University of North Dakota
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
|
| Motto | Lux et Lex (Latin: Light and Law) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1883 |
| Type | Public |
| Endowment | $89.3 million |
| President | Charles Kupchella |
| Faculty | 462 |
| Staff | 1,772 |
| Students | 12,834 |
| Undergraduates | 10,377 |
| Postgraduates | 1,978 |
| Professional students | 479 |
| Location | Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States |
| Campus | Urban - 530 acres (2.2 km²) |
| Athletics | North Dakota Fighting Sioux |
| Sports | 2 Division I/18 Division II |
| Colors | White and Green |
| Nickname | Fighting Sioux |
| Fight song | "Fight On Sioux" |
| Affiliations | North Dakota University System |
| Website | www.und.edu |
The University of North Dakota (UND) is a comprehensive, public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Founded in 1883, it is the largest and oldest such institution in the state of North Dakota. UND has the only school of medicine and school of law in the state. Enrollment in 2006 was over 12,800 students. The current president of the University is Dr. Charles Kupchella.
Contents |
[edit] History
UND was founded six years before North Dakota even became a state. Grand Forks native George H. Walsh submitted a bill to the Territorial Legislature of Dakota Territory in 1883 that called for a university in Grand Forks. The university was viewed by many as the premier state institution to be given to a community; even more so than the state capitol.
The first building at UND was Old Main. It housed all classrooms, offices, dorm rooms, and a library. In the 1880s, UND consisted of only a few acres of property surrounded by farms and fields. At this time, the university was nearly two miles west of Grand Forks. Students living off campus had to take a train from downtown to the university.
Gradually, more buildings were constructed on campus and a trolley system was built to connect the growing university to downtown Grand Forks. However, there were several major interruptions in the life of the university. In 1918, UND was the hardest hit institution in the country by the flu epidemic which killed 2,700 people in North Dakota alone. Later that year, classes were suspended so the campus could become an army base for soldiers during World War I.
During the Great Depression, UND provided free housing to students. "Camp Depression" consisted of many railroad cabooses each housing eight male students. Living at the camp was free for students who did manual labor on campus. "Camp Depression" students did not get regular meals from the cafeteria and had to be satisfied with only free leftovers. However, a number of Grand Forks citizens opened their homes and kitchen tables to many of these destitute young men.
After World War II, enrollment quickly grew to more than 3,000. A large amount of housing had to be built on campus as well as several new academic buildings. The 1950s saw the rise of Fighting Sioux hockey tradition.
The 1960s and 1970s saw many student protests. The largest occurred in May of 1970 when 2,000 students gathered to protest the Kent State killings. In 1975, enrollment swelled to a record 8,500. The 70's also saw the advent of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at UND.
The 1980s and 1990s were another period of growth for UND. However, the devastating Red River Flood of 1997 inundated numerous buildings on campus and forced the cancellation of the remainder of the school year. So far, the 2000s have been a decade of record enrollments and an increased emphasis on research. Also, several high profile athletic venues have opened.
Currently, UND is constructing a $18 million dollar parking garage to try to lessen chronic parking problems and a $20 million dollar student housing complex in an attempt to serve a growing student body. In June of 2006, UND announced that it would be soon moving its entire athletic program to NCAA Division I status.
[edit] Campus
The main University of North Dakota campus sits in the middle of Grand Forks on historic University Avenue. The campus is made up of 235 buildings (5.25 million square feet) on 550 acres [1].
The campus is divided by the meandering English Coulee. The eastern part of campus is the oldest part of the University and contains many historic buildings. This area is home to most academic buildings on campus as well as the Chester Fritz Library, the School of Medicine, the School of Law, Memorial Stadium, the old Ralph Engelstad Arena, and the Energy and Environmental Research Center.
The western part of the UND campus is much newer than the eastern part and the architecture of most buildings found here is also more modern. This area is home to many student housing complexes, the Chester Fritz Auditorium, and the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences.
To the north of the main UND campus sits an area that is now called University Village. This development is on what was formerly referred to as the Bronson Property. University Village is anchored by the $100+ million dollar Ralph Engelstad Arena which is used by the University's ice hockey teams. University Village is also home to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, the new $20 million dollar Student Wellness Center, a Barnes & Noble bookstore, a condo development, a medical clinic, and several commercial properties.
There are other UND holdings throughout the city and region. UND maintains a small campus consisting of several buildings at Grand Forks International Airport where the school's aviation students train. UND owns and operates a 9-hole golf course south of the main UND campus. UND is also the major tenant of the city-owned Alerus Center in Grand Forks. UND also owns numerous tracts of farmland throughout the Red River Valley.
[edit] Academics
The school has ten academic divisions:
-
- John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Business and Public Administration
- College of Education and Human Development
- School of Engineering and Mines
- Graduate School
- School of Law
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences
- College of Nursing
- Division of Continuing Education
Altogether, the University has 87 undergraduate majors, 64 undergraduate minors, 56 master's programs, 22 doctoral programs, two professional programs (medicine and law), and a specialist diploma program in educational leadership. The University also has an interdisciplinary program that allows students to obtain a degree in virtually any course of study. An extensive collection of correspondence classes are offered for students outside of the immediate area.
UND is one of only 46 public universities in the United States that offer both accredited schools of law and medicine.
On campus, there are numerous buildings in which classes are held. Classrooms range from smaller rooms capable of seating around twenty students to large lecture bowls capable of seating hundreds at a time.
[edit] Libraries
The University has three major libraries for student use. The Chester Fritz Library is the largest library in the state of North Dakota and houses two million print and non-print items. The School of Law operates the Thormodsgard Law Library and the School of Medicine operates the Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences.
[edit] Research
UND has become a major research institution in recent years and is a major part of the Red River Valley Research Corridor. It is currently classified as a Carnegie doctoral/research-intensive institution. In UND's fiscal year 2006, program awards reached $94.3 million and sponsored program expenditures reached $81.2 million. The research portfolio of UND included $315 million in total ongoing and committed accounts.[2]
The University operates many research units including: the Energy and Environmental Research Center, School of Medicine, Center for Rural Health, Center for Innovation, Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium, Bureau of Governmental Affairs, Bureau of Educational Services and Applied Research, and the Social Science Research Institute.
The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) is one of the premier such research centers in the world. It includes the National Center for Hydrogen Technology (NCHT).
In May 2006, students from UND and five other North Dakota colleges and universities unveiled a new space suit that they had developed to be used by astronauts that may someday travel to Mars. The students were working off of a $100,000 grant from NASA and the suit was tested in the Badlands of western North Dakota. The suit weighs 47 pounds and costs only a fraction of the standard $22 million cost for a NASA spacesuit. The suit was developed in just over a year by the students. [3]
[edit] Athletics
UND's athletic teams bear the name of the Fighting Sioux (which is not without controversy). The official colors of the University are green and pink. However, this color combination is rarely employed outside of official or ceremonial applications.[1] The colors are supposed to be representative of North Dakota's state flower, the Wild Prairie Rose. In most cases, the school uses green and either white or black as its colors.
UND is currently in NCAA Division II in all sports except hockey. The Fighting Sioux men's and women's hockey teams both compete in the Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association. UND's sports teams are often nationally competitive in both divisions. On June 21, 2006, UND President Charles Kupchella announced that the school will soon be making the move to Division I in all sports with the year 2007-2008 being an "exploratory" year. One thing that could change as a result of UND moving to Division I is a restoration of the longstanding rivalry with North Dakota State University (NDSU). That rivalry recently came to a standstill when NDSU moved from Division II to Division I, but UND remained at Division II.
All of the athletic facilities that UND currently uses for its major sports are new and state-of-the-art. The Fighting Sioux football team plays in the Alerus Center, the basketball and volleyball teams play in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, and the hockey teams play in the Ralph Engelstad Arena. "The Ralph," as it is commonly known, is a $100+ million facility and is regarded by many as one of the finest hockey arenas in the world. A new $20 million dollar Wellness Center (a large gym and physical/mental wellness facility) opened in September of 2006.
The school's best-known athletic alumnus is NBA coaching great and former player Phil Jackson. However, Phil Jackson, while arguably the most widely known former UND athlete, is not the only UND alumnus to play in the NBA. In 2003, UND's Jerome Beasley was drafted by the Miami Heat in the second round of the NBA draft and appeared in two games. Many UND attendees have played in the NHL as well, including Florida Panthers goalie Ed Belfour.
[edit] Student body
About half of the UND student body is from North Dakota. The other half is made up of students from all 50 states and over 50 other nations. The ratio between male and female students is about even.
Demographically, there is a significant majority of caucasian students, although the campus is more diverse than North Dakota as a whole. UND hosts students from dozens of foreign countries. Politically, UND is equally composed of conservative and liberal populations. However, both the student body and the University faculty are often far more liberal than the rest of the state. Precincts in and around the University are often some of the most liberal in the state.
Students can choose to live on or off campus. On campus, there are 15 residence halls and 800 student apartment units, as well as 20 "Greek" houses. There are over 200 student organizations. UND students ride free on the local transit system, and receive discounted fares on taxicab rides through Student Government subsidies.
[edit] Culture
There are a number of cultural offerings on the UND campus. The North Dakota Museum of Art is located in the heart of campus and offers exhibits throughout the year. The Burtness Theater and the Chester Fritz Auditorium regularly feature theater and concert events. The Ralph Engelstad Arena, to a certain extent, also features non-athletic events including concerts. The nearby city-owned Alerus Center hosts several concerts each year as well as other events. In addition to these facilities, the city of Grand Forks is home to other theaters and museums.
The University has a strong tradition in the liberal arts. This is supported by its faculty, among whom include Guggenheim Foundation Fellows, National Endowment for the Humanities Scholars, and PEN/Faulkner award winners.
The University hosts a renown literary conference on campus each year. The University of North Dakota Writers Conference is a weeklong event that brings together prominent American and foreign writers. Past participants have included Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, Tom Wolfe, Allen Ginsberg, Louise Erdrich, and Gary Snyder. A film festival is held in conjunction with the conference.
[edit] Campus media
[edit] Print
The college newspaper is the Dakota Student.
The English department at UND produces a literary magazine, North Country, which features avant-garde and traditional work. It draws on the talents of several departments on campus.
The UND Athletic Department publishes Sioux Illustrated magazine. It is the official publication of UND athletics. Sioux Illustrated is published six times per year. It features Fighting Sioux athletics, including interviews, previews, editorials, and "season-in-review" articles.
[edit] Radio
UND currently owns two public radio stations: KUND-FM and KFJM-FM. KUND-FM rebroadcasts North Dakota Public Radio (NDPR). KFJM broadcasts some NDPR programming, but also broadcasts some locally-produced programs. KFJM was one of the first college radio stations in the United States and is the second oldest station in North Dakota.
UND also used to own KUND-AM. In 2004, UND sold KUND-AM to a Catholic radio broadcaster because the transmitter blocked proposed expansion at the University. KUND-AM was renamed to KWTL.
[edit] Television
UND owns two local cable channels. One operates as an information billboard and also features a weekly student-produced news program entitled Studio One. The other channel, The Fighting Sioux Sports Network, is operated in conjunction with WDAZ-TV. It broadcasts all home hockey games and several away games each year. It also broadcasts several football and basketball games during the school year. The Fighting Sioux Sports Network is carried on cable television in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota by Midcontinent Communications. It is also available throughout the entire North American continent via Free-To-Air satellite.
The campus residence halls include a movie channel, Residence Life Cinema, on cable channel 17. The University separately licences movies for showing on this channel.
[edit] Notable alumni
- For a more extensive list, please see Category:University of North Dakota alumni
- Fred G. Aandahl - former governor of North Dakota and former U.S. Congressman
- Maxwell Anderson - Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, author, poet, reporter, and lyricist
- Mark Andrews - former U.S. Senator
- Dick Armey - former United States House of Representatives Majority Leader
- Ronald Davies - former federal judge, ordered the integration of Little Rock Central High School
- John E. Davis - former governor of North Dakota
- Byron Dorgan - current U.S. Senator
- Carl Ben Eielson - pioneer aviator
- Ralph Engelstad - former Las Vegas casino owner and controversial UND philanthropist
- Lynn Frazier - former governor of North Dakota and former U.S. Senator
- Jon Hassler - novelist
- Phil Jackson - former NBA player and current coach
- Chuck Klosterman - author and journalist for Spin and Esquire magazines
- Kimberly Krueger - Miss North Dakota USA 2006
- William Langer - former governor of North Dakota and former U.S. Senator
- Nicole Linkletter - winner of reality show America's Next Top Model fifth season
- Hugo Magnuson - founder of Hugo's regional grocery store chain and former Grand Forks mayor
- William C. Marcil - current CEO of Forum Communications
- Thomas McGrath - distinguished poet and Rhodes scholar
- John Moses - former governor of North Dakota and former U.S. Senator
- Ragnvald A. Nestos - former governor of North Dakota
- Harry Nyquist - an important contributor to information theory
- Allen I. Olson - former governor of North Dakota
- Gregory R. Page - current president and COO of Cargill
- Edward T. Schafer - former governor of North Dakota
- Dru Sjodin - victim of rape and murder
- Vilhjalmur Stefansson - arctic explorer
- Edward K. Thompson - former editor of LIFE magazine
- Era Bell Thompson - former editor of Ebony magazine
- Homer N. Wallin - former Vice Admiral in the United States Navy
[edit] See also
[edit] Reference
- History of UND - (source of much of the historical information provided in this article)
[edit] External links
- UND official website
- UND Athletics website
- UND Aerospace website
- Dakota Student website
- Ralph Engelstad Arena website
- Alerus Center website
- Sioux Sports fan website
- UND Alumni Association and Foundation website
- UND athletic apparel commercial website
|
Grand Forks, North Dakota |
||
|---|---|---|
| Academics: School of Aerospace Sciences | School of Law | School of Medicine | ||
| Athletics: The Fighting Sioux | Baseball | Basketball | Football | Hockey | Soccer | Volleyball | ||
| Facilities: Alerus Center | Betty Engelstad Sioux Center | Chester Fritz Auditorium | Chester Fritz Library | Energy and Environmental Research Center | Memorial Stadium | National Center for Hydrogen Technology | Ralph Engelstad Arena (old) | Ralph Engelstad Arena (new) | ||
| Media: Dakota Student | Fighting Sioux Sports Network | KFJM | ||
|
North Dakota University System Universities: |
| North Central Conference |
|---|
| Augustana • Central Washington† • Minnesota Duluth • Minnesota State Mankato • Nebraska@Omaha • North Dakota • Saint Cloud State • South Dakota • Western Washington† † Football-only member |
| Western Collegiate Hockey Association |
|---|
| Alaska-Anchorage♂ • Bemidji State♀ • Colorado C.♂ • Denver♂ • Michigan Tech♂ • Minnesota • Minnesota-Duluth • Minnesota State • North Dakota • Ohio State♀ • St. Cloud State • Wisconsin ♂ men's-only member • ♀ women's-only member |
