin (September 8 1998). "Board of regents says no to MSA student regent campaign fee". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  87. ^ Michael Hondorp, Fabrikant Alexis (January 1 2005). University of Michigan College Prowler Off the Record. College Prowler, Inc. p. 118. ISBN 1-59658-163-8. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  88. ^ Rozell, Mark J. (October 15 1992). The Press and the Ford Presidency. University of Michigan Press. p. 38. ISBN 0-472-10350-4. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link).
  89. ^ Ayers, Bill (2003). Fugitive Days: A Memoir. New York: Penguin Books.
  90. ^ James J. Green, The Life and Times of General B. D. Pritchard (Allegan: Allegan County Historical Society, 1979), p. 2.
  91. ^ "About the Association - Famous U-M Alumni". UM Alumni Association. 2005. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
  92. ^ Leah Graboski (March 28 2006). "Debunking the Moon Myth". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2007-03-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

References

  • Fiske, Edward B. (2004). Fiske Guide to Colleges 2005 (Twenty-first Edition). Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc. ISBN 1-4022-0229-6.
  • Fleming, Robben W. (1996). Tempests into Rainbows: Managing Turbulence. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-10674-0.
  • Holtzer (editor), Susan. (1990). Special to the Daily: The 1st 100 Years of Editorial Freedom at the Michigan Daily. Caddo Gap Press. ISBN 0-9625945-2-0. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  • Peckham, Howard H. (1994). The Making of The University of Michigan 1817–1992. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-06594-7.
  • Facts & Figures (2005). University of Michigan Office of Budget & Planning at sitemaker.umich.edu/obpinfo/facts___figures.

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