University of Northern Colorado

Last updated

University of Northern Colorado
University of Northern Colorado seal.svg
Former names
State Normal School of Colorado (1889–1935)
Colorado State College of Education at Greeley (1935–1957)
Colorado State College (1957–1970)
MottoSapientia in aeternum est (Latin)
Motto in English
Wisdom is Eternal
Type Public university
EstablishedApril 1, 1889;135 years ago (1889-04-01)
Academic affiliations
 Space-grant
Endowment $111.9 million (2023) [1]
President Andy Feinstein
Provost Kirsten Fleming [2]
Academic staff
686 [3]
Students8,869 (Fall 2024) [4]
Undergraduates 6,480 (Fall 2024) [4]
Postgraduates 2,389 (Fall 2024) [4]
Location
Greeley
,
Colorado
,
United States
CampusSuburban
260 acres (1.1 km2) [3]
Colors Blue and gold [5]
   
Nickname Bears
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division I FCS – Big Sky
MascotKlawz the Bear
Website unco.edu OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
University of Northern Colorado logo.svg
Normal School, Greeley, Colorado (1902) Normal School, Greeley, Colorado (The Journal of Education, 1902).png
Normal School, Greeley, Colorado (1902)
West Campus, Bear Mascot Statue. Bishop Lehr Hall is visible on the right, and McKee Hall of Education and Ross Hall of Science are on the left. UNCBEARWEST.jpg
West Campus, Bear Mascot Statue. Bishop Lehr Hall is visible on the right, and McKee Hall of Education and Ross Hall of Science are on the left.

The University of Northern Colorado (UNCO) (previously abbreviated as UNC)is a public university in Greeley, Colorado, United States. [6] It was founded in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado and has a long history in teacher education. [7]

Contents

The institution has officially changed its name three times, first to Colorado State College of Education, at Greeley on February 16, 1935, Colorado State College on February 11, 1957, and its current form since May 1, 1970. [8]

Approximately 10,000 students are enrolled in six colleges. Extended campus locations are in Loveland, Denver/Aurora, and Colorado Springs. [9] UNCO's 19 athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Big Sky Conference. [9]

Academic rankings
National
U.S. News & World Report [10] 352

Campus

UNC's Snyder Hall, a dormitory on Central Campus Snyder Hall.jpg
UNC's Snyder Hall, a dormitory on Central Campus

The campus is divided into two main areas: central and west. UNCO's Central Campus includes the areas north of 20th Street and west of 8th Avenue in Greeley, Colorado. The residence halls on Central Campus have been designated a state historic district. [11]

Organization

The board of trustees for the university oversees the administration and approves the university annual budget. Several members of the university's administrative team are ex officio members of the board. [12]

Presidents

The university has had 13 presidents since its establishment: [13]

College of Performing and Visual Arts

The College of Performing and Visual Arts (PVA) is an arts community of practitioners, scholars, and learners representing a range of arts traditions and disciplines. [15]

UNCO has a tradition as an arts institution and its main college offices, located in Guggenheim Hall, are one of the oldest buildings on campus. [16]

Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
Race and ethnicity [17] Total
White 63%63
 
Hispanic 23%23
 
Other [a] 6%6
 
Black 5%5
 
Asian 2%2
 
Foreign national 1%1
 
Economic diversity
Low-income [b] 35%35
 
Affluent [c] 65%65
 

Athletics

Northern Colorado Athletics wordmark UNC Bears.png
Northern Colorado Athletics wordmark

Sports teams at the school are called Bears. Northern Colorado joined the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2006. The school mascot is Klawz the Bear and the school colors are navy blue and gold. The Fight Song is the "UNC Fight Song". Northern Colorado's Athletic Director is Darren Dunn.

A number of the university's alumni have gone on to have professional sports careers. Vincent Jackson attended and played football at Northern Colorado from 2001 to 2004 before being drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL draft. Other football alumni of the school include punter Dirk Johnson, quarterback Kyle Sloter, safety Reed Doughty, and defensive lineman Aaron Smith.

Before upgrading to NCAA Division I in 2006, UNCO was a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference from 1923 to 1972 and the Great Plains Athletic Conference (1972–76). Following several years of being conference independent, the university joined the North Central Conference. The Bears have won two Division II Football National Championships in 1996 and 1997. On March 9, 2011, the Bears won the Big Sky Conference tournament championship in men's basketball, clinching a trip to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the first in the school's history. The Northern Colorado men's baseball program also ranks among the top 15 schools for most all-time NCAA College World Series appearances, tied with the University of Oklahoma at ten appearances apiece. The Northern Colorado women's softball team appeared in the first eleven Women's College World Series ever held in 1969–1979, advancing to but losing the title game in 1974. [18]

Mascots

The university's mascot, "Klawz" 2005 1029Homecoming0142.JPG
The university's mascot, "Klawz"

The bear became UNCO's mascot in 1923. Before the school adopted the bear, athletes used the nickname "the Teachers." [19] The bear was said to be inspired by a bear on top of an Alaskan totem pole donated by an 1897 alumnus in 1914. The totem pole was kept in the University Center, but under the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990, the pole was reclaimed by the Tlingit in 2003.

Klawz is the newest addition to the long line of Bears mascots.

Notable alumni

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.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeastern State University</span> Public university in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, US

Northeastern State University (NSU) is a public university with its main campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The university also has two other campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow as well as online. Northeastern is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Oklahoma as well as one of the oldest institutions of higher learning west of the Mississippi River. Tahlequah is home to the capital of the Cherokee Nation and about 25 percent of the students at NSU identify themselves as American Indian. The university has many courses focused on Native American linguistics, and offers Cherokee language Education as a major. Cherokee can be studied as a second language, and some classes are taught in Cherokee for first language speakers as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Buffaloes</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Colorado

The Colorado Buffaloes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Colorado Boulder. The university sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both the men's and women's teams are called the Buffaloes or, rarely, the Golden Buffaloes. "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993. The nickname was selected by the campus newspaper in a contest with a $5 prize in 1934 won by Andrew Dickson of Boulder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham Field</span>

Nottingham Field is an 8,533-seat multi-purpose stadium in the western United States, located on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. It is home to the Northern Colorado Bears football and track and field programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Glenn (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1949)

Joseph Cassidy Glenn is an American former college football player and coach. He was the head football coach at the University of South Dakota, his alma mater, from 2012 to 2015. He was named head coach on December 5, 2011, after the school's athletic director, David Sayler, fired Ed Meierkort. Glenn served as the head football coach at Doane College (1976–1979), the University of Northern Colorado (1989–1999), the University of Montana (2000–2002), and the University of Wyoming (2003–2008). He won two NCAA Division II Football Championships at Northern Colorado, in 1996 and 1997, and an NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship at Montana in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Colorado Bears</span> Athletic teams representing University of Northern Colorado

The Northern Colorado Bears are the athletic teams representing the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsors seventeen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, and track and field; women's-only soccer, softball, swimming and diving, and volleyball; and men's-only baseball, football, and wrestling. The Bears compete in NCAA Division I, with the football team competing at the FCS level, and most teams are members of the Big Sky Conference. Three Northern Colorado teams have separate affiliations in sports that the Big Sky does not sponsor. The baseball team competes in the Summit League, the women's swimming and diving team is an affiliate member of the Western Athletic Conference, and the wrestling team is a member of the Big 12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision</span> Top level of college football in the U.S.

The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2024 season, there are 10 conferences and 134 schools in FBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John S. Davis</span> American coach and college athletics administrator

John Solomon "Sap" Davis was an American college football and college basketball coach and athletics administrator. He served as head football coach at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas for one season, in 1930, compiling a record of 1–6. Davis was also the athletic director and head basketball coach at Ottawa from 1927 to 1931. He moved to the State Normal School of Colorado—now known as the University of Northern Colorado—in 1931 to replace George E. Cooper as head basketball coach. In 1937, Davis was hired as the head basketball coach at Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts—now known as Colorado State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aims Community College</span> Public college in Northern Colorado, US

Aims Community College is a public community college serving northern Colorado with locations in Greeley, Windsor, Fort Lupton, and Loveland. Aims has more than 200 degree and certificate programs and provides day and night classes. Aims was founded in Greeley in 1967 and graduated its first class in 1969. The school established a second campus in Fort Lupton in 1984, and a third in Loveland in 1987. The Aims Automotive and Technology Center, located in Windsor, opened in January 2010.

Patrick Mitsugi Burris is a retired competitive judoka who represented the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich and the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal. He won the bronze medal at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City in the men's lightweight division at 70 kg. Burris is a five time US national senior AAU champion, including an unprecedented four straight championships. He was named 1976 US national Grand Champion – the lightest Grand Champion ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Colorado Bears football</span> Intercollegiate American football team

The Northern Colorado Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Northern Colorado located in Greeley, Colorado. The team competes in the Big Sky Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The university's first football team was fielded in 1893. The team plays its home games at the 8,533 seat Nottingham Field on campus. The Bears announced the hiring of Ed Lamb on December 6, 2022, replacing Ed McCaffrey, who went 6–16 in two seasons.

John W. Hancock was an American football player, track and field athlete, coach of football, basketball, track, and wrestling, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Colorado Bears men's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Northern Colorado Bears men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in Greeley, Colorado, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big Sky Conference. Northern Colorado made its first and to date only NCAA tournament appearance in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Colorado Bears baseball</span> American college baseball team

Northern Colorado Bears baseball is the varsity intercollegiate team representing University of Northern Colorado in the sport of college baseball in NCAA Division I. The team is led by Mike Anderson, and plays its home games at Jackson Field on campus in Greeley, Colorado. The Bears are baseball members of the Summit League, having joined in July 2021 after spending the previous eight years as baseball members of the Western Athletic Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 Northern Colorado Bears men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2016–17 Northern Colorado Bears men's basketball team represented the University of Northern Colorado during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bears were led by first-year head coach Jeff Linder and played their home games at Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley, Colorado. They were members of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 11–18, 7–11 in Big Sky play to finish in a tie for eighth place. On October 8, 2016, the school self-imposed a postseason ban amid an ongoing NCAA investigation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Colorado Bears women's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Northern Colorado Bears women's basketball team is the basketball team that represents the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in Greeley, Colorado, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big Sky Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Northern Colorado Bears men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 Northern Colorado Bears men's basketball team represented the University of Northern Colorado during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bears were led by second-year head coach Jeff Linder and played their home games at Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley, Colorado as members of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 26–12, 11–7 in Big Sky play to finish in fifth place. They defeated Northern Arizona and Weber State to advance to the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament to Montana. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they defeated Drake, San Diego, Sam Houston State and UIC to become CIT champions.

The 1934 Colorado Teachers Bears football team was an American football team that represented Colorado State Teachers College—now known as the University of Northern Colorado—as a member of the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) during the 1934 college football season. Led by third-year head coach John W. Hancock, the Bears compiled an overall record of 6–1 with an identical mark in conference play, sharing the RMC title with Colorado and Colorado Agricultural. The team outscored its opponents by a total of 148 to 31.

The 1969 Colorado State–Greeley Bears football team was an American football team that represented Colorado State College as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) during the 1969 NCAA College Division football season. In their fourth year under head coach Bob Blasi, the Bears compiled an overall record of 10–0 record, won the RMAC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 435 to 132. It was the first perfect season in program history and the first RMAC championship in 21 years.

References

  1. ↑ "Endowment & Stewardship Report" (PDF). University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Office of the Provost" . Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "About The University of Northern Colorado".
  4. 1 2 3 "2024 Fall Final Enrollment Profile" (PDF). unco.edu.
  5. ↑ UNC Style Guide (PDF). March 1, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  6. ↑ "About the University of Northern Colorado". About UNC. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  7. ↑ The Campus History Series, University of Northern Colorado, by Mark Anderson and Jay Trask, 2010, Arcadia Publishing
  8. ↑ Institution Names – University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved September 8, 2020
  9. 1 2 UNC Impact 2014. University of Northern Colorado.
  10. ↑ "2024-2025 Best National Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report . September 23, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Weld County". Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. December 28, 2010. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Board of Trustees for the University of Northern Colorado".
  13. ↑ "Past Presidents".
  14. ↑ "President Andy Feinstein at the University of Northern Colorado". Office of the President. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  15. ↑ Wild, Stephi (March 26, 2022). "Edward W. Hardy, Georgina Escobar, and More Will Present at UNCO's First Arts Equity Summit". Broadway World.
  16. ↑ Schuhardt, Sara (February 25, 2022). "College of Performing and Visual Arts | University of Northern Colorado". College of Performing and Visual Arts.
  17. ↑ "College Scorecard: University of Northern Colorado". United States Department of Education . Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  18. ↑ Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN   978-0-9893007-0-4.
  19. ↑ Various The Mirrors and Cache La Poudres

Further reading

40°24′17″N104°41′48″W / 40.404853°N 104.696741°W / 40.404853; -104.696741

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.