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Roosevelt University

Coordinates: 41°52′34″N 87°37′29″W / 41.87611°N 87.62472°W / 41.87611; -87.62472
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41°52′34″N 87°37′29″W / 41.87611°N 87.62472°W / 41.87611; -87.62472

Roosevelt University
MottoDedicated to the enlightenment of the human spirit
TypePrivate
Established1945
Endowment$80.2 million[1]
PresidentCharles R. Middleton
Students7,306
Undergraduates4,182
Postgraduates3,124
Location
Chicago
,
Illinois
,
USA
CampusChicago and
Schaumburg, Illinois
ColorsGreen and White
NicknameLakers
Websitewww.roosevelt.edu

Roosevelt University is a coeducational, private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university is named in honor of both former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university's curriculum is based on principles of social justice. Currently with an acceptance rate of 53 percent the university enrolls around 7,000 students between its undergraduate and graduate programs and is ranked #81 in US News and World Report Midwest Universities from 2012. Roosevelt is also home to the Chicago College of Performing Arts. The University's newest academic building Wabash, is located in the area of Downtown Chicago called The Loop and is the tallest educational building in Chicago, the second tallest educational building in the United States and the sixth largest academic complex in the world. The current president is Charles R. Middleton; he was inaugurated in 2002.

History

The university was founded in 1945 after the president of Central YMCA College in Chicago, Edward J. Sparling, refused to provide his board with the demographic data of his student body, fearing that it would provide the basis for a quota system to limit the number of African Americans, Jews, immigrants, and women at the school. As a result, Sparling resigned under protest and left, followed by a number of faculty and students, to start a new college after a vote in favor 62 to 1 (for faculty) and 488 to 2 (with the student body).[2][3] In the beginning, the university had no library, campus, or endowment.

The new college was chartered as Thomas Jefferson College on March 28, 1945 and had financial backing from Marshall Field III, the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union and numerous other individuals and organizations. Two weeks later, however, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died, and with the permission of his widow Eleanor, the college was renamed Roosevelt College in his memory. In 1947, the Auditorium Building was sold to the university for one dollar and became the permanent home of Roosevelt University. The college was rededicated to both Franklin and Eleanor in 1959. Early advisory board members included Marian Anderson, Pearl Buck, Ralph Bunche, Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, Gunnar Myrdal, Draper Daniels and Albert Schweitzer. In August 1996 the Albert A. Robin Campus was opened in Schaumburg, after a donation from entrepreneur and immigrant, Albert A. Robin.

The institution is accredited as a Higher Education University by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It has been ranked the tenth most diverse private university in the America by the New York Times and the second most diverse in the Midwest by U.S. News and World Reports.[4]

Campus

Downtown Chicago Campus

Chicago classes are held within Roosevelt's historic Auditorium Building at 430 S. Michigan Avenue just blocks from the Magnificent Mile. The Auditorium Building houses the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and numerous administrative offices for the university. A second downtown campus building is the Gage Building, located at 18 S. Michigan Avenue. It is also the home of the Gage Gallery and administrative offices for the College of Education, Manfred Steinfeld School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Paralegal Studies Program and the School of Communication.

In Spring 2010, construction began on a new building for the downtown campus, which was completed in Spring 2012. The 32-story vertical campus, the Wabash Building, is the second tallest higher-education building in the United States and the sixth tallest in the world. It serves as a multipurpose building: housing student services, classrooms, contemporary science labs, administrative offices, and student residences. Student residences will be on the top floors (14-32), with a shared lounge overlooking Lake Michigan on each floor. The university held an open house in the summer of 2012, with classes beginning in the new addition during the Fall 2013 semester.

The university includes the Chicago College of Performing Arts; the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Education; the Evelyn T. Stone College of Professional Studies (formerly known as the Evelyn T. Stone University College); the College of Pharmacy; and the Walter E. Heller College of Business.

Albert A. Robin Campus, Schaumburg

Roosevelt University's campus in Schaumburg is the largest four-year university in Chicago's Northwest suburbs, serving approximately 2,500 students. The campus is located in the former headquarters office building of the Pure Oil Company which in 1965, merged with Union Oil Company of California. Roosevelt converted the building into a comprehensive campus in 1996. The Albert A. Robin Campus is home to the Doctor of Pharmacy program, which accepted its inaugural class in July 2011. Roosevelt's PharmD program is the Midwest's only three-year, year-round program of its kind. It is currently not a fully accredited Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum.

Located on 30 acres, the Schaumburg Campus is on the north side of Golf Road Illinois Route 58 across from the Woodfield Mall and near the intersection with Meacham Road (42°03′15″N 88°02′19″W / 42.05417°N 88.03861°W / 42.05417; -88.03861). Recently, campus administrators have created natural prairies on sections of the land for environmental and educational purposes.

Institutes and centers

A strong supplement to the university's colleges is its centers and institutes that extend the learning and research opportunities available to students and faculty.

Student life and residence life

An architectural model of the university's newest building.

Roosevelt University currently has three residence hall options, including the new vertical campus. The new Wabash building serves as housing for all incoming Freshman and Transfers. The University Center of Chicago is the other main residence hall, with apartment style options.[5] It was officially opened in the fall of 2004 and is located at 525 S. State Street. The UCC houses students from Roosevelt University, DePaul University, and Columbia College Chicago, totaling 1700 residents from these three schools combined. The second residence hall is Fornelli Hall, with apartment-only options, located in the Pittsfield Building at 55 E. Washington Street, Chicago. It opened in the fall of 2008.[6] It provides apartment-style housing for upperclassmen from Roosevelt and Robert Morris Universities.[7]

The Herman Crown Center, located at 425 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, was the main residence hall for Roosevelt until it was closed in the spring of 2008.[8] Like the Herman Crown Center, the new 32-story vertical campus is connected to the Auditorium Building and provides direct access between the two buildings.[9]

Student activities

There are many active student organizations at both of the Roosevelt University campuses.

  • Alpha Gamma Delta Women's Fraternity: Alpha Gamma Delta is an international fraternity and a member of the National Panhellenic Conference. The Fraternity was installed at Roosevelt in 2008 and was the 182nd chapter.
  • WRBC The Blaze: Roosevelt's online student radio station[10]
  • The Torch: Roosevelt's student newspaper (7,500/weekly) (noted for first publishing Shel Silverstein)[11]
  • Oyez Review: Roosevelt's national and award-winning literary journal.[12]
  • Student Government Association
  • RU Sociological Society (RUSS):Roosevelt University Sociological Society fosters the advancement of sociological study at undergraduate and graduate levels by providing outlets for students to present research, exchange ideas, and build relationships.[13]
  • Alpha Phi Omega: co-ed National Service Fraternity
  • Black Student Union represents the interests and concerns of black students, faculty and administration at Roosevelt University, and brings together all aspects of black student life for the purpose of improving the campus environment.
  • Colleges Against Cancer is an initiative originally started by the American Cancer Society and brought to Roosevelt to educate advocacy, recognize survivors, and participate in the Relay for Life.
  • RU Proud: LGBTQ Society is an organization that focuses on uniting students who are accepting of differences. It is an alliance among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight individuals.
  • RU Green develops sustainable practices and systems throughout campus to promote an ecologically conscious student body and to implement green methodologies throughout campus.
  • Society for Human Resource Management serves as a gateway into the human resources profession by encouraging personal and career growth for our student members.
  • Mansfield Institute Student Organization (MISO)

Athletics

Roosevelt University teams, known as the Lakers, compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); the university is a member of Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.

Roosevelt University revived its athletic program after a 20-year absence in 2010. Roosevelt recently added women's volleyball for the 2011-12 academic year; followed by men's golf, men's and women's soccer, and softball for the 2012-13 academic year.[14] The expansion of the university's athletics will bring the number of sport offerings from the initial seven sports to twelve.

Notable alumni

See also: List of Roosevelt University people

The lobby stairwell of the Auditorium Building (430 S. Michigan Ave.) was featured in the film The Untouchables[15] The lobby was also the set of a nightclub scene in the 2009 film Public Enemies.[16] In the summer of 2005, the Murray-Green Library on the 10th floor of the Auditorium Building was used as a set for the film The Lake House, where the room doubled as an architect's office.

References

Notes
  1. ^ As of June 30, 2010. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2010 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2009 to FY 2010" (PDF). 2010 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2010NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values_Final.pdf. Retrieved April 4, 2011. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Roosevelt University - Our History
  3. ^ Roosevelt University History
  4. ^ http://www.collegeview.com/school/placementTracker.jsp?placementId=35487
  5. ^ "About UC". University Center. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  6. ^ http://media.www.roosevelttorch.com/media/storage/paper817/news/2008/08/30/News/Row-Now.A.Go-3409536.shtml
  7. ^ http://www.fornellihall.com/
  8. ^ http://media.www.roosevelttorch.com/media/storage/paper817/news/2008/02/11/News/Hcc-Demolition.Begins.This-3201281.shtml
  9. ^ http://www.gazettechicago.com/index/?p=265
  10. ^ "About WRBC". WRBC The Blaze. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  11. ^ http://www.roosevelttorch.com
  12. ^ http://www.roosevelt.edu/oyezreview/
  13. ^ http://www.rusociologicalsociety.org/
  14. ^ Staff (July 11, 2009). "A Rebuilding Program at Chicago's Roosevelt University". New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  15. ^ "The Untouchables - Locations"
  16. ^ http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Culture/Locals_angle_for_roles_in_Johnny_Depp_film,14934
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