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The University of Massachusetts Amherst (otherwise known as UMass Amherst or simply UMass) is a land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts. The University of Massachusetts Amherst offers over 90 undergraduate and 65 graduate areas of study. Its mission statement follows, from Trustee Document T05-024: The university's mission is to provide an affordable and accessible education of high quality and to conduct programs of research and public service that advance knowledge and improve the lives of the people of the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world. US News and World Report's 2007 edition of America's Best Colleges ranked UMass Amherst as one of the top 100 universities in the nation.
History The university was founded in 1863 under the provisions of the Federal Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act to provide instruction to Massachusetts citizens in the "agricultural, mechanical, and military arts". Accordingly, the university was initially named the Massachusetts Agricultural College, popularly referred to as Mass Aggie or M.A.C.. It was known as this until 1931, due to an increase in enrollment and support from the Commonwealth, it was renamed Massachusetts State College. Post-war growth In 1947, the Massachusetts General Court passed legislation making Massachusetts State College the University of Massachusetts. Like most schools at the time, it was relatively small, enrolling ~5,000 students annually. Some expansion occurred in the 1950's, but the bulk of its transition to the present size occurred in the 1960's. The new president set a goal of expansion to 20,000 by the end of the decade, and the university entered a program of intense building. Many prominent structures rose during this time, including the Southwest Complex, Student Union, Campus Center, Fine Arts Center and famous 26-story library tower. UMass growth drastically altered the regional economy, prompting the commercial development of Route 9 in Hadley, the extension and redirection of several highways (including the widening of Route 9 in Hadley to four lanes and the relocation of Route 116 to a limited access bypass road around the college) and the transformation of the town of Amherst from its old Republican order to its progressive reputation today. In spite of the various expansions and changes of status of the University, it remains true to its roots, continuing to provide high-quality education in the agricultural (Stockbridge School of Agriculture), mechanical (College of Engineering), and martial (Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC) arts. Recent expansion project In 2004, Governor Mitt Romney proposed an ambitious expansion project in which the size and population of the university would almost double as it took over the role of the state's community college system which Romney has begun to consolidate and dismantle. While this proposal received the support of the student government, town residents are exceedingly resistant to any such plan as it would increase the already critical traffic congestion in the center of town. Following Mitt Romney's mandate, the UMass Amherst administration (headed up by Chancellor Lombardi and Vice Chancellor Gargano) has pushed for admission of more students than there are residences. Construction is currently underway on both residential and academic facilities; however, the current influx of new students prior to the completion of these ambitious projects has caused crowded classrooms and an overflow out of the residence halls. Since the record size of the Class of 2009 caused problems in terms of class sizes and housing, the university responded by tightening admissions standards for admission to the Class of 2010. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2009 was over 80 percent, however it has been reported that the acceptance rate for the Class of 2010 was significantly lower, at under 70 percent. Designation as flagship campus In 2003, for the first time, UMass Amherst was legally designated by the state legislature to be a "research university" and the "flagship campus" of the UMass system.* Libraries The W.E.B. DuBois library is the tallest academic library in the world. It is home of the memoirs and papers of the distinguished African-American activist and Massachusetts native W.E.B. DuBois as well as being the depository for other important collections, such as the papers of the late Congressman Silvio O. Conte. Special Collections include The Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library is the other main library on campus. It is located on the 2nd floor of the Lederle Graduate Research Center (occasionally referred to as the Lederle "low rise"). UMass Amherst is home to the DEFA Film Library *, the only archive and study collection of East German films outside of Europe. Academic departments Research Labs at Umass Amherst Five College Consortium UMass Amherst is part of the Five Colleges consortium, which allows its students to attend classes, borrow books, work with professors, etc., at four other Pioneer Valley institutions: Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges. All five colleges are located within 10 miles of Amherst center, and are accessible by public bus. The five share an astronomy department and some other undergraduate and graduate departments. Buildings and Layout Home to over 25,000 students, faculty and staff, the campus extends about a mile from the Campus Center in all directions. The university owns significant amounts of land in the nearby town of Sunderland. The campus may be thought of as a series of concentric rings. In the outermost ring are parking lots, the admissions center, playing fields and barns for the animal science program. In the middle ring there are the five residential areas and dining commons. The innermost ring has most of the classroom buildings and research labs. Anticipating the drastic increase in student population in the 1960s and 1970s, the University underwent major expansion. Many of the buildings were constructed relatively quickly from poured, exposed concrete, which reflected much of the styling of the era. The most prominent examples of exposed reinforced concrete construction are the Campus Center and Hotel, Fine Arts Center, and Whitmore Administration Building. Although this architectural styling is sometimes considered dated or unattractive today, several of these buildings are considered architectural landmarks, notably the Fine Arts Center by Roche-Dinkeloo, designers of the U. N. Plaza. There are several recently completed buildings that are both modern and functional. Some examples of these buildings include the Mullins Center, The Polymer Science Facility, the Computer Science Building, and the Engineering and Computer Science II facility. South Campus The Isenberg School of Management has its buildings in the southernmost part of campus near the Visitors Center and the Newman Center, the Catholic student center. In addition to being the site of the main administration building, Whitmore, the southeast side of campus has buildings mainly dedicated to the humanities and fine arts. Buildings include Herter, Bartlett, Mahar and the Fine Arts Center (Abbreviated "FAC"). Between Whitmore, the FAC and Isenberg lies the Haigis Mall, a local stop on both the PVTA and Peter Pan bus lines. The buildings on the southwest side of campus house the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. These include Dickinson and Tobin. The 26 story W.E.B. DuBois library and the Old Chapel are the notable buildings in the center of campus. The buildings in the center of campus, Goodell and Machmer are mainly used by the Commonwealth Honors College. Student Union The Student Union Building houses most of the University's Registered Student Organizations (RSO's) and it is the home of the Student Government Association. Other facilities include the Campus Design and Copy center, a convenience store, a ball room, and a student lounge. Several student-run businesses and co-ops are also present including the Fair trade convenience store and bagel shop People's Market and a vegan/vegetarian eatery Earthfoods Cafe. South College South College is the home of UMass' world renowned linguistics department, and is the oldest building on campus. The DuBois library was intended to be an annex to South College. Campus Center Designed by famed architect Marcel Breuer, the Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center is located adjacent to the Student Union and is accessible via passageways from both the Student Union as well as from the main level of the parking garage. On the concourse level are the campus store, restrooms, graduate student lounge, which serves beer, and the Bluewall, which contains a cafe, a smoothie stand and a fair trade coffee stand. This level is a high-traffic area throughout most of the day with students and faculty not only using it as a 'pass through' from one building to another, but also as the central hub of on-campus life. Many people often pass the time between classes on this level and it is common to find vendors and organizations operating from fold-out tables along either side. The lower level of the campus center has multiple conference rooms and a large auditorium. Within the central space of the lower level are telephones, ATMs, vending, as well as couches and television. The offices of the University newspaper, The Daily Collegian, can be found at the far end of the level. One of the conference rooms is home to the UMass Science Fiction Society's library. The top floor of the Campus Center, "The Top of the Campus" is currently undergoing a complete renovation. When finished it will be home to a state of the art teaching kitchen, beverage lab and dining room facility. Campus Center Hotel Above the concourse level is the Campus Center Hotel, a five-level full service facility with 116 rooms, including two suites located in the Campus Center. The Campus Center Hotel is the training ground for the university's Hospitality and Tourism Management students. North Campus The north side of campus is mostly dedicated to science and engineering, and many buildings there are newer than their counterparts in the humanities. The Physics Department primarily uses Hasbrouck Lab, located at 666 North Pleasant Street. The Lederle Graduate Research Tower is the largest building on the north side, housing the Math department on its sixteenth floor. As the Math Department headquarters, the sixteenth floor is prominently labeled 42. The Silvio Conte Polymer Research facility is located in North campus. Computer Science The Computer Science department recently moved into an airy new building built for them on the edge of campus, though classes are usually taught elsewhere. Between the imposing concrete LGRT, the second-story walkway from it to its sister structure the LGRC, the glass-and-aluminum Computer Science building, and other new buildings for the Engineering and Polymer Science departments, North Campus looks more "high-tech" than the rest of campus. Sports, Recreation, and Exercise On campus there are two major gyms, the Totman Center near Northeast and Sylvan and the Boyden Gym to the south. Major sporting events, such as UMass's hockey and basketball team games, are held in the Mullins Center, amidst the fields to the west. Campus Bus System The PVTA bus system serves not only the University of Massachusetts campus, but also the surrounding colleges and communities. This bus system is run primarily by University students and is free for students, which allows them to easily get to classes at the other four colleges. Residential areas At UMass Amherst, first and second year students are required to live on campus. Housing is open to all full-time undergraduate students, regardless of year. Upper-class students who have continuously lived on campus during their first and sophmore years are guaranteed housing as long as they choose to live on campus. If, however, a student is admitted after their sophomore year, or moves off campus, and wants to move back onto campus, they are not guaranteed housing, but instead must go through a housing lottery, since demand outstrips supply. Building and room selection is accomplished by a complex system that takes into account building seniority as well as class year; those choosing to move from their building are subject to a lottery system. There are approximately 12,000 students living on-campus. Students living on the UMass campus live in one of the six residential areas: North, Sylvan, Northeast, Central, Orchard Hill, Southwest. Several residential areas have a student-run business. All campus residence halls are staffed by Resident Assistants, who provide programming and community development, as well as enforce policies, and have quiet hours, which start at 9pm on weekdays, 12 midnight on the weekends, but may vary from hall to hall. North Residential Area Recently completed, the newest residence halls on campus opened in the Fall of 2006. Located between Sylvan and Northeast, these apartment-style dormitories house approximately 850 undergraduates in four buildings. Each unit comprises four single bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a shared common area including a full kitchen. Other amenities include Ethernet and cable access, central air, and laundry on-site. This is a nine-month housing area, which allows students to remain on campus from September to May. Sylvan Sylvan is adjacent to the North Residential Area, and before the opening of North in 2006, was the newest residential area on campus, construction having been completed in the early 1970s. Sylvan is distinctive for offering suite-style living in a shady wooded area. Each residence hall contains 64 suites and each suite is either all-male or all- female. Each suite is a mixture of double and single rooms, a common bathroom, and a common living room. Suites accommodate from six to eight residents. What some regard as the glaring downside to Sylvan is that the rooms are the smallest on campus, the suite style doesn't promote floor unity, and is viewed as being a long distance from many classes on campus, especially for students of the social and behavioral sciences, humanities, fine arts, and business. However, students are provided with free bed lofting kits, which are rented in other living areas, to allow for more space. Northeast Northeast is across the street from North and Sylvan. The residential area consists of nine buildings assembled in a rectangle surrounding a grassy quad. Northeast is one of the oldest residential areas on campus and has what one might call classic academic architecture, consisting of red brick buildings and gabled/shingled roofs. Buildings of note in Northeast include Knowlton, which is an all female dorm, Hamlin, which is an all male dorm, as well as Lewis House, which provides international students with 9-month housing. Thatcher House is unique because it has a foreign language program, which includes several floors, each with a different language. The residents of these floors are encouraged to speak the language they are studying with their floormates. The dorm is extremely popular, and difficult to get into, as only foreign language students with high GPAs can expect to get housing there. Northeast is across the street from the north section of campus, which has the polymer research lab, the engineering buildings, physical science buildings, and the computer science building. Because of this, many of the residents of Northeast are in math, engineering or science programs. Central Central has nine residence halls located along a hill on the east side of campus. Central is also home to the Central Art Gallery in Wheeler and Greeno Sub Shop in Greenough. Central also has several non-residential buildings, making it unique amongst living areas. Fernald Hall, also known as "the Bug Lab", Hills, and New Africa House are all academic and office buildings. Hills houses the Study Abroad office, Mental Health Services, the regional planning/landscape architecture department, as well as several graduate classrooms. New Africa House was renovated in 2004 and early 2005, and contains the African American Studies Department. Central is organized into 4 clusters of buildings: Gorman-Wheeler and Brett-Brooks at the bottom of the hill, Baker, Chadbourne and Greenough ("BCG") organized in a quad halfway up the hill, and Van Meter-Butterfield ("VMB") at the top of the hill. Gorman Hall is a building-wide Living Learning Community called NUANCE. Founded in 1989, it is a diversity awareness Living Learning Community. Wheeler is home to the Central Art Gallery and currently houses the hockey team. Brett is where the Pixies met, is home to the baseball and hockey teams, and is completely wheelchair-accessible. Brooks offers alcohol-free housing. Baker houses the Area Office. Chadbourne houses the Josephine White Eagle Native American Cultural Center. Greenough has the Area's student-run business, Greeno Sub Shop. As of 2006 both Van Meter and Butterfield were freshman only EPOCH dorms. Orchard Hill Completed in 1964, The Orchard Hill residence area is north of Central, and has four residence halls: Dickinson, Webster, Grayson and Field (the latter two are connected and share offices). Orchard Hill is known for its yearly spring event, Bowl Weekend. Many students from the Commonwealth College honors program live in Orchard Hill as part of Learning Communities. Orchard hill also houses a number of Talent Advancement Programs. *. Orchard Hill (in Field) is the location of the student-run business Sweets 'n More, which sells treats and snacks. Sweets N' More is open from 7:30 to midnight every day of the week except for Friday and Saturday. Orchard Hill also refers to the hill on which the Orchard Hill Observatory and a cell phone tower are located. The cell phone tower also supports a microwave relay system for internet and land phone service at the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory, located on a peninsula within the Quabbin Reservoir (according to Dr. Ronald Snell, UMass Amherst Astronomy Department chair, circa 2003). Southwest Southwest is the largest residential area, and it houses three of the five campus dining commons (Hampshire, Hampden, and Berkshire). It is composed of five 22-story towers (Kennedy, Coolidge, John Quincy Adams, John Adams and Washington) and 11 smaller residence halls (referred to as low-rises), holding a total of around 5,500 students. Southwest houses approximately 50% of the students living on campus. Longtime residents of Southwest state that living in SW is like living in an entirely separate city — this high-density, high-volume population is possibly the most diverse region of campus; socially, ethnically, anyone can find a niche. Southwest is known for its lively, festive, and active community spirit. After victories by the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox in 2002, 2003 and 2004, students held large impromptu festive gatherings in the Southwest Mall which led to injuries, incidents of property destruction, and significant police involvement. After 2004, the University and campus and local police became more proactive in discouraging unwanted behavior and the gatherings became less common. Southwest is also home to James Hall, which is a Wellness dorm that prohibits drug and alcohol use. In addition several TAPs (Talent Advancement Programs) for incoming freshman are located in Southwest. These programs are designed for incoming students who show particular academic promise in their chosen major to live on one or more floors with other similar majors. Students in a TAP will usually sign up for many of the same classes, so studying is made easier by the close proximity of others in the same classes. Each TAP program has weekly seminars and occasional field trips designed to orient students to the university and get them interested in the diversity of subjects offered at UMass. TAP programs, which are by invite-only, as well as RAPs (Residential Academic Programs), are also common in other areas of campus. Southwest has a convenience store, a small art gallery, a University run Snack Bar, as well as the kosher dining commons. Southwest also houses the EPOCH program, designed strictly for incoming freshmen to be with other freshmen. EPOCH, specifically the RA's and Peer Mentors (exclusive to EPOCH), organizes a myriad of trips and activities. Currently, the Moore, Melville, Pierpont, and Thoreau buildings are part of the program, with Emerson, Kennedy Tower, and John Adams to join in Fall 2007. By 2008 there will be EPOCH dorms in Central, Orchard Hill and Southwest, and all incoming freshman will be required to live in an EPOCH community. Information Technology UMass Amherst is a member of Internet 2. At UMass, SPIRE is a web-based system used to register for courses, as well as a variety of other tasks. In the winter of 2003, the Office of Information Technologies (OIT) rolled out the SPIRE system, which is based on PeopleSoft's student information system. Reactions were initially favorable, but over the next year people began criticizing it for its confusing user interface (UI), among other issues. An attempt at resolving some of the UI complaints over the summer caused more serious problems. SPIRE was unavailable for most of the first week of the Fall 2004 semester, although other components of the PeopleSoft system functioned normally. Some have claimed that the university purchased PeopleSoft as the result of an executive conflict of interest. PeopleSoft is currently being sued by Cleveland State University for fraud. Some classes have OWL (Online Web-based Learning) assignments. Many classes make use of WebCT to view course materials, submit homework, or engage in online class discussions. OIT supports Mac OS and Windows, and is currently researching and developing support for Linux and similar open source technologies. * On October 21, 2005 UMass Amherst was designated as the first-in-the-nation Microsoft IT Showcase School by CEO Steve Ballmer, recognizing the university's innovative leadership in applying information technology to teaching and learning. This award coincided with a vote by the Massachusetts legislature to move state documents to a non-proprietary open document format; however, the assertion that these two occurrences are linked is yet to be substantiated. Athletics UMass is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The university is a member of both the Atlantic Ten Conference and the Hockey East Association. For football, UMass competes within Division I-AA of the NCAA. UMass originally was known as the Aggies before changing their logo and nickname to the Redmen. In a response to changing attitudes regarding the use of Native American-themed mascots, they changed their mascot in 1972 to the Minuteman. This has been lauded by many in the NCAA as being one of the greatest name changes due to the "minuteman" relationship with Massachusetts and its historical context. No team name switch has fit better than the Minuteman to UMass. The 2006 season marks the final season under which the football team will compete in the Atlantic 10. Starting in the 2007 season the A-10's twelve football teams will compete in the new football conference sponsored by the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). First played in 1905 and held annually since 1995, UMass' basketball rivalry with Boston College is called the "Commonwealth Classic." The UMass basketball team also competed annually with the University of Connecticut in a game that was formerly known as the "U-Game" until UConn Coach Jim Calhoun chose not to continue it after new Coach Travis Ford's arrival. This series included a stunning UMass upset of the then-defending national champion Huskies in November 2004 at the Mullins Center. Over the 10 games of the revived series, from 1996 to 2006, UMass went 1-9. During the 1990's the men's basketball team was known as one of the finest in the nation, holding the number one ranking in national polls for extended periods. Under the leadership of then-head coach John Calipari and players such as 1996 National Player of the Year Marcus Camby and Lou Roe, the Minutemen participated in the NCAA Tournament each year between 1992 and 1998, and reached the Final Four in 1996. However, a subsequent NCAA investigation found that Camby illegally accepted a total of $28,000 from sports agents, and the school was forced to vacate it's Final Four appearance. Camby eventually repaid the school the $151,000 in lost Final Four revenue that came as a result of the NCAA's ruling. While a Final Four banner still hangs from the rafters of the Mullins Center in defiance of the NCAA's ruling, the appearance was erased from all official record books. Notable UMass basketball alumni include Julius Erving, Marcus Camby, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, and Boston College head coach Al Skinner. The current coach of the Minutemen is Travis Ford. UMass men's lacrosse reached the NCAA Championship Game in 2006, where they lost to the The University of Massachusetts has won two NCAA national championships, one in Division I-AA football in 1998, and the other in Division I women's lacrosse in 1982. NCAA Division I Teams - Men's Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football (I-AA), Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Skiing, Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Track & Field NCAA Division I Teams - Women's Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Rowing (Crew), Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field Due to title 9 which states that there must be an equal amount of funds spent on women's sports as men's sports, several men's sports program were cut such as men's tennis and men's water polo teams. Athletic "Club" Groups Baseball Club, Bicycle Racing Club, Crew Club, Curling Team, Fencing Team, Figure Skating Club, Men's Lacrosse Club, Rugby Club, Tae Kwon Do Team, Tennis Club, Volleyball Club (Men's), Water Polo Club (Men's), Water Polo Club (Women's), Women's Ice Hockey, Women's Rugby Club, Women's Volleyball Club, Wrestling Club, Ultimate (Zoodisc) Intramural Sports Limp Richards & Soft Balls: 2003 Softball Spring Champions; 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006 Student Government The Student Government Association (SGA) is the undergraduate student governmental body, and provides funding for the many registered student organizations (RSOs) and agencies, including the Student Legal Services Office (SLSO) and the Student Center for Educational Research and Advocacy (SCERA). The SGA also makes formal recommendations on matters of Administration policy and advocates for undergraduate students to the Administration, non-student organizations, and local and state government. The SGA has three branches: the President and Executive Cabinet, the Undergraduate Student Senate, and the Student Judiciary. Area governments There are a total of six area governments. Each of the campus's five residential areas has an area government, and there is also a Commuter Area Government to serve commuter students. Area governments provide social programming for their areas, and are in charge of the house councils for the dorms in their area. They also represent the needs and interests of students in their areas to the Administration, Housing Services, and the SGA. House councils Each residence hall or residential "cluster" (a group of residence halls) at UMass Amherst has a house council. House councils report to their respective area governments. Its budget comes from voluntary dues collected in return for access to common supplies (access to the kitchenette, rental access to vacuums, brooms, games, etc). House councils also engage in social programming for their halls or clusters, and advocate to housing staff in regards to concerns of students in their hall/cluster. RSOs UMass Amherst has many registered student organizations (RSOs). These are funded by the Student Government Association (SGA), from the activity fee that all students pay. In recent years, the fee has been about $81. In order to start an RSO, one needs a group of at least 10 interested students, who then request the SGA for recognition. Each semester, the SGA reviews RSOs, and those which have too few members are considered inactive. Club Sports, which are non-NCAA athletic or organized sports teams, are considered RSOs. Marching Band UMass Amherst has one of the largest marching bands in New England. The Minuteman Marching Band consists of over 350 members and regularly plays at football games. The band also performs in various other places like Allentown, Pennsylvania, Bands of America, Boston, and on occasion Montreal. Fraternities and Sororities UMass is home to numerous fraternities and sororities. Most of them were located on North Pleasant Street until the University purchased most of the Greek houses; the houses will be demolished by the end of 2006. On 15 March 1873 the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity was founded at Old North Hall. Notable Faculty Alumni The slogan of the Alumni Association, "You were, You are. UMASS" The University is campaigning to get Alumni to purchase specialty Massachusetts license plates with the UMass Amherst logo. The proceeds from sales of the plates would go to help fund student scholarships. The University Alumni Association operates out of Memorial Hall. See also: List of UMass Amherst Alumni UMass Amherst in the news Campus activism While some students at UMass add to its reputation as a party school, others among the graduate and undergraduate population have also received press for their activism, including rallies to repeal the imposition of a Student and Exchange Visitor Information System Fee in 2003-2004, to protest for a more favorable contract for graduate employees in 2005, protesting tuition and fee hikes, making the university the second most expensive for in-state students (behind the University of Vermont) and many other campus issues. "Most violent campus" controversy On November 17, 2005, ABC News' Primetime reported University of Massachusetts at Amherst as having the highest rate of violent crime on a campus of its size. UMass officials said the report was flawed in two ways: first, ABC used figures from 2002 and 2003, when UMass reported 57 and 58 violent crimes, and did not take into account the data from 2004, when only 28 violent crimes were reported; second, the news program calculated the rate of violent crime by dividing the number of crimes by the total enrollment rather than by the number of on-campus residents."'Just as you would not include visitors, commuters, and tourists to calculate the crime rate among a city's population, neither should an aggregate number including off-campus students be included in a calculation of an on-campus crime rate", O'Malley, the general counsel, wrote to ABC News. See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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