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University of Bridgeport

Coordinates: 41°09′57″N 73°11′28″W / 41.16586°N 73.19109°W / 41.16586; -73.19109
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University of Bridgeport
TypePrivate
Established1927
PresidentNeil Albert Salonen
Academic staff
117 full-time
Undergraduates2,028
Postgraduates3,295
Location
Bridgeport
,
Connecticut
,
USA
CampusUrban 50 acres
ColorsPurple and White    
NicknameFile:Bridgeport Purple Knights.svg Purple Knights
AffiliationsECC
MascotPurple Knight
Websitewww.bridgeport.edu

University of Bridgeport is a private, non-sectarian university located on Long Island Sound in the South Bridgeport section of Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. The University offers a broad range of standard, accredited, college and graduate level, art, science and professional degrees departments. It was the first American university offering the standard array of accredited programs to also offer an alternative medicine program. The university is the most diverse student body of any U.S. institution, with 16% of undergraduate students come from overseas.[2] There are over 400 full- and part-time faculty, including Fulbright Scholars, National Science Foundation Fellows, Ford Fellows, National Endowment for the Humanities Fellows, American Council for Learned Societies Scholars and Phi Beta Kappa Scholars. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 18:1. [3]


Accreditation

The University of Bridgeport is fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The University is also accredited by the Board of Governors of the Connecticut Department of Higher Education. [4]

History

Junior college to full university

Founder and first President Everett Cortright and Dr. Alfred Civillion Fones chartered the Junior College of Connecticut in November 1927 to expand the academic opportunities for local Connecticut youth. It was the first junior college chartered in the Northeastern United States. Cortright, the former superintendent of schools in Bridgeport and a professor of education at Columbia University, knew there was a great desire for higher education, given there were no colleges easily accessible to people in the region.

On the twentieth anniversary of the Junior College of Connecticut in 1947, the governor of Connecticut chartered the institution as a four-year university with authority to grant the baccalaureate degree. By that time, the P.T. Barnum estate at Seaside Park had been purchased. The Junior College of Connecticut was retained and the College of Arts and Sciences and the Colleges of Business Administration were established at once. These were followed soon after by the Colleges of Nursing, Education and Engineering. The legislature of Connecticut acknowledged the school's growth by renaming the institution "University of Bridgeport" in 1947.

The university's merger with the Weylister Secretarial Junior College of Milford, Conn., afforded additional expansion. The school became a division of the Junior College of Connecticut, as did the Fones School of Dental Hygiene which, at its inception in 1949, was the only such school in Connecticut and the second in New England.

The school began awarding master's degrees in 1951. Under President James Halsey, the university was among the first American universities to enroll a significant number of international students. In 1953, Arnold College merged with and was incorporated into the College of Education. Founded in 1886, Arnold was the oldest co-educational school of physical education in the United States. It was directed for many years by Dr. E. Herman Arnold, an eminent and pioneering educator.

The university had moved all of its operations from its Fairfield Avenue location to the campus at Seaside Park by 1950. There it occupied 22 acres of choice land that now has grown to 52 acres. An enrollment of almost 3,500 students included the first influx of international students. The university awarded its first master's degree in 1951 and its first doctoral program in Educational Leadership, in 1979, and added a Ph.D. degree program in Computer Science and Engineering in 2006. Two terminal, professional, alternative medicine programs in Chiropractic and Naturopathic Medicine were established in 1991 and 1996 respectively. [5]

Expansion and decline

The University grew rapidly in the 1960s by capitalizing on the increased number of people seeking to attend a U.S. college resulting from the baby boom, Vietnam War veterans eligible for a higher education under the G.I. Bill, and international students who wanted to attend college in the United States. Enrollment peaked at 9100 students in 1969.[6] Enrollment declined in the 1970s and 1980s after the waves of baby boom and Vietnam era veterans eligible for the G.I. Bill declined. By 1990, the University had cut tuition, room and board fees to $18,000 per year, but the school's reputation had not improved. More than a third of the 50 campus buildings were empty. To cut costs, the university decided to terminate 50 tenured faculty, and asked the other faculty to accept a 30% wage cut.[7] This led to the longest faculty strike in the history of American higher education. Dr. Greenwood, the president at the time, quit abruptly. Standard & Poor's found that the university was in technical default on a $10.2 million loan from a consortium of local banks since it had not complied with loan conditions. They added that the University had exhausted its unrestricted funds, so they lowered the University's bond rating. Borrowing money became expensive and nearly impossible.

PWPA and Sun Myung Moon

Enrollment fell to 1,300 in 1991. The Board of Governors of the State Department of Higher Education, hereafter "the Board", found the university in non-compliance with several standards that year. Accreditation was granted for 2 years. The University was warned that it must comply with certain standard during this time. Debt rose to over $22 million in 1991-92. Trustees agreed to give control of the University to an affiliate of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, the Professors World Peace Academy (PWPA), in exchange for investing $50.5 million in the university.[8] (The PWPA, founded by Sun Myung Moon, received about 90% of its funding from the Unification Church at the time.) Soon after the PWPA got involved, the Board evaluated the school for accreditation again. The Board was concerned that the PWPA might interfere with the academic freedom at the school, and called on the University trustees to create an independent, self-governing panel to oversee the school's operation to assure academic freedom. University trustees complied, but some of the Board was still concerned about the PWPA and academic freedom. So the Board rewarded the institution for making progress, but accredited the University for just 30 months; less than the standard 4 or 5 years accreditation, but longer than the previous 2 year accreditation. The University received 10 year full accreditation in 2004.

After the PWPA assumed control of the University, the trustees retained the president at the time, Dr. Edwin G. Eigel, Jr. (1932-2008). Eigel served as president till 1995. He was succeeded by educator and former PWPA president Dr. Richard Rubenstein, who served from 1995-1999.[9] Neil Albert Salonen was the Chairman of the University's Board of Trustees when he was chosen to serve as ninth University president in 1999. Salonen originally studied engineering at Cornell, but later graduated in Political Science from the University of the State of New York. He attended a graduate program in international relations at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.. Salonen had earned a Baccalaureate degree but no Ph.D. or professional degree. He has managed several Unification Church related organizations, serving as President of the Unification Church of America from 1973 to 1980, and as Chairman of the International Cultural Foundation prior to becoming the chief executive of the university.[10]

The University of Bridgeport received funding from PWPA from 1992 until 2002. The University has been financially independent from PWPA since 2003. Other members of the Unification Church hold important administrative positions at the university; for example, the university's Board of Trustees includes Chung Hwan Kwak and Gordon L. Anderson.

Michael Tori, a professor at Marist College (Poughkeepsie, New York) cited the Unification Church's support for the University as a factor which helped the church gain more acceptance in mainstream American society. [11]

Advanced Degree programs

The University of Bridgeport inaugurated its first doctoral program, Educational Leadership in 1979, and added a Ph.D. degree program in Computer Science and Engineering in 2006. Two terminal, professional, alternative medicine programs in Chiropractic and Naturopathic Medicine were established in 1991 and 1996 respectively.

Bridgeport became the first accredited American university with a focus on arts, sciences and professional studies to include a school of Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Naturopathic Medicine. The school of Naturopathy is one of the five accredited naturopathic medical schools in the U.S.

Developments in the student profile

According to U.S. Department of Education data, UB is the fastest growing four-year college in Connecticut. [12]Enrollment has grown dramatically in recent years, from 1,383 students in 1992 to 5,323 students in Fall 2008.[13]

Officers of the Board

According to the 2008 Annual Report:[14]

Degree programs

The School of Arts and Sciences

  • Biology (B.A., B.S.) With concentrations in: Chemistry, General Biology, Marine Biology, Pre-Chiropractic Studies, Pre-Dental Studies, Pre-Medical Studies, Pre-Naturopathic Studies, Pre-Veterinary Studies, Zoology.
  • General Studies (B.S.) With concentrations in: Business Studies, Humanities, Internet Applications, Natural Sciences/Mathematics, Science, Engineering, and Computer-Related Fields, Social Sciences.
  • Graphic Design (B.F.A.)
  • Industrial Design (B.S.)
  • Interior Design (B.S.)
  • Literature and Civilization (B.A.) With concentrations in: Creative Writing, English, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Philosophy, Psychology.
  • Mathematics (B.A., B.S.) With concentrations in: Actuarial Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences.
  • Music Arts (B.Mus.) With concentrations in: Jazz Studies, Music Business, Music Education, Music Performance.

The International College

  • International Political Economy & Diplomacy (B.A.) With concentrations in: International Relations, International Studies.
  • Mass Communications (B.A.) With concentrations in: Advertising, Communication Studies, International Communication, Journalism, Public Relations.
  • World Religions (B.A.) With concentrations in: Conflict Analysis and Mediation, World Religions and Culture, World Religions and Service.
  • Martial Arts Studies (B.A.) With concentrations in: Criminal Justice, Health Science, Business Track, Mass Communication, Asia Pacific Studies.
  • Social Science (B.A.) With concentrations in: Political Science, Criminal Justice, Economics, Sociology.
  • Global Peace and Development (M.A.) With concentrations in: Political Economy and Development, Culture and Conflict Resolution, Global Management.

English Language Institute

The School of Business

  • Accounting (B.S.)
  • Business Administration (A.A., B.S.)
  • Computer Applications and Information Systems (B.S.)
  • Fashion Merchandising (A.A., B.S.)
  • Finance (B.S.)
  • International Business (B.S.)
  • Management and Industrial Relations (B.S.)
  • Marketing (B.S.)
  • Business Administration (M.B.A.) With Concentrations in: Accounting, Bio-Tech Management,Computer Applications and Information Systems (CAIS),Corporate, Government and Information Security, e-Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Environmental and Energy Management, Fashion Merchandising, Finance, Foundations of Doing Business in China, Foundations of Doing Business in India, Global Management, Global Marketing, Global Program and Project Development, Healthcare Management and Administration, Human Resources Management, Information Technology Management, Intellectual Property Management, Management and Operations, Manufacturing Management, New Product Development and Management, Service Management and Engineering, Strategic Sourcing/Outsourcing, Supply Chain Management.

The School of Education and Human Resources

  • Psychology (B.S.)
  • Human Services (B.S.)
  • Counseling (M.S.) With concentrations in: Community Counseling, Human Resource Development, College Student Personnel, Human Services.
  • Education (M.S.) With concentrations in:
    • Elementary (Grades K-6),
    • Middle Grades With concentrations in: TESOL (four-summer courses, mainly for Taiwanese.), Biology, Business, Chemistry, Earth Science, English, General Science, Mathematics, History & Social Studies, Physics, Remedial Reading/Language Arts, Music.
    • Secondary with subject specializations in: Biology, Business, Chemistry, Earth Science, English, General Science, Mathematics, History & Social Studies, Physics, Remedial Reading/Language Arts, Music.
  • Master of Science in Instructional Technology (iMSIT)
  • Sixth Year Degree/Diploma/Certificate With concentrations in: Remedial Reading & Remedial Language Arts (Certificate Program), Reading & Language Arts Consultant (Certification Program), Instructional Technology, Elementary Education (Degree Program), Secondary Education (Degree Program), Intermediate Administrator or Supervisor (Diploma/Certification Program).
  • Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

The School of Engineering

  • Computer Engineering (B.S.)
  • Computer Science (B.S.)
  • Computer Engineering (M.S.) With Concentrations in:Advanced Applications and Systems Programming, Bio-Medical Engineering, CAD/CAM, Computer and Information Security, Computer Communications and Networking, e-Commerce, Microelectronics and Computer Architecture, Modern Data Base Systems, Robotics and Automation, Signal and Image Processing, Software Engineering, Very Large Scale Integration (VSLI), Wireless and Mobile Communications.
  • Computer Science (M.S.) With Concentrations in: Advanced Applications and Systems Programming, Bio-Medical Engineering, CAD/CAM, Computer and Information Security, Computer Communications and Networking, e-Commerce, Microelectronics and Computer Architecture, Modern Data Base Systems, Robotics and Automation, Signal and Image Processing, Software Engineering, Very Large Scale Integration (VSLI), Wireless and Mobile Communications.
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering (M.S.) With Concentrations in: Bio-Medical Engineering, Computer Communications and Networking, Environmental and Energy Management, Microelectronics and Computer Architecture, Modern Data Base Systems, Robotics and Automation, Security (IT Security, Biometrics, etc.), Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI), Wireless and Mobile Communications.
  • Mechanical Engineering (M.S.) With Concentrations in: CAD/CAM, Intellectual Property Management, Manufacturing Management, Supply Chain Management, Robotics and Automation.
  • Technology Management (M.S.) With Concentrations in:Accounting, Automation and Robotics, Bio-Tech Management, CAD/CAM, China/India Trade, Computer Communications and Networking Corporate, Government and Information Security & Continuity Management, Environmental and Energy Management, Finance, Global Business, Global Marketing, Global Program and Project Management.
  • Computer Science and Engineering (Ph.D.) Research Areas Available: Computer architecture and VLSI and FPGA; Design, modeling and simulation of embedded and integrated systems; Electromechanical systems prototyping and optimization; Robotics, automation, machine perception and sensing; Software engineering, Web development and computational sciences; Systems and computer security and biometrics; Wireless and mobile computing and networking.

The Fones School of Dental Hygiene

Acupuncture Institute

  • Acupuncture (M.S.)

Nutrition Institute

  • Human Nutrition (M.S.)

College of Chiropractic

  • Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.)

College of Naturopathic Medicine

  • Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (N.D.)

Athletics

The Bridgeport Purple Knights participate in the NCAA Division II program which includes men’s baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, and swimming; and women’s basketball, cross country, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and volleyball. The most popular intramural sports include basketball, flag football, cricket, floor hockey, golf, soccer, racquetball, volleyball, and Ultimate Frisbee. [17]

Academic Achievements

Since 2006, three International College students majoring in International Political Economy and Diplomacy have been named to prestigious academic awards. Two have been named William J. Clinton Scholars and in 2008, a student was chosen as a Fulbright Fellow for academic year 2008-2009.

Campus Safety

The University has won the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Award after instituting a program whereby students were issued portable alarm units that pinpoint their position and enable campus security to get to them in under 2 minutes.[18] The University has received the Pewter Stag Award, the highest institutional workplace safety honor given by one of the nation’s largest insurers, The Hartford. [19]

References

  1. ^ http://www.ncaa.com/schools/74_Bridgeport.html
  2. ^ US News and World Report, 2007.
  3. ^ University of Bridgeport Viewbook 2008
  4. ^ http://www.bridgeport.edu
  5. ^ University of Bridgeport Alumni Directory ~2005~, Harris Connect, Inc. 2005
  6. ^ Schaffer, Robert Illustrated History of Bridgeport NY: Wislow Publishing, 1992, p. 52.
  7. ^ Davey, Robert “Moon Over Bridgeport” Connecticut Magazine (July, 1994), p. 69
  8. ^ Bridgeport U. Closes Deal to Cede Control, The New York Times New York and Region, May 30, 1992
  9. ^ Richard Rubenstein: A Brief Biographical Note
  10. ^ Featuring Neil Albert Salonen in The American Chiropractor, July 30, 2005.
  11. ^ Church urges Christian unity: Valley seminary open since 1975 Poughkeepsie Journal, 2003-12-11.
  12. ^ Knightlines Fall 2008
  13. ^ Public colleges lead state enrollment rise Connecticut Post November 19 2008
  14. ^ 2008 Annual Report, University of Bridgeport.
  15. ^ http://www.tparents.org/UNews/Unws9712/icus-beland-article.htm
  16. ^ http://www.fwu.nl/Bestand/Assembly%202000.pdf
  17. ^ University of Bridgeport Viewbook 2008
  18. ^ Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Award Recipients For 2003
  19. ^ http://bridgeport.edu/pages/3218.asp?item=4554

41°09′57″N 73°11′28″W / 41.16586°N 73.19109°W / 41.16586; -73.19109

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