University of Connecticut
Encyclopedia
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually. UConn's retention rate is among the best for public universities in the nation, with 93% of students returning for their sophomore year.
According to the U.S. News & World Report's
America's Best Colleges listings, the University of Connecticut is a "Tier 1" university. The university's undergraduate programs are ranked 58 among all 280 national universities, tying with the University of Pittsburgh
and the University of Florida
, and placing it well ahead of the other public national universities in New England. In fact, the University of Connecticut was ranked 19th among 172 public universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report's
. UConn has repeatedly been ranked the top public university in New England
by U.S. News and World Report.
UConn participates in the New England Board of Higher Education
's Regional Student Program (NERSP), which allows students from the five other New England states to enroll at the university at a reduced out-of-state tuition
rate if their intended major
is not provided by one of their in-state universities.
The university participates in a special guaranteed admissions program with the Connecticut Community Colleges (CCC) that is designed for academically qualified students who are attending a Connecticut community college and who are planning to transfer to the University of Connecticut in Liberal Arts & Sciences, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Business, or Engineering. Each year, more than 1,000 transfer students are admitted to the university.
, a division of the Town of Mansfield
, approximately 28 miles (45 km) east of Hartford
, the state's capital. It is situated between North Eagleville Road and South Eagleville Road. Storrs Road (CT Route 195) cuts through the campus from north to south.
In addition to the main campus in Storrs, there are five regional campuses: Avery Point (in Groton
), the Greater Hartford campus (West Hartford
), Stamford
, Torrington
, and Waterbury
.
The University of Connecticut School of Law
is located in Hartford, the School of Social Work is on the Greater Hartford Campus in West Hartford, and the School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine are both located at the University of Connecticut Health Center
in Farmington
. There is a downtown Hartford branch that houses teaching and research facilities for the School of Business.
is home to the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, John Dempsey Hospital and faculty practices in medical and dental health care.
The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, which is housed at the University of Connecticut Health Center, was one of eight federally funded National Network of Libraries of Medicine libraries from 1991 to 2001.
) Campus was formerly the summer estate of Morton Plant, a railroad, steamship and hotel magnate. Branford House, the mansion overlooking Long Island Sound, was reportedly worth $3 million when it was completed in 1904. Also located on the estate was a caretaker's house (the current police station) and a barn and horse stable (the current physical plant buildings). The estate included what is now the Shennecossett Public Golf Course located just north of the campus.
The Plant estate was turned over to the State of Connecticut in the 1930s. During World War II, it was leased to the Coast Guard as a training center. During that period, the Coast Guard built the present cinder block buildings. In 1967, the estate was converted to the Southeastern Campus of the University of Connecticut, later renamed the University of Connecticut at Avery Point.
In the last few years, the Avery Point campus has undergone a major transformation. Included in a recent $50 million renovation project is a new Marine Sciences and technology building, the renovation of the Branford House, the gym, and classrooms in the Academic Building, a new Project Oceanology building, a new research vessel and new landscaping for our campus-by-the-sea.
Students have access to classes for all UConn's traditional majors as well as the Bachelor of General Studies. In addition to the Bachelor of General Studies degree, there are three other majors that students are able to complete at the Avery Point campus. Coastal Studies is a new marine-science based major, Maritime Studies is a humanities based major focused on marine topics, and American Studies deals with all aspects of the Western Hemisphere. All this plus dedicated faculty and staff and small class size provides students who choose Avery Point a unique experience and a quality education.
The Greater Hartford Campus offers a wide range of Liberal Arts and Sciences courses and degrees to over 1,400 undergraduate and more than 600 graduate students. Students pursue undergraduate degrees in American Studies, Business and Technology, Business Administration, English, General Studies, Human Development and Family Studies, Psychology, and Urban and Community Studies. The Center for Continuing Studies provides a number of certificate program options, in addition to the Bachelor of General Studies, an interdisciplinary degree program tailored to meet individual needs and goals of returning, non-traditional, part-time adult students. Due to the Greater Hartford Campus’ proximity to the State Capitol and legislative offices, the University’s Department of Public Policy is based on the Greater Hartford Campus and offers a Master of Arts in Survey Research and a Master of Arts in Public Administration, as well as certificate programs. The University’s School of Social Work is also located at the Greater Hartford Campus and offers a Master of Social Work and Ph.D in Social Work. The Greater Hartford Campus also offers the popular one-year Master of Education with Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates.
Located on a 58 acres (234,717.9 m²) campus, the Greater Hartford facilities include the Harleigh B. Trecker Library, which is fully integrated with and linked to the University Library System, including Storrs, all regional campuses, the Law School, and the UConn Health Center; a state-of-the-art Information Technology Center, which features high-tech computer labs and distance learning facilities; the Writing and Quantitative Center, a peaceful study environment for tutorial help and assistance in writing, math, accounting, chemistry, biology, and statistics; the UConn Co-op; and an art gallery. The Hartford County Cooperative Extension Center delivers objective, research-based information to help manage resources in the community.
The Greater Hartford Campus serves the Metropolitan Region through extensive community outreach programs, which connect the university with those who are underrepresented or disadvantaged in the community. Through ongoing partnerships with schools, businesses, government, national, and neighborhood organizations, the Greater Hartford Campus outreach provides hands-on learning experiences and serves as a model of community service, opportunity, and success for urban campuses.
and is easily accessible by car, train, or bus.
The campus offers four-year undergraduate degrees in American Studies, Business and Technology, Economics, English, General Studies, Human Development and Family Studies, History, Political Science, and Psychology.
At the graduate level, the campus offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degrees. The Stamford campus' location in lower Fairfield County provides access to internships, field placements, and jobs with Fortune 500 companies, investment and banking institutions, non-profit organizations, and civic, education, and community agencies.
was founded in 1957; it opened on its own campus in 1965 with the construction in a quiet rural setting in the western outskirts of the city. The 100 acre (0.404686 km²) campus consists of the M. Adela Eads Classroom Building (named after the late long-time Senate Republican Leader, a champion of the campus) and the Litchfield County Extension Service Building. The facility includes a high-tech classroom, a learning center, an art studio, computer rooms, a UConn Co-op bookstore, a 250-seat auditorium, a student lounge, and a cafeteria. The Julia Brooker Thompson Library comprises a collection of about 17,000 books and videos and 25 print journals and newspapers, and provides access to all other UConn libraries as well as to public libraries and libraries of other schools. Approximately 400 students matriculate at the campus, enjoying a student-faculty ratio of about 10 to 1. UConn Torrington offers the following undergraduate degree programs: American Studies, Human Development and Family Studies, English, General Studies, Business and Technology, Psychology, and Urban and Community Studies. Also noteworthy is the Litchfield County Writers Project, a focus for cultural activity in the region. Since 2009, UConn Torrington has been the site of the northwest Connecticut regional competition for History Day. It has also sponsored Locally Grown History, a program designed to showcase the historical and cultural treasures and organizations of the region. The campus's Academic Plan (drafted in 2007) envisions an increasing focus on the arts and humanities. Dr. Michael Menard serves as campus director.
campus serves more than 1,000 students annually. In its 60 years of operation, UConn Waterbury has opened the doors to educational access and excellence to thousands of Connecticut residents, many of whom have distinguished themselves in the fields of community service, business, education, law and politics. Today, the campus is located in a modern, state-of-the-art facility in the heart of downtown Waterbury.
Students at UConn Waterbury enjoy smaller classes and a more intimate campus environment. With a low student to faculty ratio, students are able to engage in frequent classroom discussions with the school's distinguished faculty. Professors come from diverse academic backgrounds and are actively involved in scholarly research. Many serve as student advisors and mentors. Uconn Waterbury offers a variety of campus resources and support services. Students can use the library, writing center, math center, peer tutoring assistance, computer labs and counseling services.
Through the generous support of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
(OLLI), the Waterbury campus houses the OLLI at UConn program, which is an academic cooperative that provides mature adults 50 and over with opportunities for intellectual development, cultural stimulation, and social interaction. The programs are centered around classes developed and taught by members who volunteer their time and talents to share their knowledge and interests with other members. A diversified program of courses is offered from the fields of art, computers, culture and language, health and wellness, history, horticulture, literature and writing, math and science, music, performing arts, personal development, social sciences, visual arts, and more.
There is a wide variety of student organizations on campus, including fraternities and sororities, musical groups, and religious, athletic, political, cultural, business, military, artistic, and community service clubs. There are also student organizations set up with the intent of governing student life itself, such as the Student Union Board of Governors, the Undergraduate Student Government, the InterFraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, UConnPIRG, Residence Hall Association, and the various residence hall councils. The university also has a daily student-run newspaper, The Daily Campus
, which is the largest student newspaper in the state of Connecticut. As well as the newspaper, the university has a Huskyvision cable network, channels 14 and 16 at the university. Channel 14 is UCTV
, a cable TV network consisting of student-made public-access television
shows.
While many area activities are held on campus, the university provides free local bus transportation and also arranges frequent bus trips to Boston, Manhattan, and the Connecticut shoreline. The main university campus also includes a number of museums, theaters, and performing arts venues such as the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, J. Robert Donnelly Husky Heritage Sports Museum, the William Benton Museum of Art, and the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History. The UConn Dairy Bar was started circa 1953. It remains open year-round is well-known for its ice cream, with roughly 200,000 customers visiting annually. Also under way is the construction of the new Storrs Downtown Center, a mixed-use town center slated to include retail shops, restaurants, offices, and housing, situated on Connecticut Route 195
across from the UConn campus.
and Third Eye Blind
in 2000, Guster
and Nelly
in 2001, Fat Joe
and Nine Days
in 2002, 50 Cent
and Busta Rhymes
in 2003, Ludacris
and Kanye West
in 2004, Nas
and Fabolous
in 2005, O.A.R.
in 2006, Dashboard Confessional
, Reel Big Fish
and The Starting Line
in 2007, Method Man
, Redman, Flo-Rida, and T-Pain
in 2008, 50 Cent
and Naughty by Nature
in 2009, Jack's Mannequin
and KiD CuDi
in 2010, and most recently, B.o.B
and Far East Movement
in 2011. It is also known for sizable outdoor parties that typically draw well over 10,000 attendees, particularly at one of its parking lots (X-Lot), and the privately owned Celeron and Carriage House apartments, located less than a mile off campus.
Some of these parties have led to near-riot situations, characterized by incidents of property destruction and unruliness requiring a sizable police presence every year, thereby giving Spring Weekend a degree of local notoriety. In order to give students more alternative options during that weekend, the Spring Weekend committee advertises all the events occurring for the UConn community.
It should be noted that the vast majority of incidents of property destruction and unruliness are perpetrated by individuals not associated with the university (non-students who come to the university for the weekend festivities).
In 2011, the university adopted new measures to de-escalate Spring Weekend including banning guests from campus during the three-day period, instituting numerous police roadblocks and parking lot closures across campus, working with off-campus landlords to limit crowds and calling for a voluntary moratorium by students – instead suggesting they return home for Easter weekend. These actions resulted in dramatically reduced crowds, no major incidents and far fewer arrests than in previous years.
experience with the addition of university-operated Greek housing in the "Husky Village" area atop Horsebarn Hill and the hiring of a full-time staff to deal with fraternity and sorority operations. Currently, 30 Greek organizations have chapters at UConn.
, participate in the NCAA
's Division I-A and in the Big East Conference
, except for the men's hockey program, which competes in Atlantic Hockey
, and women's hockey, which is a member of Hockey East
. Many UConn athletes, including Darin Lewis
, Damani Ralph
, Ray Allen
, Richard Hamilton
, Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor
, Rudy Gay
, Hilton Armstrong
. Caron Butler
, Jake Voskuhl
, Marcus Williams, Clifford Robinson
, Kevin Ollie
, Donyell Marshall
, Josh Boone
, Charlie Villanueva
, Rebecca Lobo
, Diana Taurasi
, Sue Bird
, Nykesha Sales
, Swin Cash
, Tamika Williams
, Kara Wolters
, Asjha Jones
, Svetlana Abrosimova
, Jennifer Rizzotti
, and Footballer Dan Orlovsky
, have gone on to success in professional sports.
Approximately 69% of all UConn student-athletes graduate from the university, and almost 50% maintain a 3.0 GPA. The women's lacrosse
team had the second-highest team GPA in the country in 2004, and numerous UConn student-athletes, including former basketball star Emeka Okafor
, have been named Academic All-Americans. In 2003, the football team was also honored for being one of only seven schools in the U.S. to graduate 80% or better of its members; it was the only public school on the list.
UConn is best known for having its men's
and women's
basketball teams consistently ranked in or near the top 10 in the nation in their respective divisions. The men's team won NCAA Division I titles in 1999, 2004 and 2011 led to victory by Kemba Walker and the women have won in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, and 2010; between the two programs UConn is a perfect 10-0 in National Championship games played. In 2004, the University of Connecticut became the first and only Division I school to win National Championships in both men's and women's basketball during the same year. The women's basketball team went undefeated in the 1995, 2002, 2009 & 2010 seasons. The Huskies won their 89th consecutive game on December 21, 2010. The team holds the record for consecutive wins with 90.
In addition to its basketball success, UConn is known for its championship soccer teams, which have the highest average attendance in the nation for both men's and women's teams. The men's team has been the national champion three times (1948, 1981, and 2000), while the women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA National Championship title game in 1984, 1990, 1997, and 2003.
UConn also is a national power in Field Hockey, having advanced to the Final Four 9 times and winning the National Championship in 1981 and 1985.
UConn football moved up to Division I-A status in 2000 and became a full Big East member in 2004. The Huskies had their first bowl
victory in the 2004 Motor City Bowl
. In 2007, the football team recorded their first national ranking, climbing as high as 13th in the BCS standings.
Other intercollegiate sports offered are baseball
, men's and women's track and field
/cross country
, field hockey
, men's golf
, women's rowing
, softball
, swimming
and diving
, tennis
, and women's volleyball
.
was chosen as the mascot. All UConn huskies are named Jonathan in honor of Jonathan Trumbull
, and all but the first, a brown and white husky, have been white with one brown eye and one blue eye. The current "real" Jonathan is Jonathan XIII; he is often seen greeting fans and eating dog biscuits at sporting events. Jonathan
is one of the few university mascots in the nation to have been selected by students via a popular poll.
"Jonathan's" was the name of a fast food restaurant in the south end of the Student Union building until that section was closed for construction. A statue of Jonathan can also be found outside near the entrances to Gampel Pavilion and the natatorium. This statue, by artist Larry Waisele, was dedicated in 1995. Students are known to rub its nose for good luck, though it is also common to see students climbing on top of the statue to "ride" it.
The UConn fight song
, officially titled UConn Husky but commonly called The Husky Fight Song, is one of the most recognizable in the country, due in large part to its frequent playing by the Pride of Connecticut
during nationally televised sporting events.
A Macromedia
audio presentation of UConn Husky is available on the UConn Alumni Association
website. A full history of the song can be found on the UConn Advance website.
The colors of UConn are white and national flag blue, though small amounts of red often appear on athletic uniforms. The Pantone
standard for the exact shade of blue used is #281.
The visual symbol of the university is the oak tree
, which is also the state tree of Connecticut. This is because the Latin
word for oak, robur, also refers to moral and physical strength, and because of the importance of the Charter Oak
to the state's history. The oak leaf appears on the university symbol and next to the word UConn on official letterhead.
There is also a waste treatment plant, and a water filtration plant which is supplied by the nearby Mansfield Hollow reservoir. Like many UConn facilities, these three are also used for live research and as test environments for students who are engaged in related fields.
The main library is the Homer D. Babbidge Library
, formerly the Nathan Hale Library, at the Storrs campus, which underwent a $3 million renovation that was completed in 1998, making it then the largest public research library in New England. The Storrs campus is also home to the university's Music and Pharmacy libraries, as well as the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
, home to the university's archives and special collections, including university records, rare books, and manuscript collections. Each of the regional campuses also have their own libraries, including the Jeremy Richard Library at UConn-Stamford and the Trecker Library in West Hartford. These libraries are tied into the Babbidge library through a shared catalogue.
The Babbidge-based collection, which places UConn among the top 30 universities in the nation for both library holdings and funding, contains more than 2.5 million print volumes; approximately 2,500 current print periodicals; more than 35,000 unique electronic journals available through the eJournal locator; 2.8 million units of microform; 180,000 maps at the Map and Geographic Information Center (New England's largest public map collection); thousands of electronic books; and an array of free electronic information sources. The UCL also license approximately 265 electronic search databases, many of which contain the full-text of research journals, monographs, and historic documents. Members of the UConn community can access these resources from off-campus by logging in to the VPN with their netID and password.
The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, which is housed at the University of Connecticut Health Center
, was one of eight federally funded National Network of Libraries of Medicine libraries from 1991–2001. The University of Connecticut School of Law
houses the School of Law Library at its campus in Hartford. The Stowe and Law libraries have catalogues separate from the Babbidge system, making the total library holdings of the University of Connecticut much higher than the 2.5 million print volumes of Babbidge.
Additionally, UConn is the home of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
, which is the world's most comprehensive survey and public opinion data library.
In addition to their own libraries, UConn participates in outside library consortia, including the New England Law Library Consortium. The Dodd Research Center has also formed a partnership with the African National Congress
to share materials with South Africa
n scholars.
, UConn's students, and private donations. UConn 2000 was enacted by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1995 and signed into law by Governor John G. Rowland
. The construction projects were overseen by President Philip E. Austin
. The legislature continued the construction investment through 21st Century UConn. Several projects resulted in financial problems and many of the new buildings had fire code violations. These problems were investigated by a special committee organized by Governor Jodi Rell
.
21st Century UConn is the continuation of UConn 2000 and is another billion dollar construction investment by the state of Connecticut
to upgrade facilities at the University of Connecticut. It passed the Connecticut General Assembly
and was signed into law by Governor Rowland
in 2002. By the time of the project's completion, every building on campus will be either new or completely renovated. Money has also been put into the regional and satellite campuses, such as the new School of Business facility in downtown Hartford.
According to the U.S. News & World Report's
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
America's Best Colleges listings, the University of Connecticut is a "Tier 1" university. The university's undergraduate programs are ranked 58 among all 280 national universities, tying with the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and placing it well ahead of the other public national universities in New England. In fact, the University of Connecticut was ranked 19th among 172 public universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report's
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
. UConn has repeatedly been ranked the top public university in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
by U.S. News and World Report.
UConn participates in the New England Board of Higher Education
New England Board of Higher Education
The New England Board of Higher Education is an interstate compact founded in 1955 by the six New England governors that promotes greater educational opportunities and services for the residents of New England. The region of New England includes the states of: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,...
's Regional Student Program (NERSP), which allows students from the five other New England states to enroll at the university at a reduced out-of-state tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
rate if their intended major
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
is not provided by one of their in-state universities.
The university participates in a special guaranteed admissions program with the Connecticut Community Colleges (CCC) that is designed for academically qualified students who are attending a Connecticut community college and who are planning to transfer to the University of Connecticut in Liberal Arts & Sciences, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Business, or Engineering. Each year, more than 1,000 transfer students are admitted to the university.
Campuses
The main university campus is located in StorrsStorrs, Connecticut
Storrs is a census-designated place and part of the town of Mansfield, Connecticut located in eastern Tolland County. The population was 10,996 at the 2000 census...
, a division of the Town of Mansfield
Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,720 at the 2000 census.Mansfield was incorporated in October 1702 from the Town of Windham, in Hartford County. When Windham County was formed on 12 May 1726, Mansfield then became part of that county...
, approximately 28 miles (45 km) east of Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, the state's capital. It is situated between North Eagleville Road and South Eagleville Road. Storrs Road (CT Route 195) cuts through the campus from north to south.
In addition to the main campus in Storrs, there are five regional campuses: Avery Point (in Groton
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
), the Greater Hartford campus (West Hartford
West Hartford, Connecticut
West Hartford is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town was incorporated in 1854. Prior to that date, the town was a parish of Hartford....
), Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, Torrington
Torrington, Connecticut
Torrington is the largest city in Litchfield County, Connecticut and the northwestern Connecticut region. It is also the core city of the largest micropolitan area in the United States. The city population was 36,383 according to the 2010 census....
, and Waterbury
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
.
The University of Connecticut School of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
The University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
is located in Hartford, the School of Social Work is on the Greater Hartford Campus in West Hartford, and the School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine are both located at the University of Connecticut Health Center
University of Connecticut Health Center
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the , School of Dental Medicine, , the UConn Medical Group, UConn Health Partners and . Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and...
in Farmington
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
. There is a downtown Hartford branch that houses teaching and research facilities for the School of Business.
Health Center Campus
The University of Connecticut Health Center campus in FarmingtonFarmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
is home to the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, John Dempsey Hospital and faculty practices in medical and dental health care.
The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, which is housed at the University of Connecticut Health Center, was one of eight federally funded National Network of Libraries of Medicine libraries from 1991 to 2001.
Avery Point Campus
The Avery Point (GrotonGroton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
) Campus was formerly the summer estate of Morton Plant, a railroad, steamship and hotel magnate. Branford House, the mansion overlooking Long Island Sound, was reportedly worth $3 million when it was completed in 1904. Also located on the estate was a caretaker's house (the current police station) and a barn and horse stable (the current physical plant buildings). The estate included what is now the Shennecossett Public Golf Course located just north of the campus.
The Plant estate was turned over to the State of Connecticut in the 1930s. During World War II, it was leased to the Coast Guard as a training center. During that period, the Coast Guard built the present cinder block buildings. In 1967, the estate was converted to the Southeastern Campus of the University of Connecticut, later renamed the University of Connecticut at Avery Point.
In the last few years, the Avery Point campus has undergone a major transformation. Included in a recent $50 million renovation project is a new Marine Sciences and technology building, the renovation of the Branford House, the gym, and classrooms in the Academic Building, a new Project Oceanology building, a new research vessel and new landscaping for our campus-by-the-sea.
Students have access to classes for all UConn's traditional majors as well as the Bachelor of General Studies. In addition to the Bachelor of General Studies degree, there are three other majors that students are able to complete at the Avery Point campus. Coastal Studies is a new marine-science based major, Maritime Studies is a humanities based major focused on marine topics, and American Studies deals with all aspects of the Western Hemisphere. All this plus dedicated faculty and staff and small class size provides students who choose Avery Point a unique experience and a quality education.
Greater Hartford Campus
UConn's Greater Hartford campus, as its name indicates, serves a broad section of the area’s populace. Opened in 1939 in the City of Hartford, the University of Connecticut’s Greater Hartford Campus moved in 1970 to its present park-like location in West Hartford. The Greater Hartford Campus offers students from the Hartford Metropolitan Region the flexibility of balancing family, work, and other personal commitments while receiving the full benefit of the University of Connecticut’s high quality education and resources.The Greater Hartford Campus offers a wide range of Liberal Arts and Sciences courses and degrees to over 1,400 undergraduate and more than 600 graduate students. Students pursue undergraduate degrees in American Studies, Business and Technology, Business Administration, English, General Studies, Human Development and Family Studies, Psychology, and Urban and Community Studies. The Center for Continuing Studies provides a number of certificate program options, in addition to the Bachelor of General Studies, an interdisciplinary degree program tailored to meet individual needs and goals of returning, non-traditional, part-time adult students. Due to the Greater Hartford Campus’ proximity to the State Capitol and legislative offices, the University’s Department of Public Policy is based on the Greater Hartford Campus and offers a Master of Arts in Survey Research and a Master of Arts in Public Administration, as well as certificate programs. The University’s School of Social Work is also located at the Greater Hartford Campus and offers a Master of Social Work and Ph.D in Social Work. The Greater Hartford Campus also offers the popular one-year Master of Education with Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates.
Located on a 58 acres (234,717.9 m²) campus, the Greater Hartford facilities include the Harleigh B. Trecker Library, which is fully integrated with and linked to the University Library System, including Storrs, all regional campuses, the Law School, and the UConn Health Center; a state-of-the-art Information Technology Center, which features high-tech computer labs and distance learning facilities; the Writing and Quantitative Center, a peaceful study environment for tutorial help and assistance in writing, math, accounting, chemistry, biology, and statistics; the UConn Co-op; and an art gallery. The Hartford County Cooperative Extension Center delivers objective, research-based information to help manage resources in the community.
The Greater Hartford Campus serves the Metropolitan Region through extensive community outreach programs, which connect the university with those who are underrepresented or disadvantaged in the community. Through ongoing partnerships with schools, businesses, government, national, and neighborhood organizations, the Greater Hartford Campus outreach provides hands-on learning experiences and serves as a model of community service, opportunity, and success for urban campuses.
Stamford Campus
The Stamford Campus of the University of Connecticut was founded in 1951, to provide education for GIs returning from the Korean War. It is currently located at One University Place, at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Broad Street in downtown StamfordStamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
and is easily accessible by car, train, or bus.
The campus offers four-year undergraduate degrees in American Studies, Business and Technology, Economics, English, General Studies, Human Development and Family Studies, History, Political Science, and Psychology.
At the graduate level, the campus offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degrees. The Stamford campus' location in lower Fairfield County provides access to internships, field placements, and jobs with Fortune 500 companies, investment and banking institutions, non-profit organizations, and civic, education, and community agencies.
Torrington Campus
The University of Connecticut at TorringtonTorrington, Connecticut
Torrington is the largest city in Litchfield County, Connecticut and the northwestern Connecticut region. It is also the core city of the largest micropolitan area in the United States. The city population was 36,383 according to the 2010 census....
was founded in 1957; it opened on its own campus in 1965 with the construction in a quiet rural setting in the western outskirts of the city. The 100 acre (0.404686 km²) campus consists of the M. Adela Eads Classroom Building (named after the late long-time Senate Republican Leader, a champion of the campus) and the Litchfield County Extension Service Building. The facility includes a high-tech classroom, a learning center, an art studio, computer rooms, a UConn Co-op bookstore, a 250-seat auditorium, a student lounge, and a cafeteria. The Julia Brooker Thompson Library comprises a collection of about 17,000 books and videos and 25 print journals and newspapers, and provides access to all other UConn libraries as well as to public libraries and libraries of other schools. Approximately 400 students matriculate at the campus, enjoying a student-faculty ratio of about 10 to 1. UConn Torrington offers the following undergraduate degree programs: American Studies, Human Development and Family Studies, English, General Studies, Business and Technology, Psychology, and Urban and Community Studies. Also noteworthy is the Litchfield County Writers Project, a focus for cultural activity in the region. Since 2009, UConn Torrington has been the site of the northwest Connecticut regional competition for History Day. It has also sponsored Locally Grown History, a program designed to showcase the historical and cultural treasures and organizations of the region. The campus's Academic Plan (drafted in 2007) envisions an increasing focus on the arts and humanities. Dr. Michael Menard serves as campus director.
Waterbury Campus
The University of Connecticut's WaterburyWaterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
campus serves more than 1,000 students annually. In its 60 years of operation, UConn Waterbury has opened the doors to educational access and excellence to thousands of Connecticut residents, many of whom have distinguished themselves in the fields of community service, business, education, law and politics. Today, the campus is located in a modern, state-of-the-art facility in the heart of downtown Waterbury.
Students at UConn Waterbury enjoy smaller classes and a more intimate campus environment. With a low student to faculty ratio, students are able to engage in frequent classroom discussions with the school's distinguished faculty. Professors come from diverse academic backgrounds and are actively involved in scholarly research. Many serve as student advisors and mentors. Uconn Waterbury offers a variety of campus resources and support services. Students can use the library, writing center, math center, peer tutoring assistance, computer labs and counseling services.
Through the generous support of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes offer noncredit courses with no assignments or grades to “seasoned” adults over age 50. Since 2001 philanthropist Bernard Osher has made grants from his foundation to launch OLLI programs at over 120 universities and colleges in 49 states and the District of...
(OLLI), the Waterbury campus houses the OLLI at UConn program, which is an academic cooperative that provides mature adults 50 and over with opportunities for intellectual development, cultural stimulation, and social interaction. The programs are centered around classes developed and taught by members who volunteer their time and talents to share their knowledge and interests with other members. A diversified program of courses is offered from the fields of art, computers, culture and language, health and wellness, history, horticulture, literature and writing, math and science, music, performing arts, personal development, social sciences, visual arts, and more.
Institute for Teaching & Learning
The members of the Institute install and maintain high-technology and distance learning classrooms as well as provide guidance on curriculum design and delivery. Faculty can drop by the Instructional Resource Center for help on the university’s learning management system HuskyCT or to develop an electronic portfolio. The Media Designers shoot photography, print posters and produce video for classroom instruction.Student life
Approximately 75% of all students, including many graduate students, live on campus. The university sponsors many events throughout the year for its students, and also oversees more than 300 student organizations available at UConn for both undergraduates and graduate students.There is a wide variety of student organizations on campus, including fraternities and sororities, musical groups, and religious, athletic, political, cultural, business, military, artistic, and community service clubs. There are also student organizations set up with the intent of governing student life itself, such as the Student Union Board of Governors, the Undergraduate Student Government, the InterFraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, UConnPIRG, Residence Hall Association, and the various residence hall councils. The university also has a daily student-run newspaper, The Daily Campus
The Daily Campus
The Daily Campus, founded in 1896, is a student-run newspaper at the University of Connecticut that has a circulation run of 8,000 copies weekdays during the school year and twice during the summer...
, which is the largest student newspaper in the state of Connecticut. As well as the newspaper, the university has a Huskyvision cable network, channels 14 and 16 at the university. Channel 14 is UCTV
UCTV (University of Connecticut)
UCTV is a student television station run entirely by undergraduate students on the Storrs campus at the University of Connecticut's "Huskyvision" cable system. UCTV can be seen on channel 14 on the UConn campus...
, a cable TV network consisting of student-made public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
shows.
While many area activities are held on campus, the university provides free local bus transportation and also arranges frequent bus trips to Boston, Manhattan, and the Connecticut shoreline. The main university campus also includes a number of museums, theaters, and performing arts venues such as the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, J. Robert Donnelly Husky Heritage Sports Museum, the William Benton Museum of Art, and the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History. The UConn Dairy Bar was started circa 1953. It remains open year-round is well-known for its ice cream, with roughly 200,000 customers visiting annually. Also under way is the construction of the new Storrs Downtown Center, a mixed-use town center slated to include retail shops, restaurants, offices, and housing, situated on Connecticut Route 195
Connecticut Route 195
Route 195 is a state highway in northeastern Connecticut, running from the Willimantic section of Windham to the town center of Tolland via the Storrs section of Mansfield...
across from the UConn campus.
Spring Weekend
The annual Spring Weekend concert has attracted top artists and bands such as OutkastOutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
and Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
in 2000, Guster
Guster
Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...
and Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
in 2001, Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
and Nine Days
Nine Days
Nine Days is an American rock band who were popular in the early 2000s. Formed in Oyster Bay by frontman John Hampson and Brian Desveaux, they released three independent albums in the 1990s before their mainstream debut album, The Madding Crowd, released in 2000...
in 2002, 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
and Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
in 2003, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
in 2004, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
and Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
in 2005, O.A.R.
O.A.R.
O.A.R. is an American rock band composed of Marc Roberge , Chris Culos , Richard On , Benj Gershman , and Jerry DePizzo...
in 2006, Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
, Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
and The Starting Line
The Starting Line
The Starting Line is an American pop punk band based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that formed in 1999.- Formation and history :In 1999, the band that would become The Starting Line was initiated in Churchville, Pennsylvania via an e-mail from guitarist Matt Watts to vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli...
in 2007, Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
, Redman, Flo-Rida, and T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
in 2008, 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
and Naughty by Nature
Naughty by Nature
Naughty by Nature are a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey that at the time of its formation in 1989 consisted of Treach, Vin Rock, and the DJ Kay Gee...
in 2009, Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin is an American rock band formed in 2004, originally hailing from Orange County, California. The band began as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the frontman for Something Corporate, and is composed of guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Mikey "The Kid" Wagner, and drummer Jay...
and KiD CuDi
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
in 2010, and most recently, B.o.B
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
and Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
in 2011. It is also known for sizable outdoor parties that typically draw well over 10,000 attendees, particularly at one of its parking lots (X-Lot), and the privately owned Celeron and Carriage House apartments, located less than a mile off campus.
Some of these parties have led to near-riot situations, characterized by incidents of property destruction and unruliness requiring a sizable police presence every year, thereby giving Spring Weekend a degree of local notoriety. In order to give students more alternative options during that weekend, the Spring Weekend committee advertises all the events occurring for the UConn community.
It should be noted that the vast majority of incidents of property destruction and unruliness are perpetrated by individuals not associated with the university (non-students who come to the university for the weekend festivities).
In 2011, the university adopted new measures to de-escalate Spring Weekend including banning guests from campus during the three-day period, instituting numerous police roadblocks and parking lot closures across campus, working with off-campus landlords to limit crowds and calling for a voluntary moratorium by students – instead suggesting they return home for Easter weekend. These actions resulted in dramatically reduced crowds, no major incidents and far fewer arrests than in previous years.
Greek life
Since 2003, the University has taken much stronger steps towards producing a quality fraternity and sororityFraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
experience with the addition of university-operated Greek housing in the "Husky Village" area atop Horsebarn Hill and the hiring of a full-time staff to deal with fraternity and sorority operations. Currently, 30 Greek organizations have chapters at UConn.
Athletics
UConn's sports teams, known as the HuskiesHusky
Husky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style...
, participate in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I-A and in the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, except for the men's hockey program, which competes in Atlantic Hockey
Atlantic Hockey
The Atlantic Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates primarily in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey–only conference. Unlike several other college athletic conferences, Atlantic Hockey has no women's...
, and women's hockey, which is a member of Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
. Many UConn athletes, including Darin Lewis
Darin Lewis
Darin Lewis is a soccer player from Trinidad and Tobago who currently plays for WASA FC.-Youth:The son of former Trinidad and Tobago national football captain Steve Pierre, Lewis attended Mercer County Community College where he was part of Mercer's 1997 and 1998 JUCO soccer championship teams...
, Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph
Damani Ralph is a Jamaican football player, who last played for Russian team FC Rubin Kazan in Russia.- Amateur/College :...
, Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
, Richard Hamilton
Richard Hamilton (basketball)
Richard "Rip" Hamilton is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons. Hamilton is 6'7" tall, weighs 193 lbs , and plays shooting guard. He currently is the Pistons' team captain....
, Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor
Emeka Okafor
Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi Okafor, abbreviated as Emeka Okafor , is an American basketball power forward and center for the New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball Association. Prior to the NBA, Okafor attended Houston's Bellaire High School, and the University of Connecticut.-Early life:Okafor...
, Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay
Rudy Carlton Gay, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Memphis Grizzlies...
, Hilton Armstrong
Hilton Armstrong
Hilton A. Armstrong, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for ASVEL Basket. He played forward/center for the University of Connecticut Huskies...
. Caron Butler
Caron Butler
James Caron Butler, widely known as Caron Butler , is an American professional basketball player who most recently played at small forward for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.-Early life:...
, Jake Voskuhl
Jake Voskuhl
Robert Jacob "Jake" Voskuhl is an American professional basketball center.After attending Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, Voskuhl went to the University of Connecticut from 1996–2000, where he was the starting center on the school's 1999 NCAA National Championship team. The squad also featured...
, Marcus Williams, Clifford Robinson
Clifford R. Robinson
Clifford "Cliff" Ralph Robinson is a former American professional basketball player, formerly of the National Basketball Association.-Highlights:...
, Kevin Ollie
Kevin Ollie
Kevin Jermaine Ollie is an American former professional basketball player. He played for eleven National Basketball Association franchises in thirteen seasons...
, Donyell Marshall
Donyell Marshall
Donyell Lamar Marshall is a retired American professional basketball player, at the small forward and power forward positions. During his extensive NBA career, he played with eight different teams...
, Josh Boone
Josh Boone
Oscar Joshua "Josh" Boone is an American professional basketball player. He was a forward–center for the Connecticut Huskies, where he played for three years. He declared for the 2006 NBA Draft after his junior season, forgoing his final year of college...
, Charlie Villanueva
Charlie Villanueva
Charlie Alexander Villanueva is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association....
, Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
, Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi
Diana Lorena Taurasi is a professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and Galatasaray Medical Park from Turkey...
, Sue Bird
Sue Bird
Suzanne Brigit "Sue" Bird is an American professional women's basketball player for the Seattle Storm and WBC Spartak Moscow Region....
, Nykesha Sales
Nykesha Sales
Nykesha Simone Sales is a former professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently for the Connecticut Sun. Her primary position is the small forward. Her second position is shooting guard. In 1999 Sales was added to the roster of the USA FIBA Senior National Team team...
, Swin Cash
Swin Cash
Swintayla Marie Cash , better known as Swin Cash, is an American WNBA player who plays for the Seattle Storm. A prolific scorer and rebounder, as well as a capable ball handler and defender, she helped lead the University of Connecticut women's basketball team to national titles in 2000 and 2002...
, Tamika Williams
Tamika Williams
Tamika Maria Raymond is an Assistant Coach at Kansas University. She was a professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA...
, Kara Wolters
Kara Wolters
Kara Wolters is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player.Standing at six feet and seven inches , she was appropriately nicknamed "Big Girl". She is the tallest player in University of Connecticut women's basketball history and one of the tallest women to ever play in the WNBA...
, Asjha Jones
Asjha Jones
Asjha Takera Jones is a professional basketball player. She plays the power forward position for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.-Early years:...
, Svetlana Abrosimova
Svetlana Abrosimova
Svetlana Olegovna Abrosimova is a Russian basketball player who has played in college, the Olympics, and in professional leagues. She currently plays for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. She is usually called by her nickname, "Svet" or "Sveta".Abrosimova was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR,...
, Jennifer Rizzotti
Jennifer Rizzotti
Jennifer Rizzotti is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player, and current Division I coach. She is the daughter of Tom Rizzotti and Carol Rizzotti.-College:...
, and Footballer Dan Orlovsky
Dan Orlovsky
Daniel John Orlovsky is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. The Detroit Lions drafted Orlovsky in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, have gone on to success in professional sports.
Approximately 69% of all UConn student-athletes graduate from the university, and almost 50% maintain a 3.0 GPA. The women's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team had the second-highest team GPA in the country in 2004, and numerous UConn student-athletes, including former basketball star Emeka Okafor
Emeka Okafor
Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi Okafor, abbreviated as Emeka Okafor , is an American basketball power forward and center for the New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball Association. Prior to the NBA, Okafor attended Houston's Bellaire High School, and the University of Connecticut.-Early life:Okafor...
, have been named Academic All-Americans. In 2003, the football team was also honored for being one of only seven schools in the U.S. to graduate 80% or better of its members; it was the only public school on the list.
UConn is best known for having its men's
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
and women's
Connecticut Huskies women's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represents the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut in NCAA women's basketball competition. Under head coach Geno Auriemma, the Huskies have won 7 NCAA Division I national championships, advanced to 12 Final Fours, and won over 30 Big...
basketball teams consistently ranked in or near the top 10 in the nation in their respective divisions. The men's team won NCAA Division I titles in 1999, 2004 and 2011 led to victory by Kemba Walker and the women have won in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, and 2010; between the two programs UConn is a perfect 10-0 in National Championship games played. In 2004, the University of Connecticut became the first and only Division I school to win National Championships in both men's and women's basketball during the same year. The women's basketball team went undefeated in the 1995, 2002, 2009 & 2010 seasons. The Huskies won their 89th consecutive game on December 21, 2010. The team holds the record for consecutive wins with 90.
In addition to its basketball success, UConn is known for its championship soccer teams, which have the highest average attendance in the nation for both men's and women's teams. The men's team has been the national champion three times (1948, 1981, and 2000), while the women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA National Championship title game in 1984, 1990, 1997, and 2003.
UConn also is a national power in Field Hockey, having advanced to the Final Four 9 times and winning the National Championship in 1981 and 1985.
UConn football moved up to Division I-A status in 2000 and became a full Big East member in 2004. The Huskies had their first bowl
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
victory in the 2004 Motor City Bowl
Motor City Bowl
The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually since 1997. The first five games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Starting in 2002, the game was moved to 65,000-seat Ford Field in downtown...
. In 2007, the football team recorded their first national ranking, climbing as high as 13th in the BCS standings.
Other intercollegiate sports offered are baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, men's and women's track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
/cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, men's golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, women's rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and women's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
.
Symbols
Until 1933, the mascot of UConn had been the Aggies. This was because of the original agricultural nature of the University. In 1933, the University changed its name from Connecticut Agricultural College to Connecticut State College. To reflect this change, athletic teams were known as the Statesmen. In December 1934, the HuskyHusky
Husky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style...
was chosen as the mascot. All UConn huskies are named Jonathan in honor of Jonathan Trumbull
Jonathan Trumbull
Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. was one of the few Americans who served as governor in both a pre-Revolutionary colony and a post-Revolutionary state...
, and all but the first, a brown and white husky, have been white with one brown eye and one blue eye. The current "real" Jonathan is Jonathan XIII; he is often seen greeting fans and eating dog biscuits at sporting events. Jonathan
Jonathan the Husky
Jonathan the Husky is the mascot of the University of Connecticut. All UConn huskies are named Jonathan in honor of Jonathan Trumbull, the last colonial and first state Governor of Connecticut...
is one of the few university mascots in the nation to have been selected by students via a popular poll.
"Jonathan's" was the name of a fast food restaurant in the south end of the Student Union building until that section was closed for construction. A statue of Jonathan can also be found outside near the entrances to Gampel Pavilion and the natatorium. This statue, by artist Larry Waisele, was dedicated in 1995. Students are known to rub its nose for good luck, though it is also common to see students climbing on top of the statue to "ride" it.
The UConn fight song
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
, officially titled UConn Husky but commonly called The Husky Fight Song, is one of the most recognizable in the country, due in large part to its frequent playing by the Pride of Connecticut
University of Connecticut Marching Band
The University of Connecticut Marching Band , nicknamed "The Pride of Connecticut," was formed in 1904 as an all-male ROTC band. It is currently under the direction of Dr. David Mills and assisted by Marvin McNeill. There are about 300 members in the band...
during nationally televised sporting events.
A Macromedia
Macromedia
Macromedia was an American graphics and web development software company headquartered in San Francisco, California that produced such products as Flash and Dreamweaver. Its rival, Adobe Systems, acquired Macromedia on December 3, 2005 and controls the line of Macromedia...
audio presentation of UConn Husky is available on the UConn Alumni Association
UConn Alumni Association
The UConn Alumni Association is a nation-wide, non-profit 501 organization funded by membership dues, individual donations and corporate sponsorships/affinity program partners. The Alumni Center is located in the college town of Storrs, Connecticut...
website. A full history of the song can be found on the UConn Advance website.
The colors of UConn are white and national flag blue, though small amounts of red often appear on athletic uniforms. The Pantone
Pantone
Pantone Inc. is a corporation headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, USA. The company is best known for its Pantone Matching System , a proprietary color space...
standard for the exact shade of blue used is #281.
The visual symbol of the university is the oak tree
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, which is also the state tree of Connecticut. This is because the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word for oak, robur, also refers to moral and physical strength, and because of the importance of the Charter Oak
Charter Oak
The Charter Oak was an unusually large white oak tree growing, from around the 12th or 13th century until 1856, on what the English colonists named Wyllys Hyll, in Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
to the state's history. The oak leaf appears on the university symbol and next to the word UConn on official letterhead.
Utilities
Because it is situated in a fairly rural area, the UConn campus at Storrs has facilities that allow it to be virtually self-sufficient. All heat on campus is steam, and where possible sidewalks were laid over the underground connectors to keep the snow off. In 2005, a cogeneration plant was activated, which generates most of the electricity for the campus, and uses the exhaust steam for the campus central heating system.There is also a waste treatment plant, and a water filtration plant which is supplied by the nearby Mansfield Hollow reservoir. Like many UConn facilities, these three are also used for live research and as test environments for students who are engaged in related fields.
Libraries
The University of Connecticut Libraries form the largest public research collection in the state of Connecticut.The main library is the Homer D. Babbidge Library
Homer D. Babbidge Library
The Homer D. Babbidge Library is the main library on the University of Connecticut campus.-History:In December 1962 University of Connecticut President Homer D. Babbidge went before the Connecticut legislature to advocate for a stronger research-oriented institution in Storrs, CT...
, formerly the Nathan Hale Library, at the Storrs campus, which underwent a $3 million renovation that was completed in 1998, making it then the largest public research library in New England. The Storrs campus is also home to the university's Music and Pharmacy libraries, as well as the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
The Thomas J. Dodd Research Center houses the Archives & Special Collections for the University of Connecticut Libraries. It also houses the Human Rights Institute and the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life at the University of Connecticut...
, home to the university's archives and special collections, including university records, rare books, and manuscript collections. Each of the regional campuses also have their own libraries, including the Jeremy Richard Library at UConn-Stamford and the Trecker Library in West Hartford. These libraries are tied into the Babbidge library through a shared catalogue.
The Babbidge-based collection, which places UConn among the top 30 universities in the nation for both library holdings and funding, contains more than 2.5 million print volumes; approximately 2,500 current print periodicals; more than 35,000 unique electronic journals available through the eJournal locator; 2.8 million units of microform; 180,000 maps at the Map and Geographic Information Center (New England's largest public map collection); thousands of electronic books; and an array of free electronic information sources. The UCL also license approximately 265 electronic search databases, many of which contain the full-text of research journals, monographs, and historic documents. Members of the UConn community can access these resources from off-campus by logging in to the VPN with their netID and password.
The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, which is housed at the University of Connecticut Health Center
University of Connecticut Health Center
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the , School of Dental Medicine, , the UConn Medical Group, UConn Health Partners and . Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and...
, was one of eight federally funded National Network of Libraries of Medicine libraries from 1991–2001. The University of Connecticut School of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
The University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
houses the School of Law Library at its campus in Hartford. The Stowe and Law libraries have catalogues separate from the Babbidge system, making the total library holdings of the University of Connecticut much higher than the 2.5 million print volumes of Babbidge.
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Connecticut is an international archive of social science data, specializing in data from opinion surveys. The data held by the Roper Center ranges from the 1930s, when survey research was in its infancy, to the present...
, which is the world's most comprehensive survey and public opinion data library.
In addition to their own libraries, UConn participates in outside library consortia, including the New England Law Library Consortium. The Dodd Research Center has also formed a partnership with the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
to share materials with South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n scholars.
Athletics
The most notable athletic facilities are:- Harry A. Gampel PavilionHarry A. Gampel PavilionHarry A. Gampel Pavilion is a 10,167-seat multi-purpose arena in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. The arena opened on January 21, 1990, and is the largest on campus arena in New England. It was named after Harry A. Gampel, who donated one million dollars for the construction of the arena...
on the Storrs campus, the regular home for both men's and women's basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... - XL Center in HartfordHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, the second home for both basketball teams - Rentschler Field in East HartfordEast Hartford, ConnecticutEast Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,252 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
, home to the footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team
Improvement projects
UConn 2000 was a public-private partnership to rebuild, renew and enhance the University of Connecticut from 1995 to 2005. It was paid for by the State of ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, UConn's students, and private donations. UConn 2000 was enacted by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1995 and signed into law by Governor John G. Rowland
John G. Rowland
John Grosvenor Rowland was the 86th Governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004; he is a member of the Republican Party. He is married to Patty Rowland, his second wife, and the couple have five children between them...
. The construction projects were overseen by President Philip E. Austin
Philip E. Austin
Philip E. Austin was the thirteenth President of the University of Connecticut from October 1, 1996 to September 2007, and returned to serve as Interim President in May 2010 following the departure of Michael J. Hogan...
. The legislature continued the construction investment through 21st Century UConn. Several projects resulted in financial problems and many of the new buildings had fire code violations. These problems were investigated by a special committee organized by Governor Jodi Rell
M. Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
.
21st Century UConn is the continuation of UConn 2000 and is another billion dollar construction investment by the state of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
to upgrade facilities at the University of Connecticut. It passed the Connecticut General Assembly
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.During...
and was signed into law by Governor Rowland
John G. Rowland
John Grosvenor Rowland was the 86th Governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004; he is a member of the Republican Party. He is married to Patty Rowland, his second wife, and the couple have five children between them...
in 2002. By the time of the project's completion, every building on campus will be either new or completely renovated. Money has also been put into the regional and satellite campuses, such as the new School of Business facility in downtown Hartford.