University of Arizona

About UA

The University of Arizona (also referred to as U of A, UA, or Arizona) is a public research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885, the UA was the first university in the Arizona Territory. The university operates two medical schools (University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson and the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix) and is affiliated with the region's only academic medical centers (Banner - University Medical Center Tucson and Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix). The university is also home to the James E. Rogers College of Law and numerous other nationally ranked graduate and professional schools. As of Fall 2015, enrollment was more than 42,100 students, with the largest freshmen class ever at 8,100 students. The University of Arizona is governed by the Arizona Board of Regents. The mission of the University of Arizona is, "To improve the prospects and enrich the lives of the people of Arizona and the world through education, research, creative expression, and community and business partnerships." Arizona is one of the elected members of the Association of American Universities (an organization of North America's premier research institutions) and is the only representative from the state of Arizona to this group.

Known as the Arizona Wildcats (often shortened to "Cats"), the athletic teams are members of the Pac-12 Conference of the NCAA. UA athletes have won national titles in several sports, most notably men's basketball, baseball, and softball. The official colors of the university and its athletic teams are UA Red and Arizona Blue.

• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

  Founded in 1889, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' acclaimed teaching, research and Cooperative Extension programs strive to ensure the resilience and health of people, environments and economies in Arizona and around the globe. CALS prepares students for success in a wide range of careers in agricultural and environmental sciences, biosystems engineering, retailing, family studies, comparative biomedical sciences and more. Our world-renowned faculty engage in research and partner with industry and communities to develop new knowledge and new technologies to benefit society.

  The various curricula offer professional preparation for careers in agribusiness, government, public service agencies, retail and service industries, human health institutions, the food service and processing industry, financial institutions, youth development agencies, conservation and environmental organizations, farming and ranching, research, extension, communication and education. As the primary land-grant component of the University, the College administers a variety of programs at its regional Agricultural Centers and engages in Cooperative Extension efforts with federal, state and county governments and agencies.

• College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture

  The College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA) is an international leader in the development of sustainable design and planning solutions for arid regions of the world. CAPLA’s setting in Tucson offers inspiration and guidance to faculty and students working directly with and in response to the diverse ecology and culture of the Sonoran Desert while developing processes for analysis and design that are portable to other arid and semi-arid locales.

  CAPLA faculty work at the forefront of sustainability and regenerative development, specifically, alternative energy, water conservation, landscape ecology, climate change adaptation, affordable housing, and heritage preservation. Its alumni are recognized internationally for modern desert architecture, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning and design comprising what is known as the "Arizona School."

• College of Education

  The University of Arizona College of Education — Arizona's first — was founded in 1922 with an enrollment of 145 students. Working with other colleges, the College of Education is responsible for the vast majority of teacher education on campus. The college prepares special educators, school and rehabilitation counselors, school principals and superintendents, and leaders for K-12 and higher education. Research is a valuable part of our agenda, and we recognize that a formidable college will include a wide range of scholarship and research — from insight-based, fundamental research to engineering-focused programs of research and development.

  The college secured a $27 million grant to examine how improvements in access to and quality of educational and health services impact young children’s development. No other state has ever done a longitudinal study like this.
  College of Education alumni are known throughout the world! The founder of Sesame Street’s, Joan Ganz Cooney, is one of our grads.
  Graduates include teachers, of course, but also researchers, counselors, school psychologists, special education teachers, principals, and superintendents — just to name a few.
  We’re home to the state’s only programs to prepare rehabilitation counselors and educators of the deaf and blind.
  The college is diverse. Nearly 27 percent of our students are minorities. About 23 percent of the college’s faculty is made up of minorities (16 percent of which is Hispanic).
  Our International Collection of Children’s and Adolescent Literature is the largest collection in America. There’s only one larger collection in the world.

• College of Engineering

  The College of Engineering was founded when the University of Arizona was established in 1885. For more than 125 years, UA College of Engineering alumni have explored, shaped and made habitable the world, indeed the universe, in which we live.

  Today, graduates of the College are entrepreneurs who develop high-tech companies, create jobs, and improve our quality of life. An engineering education provides the research to build new industries and the knowledge for those who run them.
  Engineers help people, and engineering programs at the UA College of Engineering have enormous breadth and far-reaching social consequences. Among many other things, students and faculty design new retinas for damaged eyes, affordable water purification systems for third world countries stricken by drought, environmentally sustainable manufacturing methods, hybrid cars and solar energy systems, bio-sensors that detect and keep people out of life-threatening danger, optical imaging systems for cancer detection, data collection and decision support systems for the military, and buildings that can withstand earthquakes and other major events.

• College of Fine Arts

  The College of Fine Arts consists of four professional schools: Art, Dance, Music and Theatre, Film and Television. The mission of the college is to prepare students to create, to teach, to participate in, to understand and to value the arts. Fine Arts faculty members sustain excellence in teaching, creative expression, and research in the arts and are a source of creation, knowledge, and inspiration about the arts for Arizona and the nation.

• College of Humanities

  What are the humanities? They’re the disciplines that make life meaningful. Intercultural communication. Conviction and questioning. Personal identity. Collective action and community building. The faculty, students and staff of the College of Humanities are passionate about their pursuit of life-changing and world-defining challenges. They work in the streets of Tucson, the corporations and agencies that form the national bedrock, and in the embassies and institutions around the world devoted to identifying problems, l

• College of Medicine - Phoenix

  The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix inspires and trains individuals to become exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders who are life-long learners and inquisitive scholars and who will embrace professionalism, innovation and collaboration to optimize health and healthcare for all. The College proudly incorporates innovation in the curriculum, preparing students to be physicians for tomorrow, utilizing technology, simulation and advances in medicine. The College of Medicine – Phoenix admitted its inaugural class of first-year medical students in August 2007 and now accepts 80 students per year.

• College of Medicine - Tucson

  The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson offers full four-year medical education programs. Partnering with hospitals, clinics and other affiliates statewide, the college offers a rich, hands-on experience for medical students on the path to becoming health-care professionals. Research concentrations include cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, neurological disorders and biomedical imaging, among others. Research programs in both the clinical and basic science departments and in the multidisciplinary centers promote collaborative research across the college, the University and throughout the state of Arizona.

• College of Nursing

  Established in 1957, the University of Arizona College of Nursing is leading through innovative learning. As a top school in the country for strengthening the nursing workforce, we educate entry and advanced practice nurse leaders to deliver comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate health care; shape health policy for individuals, families, communities and care systems; and advance nursing science through innovative research, technology and collaboration.

• College of Optical Sciences

  The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences educates students in all aspects of the study and application of light, performing internationally recognized research in optical engineering, quantum optics, applied optics and photonics, and image science.

  The College of Optical Sciences is the world’s premier optical institute, with award-winning faculty members, a diverse student body, challenging courses, pioneering research programs and close relationships with the optics industry.

  Optics is fast-paced, technologically challenging and rapidly changing. Our discoveries have initiated many of the revolutions seen in the field, and our faculty and staff work continually to reflect those changes in our programs.

• College of Pharmacy

  Established in 1947, the College of Pharmacy was the first health professions college at the University of Arizona.  Now regarded as one of the premier colleges of pharmacy in the nation, the college admits up to 100 students each year to the four-year doctor of pharmacy degree program, which prepares highly qualified pharmacists for the nation’s healthcare workforce. The college also offers master’s and PhD degrees in the pharmaceutical sciences and in pharmacology and toxicology, preparing scientists in drug discovery and development, pharmacoeconomics, environmental toxicology and other disciplines.

  The College of Pharmacy also has administrative offices at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, and plans academic programs there as the campus develops. Pharmacy students complete clinical learning experiences throughout the State of Arizona, with approximately 40 students doing rotations in the greater Phoenix area.

• College of Science

  The College of Science brings together globally prominent faculty in disciplines at the core of scientific inquiry and education. One of the largest colleges at the University of Arizona, the College of Science is a nexus of award-winning programs and centers that encourage both independent and collaborative-driven research.

  Our 15 academic departments and research units encompass the range of physical, mathematical, environmental and life sciences. We are an integrative learning institution, offering next-generation scientists the opportunity to engage in groundbreaking research side-by-side with accomplished faculty. Our scientists and students also share their knowledge with the local and broader community through extensive outreach and public service initiatives.

• College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

  In the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, faculty and students examine the biggest questions facing humanity, from climate change to international affairs to personal identity and what it means to be human in the 21st century. The college offers a wide variety of programs in which students learn about the histories, cultures, interactions, motivations, beliefs, fears, stories, and impacts of people around the world, past and present.

  The College of SBS prepares students to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world by teaching social and emotional intelligence, an appreciation of cultural and interpersonal differences, the analytical skills to critically assess decisions, and an understanding of societal contexts and environments.

  As one of the largest colleges on the UA campus, SBS serves approximately 5,000 undergraduate students through 27 degree programs, which include popular majors such as anthropology, political science, English, journalism, and communication. In addition, 1,300 graduate and professional students are enrolled in SBS schools and departments.

• Colleges of Letters, Arts and Science

  The UA Colleges of Letters, Arts and Science offers a signature University experience: opportunities for students to explore areas of study that cannot be contained within a single department or college. Consisting of the colleges of Fine Arts, Humanities, Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences, this new collaborative college will advance innovative programs that cross the boundaries of humanities, arts and the sciences. It will foster interdisciplinary research and offer undergraduate and graduate students unparalleled opportunities to learn from and contribute to a diverse intellectual community.

• Eller College of Management

  The Eller College of Management, one of the largest colleges at the University of Arizona with the University’s most sought-after degrees, continues to build on a tradition of excellence begun in 1913.

  Internationally recognized for pioneering research, innovative curriculum, distinguished faculty, excellence in entrepreneurship, and social responsibility, the college supports 5,500 undergraduate and 600 graduate students.

  The college is also home to top-ranked entrepreneurship, MIS, MBA, doctoral, and undergraduate programs, and leads the nation’s business schools in generating grant funds for research.

• Graduate College

  The Graduate College provides central support and leadership to serve, oversee and advance all aspects of the graduate enterprise at the University of Arizona. Over 130 individual colleges, departments and programs offer world-class graduate degrees and maintain outstanding facilities and opportunities for research and creative scholarly activity. The University of Arizona is one of the nation's top 20 public research institutions, enabling graduate students to work with leading researchers and providing an ideal environment for graduate study. We place high priority on interdisciplinary studies; we strongly promote intellectual and cultural diversity; and we encourage international exchange.

• Honors College

  The Honors College is a University-wide academic college that serves nearly 4,000 high-ability undergraduates at the University of Arizona. The Honors College enables talented students to reach the highest levels of excellence, engage in research and creative activity, develop a lifelong passion for learning, and improve the quality of life and society through research, leadership and community service.

  Admission to The Honors College is highly competitive and selective. Students are admitted on the strength of their academic preparation and achievements in high school or community college.

  Honors courses offer a challenging academic experience characterized by personal attention, active discussions, in-depth analysis, accelerated pace of learning, and student-faculty interaction. An honors education encourages interdisciplinary interests, achievement of educational and career goals, and the application of passion and knowledge in real world settings. Graduating with Honors is excellent preparation for graduate or professional school, the path taken by nearly 80 percent of alumni.

• James E. Rogers College of Law

  Founded in 1915 as the first law school in Arizona, the James E. Rogers College of Law is a national leader in legal education, research and scholarship. The College of Law has an outstanding academic program to prepare lawyers for leadership and service throughout the state, the country and the world. Its core values — justice, professional integrity, public leadership and community service — impact all of its programs, activities and decisions. The college is small by choice, with approximately 150 students in each entering class and a total student body of about 500. The college's size and varied curriculum permit small classes and close interaction between students and faculty.

• Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

  Established in January of 2000 by the Arizona Board of Regents, the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health is the first nationally accredited college of public health in the Southwest. Today, the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health remains the only accredited college of public health in the State of Arizona with campuses in Tucson and Phoenix.

  The UA Zuckerman College of Public Health offers a dynamic academic curriculum that includes the undergraduate degree in public health and graduate degrees in Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, Environmental & Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Family & Child Health, Global Health, Health Behavior & Health Promotion, Health Delivery, Industrial Hygiene, Maternal & Child Health, and Public Health Policy & Management. In its short history, the college has gained national and international recognition for its research productivity and integration into communities across Arizona, the Southwest, Mexico and the globe. The faculty, alumni and students are consistently finding new approaches to solving the most challenging public health issues of the day including chronic disease prevention, clean air and water, mother and child health, and advocacy for public health policy. The college is also nationally known for expanding the definition of public health service in the academic setting through its Service Learning program.

History of UA

After the passage of the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862, the push for a University in Arizona grew. The University of Arizona was approved by the Arizona Territory's "Thieving Thirteenth" Legislature in 1885, who also selected the city of Tucson to receive the appropriation to build the university. Tucson had hoped to receive the appropriation for the territory's mental hospital, which carried a $100,000 allocation instead of the $25,000 allotted to the territory's only university (Arizona State University was also chartered in 1885, but at the time it was created as Arizona's normal school, and not a university). Tucson's contingent of legislators was delayed in reaching Prescott due to flooding on the Salt River and by the time they arrived back-room deals allocating the most desirable territorial institutions had been made. Tucson was largely disappointed at receiving what was viewed as an inferior prize. With no parties willing to 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 to build the school. Construction of Old Main, the first building on campus, began on October 27, 1887, and classes met for the first time in 1891 with 32 students in Old Main, which is still in use today. Because there were no high schools in Arizona Territory, the university maintained separate preparatory classes for the first 23 years of operation.

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation or Recognition - The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Rankings

• The Center for World University Rankings in 2015 ranked Arizona 68th in the world and 42nd in the U.S.
• The 2015–16 Times Higher Education World University Rankings rated University of Arizona 163rd in the world and the 2016/17 QS World University Rankings ranked it 233rd.
• The University of Arizona was ranked tied for 124th in the "National Universities" category by U.S. News & World Report for 2017, and 60th among "Top Public Schools."
• The James E. Rogers College of Law was ranked tied for 42nd nationally, and the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson was tied for 74th nationally in primary care and tied for 63rd for research by U.S. News & World Report for 2016.
• The College of Medicine was also rated No. 7 among the nation's medical schools for Hispanic students, according to Hispanic Business Magazine.
• In 2016, the Eller MBA program was ranked 56th by U.S. News & World Report, which placed the school's Information Systems program tied for 3rd best in the U.S., the Entrepreneurship program tied for 11th and the Part-time MBA tied for 33rd.
• U.S. News & World Report also rated UA as tied for 41st for online MBA programs, tied for 23rd for best online graduate nursing programs, and tied for 44th for best online graduate engineering programs.
• UA graduate programs ranked in the top 25 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2016 include Social Psychology (5th), Speech Pathology (5th), Rehabilitation Counseling (6th), Earth Sciences (7th), Analytical Chemistry (9th), Latin American history (9th), Atomic Physics (9th), Pharmacy (10th), Audiology (12th), Public Management Administration (13th), Photography (17th), and Nonprofit Management (21st).
• The Council for Aid to Education ranked UA 12th among public universities and 24th overall in financial support and gifts.
• Campaign Arizona, an effort to raise over $1 billion for the school, exceeded that goal by $200 million a year earlier than projected.In April 2014, the "Arizona Now" campaign launched with a target of $1.5 billion. As of January 31, 2016, the campaign has raised $1.37 Billion, 91% of its goal.
• In 2015, the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture's (CALA) undergraduate program in architecture was rated 10th in the nation for all universities, public and private, as reported in Design Intelligence. UA ranked 20th in overall undergraduate architecture programs by the same publication.
• The School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Arizona is one of the most highly ranked area studies programs focusing on the Middle East in the United States. In addition to offering language training in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish (both Modern and Ottoman), it is collocated with the Middle East Studies Association.

Student life @UA

Fraternities and sororities

As of 2015, there are 49 fraternity and sorority chapters that are recognized by the University of Arizona. As of 2006, approximately 10.3% of male UA students were members of campus fraternities, and 10.8% of female students were members of sororities. The fraternities and sororities are governed by 4 governing councils. The Interfraternity Council (IFC) represents 25 fraternities, the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) represents 6 historically African-American fraternities and sororities, the Panhellenic Association (PHC)represents 20 sororities and the United Sorority and Fraternity Council (USFC) represents 10 multicultural and multi-interest Greek organizations. Delta Chi Lambda is an Asian American sorority that was established at the University of Arizona in 2000. The Lambda chapter of Phrateres, a non-exclusive, non-profit social-service club, was installed in 1937.

Student clubs and organizations

A new and expansive Student Union building opened in 2003; it is the largest student union in the U.S. not affiliated with a hotel.The University of Arizona is home to more than 500 philanthropic, multi-cultural, social, athletic, academic, and student clubs and campus organizations. A listing is found at Associated Students of The University of Arizona (ASUA) through the Student Union. CSIL also houses the Arizona Blue Chip Program 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 Program began in February 2005. Structure, curriculum, students and even staff are exchanged between the two institutions in a unique international leadership development initiative. Also located in the CSIL is the office of Camp Wildcat, a student-run non-profit service organization that serves local disadvantaged youth. 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.

In 2008 University of Arizona students started their own branch (reinstated as of April 21, 2010) of the Arizona Students for Life (ASFL) pro-life association, whose goal is to help pregnant college women and raise awareness about elective abortion.

In 2015, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized the University of Arizona for its food diversion efforts, giving particular recognition to the student-formed Compost Cats, a nationally unique organization.

The University of Arizona is also home to one of the oldest Model United Nations organizations in the United States, which each year hosts several hundred students high school students in a bilingual simulation of the United Nations and other international bodies.

In 2008, the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Student Affairs was created to provide services to LGBTQ students and staff on campus and serve opposite an existing student group called "Pride Alliance," a recognized LGBTQ student group that has been active since the 1990s in providing support and visibility to LGBTQ students on campus.

The Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) Center helps students with learning and attention challenges to succeed in a higher education. Founded during the 1980-1981 academic year as a program within the Student Resource Center. At the time, SALT had provided academic services and accommodations up to three students with learning disabilities. During the 1990s, The SALT Center was located in the basement of Old Main, the oldest building at the university. During the time, SALT staff was located in tight offices while tutors conducted tutoring sessions around Old Main, often sitting outside, immersed in the sounds of everyday university life. In 2000, the SALT Center moved out of Old Main and into a 16,000 square-foot (4.9 cm2) building with the help of 500 individual donors, families, and parents in order to help serve better for the student population at the university. As of 2013, the SALT Center has more than 550 students at the University of Arizona with learning disabilities, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), and a range of other learning and attention challenges.

Traditions

At the beginning of each school year, freshmen repaint the "A" on "A" Mountain, and since 1914 the "A" remains a Tucson and Wildcat landmark. The "A" is now painted Red, White and Blue until all troops in foreign wars stemming from the September 11 attacks return home. This was passed by the ASUA student government body shortly after the war in Afghanistan began in 2001. As of 2016 the "A" on A mountain has returned to white. Later in the school year, Spring Fling, an ASUA Student Government program, and the largest student-run carnival in the U.S., has been held annually by UA students since 1965, under a different name: The Rites of Spring. The event occurs every April, and brings together the U of A community and the Tucson community. The UA club, Camp Wildcat, initially began the festival as a fundraiser and continued to do so until the event was taken over by ASUA in 1975.

Marching band

The University of Arizona marching band, named The Pride of Arizona, played at the halftime of the first Super Bowl. Most recently, the Pride was named one of the top five marching bands in the nation. They are directed by UA alumnus and former Pride of Arizona member, Chad Shoopman. Instrumentation includes woodwinds, brass, and a marching percussion section, as well as a pomline, twirling line, and color guard.

School colors

The current school colors are UA Red and Arizona Blue, recognized in the Pantone Matching System, with the PMS number 200C and 281, respectively. In CMYK system, process color for UA Red is C: 18 M:100 Y:83 K:8, and C:100 M:71 Y:0 K:58 for Arizona 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.

Student government

Overall, students at the University of Arizona have been represented by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA) since 1913. Every year (usually in March), the students elect a Senator to represent each of the respective undergraduate colleges, three at large senators, an Administrative Vice President, an Executive Vice President and President to 1-year terms. The ASUA oversees the ZonaZoo and UA Spring Fling programs, while holding administrative oversight for the nearly 600 student clubs on campus. Each of the Senators and all Administrative Officers also are appointed to serve on the various University of Arizona Faculty and Administrative Committees.

In 1997, the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) split from the ASUA and has since become the de facto body to represent issues specific to graduate and professional students. Each year (usually in late March or early April), the graduate and professional students elect 30 representatives by constituency in accordance to college graduate and/or professional student population, with three of those representatives elected at large. The Vice President and President are also elected at large by the graduate and professional student body. Much like ASUA, the GPSC appoints representatives to serve on various University of Arizona Faculty and Administrative Committees and 1 Director to serve on the Arizona Students' Association.

On-campus residents also have their own Student Leadership Organization known as the "Residence Hall Association". Anyone who lives on campus is automatically a member of RHA. The individual subunits of RHA consist of the hall councils of all 23 residence halls. Each Hall Council is one of three structures, Traditional, Hybrid and Open. Additionally each hall council has an EcoRep for Sustainability, and two RHA Representatives who are sent to represent their hall at RHA General Body Meetings and one ACT Rep for Social Justice. At these meetings, the gathered representatives and RHA Executive Board, elected from within the RHA General Body, discuss issues and make decisions concerning all 6,000 on campus residents. Members of the RHA Executive Board are elected to one-year terms during the spring semester and are sworn into office at the RHA Banquet usually held during the later part of April. Hall council members and RHA representatives are usually elected by the residents of their respective residence halls during the first 2 weeks of the Fall semester in late August and early September with their term running through the end of the Spring semester in early May. The RHA Executive Board consists of 8 different elected positions (President, Director of Public Relations, National Communications Coordinator, Director of Business Administration, Director of Equipment Services, Director of Training and Development, and Director of Programming) along with two ex-officio members, the appointed Parliamentarian position and the NRHH President as well as an advisor who holds the role of Coordinator for Student Leadership within Residence Life. In 2011, the Residence Hall Association revamped its Executive Board in effort to make the EBoard more parallel to the IACURH Regional Board and NACURH National Board.

The University of Arizona Residence Hall Association has hosted 3 regional IACURH Residence Hall Conferences, which were hosted in 1961, 1997, and 2004 and a "No Frills" Business meeting in 2013. In 2005 and 2012 the University of Arizona's Residence Hall Association was voted by NACURH (National Association of College and University Residence Halls) as the National School of the Year out of over 400 schools across the United States. In May 2009, the University of Arizona hosted the NACURH National Residence Hall Conference (also hosted in 1963), bringing more than 2,200 on-campus residents from over 250 schools across the United States and Canada for 3 days of school spirit and learning how to become more sustainable and socially just. The conference theme (Our Place in Time) focused on sustainability and social justice within the residence halls.