University of Alabama
| File:UASeal.png | |
| Type | Public University |
|---|---|
| Established | April 18, 1831 |
| Endowment | $358,823,732 |
| President | Robert Witt |
Academic staff | 1,122 |
| Students | 23,878 [1] |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | Urban (very small city) |
| Athletics | 15 Varsity Sports 16 Club Sports |
| Colors | Crimson and White |
| Nickname | Crimson Tide |
| Affiliations | Southeastern Conference (NCAA Division I) |
| Mascot | Elephant |
| Website | www.ua.edu |
The University of Alabama (also known as Alabama, UAT or colloquially as Bama) is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship campus of the University of Alabama System. Within Alabama, it is often called the Capstone. UA is the senior doctoral university and currently the largest university in the state. It is one of the state's three major research universities, along with academic and athletic rival Auburn University and the premier research university as stated by Governor Bob Riley, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Alabama offers programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's, master's, Education Specialist, and doctoral degrees. The only publicly-supported law school in Alabama is at UA. (The private Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham is the state's only other ABA-accredited law school.) Other academic programs unavailable elsewhere in Alabama include doctoral programs in anthropology, library and information studies, metallurgical and material engineering, music, Romance languages, and social work.
As of fall 2006, Alabama has an enrollment of 23,878 students and its president is Dr. Robert Witt.
History
In 1818, Congress authorized the newly-created Alabama Territory to set aside a township for the establishment of a "seminary of learning." When Alabama was admitted to the Union on March 2, 1819, a second township was added to the land grant, bringing it to a total of 46,000 acres (186 km²). The General Assembly of Alabama established the seminary on December 18, 1820, named it "The University of the State of Alabama," and created a Board of Trustees to manage the construction and operation of the university. The board chose Tuscaloosa, then-capital of Alabama, as the site of the campus in 1827 and opened its doors to students on April 18, 1831, with the Reverend Alva Woods as President.
An academy-style institution during the Antebellum period, the university emphasized the classics and the social and natural sciences. However, Alabama, a frontier state a sizeable amount of whose territory was still in the hand of various Native American tribes until the 1840s, scarcely had the infrastructure to adequately prepare students for the rigors of university education. Consequently, only a fraction of students who enrolled were adequately prepared for a university-education. Few students graduated, especially in the early years.
Discipline and student behavior was a major issue at the university from almost the day it opened. Early presidents enforced strict rules regarding conduct. Students, for example, were prohibited from drinking, swearing, making unauthorized visits off-campus, or even playing musical instruments outside of a one-hour timeframe. Riots and gunfights were not an uncommon occurrence.
To combat the severe discipline problem, president Landon Garland lobbied and received approval from the legislature in 1860 to transform the university into a military school. As such, many of the cadets who graduated from the school went on to serve as officers in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. As a consequence of that role, Union troops burned down the campus in April 1865 (though this was unrelated to Sherman's March to the Sea). Only four buildings survived the burning, including the President's Mansion built in 1841 and the Gorgas House built in 1829 (the oldest building on campus).
The university reopened in 1871 and in 1880, Congress granted the university 40,000 acres (162 km²) of coal land in partial compensation for $250,000 in war damages. The military structure was dropped approximately a decade after the school was officially opened to women in 1892 after much lobbying by Julia Tutwiler to the Board of Trustees.
On June 11, 1963, Governor George Wallace made his infamous "stand in the schoolhouse door." He stood in the front entrance of Foster Auditorium in an attempt to stop the enrollment of two African Americans: Vivian Malone and James Hood. When confronted by federal marshals sent in by Attorney-General Robert F. Kennedy, Wallace stepped aside. Although Hood dropped out of school after two months, he subsequently returned and, in 1997, received his Ph.D. in philosophy. Malone persisted in her studies and became the first African American to graduate from the University. In 2000, the University rewarded her bravery with a doctorate of humane letters. Later in his life, Wallace apologized for his opposition at that time to racial integration.
In June 2003, the university marked the fortieth anniversary of the "schoolhouse door" incident by hosting "Opening Doors," a three-day event to salute the sacrifice and commitment of the courageous individuals who took a stand for racial change at a crucial time in its history.
Academic divisions
The eight divisions of the University granting undergraduate degrees are:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration
- College of Communication and Information Sciences
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Human Environmental Sciences
- Capstone College of Nursing
- School of Social Work
Degrees in those eight divisions at the master's, specialist, and doctoral level are awarded through the Graduate School.
The School of Law offers J.D. and LL.M. degree programs. The College of Community Health Sciences provides advanced studies in medicine and related disciplines and operates a family-practice residency program in association with the University of Alabama School of Medicine. Finally, the College of Continuing Studies provides correspondence courses and other types of distance education opportunities for non-traditional students. It operates a distance education facility in Gadsden.
Founded in 1971 and merged into the College of Arts and Sciences in 1996, the New College program allows undergraduate students more flexibility in choosing their curriculum while completing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree. The program allows students to create a "depth study" in a particular field chosen by the student. The student completes approved independent studies alongside their normal courswork. The objective of New College is to inspire interdisciplinary learning at the undergraduate level.
Campus
UA is composed of a singular campus of approximately 1,000 acres (4 km²). The campus is notable for its abundance of buildings built in the Greek Revival style. Four University of Alabama buildings survived the Civil War: Gorgas House, Maxwell Hall (the Old Observatory), the Little Round House (Civil War lookout post), and the President's Mansion. All are still used today.
Landmarks include the President's Mansion, the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, and Denny Chimes, a campanile equipped with a 25-bell carillon, all of which are located on or near the Quad, the central green on campus. The Quad lies roughly at the geographic center of the campus.
On-campus cultural facilities include the Paul Bryant Museum, the Alabama Museum of Natural History, the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, and the Frank M. Moody Music Building, which houses the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. The university also maintains the University of Alabama Arboretum in eastern Tuscaloosa and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab at Dauphin Island.
Layout
The Quad anchors the campus. To the east lie buildings housing most of the science and math departments, as well as the College of Nursing. Engineering Row, home of the departments of the College of Engineering, is located to the northeast, and the fine arts and humanities departments of the College of Arts and Sciences are oriented to the north and northwest of the Quad. To the west lie the buildings of the colleges of Commerce and Education. Finally, the College of Communication and Information Sciences, the College of Human Environmental Sciences, and the School of Social Work flank the Quad to the south.
Additionally, the facilities of the School of Law, the School of Music (a division of the College of Arts and Sciences), and the College of Community Health Sciences are located in the far eastern edge of campus. The College of Continuing Education is located in Parham Hall further south of the Quad.
Athletic facilities generally flank the far south edge of campus. Bryant-Denny Stadium is in the southwestern edge of the campus and Coleman Coliseum is in the southeastern edge of campus, near the law school.
Demographics
As of the fall semester of 2006, the university has a total enrollment of 23,878 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students.[2] Of which, 76% are residents of Alabama and 24% are out-of-state students. 81% of students are white, 11% are African-American and 2% are Hispanic.[3]
In figures from 2003, the most recent available, the university employed 1,122 instructional faculty. 906 faculty members were full time. 540 were tenured with 229 on tenure track. 11.3% (126) were minorities. There were 16 male faculty members for every 10 female faculty members. 96% of faculty had terminal degrees in their field.[citation needed]
Rankings and Accolades
The University of Alabama was named a top 50 public university in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2006.[4]
In 2003, five students from the University were named to the 2003 USA Today All-USA College Academic Team. UA students garnered the most awards of any college or university, claiming five of 83 spots on the list. Four students were named to the 2004 team, five students were named to the 2005 team, and six students were named to the 2006 teams.
UA graduates include 15 Rhodes Scholars, 15 Goldwater Scholars, nine Truman Scholars, and one Portz Scholar.
UA's School of Law ranks as one of the top law schools in the southeast, as it has been named one of the top 50 law schools in the United States several years in a row by U.S. News and World Report. UA Law scored in as the 43rd ranked law school in the country in the latest report. The law school boasts prestigious alumni such as United States Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, long time Alabama senator Howell Heflin, and both current U.S. Senators from Alabama (Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions).
Published reports have ranked UA among the top four flagship universities in the Southeast and among the nation's top 25 public flagship universities in terms of minority enrollment.
Student life
With more than 23,000 students enrolled, the university has a healthy student life component.
Greek life
Greek letter organizations first appeared at the University in 1847 when two men visiting from Yale University installed a chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon. When DKE members began holding secret meetings in the old state capitol building that year, the administration strongly voiced its disapproval. Over the two decades, four other fraternies appeared at Alabama: Alpha Delta Phi in 1850, Phi Gamma Delta in 1855, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon in 1856 (this was the founding chapter). Anti-fraternity laws were imposed in that year, but were lifted in 1890s. Women at the University founded the Zeta Chapter of Kappa Delta sorority in 1903. Alpha Delta Pi soon followed.
The University today recognizes 48 social Greek letter organizations. Any number of unofficial "off-campus" fraternities and sororities also exist. Approximately 20% of the UA undergraduate student population is a member of a social Greek organization. Three governing boards oversee the operations of the Greek organizations: the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the Panhellenic Association, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).
For the most part, however, Alabama's fraternities and sororities are segregated, with the IFC and Panhellenic Association comprising a so-called "white Greek system" with the NPHC forming the countering "minority Greek system." The cause of this self-segregation, voluntary or otherwise, is a source of constant debate at the University. However, integration of the Greek system has recently been slowly occurring. In the fall of 2000, Gamma Phi Beta was the first Panhellenic sorority to accept an African-American member at the University.[5] In the spring of 2003, one of the largest and fastest growing multicultural sororities in the nation, Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority, Inc., founded a chapter at the University. It is now the first and only national multicultural sorority on campus, and has been steadily growing in size. Also in 2003, Alpha Delta Sigma was founded at the University of Alabama. This was the first social sorority ever to be founded at the University, as well as the first sorority to emphasize diversity. In 2005, the oldest latino fraternity Phi Iota Alpha, founded a chapter at the University.
SGA Controversy
Since its founding in 1914, a secretive coalition of fraternities and sororities, commonly known as "The Machine", has wielded enormous influence over the Student Government Association. Occurrences of harassment, intimidation, and even criminal activities aimed at opposition candidates have been reported. This criminal activity led to the suspension of the SGA from 1993-1995 at which time a Council of Cooperating Students Organizations was placed in charge of student run activities.(Esquire magazine devoted its April 1992 cover story to an expose of the Machine.)
Honor societies
- Alpha Lambda Delta
- Alpha Psi Omega
- Anderson Society
- Blue Key
- Cardinal Key
- Elliot Society
- Gamma Beta Phi
- Golden Key
- HPSA
- Lambda Sigma
- MortarBoard
- NSCS
- Omicron Delta Kappa
- Phi Eta sigma
- Sigma Alpha Lambda
- Sigma Tau Delta
- The Jasons Men's Senior Honorary
- XXXI Women's Senior Honorary
Student media
The Media Planning Board, sanctioned by the University, oversees the Office of Student Media, which manages student-produced media outlets. All student publications are editorially independent of the University. The OSM oversees the production of one newspaper, one yearbook, three scholarly publications, and the student-run radio station.
- The Crimson White is the student-produced newspaper. Published four times a week during the normal academic term and once-weekly during the summer term, the CW, as the newspaper is known, normally distributes 15,000 copies per publication.
- First published in 1892, Corolla is the official yearbook of the University. It is produced annually by students.
- The Black Warrior Review is the University's widely distributed and influential literary journal managed and published by graduate students (primarily from the English and Creative Writing departments). Founded in 1974, BWR publishes local, regional, and nationally known writers, poets, and visual artists.
- Since 1990, UA has also published the Marr's Field Journal, an undergradaute literary journal published by, and comprised of material from, Alabama's undergraduates. Like its "big brother," MFJ publishes fiction, poetry, and graphic art.
- The Southern Historian is a journal of Southern history written, edited, and produced entirely by graduate students in the Department of History. Southern Historian features articles on all aspects of Southern history, culture and book reviews in all fields of U.S. History.
- WVUA radio, "90.7 The Capstone", formerly known as "New Rock 90.7", is one of the older college radio stations in the nation, tracing its roots back to 1940. It carries a variety of music programming and broadcasts the games of several of the University's sports teams.
- WVUA-CA, also owned by the University and employing numerous students, is a commercial television station run by a professional staff.
Athletics and Traditions
Alabama's athletic teams are known as the Crimson Tide. The school fields varsity teams in the NCAA's Division I and is a member of the Southeastern Conference (Western Division), while club sports compete in their respective leagues. The school's athletic teams compete at the highest level, often contending for conference and NCAA titles. Athletic facilities on campus include the 92,238-seat Bryant-Denny Stadium, named after legendary football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and former UA President George Denny, and the 14,619-seat Coleman Coliseum.
Alabama maintains athletic rivalries with Auburn University and the University of Tennessee. The rivalry with Auburn is especially heated as it encompasses all sports. The annual Alabama-Auburn game is nicknamed the Iron Bowl.
While the rivalry with Tennessee is centered around football for the most part, there is no shortage of acrimony here, especially given the recent history between UT Coach Phillip Fulmer and his relationship to the Tide's most recent NCAA probation. There are also rivalries with Louisiana State University (football and baseball), Mississippi State University (men's basketball), and the University of Georgia (women's gymnastics).
Football
The University of Alabama football program is the most nationally notable of the university's intercollege athletics programs. Started in 1892, it is one of the oldest and most tradition-rich in the country. The team has won 21 SEC titles and 12 "consensus" national championships.[6] Additionally, the team has compiled 31 10-win seasons, played in 53 bowl games, winning 30 of them—all NCAA records. Alabama has produced 19 hall-of-famers (Paul "Bear" Bryant, Harry Gilmer, Johnny Mack Brown, Johnny Cain, John Hannah, Frank Howard, Pooley Hubert, Lee Roy Jordan, Dixie Howell, Don Hutson, Vaughn Mancha, Johnny Musso, Ozzie Newsome, Riley Smith, Billy Neighbors, Fred Sington, Frank Thomas, Wallace Wade, Don Whitmire) and 91 All-Americans honored 101 times.Mike Shula coached last for the Tide. Shula was recently fired and a new coach is currently being sought.[7]
The Crimson Tide's current home venue, Bryant-Denny Stadium, opened in 1929 with a capacity of around 12,000. The stadium has since grown to an official capacity of 92,238 with the completion of an upper deck in the north end zone in August of 2006. The addition includes a premium club level, an official stadium entrance, and a promenade that is prominently featured in pre-game activities. Bryant-Denny Stadium's all-time attendance record is 92,138, set on September 2, 2006 vs. the University of Hawai'i. The Tide has also played many rivalry games, among others, at Legion Field in Birmingham.
Nearly synonymous with Alabama football is legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant whose record at the University of Alabama was 232-46-9. He led the Crimson Tide to some form of a national title in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, and 1979, which is tied with Notre Dame's legendary coach Knute Rockne. Additionally, the 1966 team was the only one in the country to finish undefeated and untied, but poll voters denied the 12-0 Alabama team the three-peat as Michigan State and Notre Dame tied each other 10-10 in what was considered the "Game of the Century" and subsequently split the national championship.
Men's basketball
Alabama's men's basketball program has been overshadowed for most of its history by football even though it trails only Kentucky in SEC basketball wins, SEC tournament titles and regular season titles. In recent years, the men's basketball program has again risen in stature nationally under head coach Mark Gottfried, achieving a No. 1 national ranking briefly in 2003. Further, UA has once again become a regular conference basketball contender, much as it was in the 80s and early 90s under the direction of Wimp Sanderson and the 70s under C. M. Newton. Alabama has 7 NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and in the 2003-04 season the University of Alabama's men's basketball team reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament, becoming the last of the states 3 major basketball programs to accomplish that feat; it ended up losing to the national champion of that year, the University of Connecticut.
Gymnastics
The women's gymnastics squad at the University of Alabama first competed in 1975. The squad did not have a winning season until the arrival of Sarah Patterson in 1979. In the intervening 26 years under Patterson and her husband David, the squad has won four national championships, five SEC championships, 19 regional titles, and 198 All-American honors. It has placed in the top 5 at the NCAA Championships 19 of the past 21 years and won the championships four times: in 1988, 1991, 1996, and most recently in 2002. The gymnastics squad also hosts an annual fundraiser for breast cancer, where the crowd is encouraged to "Think Pink" and support the cause by turning out in pink clothing.
Gymnastics meets have an average attendance of 9,000 at Coleman Coliseum. Meets against the team's arch-rival, the University of Georgia Gymdogs, often sell out. Alabama holds two of the five NCAA records for the largest gymnastics crowds of all time, including an attendance of 15,043 fans on Feb. 1, 1997.
Traditions
Over the course of 175 years, many traditions have evolved from humble beginnings to rich spectacles. The most unique of Alabama's traditions are almost always associated with football. The nickname "Crimson Tide" originated with the 1907 Iron Bowl, which occurred during or shortly after a particularly rainy day. Auburn, heavily favored to win, was forced to accept a tie with Alabama after a hard-fought game. Describing the game, one sportswriter described the offensive line as a "Crimson Tide", in reference to their crimson jerseys as they moved down field in the rain.
- UA's mascot is an elephant called "Big Al." The name was chosen in the late 1970s in a campus-wide contest.
- UA fields a famous and highly-respected marching band called the "Million Dollar Band." Comprised of 350 men and women, the MDB was awarded the coveted Sudler Trophy in 2003. No school may be honored with the award twice. UA holds the distinction of appointing the first ever female college marching band director, Kathryn Scott. Ms. Scott led the band from 1984 until her retirement in 2002. The current director is Dr. Kenneth Ozzello.
- On the evening before the homecoming football game, a pep rally is held at which an enormous bonfire is ignited.
- The day of homecoming, a parade is held that runs straight beside the quad.
- Before the start of each home game, a video feed featuring the voice of Paul "Bear" Bryant is played.
- After victories over rival Tennessee, the football team enjoys victory cigars.
Popular School Cheers:
- "Roll Tide Roll"
- "Rammer Jammer"
- For example, following a victory against Tennessee:
- "Hey Vols! Hey Vols! We just beat the hell out of you! Rammer jammer, yellow hammer. Give 'em hell, Alabama!"
- For example, following a victory against Tennessee:
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
Notable alumni
See also
References
- ^ "UA Enrollment at Record 23,878; Freshman Class Tops 4,300" (Press release). University of Alabama Office of Public Relations. September 21, 2006. Retrieved unknown.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "UA Ranked in Top Tier By U.S. News". Retrieved June 21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - The University of Alabama Factbook online. University of Alabama. Accessed 10/24/2005
- Sellers, James B. History of the University of Alabama. Volume 1: 1818 – 1902. Tuscaloosa (Ala.): University of Alabama Press, 1953. ASIN: B0007ECYJO
- Wolfe, Suzanne Rau. The University of Alabama: A Pictorial History. Tuscaloosa (Ala.): University of Alabama Press, 1983. ISBN 0-8173-0119-4
- ^ "Official 2006 NCAA Divisions 1-A and 1-AA Football Records Book" (PDF).
External links
- College of Arts & Sciences
- College of Commerce and Business Administration
- College of Communication and Information Sciences
- College of Community Health Sciences
- College of Continuing Studies
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- Graduate School
- College of Human Environmental Sciences
- School of Law
- Capstone College of Nursing
- School of Social Work
- Honors College
- Student Government Association
- Alabama Crimson Tide Athletics Homepage
- Roll Bama Roll - An unnofficial Crimson Tide sports site
- Bama in the News - Unofficial Crimson Tide site with news on the Tide
- Master of Fine Arts/Professional Actor Training Program (Partnership between the University of Alabama & the Alabama Shakespeare Festival)
- The University of Alabama Press
- Alabama Public Radio - an NPR affiliate
- WVUA 7 television - a commercial television station owned and operated by the University's College of Communication and Information Sciences
- Alabama Heritage Magazine - Quarterly periodical covering Alabama history published by the University of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Archives and History
- The Crimson White - For whom the Chimes toll - story detailing "Denny Chimes Guy" and the day-to-day operation of Denny Chimes
- Alabama Maps - Digital Collection of Maps and Aerial Photos from the Geography Department's Cartographic Research Lab
- A campus map
| Full members |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| Championships and awards | ||
| Media | ||
| Former media outlets |
| |
| Related articles | ||