The 'University of Arizona' (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885, when Arizona was still a territory. UA includes Arizona's only allopathic medical school. In 2005, total enrollment was 37,036 students.

Among the strongest programs at UA are optical sciences, astronomy, astrophysics, and planetary science (UA is awarded more NASA grants for space exploration than any other university nationallycite web | url=http://www.arizona.edu/marketing/achieve/achieve-nicole.php | title=The First UA Undergrad to Command a Camera on Mars | accessdate=2006-04-18), hydrology and hydrogeology, philosophy, and anthropology. UA also has a top tier law school, and its undergraduate business school is ranked in the top 20 among all universities in the U.S., public and private.cite web | title = Recent Rankings | work = Highlights and Rankings | publisher = University of Arizona | accessdate = 26 January | accessyear = 2006 | url = http://uaadvancement.arizona.edu/highlights/retrieve.php?factcategoriesid=22

Arizona is classified as a Carnegie Foundation "Doctoral/Research Universities?Extensive" university.cite web|title=UA Highlights 2004-05|url=http://uaadvancement.arizona.edu/pdf/UA_Highlights_AY_2004-05.pdf | accessdate=January 1|accessyear=2006

The university receives more than $400 million USD annually in research funding, generating nearly 75% of the research dollars in the Arizona university system. This figure is triple the total research funds generated by Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University combined,cite web | title = Campus Highlights | work = Highlights and Rankings | publisher = University of Arizona | accessdate = 29 March | accessyear = 2006 | url = http://uaadvancement.arizona.edu/highlights/retrieve.php?factcategoriesid=16 and 26th highest in the U.S. (including public and private institutions). The university has an endowment of $348.3 million USD as of 2005.cite web | title = University of Arizona | work=America's Best Colleges 2006 | publisher = U.S.News & World Report | accessdate = 29 March | accessyear = 2006 | url = http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1083_brief.php

The UA was recently awarded over $325 million USD to lead NASA's 2007 mission to Mars to explore the Martian arctic. The school's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory's work in the Cassini spacecraft orbit around Saturn is larger than that of any other university globally. The UA laboratory designed and operated the atmospheric radiation investigations and imaging on the probe.cite web | title = The eyes of the world... and beyond | publisher = Arizona Board of Regents | accessdate = 29 March | accessyear = 2006 | url = http://uaadvancement.arizona.edu/leading/eyes.php The UA operates the HiRISE camera, a part of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The current and 19th university president is Robert N. Shelton, whose term began in 2006. The former president, Peter Likins, vacated his post at the conclusion of the 2005-06 academic term.

History

Founding

The University of Arizona was approved by the Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1885. Ironically, the city of Tucson had hoped to receive the appropriation for the state's mental hospital, which carried a sum of money slightly larger than the $25,000 allotted to the state's only university (Arizona State University was founded at the same time, but it was created as the state's normal school). Tucson, having a smaller contingent of legislators than cities like Prescott and Phoenix, was granted last priority and was awarded the university, which disappointed many city residents. With no parties willing to step forth and provide land for the new institution, the citizens of Tucson prepared to return the money to the Territorial Legislature until two gamblers and a saloon keeper decided to donate the land necessary to build the school. Classes met for the first time in 1891 with 32 students in Old Main, the first building constructed on campus, and still in use to this day. cite web | title=The Old Main | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=UA History | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/history/history3.php

Reputation, associations and rankings

Reputation

• The Council for Aid to Education ranked the UA 12th among public universities and 24th overall in financial support and gifts. Campaign Arizona, an effort to raise over $1 billion USD for the school, exceeded that goal by $200 million a year earlier than projected.cite web | url = http://uaadvancement.arizona.edu/pdf/UA_Highlights_AY_2004-05.pdf | title = Academic Year 2004-05 Highlights | format = PDF | accessdate = 28 January | accessyear = 2006

• The National Science Foundation ranks UA 16th among public universities, and 26th among all universities nationwide in research funding.

• UA receives more NASA grants annually than the next nine top NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory-funded universities combined.

• UA students have been selected as Flinn, Truman, Rhodes, Goldwater, Fulbright, and National Merit scholars.cite web | title = Student Honors | work = Highlights and Rankings | publisher = University of Arizona | accessdate = 29 March | accessyear = 2006 | url = http://uaadvancement.arizona.edu/highlights/retrieve.php?factcategoriesid=17
  • According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, UA is among the top 25 producers of Fulbright awards in the U.S.

The UA is considered a more-selective national university (U.S. News & World Report), with students hailing from all states in the U.S. While nearly 72 % of students are from Arizona, 8 % are from California, followed by a significant student presence from Illinois, Texas, and Washington (2004).cite book | editor=Office of Institutional Research & Evaluation | title=The University of Arizona Fact Book 2004-05| url=http://oire.arizona.edu/files/Fact_Book/Nc_Factbook04_05.pdf | format=PDF The UA has approximately 2,200 international students representing 135 countries. International students comprise approximately 6 % of the total enrollment at UA.

Notable associations

• UA is a member of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, a consortium of institutions pursuing research in astronomy. The association operates observatories and telescopes, notably Kitt Peak National Observatory near the UA campus.

• UA is a member of the Association of American Universities

Notable rankings

• In terms of comprehensive rankings, U.S. News & World Report placed UA 45th nationally among the public institutions (top tier), and 97th overall, in the publication's 2006 Guide to Colleges.cite web | title=USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2006: National Universities | url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/ranknatudoc_brief.php | accessdate=November 23 | accessyear=2005

• In 2005, UA was ranked 73rd in the world and 47th in North America by an annual listing of the Top 500 World Universities published by the Institute of Higher Education in Shanghai, China.cite web | title= Top 500 World Universities | url=http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ranking.htm | accessdate=November 23 | accessyear=2005

• The Eller College of Management's programs in Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Management Information Systems, and Marketing are ranked in the nation's top 25 by U.S. News & World Report. The Eller College undergraduate program was ranked 18th in the nation (including public and private institutions) by U.S. News & World Report in 2005, the highest ranking college in the university. The Masters in MIS program has been ranked in the top 5 by U.S. News & World Report since the inception of the rankings.cite web | title= Masters in MIS program | url=http://mis.eller.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/web/about/rankings.cgi | accessdate=November 23 | accessyear=2005 It is one of three programs to have this distinction.
  • The Eller MBA program has ranked among the top 50 programs for 11 straight years by U.S. News & World Report. In 2005 the MBA program was ranked 40th by U.S. News & World Report. Forbes Magazine ranked the Eller MBA program 33rd overall for having the best Return on Investment (ROI), in its fourth biennial rankings of business schools 2005. The MBA program was ranked 24th by The Wall Street Journal's 2005 Interactive Regional Ranking.

• The James E. Rogers College of Law was ranked 41st nationally by U.S. News & World Report in 2005.

• According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is one of the top-rated research departments in ecology and evolutionary biology in the U.S.

• The analytical chemistry program at UA is ranked 4th nationally by U.S. News & World Report (2006).

• The Doctor of Pharmacy program is ranked 4th nationally by U.S. News & World Report in 2005.

Athletics

University of Arizona "A"

Like many large public universities in the U.S., sports are a major activity on campus, and receive a large operating budget. Arizona's athletic teams are nicknamed the 'Wildcats', a name derived from a 1914 football game with then California champions Occidental College, where the L.A. Times asserted that Arizona "showed the fight of wildcats."cite web | title=The McKale Era -- Building an Athletic Tradition | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=UA History | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/history/history8.php The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific Ten Conference.

Men's Basketball

Football

Baseball

Softball

Men's and Women's Golf

Other

Although surprising to some, the University of Arizona has a noteworthy history in ice hockey. The school's club team, known as the Icecats, has won over 520 games since its inception in 1978. The Icecats defeated Penn State for the National Collegiate Club Hockey National Championship in 1985.

Individual National Championships

Rivalries

Mascot

Wilma & Wilbur

The University mascot is an anthropomorphized wildcat named Wilbur. The identity of Wilbur is kept secret through the year as the mascot appears only in costume. In 1986, Wilbur married his longtime wildcat girlfriend, Wilma. Together, Wilbur and Wilma appear along with the cheerleading squad at most Wildcat sporting events.cite web | title=Wilbur & Wilma Wildcat | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=Traditions Tour | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/traditions/traditions3.php Wilbur was originally created by Bob White as a cartoon character in the University's humor magazine, Kitty Kat. 1959 marked the creation of the first incarnated Wilbur, when University student John Paquette and his roommate, Dick Heller, came up with idea of creating a costume for a student to wear. Ed Stuckenhoff was chosen to wear the costume at the homecoming game in 1959 against Texas Tech and since then it has become a long-standing tradition. Wilbur will celebrate his 50th birthday in November 2009.

Notable venues

• McKale Center, opened in 1973, is currently used by men's and women's basketball, women's gymnastics, and women's volleyball. The official capacity has changed often. The largest crowd to see a game in McKale was 15,176 in 1976 for a game against the University of New Mexico, a main rival during that period. In 2000, the floor in McKale was dubbed Lute Olson Court, for the basketball program's winningest coach. During a memorial service in 2001 for Lute's wife, Bobbi, who'd died after a battle with ovarian cancer, the floor was renamed Lute and Bobbi Olson Court. In addition to the playing surface, McKale Center is host to the offices of the UA athletic department. McKale Center is named after J.F. Pop McKale, who was athletic director and coach from 1914 through 1957.

• Arizona Stadium, built in 1928, seats over 56,000 patrons. It hosts American football games and has also been used for university graduations. The turf is bermuda grass, taken from the local Tucson National Golf Club. Arizona football's home record is 258-139-12. The largest crowd ever in Arizona Stadium was 59,920 in 1996 for a game against Arizona State University.

• Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium hosts baseball games.

• Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium hosts softball games.

Academic subdivisions

Campus museums

• Much of the main campus has been designated an arboretum. Plants from around the world are labeled along a self-guided plant walk. The Krutch Cactus Garden includes the tallest Boojum tree in the state of Arizona.cite news | first=Inger | last=Sandal | url=http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/relatedarticles/40311.php | title= Boojum boon for UA campus | publisher=Arizona Daily Star | date=24 September 2004 (The university also manages Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, located c. 85 miles north of the main campus.)

• Two herbaria are located on the University campus and both are referred to as "ARIZ" in the Index Herbariorum
  • The University of Arizona Herbarium - contains roughly 400,000 specimens of plants.
  • The Robert L. Gilbertson Mycological Herbarium - contains more than 40,000 specimens of fungi.

• The Arizona State Museum is the oldest anthropology museum in the American Southwest.

• The Center for Creative Photography features rotating exhibits. The permanent collection includes over 70,000 photos, including many Ansel Adams originals.

• University of Arizona Museum of Art.

• The Arizona Historical Society is located one block west of campus.

• Flandrau Science Center has exhibits, a planetarium, and a public-access telescope.

• The University of Arizona Mineral Museum is located in the Flandrau Science Center in Tucson, Arizona. The collection dates back to 1892 and contains over 20,000 minerals from around the world, including many examples from Arizona and Mexico.

• The University of Arizona Poetry Center

Current state of the university

The Steward Observatory building on the University of Arizona campus

• Led by Roger Angel, researchers in the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab at UA are working in concert to build the world's most advanced telescope. Known as the Giant Magellan Telescope, the instrument will produce images 10 times sharper than those from the Earth-orbiting Hubble Telescope. The telescope is set to be completed in 2016 at a cost of $500 million USD. Researchers from at least nine institutions are working to secure the funding for the project. The telescope will include seven 18-ton mirrors capable of providing clear images of volcanoes and riverbeds on Mars and mountains on the moon at a rate 40 times faster than the world's current large telescopes. The mirrors of the Giant Magellan Telescope will be built at UA and transported to a permanent mountaintop site in the Chilean Andes where the telescope will be constructed.cite web | url=http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/undergrad/classes/fall2005/Lauretta_102-14/SciAZ/GiantMagTel.htm | title=Giant Magellan Telescope | accessdate=2006-07-12

• Reaching Mars in March 2006, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter contained the HiRISE camera, with Primary Investigator is scientist Alfred McEwen as the lead on the project. This NASA mission to Mars carried a UA-designed camera expected to capture the highest-resolution images of the planet ever seen. The journey of the orbiter was 300 million miles. The project is expected to be in its Primary Science Phase in the month of October.

• Under construction is the Mars Lander known as the Phoenix Scout Mission, led by UA Scientist Peter Smith. The mission's purpose is to improve knowledge of the Martian Artic. After landing on Mars, it will be the first mission completely controlled by a university.

• A downturn in Arizona's economy in the 2000s led to less money being allocated by the state legislature to Arizona's universities. Academic programs were hard-hit, and the university was forced to consider extensive changes, beginning in 2002. As a result, a reorganization known as '"Focused Excellence"' aims to focus the mission of the university on 'research', 'graduate training', and 'more selective undergraduate education', in part, by eliminating and merging less popular and low-revenue academic departments. The closure of some programs, notably the innovative Arizona International College and the School of Planning, provoked widespread protest. However, efforts to improve academic performance and to encourage new research areas were not enough to prevent a number of key departures from the faculty in the early 2000s, and budgets remain restricted http://president.arizona.edu/initiatives/focused-excellence/.

• The University of Arizona is the only remaining PAC-10 conference school to not award plus and minus grades for courses. Currently, grades are given on a strict 4-point scale with "A" worth 4, "B" worth 3, "C" worth 2, "D" worth 1 and "E" worth zero points. Discussions with students and faculty may lead the UA toward using a plus-minus grading system in the future. Administrators say that the change could occur as early as Fall 2006.cite web | title=Arizona Summer Wildcat - Making the grade: UA's plus/minus debate - Monday, August 9, 2004 | url=http://wildcat.arizona.edu/papers/97/160/01_1.html | accessdate=November 23 | accessyear=2005

Recognized fraternities and sororities of the Greek System

Recognized student clubs and organizations

CSIL also houses the Arizona Blue Chip Programcite web | title= Arizona Blue Chip Program | url=http://www.union.arizona.edu/csil/bluechip/index.php | accessdate=November 23 | accessyear=2005 one of the largest collegiate-level leadership development programs in the United States, with over 500 active students at any one time throughout the 4 years of the program. Blue Chip was founded in 1999 and has formed a partnership with the University of Wollongong, in Wollongong, Australia where a sister program, the Black Opal Leadership Development Programcite web | title= Black Opal Leadership Development Program | url=http://unicentre.uow.edu.au/csd/blackopal | accessdate=November 23 | accessyear=2005 began in February, 2005. Structure, curriculum, students and even staff are exchanged between the two institutions in a unique international leadership development initiative.

Through funding from the CSIL and the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, clubs are given the resources and encouragement to explore unusual interests.

Student government representation

The logo of the UA Residence Hall Association.

The students at the University of Arizona have, since 1913, been represented by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA). Representation is elected by the students every year (usually in March).

On-Campus students also have their own Student Leadership Organization known as the http://web.arizona.edu/~uarha/ Residence Hall Association. RHA consists of the hall councils of all 21 residence halls. Hall Councils consist of a President, a Director of Programming (for social events), a Director of Operations (for administrative duties), and two RHA Representative which are sent to represent their hall at RHA General Body Meetings. At these meetings, the gathered representatives and RHA Executive Board, elected from within the General Body, discuss issues and make decisions concerning all 6,000 on campus residents.

Miscellany

Athletics

• The first sport to bring national recognition to UA was Polo. The 1924 UA Polo Team captured the Western Collegiate Championship, and traveled to the east coast to present U.S. President Calvin Coolidge with a cowboy hat. The UA Polo team faced Princeton University for the intercollegiate title and lost 6-2 and 8-0. With the onset of World War II, the UA was unable to continue sponsoring a Polo team.cite web | title=Polo Team | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=UA History | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/history/history13.php

Film

• The film Revenge of the Nerds (1984) was filmed at the University of Arizona. In the movie, the Alpha Beta "jock" house is the real-life home to the UA chapter of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. The dorm room (with the balcony) seen in the film is located on the third floor of historic Cochise Hall on campus.

• In the 1994 film Speed, Keanu Reeves responds to Sandra Bullock?s University of Arizona t-shirt by saying, "Arizona Wildcats...good football team."

History

• In the 1974, the University of Arizona received $5.5 million USD from the Arizona state legislature to renovate its football stadium. A provision of this legislation (ARS 15-1630) prohibited University Medical Center from performing abortions (unless the mother's life is in jeopardy) or teaching its medical students abortion procedures. This legislation is still in effect, and could potentially impact every public medical school in Arizona, making Arizona the only state which prohibits the teaching of abortion in public universities. To address this issue, Planned Parenthood implemented a rotation for obstetrics and gynecology residents to receive abortion training. Interested residents and medical students have the ability to utilize such resources to study the medical and surgical procedures of abortion. Second and third year Ob/Gyn residents have scheduled time available to pursue training. Medical students may pursue training on an elective basis.

• The University of Arizona marching band, named The Pride of Arizona, played at the halftime of the first Super Bowl.

• The current school colors are cardinal red and navy blue. Before 1900, the colors were sage green and silver. The switch was made when a lucrative discount on red and blue jerseys became available.cite web | title=UA Colors | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=Traditions Tour | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/traditions/index.php

• Arizona's first mascot was a real desert bobcat named "Rufus Arizona", introduced in 1915.cite web | title=Rufus Arizona | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=UA History | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/history/history10.php

• In 1952 Jack K. Lee, an applicant for the UA's band directorship, departed Tucson by air following an interview with UA administration. From his airplane window, Lee observed the huge letters on the roof of the UA gymnasium reading "BEAR DOWN." Inspired, Lee scribbled down the music and lyrics to an up-tempo song. By the time his plane landed, he had virtually finished it. A few weeks later Lee was named the UA band director, and in September 1952, the UA band performed "Bear Down, Arizona!" in public for the first time. Soon thereafter, "Bear Down, Arizona!" became accepted as UA's fight song (Bear Down).cite web | title=Berger Memorial Fountain | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=UA History | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/traditions/traditions11.php

• The Berger Memorial Fountain at the west entrance of Old Main honors the UA students who lost their lives in World War I, and dates back to 1919.

Traditions

• The bell housed on the USS Arizona was one of the two bells rescued from the ship after the attack on Pearl Harbor and has a permanent home in the clock tower of the Student Union Memorial Center on campus. The bell first arrived on campus in July 1946. The bell is rung seven times on the third Wednesday of every month at 12:07 p.m. to honor the achievements of the UA, as well as after home football victories against non-Arizona teams.cite web | title=Ringing of the U.S.S. Arizona Bell | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=UA History | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/traditions/traditions8.php

• At the beginning of each school year, freshmen repaint the "A" on "A" Mountain, and for more than 100 years the "A" remains a Tucson and Wildcat landmark.cite web | title='A' Mountain | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=UA History | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/history/history9.php The "A" is now painted Red, White and Blue until all troops in foreign wars steming from the September 11th attacks return home. This was passed by the ASUA student government body shortly after the wars in Iraq and Afgahanistan began.

• Spring Fling is the largest student-run carnival in the U.S. and has been held annually by UA students since 1975.cite web | title=Spring Fling | publisher=Arizona Board of Regents | year=2005 | work=UA History | accessdate=March 29 | accessyear=2006 | url=http://www.arizona.edu/tours/traditions/traditions7.php

Notable alumni and staff

Notable alumni include a former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, the U.S. Surgeon General, the creator of the television series "Sesame Street" and founder of the Children's Television Workshop, the owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League Baseball team, several NASA astronauts, and Geraldo Rivera.

Nobel laureates on the faculty include two members of the College of Optical Sciences: Dr. Nicolaas Bloembergen (Physics, 1981) and Dr. Willis E. Lamb (Physics, 1955). For details, see Nobel Prize laureates by university affiliation.

The UA has eight Pulitzer Prize winners (alumni and faculty), and more than 50 faculty as elected members of exclusive academies including Britain's Royal Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, among others. Two current UA professors were also recently named to Popular Science magazine's list of "Brilliant 10."cite web | title = Faculty Honors | work = Highlights and Rankings | publisher = University of Arizona | accessdate = 26 January | accessyear = 2006 | url = http://uaadvancement.arizona.edu/highlights/retrieve.php?factcategoriesid=15

External links

• University home page: http://www.arizona.edu www.arizona.edu
• Official UA athletics site: http://www.arizonaathletics.com www.arizonaathletics.com
• Campus newspaper: http://wildcat.arizona.edu wildcat.arizona.edu
• Campus radio station: http://kamp.arizona.edu kamp.arizona.edu
• Campus visitor's guide: http://www.arizona.edu/future/visiting.php Visitor's guide
• University webcam: http://www.cs.arizona.edu/camera/ http://www.cs.arizona.edu/camera/ (with archives)
• Wildcat Football Schedule: http://www.azfl.com/arizonawildcatfootball2006.html at AzFL
• http://maps.google.com/maps?q=tucson&ll=32.231762,-110.950584&spn=0.010750,0.020878&t=k&hl=en Satellite image of campus (zoomable, from maps.google.com)
• The University of Arizona Mineral Museum: http://www.geo.arizona.edu/minmus/ www.geo.arizona.edu/minmus

Notes