The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School, the university is one of the oldest in the U.S. state of Arkansas.[2] As the state's only normal school at the time, UCA has historically been the primary source of teachers in Arkansas.[2] It was one of about 180 "normal schools" founded by state governments to train teachers for the rapidly growing public common schools. Some closed but most steadily expanded their role and became state colleges in the early 20th century and state universities in the late 20th century.[9]
The university comprises five colleges[10] and five residential colleges and one commuter college.[11] UCA has about 12,000 graduate and undergraduate students, making it one of the largest universities in the state.[6] The university maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of approximately 17 to 1.[7] Over 150 undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs are offered at the university.[7] UCA occupies over 120 buildings within its 356 acres (1.44km2).[7]
History
Harding Plaza in front of Irby Hall
The Arkansas State Legislature created the Arkansas State Normal School,[2] now known as the University of Central Arkansas, in 1907 by passage of Act 317 on May 14. The purpose of The Arkansas State Normal School was to properly train students to become professional teachers and centralize teacher training. Classes began September 21, 1908, with nine academic departments, one building on 80 acres (320,000m2), 107 students and seven faculty members. Two faculty members taught in two departments and President Doyne taught pedagogy and Latin.[2]
In 1925, Arkansas State Normal School became Arkansas State Teachers College.[2] The name change more accurately reflected the primary focus of instruction and mission of the institution.
Flowers looking towards the south, central part of campus.
By 1967, the mission of Arkansas State Teachers College had changed. Though teacher training was still an important part of the school's mission, other fields began to expand in liberal arts studies and in the emerging field of health care. To recognize the institution's existing academic diversity another name change was in order. In January 1967, Arkansas State Teachers College became the State College of Arkansas.[2]
President Silas Snow, who championed the name change in 1967, organized State College of Arkansas along university lines in preparation for still yet another name change. State College of Arkansas grew rapidly and offered an ever-widening range of degree programs. By January 1975, Snow's efforts were realized as the State Department of Higher Education recommended State College of Arkansas be known as The University of Central Arkansas, or UCA.[2]
Presidents
Torreyson Library, named after Burr Walter Torreyson
Memorial Unity Garden in front of Arkansas Hall honoring the victims
On Sunday, October 26, 2008, a shooting took place on the UCA campus shortly after 9:00pm CDT, outside of Arkansas Hall, a campus residence hall. Two students – Ryan Henderson, 18, and Chavares Block, 19 – were fatally shot. A third person, 19-year-old Martrevis Norman, a non-student visiting the campus, was shot in the leg and was treated at the nearby Conway Regional Medical Center.[12]
UCA Police Department arrested four suspects in the shooting. All four subsequently pleaded guilty and were sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Correction.[13]
Enrollment
As of fall 2016, UCA has an enrollment of 11,487 students. Enrollment for 2015 was 11,754 and 11,698 for 2014.[6] Retention for full-time, first-time undergraduates increased from 72.4 percent from fall 2014 to 72.9 percent from fall 2015.[6] Graduate student enrollment is 1,872, while last year the number was 1,867 and the number of transfer students increased to 775 compared to 618 last year.[6]
Traditions
Main Hall, the oldest building on campus
Colors
The colors for UCA were decided the first year and according to an article in the November 24, 1908, edition of the Log Cabin Democrat, were said to be purple and silver. President Doyne assigned the task of developing school colors to W.O. Wilson and Ida Waldran in 1908. Wilson was wearing a gray sweater and Waldran was wearing a purple scarf. They chose the colors based upon the color of the clothing they were wearing that day. Both Wilson and Waldran thought that purple and gray complemented each other. Today the official colors for all UCA sports teams are purple and gray.[2]
Mascot
The UCA athletic teams first had a mascot in 1920. According to Dr. Ted Worley, author of A History of The Arkansas State Teachers College, the UCA teams from 1908 to 1919 were referred to by many names, including: Tutors, Teachers, Pedagogues, Pea-Pickers, and Normalites. In 1920, the Bears became the mascot for the teams. However, the teams were called the "Bears" in print until April 7, 1921. Dr. Worley also quoted sources as saying the Bear was an appropriate symbol for the school because Arkansas' nickname was the "Bear State". The women's teams were known as the Bearettes for several years. The name of Sugar Bear came later. Victor E. Bear came about in 1999 and Victoria E. Bear came soon after. Bruce D. Bear became the newest addition to the UCA family in 2006.[2]
Main Hall
UCA's Main Hall is the oldest building on campus. This building was completed in 1919 and was built by George Donaghey, the man for whom Donaghey Avenue is named and a former governor of the State of Arkansas. After the building was built it served a dual role as the administration building and as a classroom building. It continued to serve as the administration building until the 1960s. On February 11, 2011, the building was named on the National Register of Historic Places.[14]
World War II Marker
UCA's World War II Memorial was dedicated in October 2003. The memorial contains the names and branch of service of forty-six UCA alumni who were killed during World War II. The memorial is seen as a permanent reminder of those UCA alumni who lost their lives during the conflict.[15]
Senior Legacy Walk Brick Campaign
The Senior Walk is located in the courtyard in front of the Student Center. Each year, graduates will have the opportunity to purchase bricks as part of their class year. For $100, graduates can purchase a brick that will be inscribed with his/her name or the name of a graduate that a purchaser wants to honor.[16]
Academics
Snow Fine Arts Center
The university has six distinct colleges offering over 150 majors.[7] These colleges are: The College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts and Communications, the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.[10]
In January 2010, UCA mass communication students launched The Fountain (now The Fountain Magazine), a daily source of news and information. The student-created website is named "The Fountain", after the historic landmark located on the university's campus. The Fountain merged with The Echo UCA's oldest student media outlet in January 2014 to combine print and online resources. The Fountain Magazine was created following the merger.[17]
Colleges
The University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, comprises six colleges. In addition to the programs offered at the colleges, it has a study abroad program. Students may, for example, study literature in Italy and UK, healthcare in China or Sociology in Africa. Credits earned at several foreign universities may be credited towards a degree at UCA. UCA is also recognized as distinct by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education for being one of the nation's 20 Asian Studies Development Program's Regional Centers for Asian Studies, a joint program of the federally funded East West Center and University of Hawaii at Manoa.[18]
The courtyard behind Irby Hall
College of Fine Arts and Communication
The College of Fine Arts and Communication offers five fields of study for a degree.[19] Many of the college's degrees enable graduates to work or teach in their chosen profession. The college offers both bachelor and graduate programs.
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
This college offers eleven fields of study in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics, as well as six pre-professional programs. The college includes UCA STEMteach, a UTeach replication program. The college offers both bachelor's and master's degrees.[20]
College of Business
Business students attending the University of Central Arkansas can pursue an associate, bachelor's, or graduate degree through this college.[21]
College of Health and Behavioral Sciences
This college offers bachelor and graduate degrees.[22]ROTC students at the University of Central Arkansas attend this college for training as a commissioned officer.[23]
College of Liberal Arts
There are multiple fields of study available within the College of Liberal Arts. The college offers graduate and bachelor's degrees.[24]
College of Education
The university's College of Education trains future teachers and educators.
Drama and theatre arts
The University of Central Arkansas participates annually in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. UCA also holds the annual Arkansas High School Audition Day which is a chance for any High School senior interested in majoring in theater to audition before most of the theatre programs in the state of Arkansas. UCA Theatre is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre.[25]
Public Appearances
UCA Public Appearances is a division of the university's College of Fine Arts & Communication. Its primary responsibilities are to manage the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall—a 1,200-seat, state-of-the-art theater—and to develop and present performing arts programming in the hall.[26]
A four-person full-time staff, two part-time staff, and numerous student workers are employed by Public Appearances.
UCA Public Appearances manages UCA Ticket Central, which provides ticketing services for all non-athletic ticketed events on the campus. UCA Ticket Central serves Public Appearances, UCA Theatre, the Conway Symphony Orchestra, the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, Student Activities events, and events sponsored by organizations within and outside the university.
UCA Public Appearances is supported by State funds, funds generated by the UCA Performing Arts fees, grants, ticket sales, and donations.
The university's athletic teams are known as the Bears for men's teams and Sugar Bears for women's teams.[8] Central Arkansas participates in the NCAA at the Division I (Football Championship Subdivision football) level.[7] On July 1, 2021, UCA left the Southland Conference to join the ASUN Conference, which does not currently sponsor football but has announced plans to launch a football league in the near future.[27] Until that time, UCA is a de facto associate member of the Western Athletic Conference, competing in a football partnership between the two leagues officially branded as the ASUN–WAC Challenge.[28]
The Student Government Association, SGA, represents the student body at all times and in all circumstances, in areas such as: allocating and administrating student activity funds; advising the administration in regard to student-related policies; cooperating with faculty in determining student obligations and honors; considering all student petitions to SGA; planning and supervising all SGA elections; and approving charters or cancellations of RSOs.[30]
The SGA was created to represent student interests on campus and push for initiatives that are beneficial for the student body. They are there to make sure that students are the number one priority in every decision made at UCA. The Slogan of SGA is: Students First!
The SGA is composed of total of forty senators divided into: "The Executive Board" consisting of an Executive President, Executive Vice-President, Vice-President of Operations, Vice-President of Finance. SGA representation from each class shall be as follows: President, Vice-President, five representatives. Additional Members: five Senators at Large, three Graduate Senators.
University of Central Arkansas Press (1985–1996)
The university established its own academic publishing imprint in 1985 under university president Jefferson D. Farris.[31] It published 23 books by 1996, when university president Winfred L. Thompson closed the press, citing fiscal considerations.[31]
Sheffield Nelson, lawyer and Republican candidate for governor of Arkansas in 1990, obtained degree in mathematics education from Central Arkansas.[52]
Shawn Womack, former member of both houses of the Arkansas State Legislature; circuit judge in Arkansas' 14th Judicial District; resident of Mountain Home[58]
Related Research Articles
The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 90 majors across five colleges. The fall 2023 total enrollment was 9,021 students.
Stetson University is a private university with its main campus in DeLand, Florida, United States. Established in 1883 as DeLand Academy, it was later renamed John B. Stetson University in honor of a donor. The university's main campus in DeLand spans 175 acres and has Florida's oldest collection of education-related buildings, including DeLand Hall, the state's longest-standing building used for higher education.
Ferris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in 1884 as Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge N. Ferris and became a public institution in 1950. The university also has a satellite campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The University of North Alabama (UNA) is a public university in Florence, Alabama. It is the state's oldest public university. Occupying a 130-acre (0.5 km2) campus in a residential section of Florence, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals. The four cities compose a metropolitan area with a combined population of 140,000 people.
Southeastern Louisiana University (Southeastern) is a public university in Hammond, Louisiana. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims as Hammond Junior College. Sims succeeded in getting the campus moved to north Hammond in 1928, when it became known as Southeastern Louisiana College. It achieved university status in 1970.
State University of New York at Oswego is a public university in the Oswego, New York area. It has a total student population of 6,756 and the campus size is 700 acres.
Bridgewater State University is a public university with its main campus in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It is the largest of nine state universities in Massachusetts. Including its off-campus sites in New Bedford, Attleboro, and Cape Cod, BSU has the fourth-largest campus of the 29 institutions in the Massachusetts Public Higher Education System. BSU's sports teams are called the Bears. Its school colors are crimson, white, and black.
The North American Interfraternity Conference is an association of intercollegiate men's social fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began at a meeting at the University Club of New York on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates in which each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate. However, the group's executive and administrative powers are vested in an elected board of directors consisting of nine volunteers from various NIC fraternities. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, the NIC has a small professional staff.
Concord University is a public university in Athens, West Virginia. It was founded on February 28, 1872, when the West Virginia Legislature passed "an Act to locate a Branch State Normal School, in the town of Concord Church, in the County of Mercer". This normal school was founded by veterans of both the Union and the Confederacy, Concord is named for the ideal of "harmony and sweet fellowship".
Northwest Missouri State University is a public university in Maryville, Missouri, United States. It has an enrollment of 9,152 students. Founded in 1905 as a teachers college, its campus is based on the design for Forest Park at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and is the official Missouri State Arboretum. The school is governed by a state-appointed Board of Regents and headed by President Lance Tatum.
Fairmont State University is a public university in Fairmont, West Virginia.
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi is a public research university in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is part of the Texas A&M University System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
McKendree University (McK), formerly McKendree College, is a private university in Lebanon, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1828 as the Lebanon Seminary, it is the oldest college or university in Illinois. The school was renamed McKendree University beginning in the 2007–08 academic year. McKendree enrolls approximately 1,960 students representing 25 countries and 29 states. In the undergraduate program, on average there are 51% females and 49% males. The institution remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
East Central University is a public university in Ada, Oklahoma. It is part of Oklahoma's Regional University System. Beyond its flagship campus in Ada, the university has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, and Durant, as well as online courses. Founded as East Central State Normal School in 1909, its present name was adopted in 1985. Some of its more prominent alumni include former Microsoft COO B. Kevin Turner, Modernist painter Leon Polk Smith, former NFL player Mark Gastineau, past governors Robert S. Kerr and George Nigh, former U.S. Representative Lyle Boren, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Tom Colbert, and U.S. Army General James D. Thurman.
Sigma Alpha Iota (ΣΑΙ) is an international music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public. Sigma Alpha Iota operates its own national philanthropy, Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc. Sigma Alpha Iota is a member of the National Interfraternity Music Council and the Professional Fraternity Association.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County funds a number of notable student-run organizations and clubs on campus.
The Central Arkansas Bears and Sugar Bears represent the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in NCAA Division I ASUN Conference, The football team competes in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The athletic program is supported by the efforts of a diverse group of over 400 male and female student-athletes. Its men's teams are called the Bears and the women's are the Sugar Bears.
The Central Arkansas Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for University of Central Arkansas (UCA) located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which started play in 2023. For the 2021 season, UCA was a de facto associate member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), and in 2022 it played in its full-time home of the ASUN Conference. Central Arkansas's first football team was fielded in 1908. The team plays its home games at the 12,000-seat Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas. The Bears are coached by Nathan Brown, in his seventh year.
The Central Arkansas Bears basketball team represents the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. UCA currently plays in the ASUN Conference, which it joined in 2021 after 15 seasons as a member of the Southland Conference. The Bears play home games at the Farris Center located on the UCA campus in Conway, Arkansas and are currently led by head coach John Shulman.
The Central Arkansas Bears baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in Conway, Arkansas. The team is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I, since the start of the 2022 season. The Bears, coached by Nick Harlan, play home games at Bear Stadium on the UCA campus.
1 2 3 "History and Traditions". University of Central Arkansas. UCA Alumni Association. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
↑ Christine Ogren, The American State Normal School: 'An Instrument of Great Good' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005) pp. 1-5, 213–235; online.
1 2 "Academics". University of Central Arkansas. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
↑ "Residential Colleges". University of Central Arkansas. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
↑ Jackson, Tommy (October 6, 2003). "UCA unveils WWII memorial". University of Central Arkansas. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
↑ "Legacy Walk". University of Central Arkansas. UCA Alumni Association. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
↑ Miller, Logan (December 6, 2013). "Like the Phoenix". The Echo. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
↑ "ASDP Mission". University of Central Arkansas. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
