University of Alabama at Birmingham

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The University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama at Birmingham seal.png
Former name
Medical College of Alabama (1859–1966)
Birmingham Extension Center (1936–1966)
College of General Studies (1966)
The University of Alabama in Birmingham (1966–1969)
Type Public research university
EstablishedJune 16, 1969;54 years ago (June 16, 1969)
Parent institution
University of Alabama System
Accreditation SACS
Academic affiliation
Endowment $711.6 million [1]
Budget$4.34 billion (2021) [2]
President Ray L. Watts
Provost Pam Benoit
Academic staff
3,096 [3]
Total staff
24,259 [4]
Students22,563 [5]
Undergraduates 13,836
Postgraduates 8,087
Location, ,
United States

33°30′07″N86°48′28″W / 33.5020°N 86.8079°W / 33.5020; -86.8079
CampusMidsize city, 437 acres (1.77 km2)
NewspaperThe Kaleidoscope
Colors Green and white [6]
  
Nickname Blazers
Sporting affiliations
MascotBlaze the Dragon
Website www.uab.edu
UABirmingham logo.png

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1969 in the University of Alabama System, UAB has grown to be the state's largest employer, with more than 24,200 faculty and staff and over 53,000 jobs at the university. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". [7]

Contents

UAB offers 140 programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees. [8] In the fall of 2020, UAB enrolled 22,563 students from more than 110 countries. [9] The UAB Health System, one of the largest academic medical centers in the United States, is affiliated with UAB.

History

In 1936, in response to the rapid growth of the Birmingham metropolitan area and the need for the population to have access to a university education, the University of Alabama established the Birmingham Extension Center. [10] The center operated in an old house in downtown Birmingham at 2131 6th Avenue North and enrolled 116 students. In 1945, UA's newly established four-year School of Medicine moved from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham and took over management of Jefferson and Hillman hospitals. In 1957 enrollment at the extension center stood at 1,856. By 1959, research grants, training grants, and fellowships exceeded $1 million, and ground was broken for a new Children's Hospital.

By the 1960s, it grew apparent that the extension center was becoming a university in its own right. An engineering building was built close to the medical center in 1962. In September 1966, the Extension Center was renamed the College of General Studies and elevated to a full four-year program. That November, the College of General Studies and the School of Medicine were merged into the University of Alabama in Birmingham, with Dr. Joseph Volker as "Vice President for Birmingham Affairs"–reflecting that it was still treated as an offsite department of the main campus in Tuscaloosa. An Advisory Board for UAB was created in 1967. In 1969, the legislature created the University of Alabama System. UAB became one of three four-year institutions within the new system, which also included UA and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in Huntsville. Volker became UAB's first president. [10]

Campus

UAB campus and downtown Birmingham University of Alabama at Birmingham Campus from Vulcan.jpg
UAB campus and downtown Birmingham

UAB is located in the Southside neighborhood of downtown Birmingham, occupying more than 100 city blocks. [11]

Students relaxing on Campus Green CAMPUS GREEN.jpg
Students relaxing on Campus Green

Organization and administration

UAB is governed by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama and headed by Chancellor of the University of Alabama. The board is self-nominating and composed of 15 elected members and two ex officio members. Board members are confirmed by the Alabama State Senate. [12]

The president of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is appointed by the chancellor. The president also chairs the board of the UAB Health System. [13] Richard Marchase was named interim president on August 21, 2012, after the retirement of Carol Garrison. [14] [15] [16] [17] In February 2013, Ray L. Watts became UAB's seventh president. [18]

Colleges

UAB is composed of one college, nine schools and the Graduate School. These divisions offer 56 bachelor's degree programs, 59 master's degree programs, and 40 doctoral programs. [19]

Endowment

UAB's endowment stood at $711.6 million in 2021. [20] UAB received more than $715 million in research grants and extramural awards for FY 2022. [21]

Academics

UAB is a large, four-year research university and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". [22] UAB has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1970, according to the U.S. Department of Education. [23] In the 2016–2017 school year, UAB awarded a total 2,384 bachelor's degrees; 1,795 master's degrees, 33 educational specialist degrees; 125 research doctorates; and 391 professional doctorates. [24]

Student profile

In fall semester of 2018, the UAB student body consisted of 13,836 undergraduates, 6,933 graduate students and 1,154 professional doctoral students from all 67 Alabama counties, all 50 states and more than 110 foreign countries. [25] The undergraduate student body was 56% non-Hispanic white, 26% Black/African-American, 6% Asian, 5% two or more races, 3% Hispanic, and 3% International. [26]

Faculty and staff

UAB has more than 3,000 faculty. [27] Eight faculty members from UAB have been elected to the National Institute of Medicine. [28] The student-faculty ratio at UAB is 18:1.

Library

UAB has eight libraries. [29]

Academic rankings
National
Forbes [30] 307
THE / WSJ [31] 256
U.S. News & World Report [32] 137
Washington Monthly [33] 196
Global
ARWU [34] 301-400
THE [35] 169
U.S. News & World Report [36] 147

Rankings

In the 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings, UAB was tied for the 137th best national university and was ranked tied for the 64th best public university. [37]

Student life

Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
Race and ethnicity [38] Total
White 55%55
 
Black 24%24
 
Asian 7%7
 
Hispanic 6%6
 
Other [lower-alpha 1] 6%6
 
Foreign national 2%2
 
Economic diversity
Low-income [lower-alpha 2] 37%37
 
Affluent [lower-alpha 3] 63%63
 

There are over 300 student organizations on the UAB campus. About six percent of undergraduate men and eight percent of undergraduate women are active in UAB's Greek system. [39] UAB's students also run media outlets, including a weekly newspaper, a radio station, and a semi-annual magazine. [40] The school also has an intramural program. [41]

Athletics

UAB Blazers Men's Basketball vs. Tulsa at Bartow Arena UAB v Tulsa.jpg
UAB Blazers Men's Basketball vs. Tulsa at Bartow Arena

UAB's athletic teams are known as the Blazers . The school athletic colors are forest green and old gold. [42] The school currently participates in NCAA Division I, as a member of the American Athletic Conference. [43] The men's basketball team, coached by Andy Kennedy, plays in Bartow Arena.

The school started its intercollegiate athletic program in 1978. [44] The program was inaugurated with men's basketball by Gene Bartow. Bartow served as the school's head basketball coach and athletic director for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NCAA Tournament seven times. Bartow retired from coaching in 1996. The following year, UAB renamed its basketball venue from UAB Arena to Bartow Arena in his honor.

Professional golfer Graeme McDowell, winner of the 2010 U.S. Open, played for UAB from 1998 to 2002. [45]

In December 2014, the university announced that the programs for football, bowling and rifle were being eliminated at the end of the 2014–2015 academic year, citing soaring operating costs. [46] This decision was later reversed and the programs were reinstated. [47]

Notable alumni and faculty

Notes

  1. Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.
  2. The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
  3. The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">UAB Blazers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Alabama at Birmingham

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