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{{Infobox_University|name = The University of Texas at Austin|image_name = UT_Austin_seal.png|motto = Disciplina praesidium civitatis (Latin: Education, the Guardian of Society)]|type = Flagship#University campuses State university system (United States)|calendar = Semester|president = William C. Powers|provost = Steven W. Leslie|city = Austin, Texas|state = Texas|undergrad = 36,878|postgrad = 12,818|faculty = 2,500|staff = 14,000|alumni = 450,000 Campus Profile The University of Texas. Accessed [1 December 2005.]: graduate (2), attendee or researcher (3), faculty before or at the time of award (2), invited faculty after award (2)|endowment = United States dollar5.54 1000000000 (number) As of 31 August 2005, according to a calculation by the UT Austin Budget Office], 350 acres (1.4 km²)|nickname = Texas Longhorns|colors = [Orange (colour)#Burnt orange and white The University of Texas Style Guidelines - signed by UT president Larry Faulkner. Accessed 27 February 2006.
]. It is the flagship#University campuses institution of University of Texas System. The main campus is located less than a mile from the Texas State Capitol in Austin. According to The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities (2001) by Howard and Matthew Greene, The University of Texas at Austin is one of America's "Public Ivy" institutions of higher education, defined by the authors as a public institution that "provides an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public school price." Founded in 1883, the university has had List of largest United States universities by enrollment single-campus enrollment in the nation as of fall 2006 (and had the largest enrollment in the country from 1997–2003), with nearly 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and 16,500 faculty and staff. It currently holds the largest enrollment of all colleges in the state of Texas.

The university also operates various auxiliary facilities aside from the main campus, most notably the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. Texas is a major center for academic research, annually exceeding $380 million in funding. In addition, the university's athletic programs were recognized by Sports Illustrated, which dubbed UT "America's Best Sports College" in 2002.

History The first mention of a public university in Texas can be traced to the 1827 constitution for the Mexico state of Coahuila y Tejas. Although an article promised to establish public education in the arts and sciences, no action was ever taken by the Mexican government. After Texas obtained its independence from Mexico in 1836, the Congress of Texas adopted the Constitution of the Republic of Texas, which included a provision to establish public education in Republic of Texas, including two universities or colleges. On January 26, 1839, Congress agreed to eventually set aside fifty league (unit)s of land towards the effort; in addition, forty acres in the new capital of Austin were reserved and designated "College Hill."In 1846, Texas was annexed into the United States. The state legislature passed the Act of 1858, which set aside $100,000 in United States Bond (finance) towards construction. In addition, the legislature designated land, previously reserved for the encouragement of railroad construction, toward the universities' fifty leagues. However, Texas's secession from the Union and the American Civil War prevented further action on these plans.

The passing of the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act in 1862 facilitated the creation of Texas A&M University, which was established in 1876 as the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas. Texas A&M University Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed 29 July 2006. The Texas Constitution mandated that the state establish a university "at an early day," calling for the creation of a "university of the first class," The University of Texas. It revoked the endowment of the railroad lands of the Act of 1858 but appropriated one million acres (4000 km²) in West Texas. In 1883, another two million were granted, with income from the sale of land and grazing rights going to The University of Texas and Texas A&M. in 1931. UT Austin Tower information guide

In 1881, Austin was chosen as the site of the main university, and Galveston was designated the location of the medical department. On the original "College Hill," an official ceremony began construction on what is now referred to as the old Main Building in late 1882. The university opened its doors on September 15, 1883.

The old Victorian architecture-Gothic Revival architecture Main Building of The University of Texas at Austin served as the central point of the campus's forty acre site, and was used for nearly all purposes. However, by the 1930s, discussions rose about the need for new library space, and the Main Building was razed in 1934 over the objections of many students and faculty. The modern-day tower and Main Building were constructed in its place.

Constitutional restrictions against funding building construction hampered expansion. However, the funds generated by petroleum discovered on university-owned grounds in 1923 were put towards its general endowment fund. This extra revenue allowed the university to pay down its debt, and pass bond in 1931 and 1947, funding the necessary expansion after the enrollment spike following World War II. The university built 19 permanent structures between 1950 and 1965, when it was given the right of eminent domain. With this power, the university purchased additional properties surrounding the original forty acres.

On August 1 1966, Charles Whitman, a former United States Marine Corps and architectural engineering major at the university, barricaded himself on the observation deck of the tower of the Main Building with a Remington 700 6mm rifle and various other weapons. In the ensuing 96-minute stand-off, Whitman killed 14 people and wounded an additional 31 before himself being killed by police who stormed the observation tower. Later, the observation deck was closed until 1968 and closed again in 1975 following a series of suicide jumps. In 1998, after the installation of security and safety measures, the observation deck reopened to the public. Tower Tours Schedule Fall 2005 The Texas Union. Accessed 1 December 2005.

Campus adjacent to the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs on the UT Austin campus.

Today, the university encompasses about 350 acres (1.4 km²) on its main campus adjacent to downtown Austin and about 850 acres (3.4 km²) overall, including the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in north Austin and other properties in Austin and throughout Texas.

One of the university's most visible features is the Beaux-Arts architecture Main Building of The University of Texas at Austin, including a 307-foot tower designed by Paul Philippe Cret. The Main Building The University of Texas. Accessed 1 December 2005. Completed in 1937, the Main Building is located in the middle of campus. The tower usually appears illuminated in white light in the evening but is lit orange for various special occasions, including athletic victories and academic accomplishments, such as commencement. The tower is darkened for solemn occasions. University approves new policy for lighting UT Tower On Campus. Accessed 1 December 2005. At the top of the tower is a carillon of 56 bells, the largest in Texas. Songs are played on weekdays by resident carillonneur Tom Anderson, in addition to the usual pealing of Westminster Quarters every quarter hour between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The university is home to seven museums and seventeen libraries, which hold over eight million volumes. Statistical Overview of the Library Collections The University of Texas Libraries. Accessed 1 December 2005. The holdings of the university's Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center include one of only twenty-one remaining complete copies of the Gutenberg Bible worldwide and the world's earliest-known photograph: View from the Window at Le Gras taken by Nicéphore Niépce. The Gutenberg Bible at the Ransom Center Harry Ransom Center. Accessed 1 December 2005. On April 29, 2006, the Blanton Museum of Art opened. The 155,000 square foot (14,000 m²) museum hosts approximately 17,000 works from Europe, the United States, and Latin America.

The university also contains an extensive underground tunnel system that links many of the buildings. The Secret Tunnels Under UT Better Than Your Boyfriend. The tunnel system is closed to the public and is guarded by burglar alarm. The tunnels are used for communications and utility service. is among the top ranked schools of business in the country.The university operates a 1.1 megawatt Nuclear reactor technology at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. The university's first reactor went critical, at Taylor Hall on the main campus, in August 1963 at 10 kW using fuel loaned from the federal government of the United States. This reactor was upgraded to 250 kW in 1968.> Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program. Accessed 10 February 2006. In the late 1980s, the university began work on the reactor for the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab at the Pickle Campus. This reactor went critical in 1992, despite local news reports on its safety.Collier, Bill. UT reactor draws safety questions. Austin American-Statesman. December 15, 1989.

The university continues to expand its facilities on campus. In February 2006, the Board of Regents voted to update and expand the football stadium. On March 2, 2006, the student body passed a referendum to build a new Student Activities Center next to Gregory Gym on the east side of campus, pending final approval by the Board of Regents. According to The Daily Texan, the project is estimated to cost $51 million and is set to open between fall 2010 and fall 2012. Funding will primarily come from students, raising tuition by a maximum of $65 per semester.Terrell, Abby. Student Activities Center referendum approved The Daily Texan March 2, 2006. Accessed March 2, 2006.

The university operates a public radio station, KUT, which provides local FM broadcasting as well as live streaming audio over the Internet. The university uses Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority to provide bus transportation for students around the campus and throughout Austin.

Academic profile

The university contains sixteen colleges and academic units, each listed with its founding date: Colleges and Academic Units The University of Texas. Accessed 1 December 2005.

More than 100 undergraduate and 170 graduate degree plans are offered. In the 2003-2004 academic year, the university awarded a total of 13,065 degrees. Bachelor's degrees comprised 68.6% of this total, master's degrees 21.7%, Doctorates 5.2%, and other professional degrees 4.5%. Statistical Handbook 2003-2004, General Analysis - Students The University of Texas Office of Institutional Research. Accessed 1 December 2005.

UT has numerous undergraduate honors programs, such as Dean's Scholars,Turing Scholars, Business Honors, Plan II, and Liberal Arts Honors that attract students from around the state, the nation, and even the world.

Rankings from Main Mall south of the Main Building of The University of Texas at Austin.

U.S. News & World Report consistently college and university rankings Texas as the best public university in the state of Texas. In its 2008 rankings, Texas places forty-fourth among all national universities and twelfth among public universities in the U.S. America's Best Colleges 2008 US News and World Report. Accessed August 19, 2007. U.S. News & World Report also lists UT Austin's School of Engineering among the top ten in six different fields, with an overall rank of eleven. America's Best Graduate Schools 2008: Top Engineering Schools US News and World Report. Accessed August 20 2007.

A 2005 report by USA Today ranked UT Austin "the number one source of new Fortune 1000 CEOs". A Bloomberg L.P. survey also ranked UT Austin's McCombs school fifth among all business schools and first among public business schools with the most number of alumni among the S&P 500 CEOs.http://www.utexas.edu/opa/news/2005/04/business13.html

The "Top Research Universities" list in the 2005 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index of The Chronicle of Higher Education lists UT Austin among the top ten in sixteen of the 104 individual disciplines that were evaluated as part of the study. http://chronicle.com/stats/productivity/page.php?institution=26&byinst=Go

In a 2005 report on the innovativeness of universities worldwide conducted by the Research Center for Innovation and Development of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, The University of Texas at Austin ranked fourth among 200 institutions around the world, behind Harvard University, Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.http://www.utexas.edu/welcome/rankings.html

In its first World University Ranking in 2004, The Times Higher Education Supplement listed Texas as the fifteenth-best university worldwide. The same study ranked the university twenty-sixth worldwide in 2005 and thirty-second in 2006. Britain wins eight places in world list of 50 best universities Accessed January 22, 2007 UT Austin wins 15th place in world list of 200 best universities Accessed May 8, 2007 Additionally, Texas was ranked as the thirtieth-best university in the country and 39th-best in the world by the Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Academic Ranking of World Universities 2006, retrieved January 5, 2007

In 2007, The Washington Monthly, using a ranking system which stresses social factors the magazine considers important (such as how well it performs as an engine of social mobility, how well it does in fostering scientific and humanistic research, and how well it promotes an ethic of service to country) ranked UT Austin nineteenth among national American universities, higher than prestigious Ivy League universities such as Princeton and Harvard, and second in the state only to first-ranked Texas A&M University.

UT Austin does not have a medical school, but has associated programs with other campuses and allied health professional programs on campus. The UT Austin College of Pharmacy, for example, is ranked second in the United States.{{cite news ] |format = HTML |publisher = U.S. News & World Report |language = English -->

Other overall rankings include:http://www.utexas.edu/welcome/rankings.html

at The McDonald Observatory is the third largest telescope in the world.

Faculty and research As of 2004, the university employed 2,271 faculty members. Approximately 51.1% were tenured, while an additional 17.8% were tenure track. The university's faculty includes winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Science, the National Medal of Technology, and numerous other awards. Over 1,000 faculty positions are endowed by private funds. Since 1984, more than forty $1 million-endowed chairs have been created at The University of Texas to recruit distinguished faculty and facilitate research in the sciences and engineering.

The university exceeds $446 million in annual research fundinghttp://www.utsystem.edu/news/fastfacts.html, and its facilities house more than 90 research units. UT has earned more than 400 patents since its founding. In 2005, Texas secured $417 million in awards and grants, a new university record. In addition, Texas earned $5 million in licensing revenue and capped a six-year funding increase of 48%. The university has also reached out to establish partnerships with other facilities, including University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center of NASA, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the International Center for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials. Report on Research 2005 The University of Texas Office of the VP for Research. Accessed December 2, 2005.

In addition to research in traditional fields, scientists are pushing forward in several new, interdisciplinary areas, including nanotechnology and materials engineering for next-generation semiconductors. In addition, Texas is advancing high performance computing through the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), which supports over 600 projects in the natural sciences, engineering, and business., 1655, located at UT Austin's Blanton Museum of Art, the largest university art museum in the country.http://www.utexas.edu/welcome/rankings.htmlThe university's library system ranks sixth among academic libraries in the nation with 7.5 million volumes. Nation's Largest Libraries by Volumes Held LibrarySpot. Accessed December 23, 2005. The main campus library is the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Endowment The university receives income from an endowment known as the Permanent University Fund (PUF), with $11.6 billion (List of U.S. colleges and universities by endowment-largest in the United States) in assets as of November 2005, of which 30 percent is dedicated to the university.As required by the Texas Constitution, the UT System gets two-thirds of the Available University Fund, the annual distribution of PUF income. A regental policy requires that at least 45 percent of this money go to UT Austin for "program enrichment." By taking two-thirds and multiplying it by 45 percent, we get 30 percent which is the minimum amount of AUF income that can be distributed to UT Austin under current policies. The Regents, however, can and do decide to allocate additional amounts to UT Austin. Also, the majority of the UT System share of the AUF is used for debt service of UT System Bond (finance), some of which were issued for the benefit of UT Austin. One should note that the Regents are free to change the 45 percent minimum of the UT System share going to UT Austin at any time, although doing so might be difficult politically. Proceeds from lands appropriated in 1839 and 1876, as well as oil monies, comprise the majority of this fund. At one time, the PUF was the chief source of income for Texas's two university systems, The University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System; today, however, its revenues account for less than 10 percent of the universities' annual budgets. This has challenged the universities to increase sponsored research and private donations. Privately funded endowments contribute over $2 billion to the University's total endowment value.

Student life The university enrolls 37,377 undergraduate, 11,533 graduate and 1,467 law students. The student population includes students from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries, most notably, South Korea, followed by India, the People's Republic of China, Mexico and the Republic of China, are represented. 2004-2005 Statistical Handbook, Degrees Conferred The University of Texas Office of Institutional Research. Accessed 1 December 2005. The average SAT score for entering Fall 2004 First year was a 1230 out of 1600.

Housing The campus is currently home to fourteen residence halls, the last of which opened for residence in Spring 2007. On-campus housing can hold more than 7,100 students. Residence Hall Master Plan The University of Texas Division of Housing and Food. Accessed February 5, 2007. Jester Center is the largest residence hall with its capacity of 2,945. Residence Halls at a Glance The University of Texas Division of Housing and Food. Accessed December 2, 2005. Academic enrollment exceeds the capacity of on-campus housing; as a result, most students must live in private residence halls, housing cooperatives, apartments, or with fraternities and sororitiess and other off-campus residences. The Division of Housing and Food Service, which already has the largest market share of 7,000 of the estimated 27,000 beds in the campus area, plans to expand to 9,000 beds in the near future.

Student organizations The university recognizes more than 1,000 student organizations. About Student Activities and Leadership Development The University of Texas Office of the Dean of Students. Accessed December 2, 2005. In addition, it supports three official student governance organizations that represent student interests to faculty, administrators, and the Texas Legislature. Student Government represents student interests in general, the Senate of College Councils represents students in academic affairs and coordinates the college councils, and the Graduate Student Assembly represents graduate student interests. The Texas Union Student Events Center serves as the hub for student activities on campus.

Greek organizations The Office of the Dean of Students' Greek Life and Education section administers more than 50 Greek organizations, and about 9% of men and 12% of women in the undergraduate class choose to join one of these groups.{{cite web|url=http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/gle/comm.php|title=Greek communities|author=The University of Texas Office of the Dean of Students|accessdate=2005-12-02--> Other registered student organizations also name themselves with Greek letters. hand gesture at a Texas Longhorns football game.

School spirit

Student media |url = http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/catalogs/gicurrent/ch5/ch5g.html|title = Student Publications|accessdate = 2007-08-05|work = University of Texas at Austin-->

Other student-run publications include:

Athletics in orange after the 2005 Texas Longhorn football team won the 2005 National Championship in football at the Rose Bowl. Littlefield Fountain is in the foreground.

The University of Texas offers a wide variety of varsity and intramural sports programs. Due to the breadth of sports offered and the quality of the programs, Texas was selected as "America's Best Sports College" in a 2002 analysis performed by Sports Illustrated. America's Best Sports Colleges Sports Illustrated. October 7, 2002. Texas was also listed as the number one Collegiate Licensing Company client for the second consecutive year in regards to the amount of annual Royalties#Trademark royalties received from the sales of its fan merchandise. However this ranking is based only on clients of the Collegiate Licensing Company which does not handle licensing for approximately three dozen large schools such as Ohio State, Southern California, UCLA, Michigan State and Texas A&M.

Varsity sports The university's men's and women's athletics teams are nicknamed the Longhorns. A charter member of the Southwest Conference until its dissolution in 1996, Texas now competes in the Big 12 Conference (South Division) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. Texas has won 47 total national championships Texas Longhorns Championships History: National Champions TexasSports.com. March 20, 2007, 39 of which are NCAA national championships. Schools with the Most National Championships NCAA.org. Autumn 2006

The University of Texas has traditionally been considered a college football powerhouse. The team experienced its greatest success under coach Darrell Royal, winning three national championships in 1963, 1969, 1970, and winning a fourth title under head coach Mack Brown in 2005 after the 41-38 victory over previously undefeated University of Southern California in the 2006 Rose Bowl Game.

In recent years, the men's college basketball team has gained prominence, advancing to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Sweet Sixteen in 2002, the Final Four in 2003, the Sweet Sixteen in 2004, and the Elite Eight in 2006.

The university's college baseball team is considered one of the best in the nation with more trips to the College World Series than any other school, with wins in 1949, 1950, 1970, 1983, 2002 and 2005.

Additionally, the university's highly successful men's and women's swimming and diving teams lay claim to sixteen NCAA Division I titles. In particular, the men's team is under the leadership of Eddie Reese, who served as the head men's coach at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, and the 2004 Games in Athens..

Rivalries The university's major rival in almost every sport is generally considered to be Texas A&M Athletics. Sports Illustrated's 50th Anniversary: Texas Sports Illustrated poll (conducted by Harris Interactive) shows 56% of respondents picked Texas vs Texas A&M as the biggest rivalry, followed by Texas vs Oklahoma at 15%, and the Cowboys vs Texans at 7%. The two schools have acknowledged the importance of this rivalry by creating the State Farm Lone Star Showdown series, which encompasses all sports where both schools field a varsity team. The football game played between the two schools is the third longest-running rivalry in the nation and is the longest-running rivalry for both schools. The game used to be played on Thanksgiving day but in recent years has been played on the day following Thanksgiving (United States). Both schools traditionally hold a rally each year before the football game — Texas hosts the Hex Rally, and students at Texas A&M host the Aggie Bonfire#Revival (although it is no longer an officially sanctioned Texas A&M event).

Many fans and observers, however, argue that the Longhorns' biggest rival in football is the University of Oklahoma. The Season Total Jibbly. November 22, 2005. The football game between Texas and Oklahoma is known as the Red River Shootout and is held annually in Dallas, Texas at the Cotton Bowl (stadium). In recent years, this rivalry has been particularly spirited, in part due to the fact that at least one school had been ranked in the top five nationally at the time of the game (from 2000-05).

Many other schools, such as University of Arkansas and Texas Tech Red Raiders, also consider Texas among their biggest rivals. Texas Longhorns/Texas Tech Raiders Preview Saturday, October 28, 2006 Yahoo! Sports. October 28, 2006.Halliburton, Suzanne. "Red River Rivalry - Texas 45, Oklahoma 12." Austin American-Statesman. October 9, 2005.Berlin, Stephanie. Razorback country still has disdain for a Texas team focused on others The Daily Texan. September 10, 2004.

Facilities Major sporting facilities and their main use include:

In addition, the university has numerous practice, training, and intramural facilities.

Notable people The university has a base of more than 450,000 living alumni. With strong academic programs in the sciences, arts, media, business, law, engineering, and public policy, as well as a successful athletics program, The University of Texas has seen many now notable persons pass through its halls.

See also

References External links

{{Infobox_University|name = The University of Texas at Austin|image_name = UT_Austin_seal.png|motto = Disciplina praesidium civitatis (Latin: Education, the Guardian of Society)]|type = Flagship#University campuses State university system (United States)|calendar = Semester|president = William C. Powers|provost = Steven W. Leslie|city = Austin, Texas|state = Texas|undergrad = 36,878|postgrad = 12,818|faculty = 2,500|staff = 14,000|alumni = 450,000 Campus Profile The University of Texas. Accessed [1 December 2005.]: graduate (2), attendee or researcher (3), faculty before or at the time of award (2), invited faculty after award (2)|endowment = United States dollar5.54 1000000000 (number) As of 31 August 2005, according to a calculation by the UT Austin Budget Office], 350 acres (1.4 km²)|nickname = Texas Longhorns|colors = [Orange (colour)#Burnt orange and white The University of Texas Style Guidelines - signed by UT president Larry Faulkner. Accessed 27 February 2006.
]. It is the flagship#University campuses institution of University of Texas System. The main campus is located less than a mile from the Texas State Capitol in Austin. According to The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities (2001) by Howard and Matthew Greene, The University of Texas at Austin is one of America's "Public Ivy" institutions of higher education, defined by the authors as a public institution that "provides an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public school price." Founded in 1883, the university has had List of largest United States universities by enrollment single-campus enrollment in the nation as of fall 2006 (and had the largest enrollment in the country from 1997–2003), with nearly 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and 16,500 faculty and staff. It currently holds the largest enrollment of all colleges in the state of Texas.

The university also operates various auxiliary facilities aside from the main campus, most notably the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. Texas is a major center for academic research, annually exceeding $380 million in funding. In addition, the university's athletic programs were recognized by Sports Illustrated, which dubbed UT "America's Best Sports College" in 2002.

History The first mention of a public university in Texas can be traced to the 1827 constitution for the Mexico state of Coahuila y Tejas. Although an article promised to establish public education in the arts and sciences, no action was ever taken by the Mexican government. After Texas obtained its independence from Mexico in 1836, the Congress of Texas adopted the Constitution of the Republic of Texas, which included a provision to establish public education in Republic of Texas, including two universities or colleges. On January 26, 1839, Congress agreed to eventually set aside fifty league (unit)s of land towards the effort; in addition, forty acres in the new capital of Austin were reserved and designated "College Hill."In 1846, Texas was annexed into the United States. The state legislature passed the Act of 1858, which set aside $100,000 in United States Bond (finance) towards construction. In addition, the legislature designated land, previously reserved for the encouragement of railroad construction, toward the universities' fifty leagues. However, Texas's secession from the Union and the American Civil War prevented further action on these plans.

The passing of the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act in 1862 facilitated the creation of Texas A&M University, which was established in 1876 as the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas. Texas A&M University Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed 29 July 2006. The Texas Constitution mandated that the state establish a university "at an early day," calling for the creation of a "university of the first class," The University of Texas. It revoked the endowment of the railroad lands of the Act of 1858 but appropriated one million acres (4000 km²) in West Texas. In 1883, another two million were granted, with income from the sale of land and grazing rights going to The University of Texas and Texas A&M. in 1931. UT Austin Tower information guide

In 1881, Austin was chosen as the site of the main university, and Galveston was designated the location of the medical department. On the original "College Hill," an official ceremony began construction on what is now referred to as the old Main Building in late 1882. The university opened its doors on September 15, 1883.

The old Victorian architecture-Gothic Revival architecture Main Building of The University of Texas at Austin served as the central point of the campus's forty acre site, and was used for nearly all purposes. However, by the 1930s, discussions rose about the need for new library space, and the Main Building was razed in 1934 over the objections of many students and faculty. The modern-day tower and Main Building were constructed in its place.

Constitutional restrictions against funding building construction hampered expansion. However, the funds generated by petroleum discovered on university-owned grounds in 1923 were put towards its general endowment fund. This extra revenue allowed the university to pay down its debt, and pass bond in 1931 and 1947, funding the necessary expansion after the enrollment spike following World War II. The university built 19 permanent structures between 1950 and 1965, when it was given the right of eminent domain. With this power, the university purchased additional properties surrounding the original forty acres.

On August 1 1966, Charles Whitman, a former United States Marine Corps and architectural engineering major at the university, barricaded himself on the observation deck of the tower of the Main Building with a Remington 700 6mm rifle and various other weapons. In the ensuing 96-minute stand-off, Whitman killed 14 people and wounded an additional 31 before himself being killed by police who stormed the observation tower. Later, the observation deck was closed until 1968 and closed again in 1975 following a series of suicide jumps. In 1998, after the installation of security and safety measures, the observation deck reopened to the public. Tower Tours Schedule Fall 2005 The Texas Union. Accessed 1 December 2005.

Campus adjacent to the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs on the UT Austin campus.

Today, the university encompasses about 350 acres (1.4 km²) on its main campus adjacent to downtown Austin and about 850 acres (3.4 km²) overall, including the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in north Austin and other properties in Austin and throughout Texas.

One of the university's most visible features is the Beaux-Arts architecture Main Building of The University of Texas at Austin, including a 307-foot tower designed by Paul Philippe Cret. The Main Building The University of Texas. Accessed 1 December 2005. Completed in 1937, the Main Building is located in the middle of campus. The tower usually appears illuminated in white light in the evening but is lit orange for various special occasions, including athletic victories and academic accomplishments, such as commencement. The tower is darkened for solemn occasions. University approves new policy for lighting UT Tower On Campus. Accessed 1 December 2005. At the top of the tower is a carillon of 56 bells, the largest in Texas. Songs are played on weekdays by resident carillonneur Tom Anderson, in addition to the usual pealing of Westminster Quarters every quarter hour between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The university is home to seven museums and seventeen libraries, which hold over eight million volumes. Statistical Overview of the Library Collections The University of Texas Libraries. Accessed 1 December 2005. The holdings of the university's Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center include one of only twenty-one remaining complete copies of the Gutenberg Bible worldwide and the world's earliest-known photograph: View from the Window at Le Gras taken by Nicéphore Niépce. The Gutenberg Bible at the Ransom Center Harry Ransom Center. Accessed 1 December 2005. On April 29, 2006, the Blanton Museum of Art opened. The 155,000 square foot (14,000 m²) museum hosts approximately 17,000 works from Europe, the United States, and Latin America.

The university also contains an extensive underground tunnel system that links many of the buildings. The Secret Tunnels Under UT Better Than Your Boyfriend. The tunnel system is closed to the public and is guarded by burglar alarm. The tunnels are used for communications and utility service. is among the top ranked schools of business in the country.The university operates a 1.1 megawatt Nuclear reactor technology at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. The university's first reactor went critical, at Taylor Hall on the main campus, in August 1963 at 10 kW using fuel loaned from the federal government of the United States. This reactor was upgraded to 250 kW in 1968.> Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program. Accessed 10 February 2006. In the late 1980s, the university began work on the reactor for the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab at the Pickle Campus. This reactor went critical in 1992, despite local news reports on its safety.Collier, Bill. UT reactor draws safety questions. Austin American-Statesman. December 15, 1989.

The university continues to expand its facilities on campus. In February 2006, the Board of Regents voted to update and expand the football stadium. On March 2, 2006, the student body passed a referendum to build a new Student Activities Center next to Gregory Gym on the east side of campus, pending final approval by the Board of Regents. According to The Daily Texan, the project is estimated to cost $51 million and is set to open between fall 2010 and fall 2012. Funding will primarily come from students, raising tuition by a maximum of $65 per semester.Terrell, Abby. Student Activities Center referendum approved The Daily Texan March 2, 2006. Accessed March 2, 2006.

The university operates a public radio station, KUT, which provides local FM broadcasting as well as live streaming audio over the Internet. The university uses Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority to provide bus transportation for students around the campus and throughout Austin.

Academic profile

The university contains sixteen colleges and academic units, each listed with its founding date: Colleges and Academic Units The University of Texas. Accessed 1 December 2005.

More than 100 undergraduate and 170 graduate degree plans are offered. In the 2003-2004 academic year, the university awarded a total of 13,065 degrees. Bachelor's degrees comprised 68.6% of this total, master's degrees 21.7%, Doctorates 5.2%, and other professional degrees 4.5%. Statistical Handbook 2003-2004, General Analysis - Students The University of Texas Office of Institutional Research. Accessed 1 December 2005.

UT has numerous undergraduate honors programs, such as Dean's Scholars,Turing Scholars, Business Honors, Plan II, and Liberal Arts Honors that attract students from around the state, the nation, and even the world.

Rankings from Main Mall south of the Main Building of The University of Texas at Austin.

U.S. News & World Report consistently college and university rankings Texas as the best public university in the state of Texas. In its 2008 rankings, Texas places forty-fourth among all national universities and twelfth among public universities in the U.S. America's Best Colleges 2008 US News and World Report. Accessed August 19, 2007. U.S. News & World Report also lists UT Austin's School of Engineering among the top ten in six different fields, with an overall rank of eleven. America's Best Graduate Schools 2008: Top Engineering Schools US News and World Report. Accessed August 20 2007.

A 2005 report by USA Today ranked UT Austin "the number one source of new Fortune 1000 CEOs". A Bloomberg L.P. survey also ranked UT Austin's McCombs school fifth among all business schools and first among public business schools with the most number of alumni among the S&P 500 CEOs.http://www.utexas.edu/opa/news/2005/04/business13.html

The "Top Research Universities" list in the 2005 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index of The Chronicle of Higher Education lists UT Austin among the top ten in sixteen of the 104 individual disciplines that were evaluated as part of the study. http://chronicle.com/stats/productivity/page.php?institution=26&byinst=Go

In a 2005 report on the innovativeness of universities worldwide conducted by the Research Center for Innovation and Development of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, The University of Texas at Austin ranked fourth among 200 institutions around the world, behind Harvard University, Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.http://www.utexas.edu/welcome/rankings.html

In its first World University Ranking in 2004, The Times Higher Education Supplement listed Texas as the fifteenth-best university worldwide. The same study ranked the university twenty-sixth worldwide in 2005 and thirty-second in 2006. Britain wins eight places in world list of 50 best universities Accessed January 22, 2007 UT Austin wins 15th place in world list of 200 best universities Accessed May 8, 2007 Additionally, Texas was ranked as the thirtieth-best university in the country and 39th-best in the world by the Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Academic Ranking of World Universities 2006, retrieved January 5, 2007

In 2007, The Washington Monthly, using a ranking system which stresses social factors the magazine considers important (such as how well it performs as an engine of social mobility, how well it does in fostering scientific and humanistic research, and how well it promotes an ethic of service to country) ranked UT Austin nineteenth among national American universities, higher than prestigious Ivy League universities such as Princeton and Harvard, and second in the state only to first-ranked Texas A&M University.

UT Austin does not have a medical school, but has associated programs with other campuses and allied health professional programs on campus. The UT Austin College of Pharmacy, for example, is ranked second in the United States.{{cite news ] |format = HTML |publisher = U.S. News & World Report |language = English -->

Other overall rankings include:http://www.utexas.edu/welcome/rankings.html

at The McDonald Observatory is the third largest telescope in the world.

Faculty and research As of 2004, the university employed 2,271 faculty members. Approximately 51.1% were tenured, while an additional 17.8% were tenure track. The university's faculty includes winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Science, the National Medal of Technology, and numerous other awards. Over 1,000 faculty positions are endowed by private funds. Since 1984, more than forty $1 million-endowed chairs have been created at The University of Texas to recruit distinguished faculty and facilitate research in the sciences and engineering.

The university exceeds $446 million in annual research fundinghttp://www.utsystem.edu/news/fastfacts.html, and its facilities house more than 90 research units. UT has earned more than 400 patents since its founding. In 2005, Texas secured $417 million in awards and grants, a new university record. In addition, Texas earned $5 million in licensing revenue and capped a six-year funding increase of 48%. The university has also reached out to establish partnerships with other facilities, including University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center of NASA, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the International Center for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials. Report on Research 2005 The University of Texas Office of the VP for Research. Accessed December 2, 2005.

In addition to research in traditional fields, scientists are pushing forward in several new, interdisciplinary areas, including nanotechnology and materials engineering for next-generation semiconductors. In addition, Texas is advancing high performance computing through the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), which supports over 600 projects in the natural sciences, engineering, and business., 1655, located at UT Austin's Blanton Museum of Art, the largest university art museum in the country.http://www.utexas.edu/welcome/rankings.htmlThe university's library system ranks sixth among academic libraries in the nation with 7.5 million volumes. Nation's Largest Libraries by Volumes Held LibrarySpot. Accessed December 23, 2005. The main campus library is the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Endowment The university receives income from an endowment known as the Permanent University Fund (PUF), with $11.6 billion (List of U.S. colleges and universities by endowment-largest in the United States) in assets as of November 2005, of which 30 percent is dedicated to the university.As required by the Texas Constitution, the UT System gets two-thirds of the Available University Fund, the annual distribution of PUF income. A regental policy requires that at least 45 percent of this money go to UT Austin for "program enrichment." By taking two-thirds and multiplying it by 45 percent, we get 30 percent which is the minimum amount of AUF income that can be distributed to UT Austin under current policies. The Regents, however, can and do decide to allocate additional amounts to UT Austin. Also, the majority of the UT System share of the AUF is used for debt service of UT System Bond (finance), some of which were issued for the benefit of UT Austin. One should note that the Regents are free to change the 45 percent minimum of the UT System share going to UT Austin at any time, although doing so might be difficult politically. Proceeds from lands appropriated in 1839 and 1876, as well as oil monies, comprise the majority of this fund. At one time, the PUF was the chief source of income for Texas's two university systems, The University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System; today, however, its revenues account for less than 10 percent of the universities' annual budgets. This has challenged the universities to increase sponsored research and private donations. Privately funded endowments contribute over $2 billion to the University's total endowment value.

Student life The university enrolls 37,377 undergraduate, 11,533 graduate and 1,467 law students. The student population includes students from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries, most notably, South Korea, followed by India, the People's Republic of China, Mexico and the Republic of China, are represented. 2004-2005 Statistical Handbook, Degrees Conferred The University of Texas Office of Institutional Research. Accessed 1 December 2005. The average SAT score for entering Fall 2004 First year was a 1230 out of 1600.

Housing The campus is currently home to fourteen residence halls, the last of which opened for residence in Spring 2007. On-campus housing can hold more than 7,100 students. Residence Hall Master Plan The University of Texas Division of Housing and Food. Accessed February 5, 2007. Jester Center is the largest residence hall with its capacity of 2,945. Residence Halls at a Glance The University of Texas Division of Housing and Food. Accessed December 2, 2005. Academic enrollment exceeds the capacity of on-campus housing; as a result, most students must live in private residence halls, housing cooperatives, apartments, or with fraternities and sororitiess and other off-campus residences. The Division of Housing and Food Service, which already has the largest market share of 7,000 of the estimated 27,000 beds in the campus area, plans to expand to 9,000 beds in the near future.

Student organizations The university recognizes more than 1,000 student organizations. About Student Activities and Leadership Development The University of Texas Office of the Dean of Students. Accessed December 2, 2005. In addition, it supports three official student governance organizations that represent student interests to faculty, administrators, and the Texas Legislature. Student Government represents student interests in general, the Senate of College Councils represents students in academic affairs and coordinates the college councils, and the Graduate Student Assembly represents graduate student interests. The Texas Union Student Events Center serves as the hub for student activities on campus.

Greek organizations The Office of the Dean of Students' Greek Life and Education section administers more than 50 Greek organizations, and about 9% of men and 12% of women in the undergraduate class choose to join one of these groups.{{cite web|url=http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/gle/comm.php|title=Greek communities|author=The University of Texas Office of the Dean of Students|accessdate=2005-12-02--> Other registered student organizations also name themselves with Greek letters. hand gesture at a Texas Longhorns football game.

School spirit

Student media |url = http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/catalogs/gicurrent/ch5/ch5g.html|title = Student Publications|accessdate = 2007-08-05|work = University of Texas at Austin-->

Other student-run publications include:

Athletics in orange after the 2005 Texas Longhorn football team won the 2005 National Championship in football at the Rose Bowl. Littlefield Fountain is in the foreground.

The University of Texas offers a wide variety of varsity and intramural sports programs. Due to the breadth of sports offered and the quality of the programs, Texas was selected as "America's Best Sports College" in a 2002 analysis performed by Sports Illustrated. America's Best Sports Colleges Sports Illustrated. October 7, 2002. Texas was also listed as the number one Collegiate Licensing Company client for the second consecutive year in regards to the amount of annual Royalties#Trademark royalties received from the sales of its fan merchandise. However this ranking is based only on clients of the Collegiate Licensing Company which does not handle licensing for approximately three dozen large schools such as Ohio State, Southern California, UCLA, Michigan State and Texas A&M.

Varsity sports The university's men's and women's athletics teams are nicknamed the Longhorns. A charter member of the Southwest Conference until its dissolution in 1996, Texas now competes in the Big 12 Conference (South Division) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. Texas has won 47 total national championships Texas Longhorns Championships History: National Champions TexasSports.com. March 20, 2007, 39 of which are NCAA national championships. Schools with the Most National Championships NCAA.org. Autumn 2006

The University of Texas has traditionally been considered a college football powerhouse. The team experienced its greatest success under coach Darrell Royal, winning three national championships in 1963, 1969, 1970, and winning a fourth title under head coach Mack Brown in 2005 after the 41-38 victory over previously undefeated University of Southern California in the 2006 Rose Bowl Game.

In recent years, the men's college basketball team has gained prominence, advancing to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Sweet Sixteen in 2002, the Final Four in 2003, the Sweet Sixteen in 2004, and the Elite Eight in 2006.

The university's college baseball team is considered one of the best in the nation with more trips to the College World Series than any other school, with wins in 1949, 1950, 1970, 1983, 2002 and 2005.

Additionally, the university's highly successful men's and women's swimming and diving teams lay claim to sixteen NCAA Division I titles. In particular, the men's team is under the leadership of Eddie Reese, who served as the head men's coach at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, and the 2004 Games in Athens..

Rivalries The university's major rival in almost every sport is generally considered to be Texas A&M Athletics. Sports Illustrated's 50th Anniversary: Texas Sports Illustrated poll (conducted by Harris Interactive) shows 56% of respondents picked Texas vs Texas A&M as the biggest rivalry, followed by Texas vs Oklahoma at 15%, and the Cowboys vs Texans at 7%. The two schools have acknowledged the importance of this rivalry by creating the State Farm Lone Star Showdown series, which encompasses all sports where both schools field a varsity team. The football game played between the two schools is the third longest-running rivalry in the nation and is the longest-running rivalry for both schools. The game used to be played on Thanksgiving day but in recent years has been played on the day following Thanksgiving (United States). Both schools traditionally hold a rally each year before the football game — Texas hosts the Hex Rally, and students at Texas A&M host the Aggie Bonfire#Revival (although it is no longer an officially sanctioned Texas A&M event).

Many fans and observers, however, argue that the Longhorns' biggest rival in football is the University of Oklahoma. The Season Total Jibbly. November 22, 2005. The football game between Texas and Oklahoma is known as the Red River Shootout and is held annually in Dallas, Texas at the Cotton Bowl (stadium). In recent years, this rivalry has been particularly spirited, in part due to the fact that at least one school had been ranked in the top five nationally at the time of the game (from 2000-05).

Many other schools, such as University of Arkansas and Texas Tech Red Raiders, also consider Texas among their biggest rivals. Texas Longhorns/Texas Tech Raiders Preview Saturday, October 28, 2006 Yahoo! Sports. October 28, 2006.Halliburton, Suzanne. "Red River Rivalry - Texas 45, Oklahoma 12." Austin American-Statesman. October 9, 2005.Berlin, Stephanie. Razorback country still has disdain for a Texas team focused on others The Daily Texan. September 10, 2004.

Facilities Major sporting facilities and their main use include:

In addition, the university has numerous practice, training, and intramural facilities.

Notable people The university has a base of more than 450,000 living alumni. With strong academic programs in the sciences, arts, media, business, law, engineering, and public policy, as well as a successful athletics program, The University of Texas has seen many now notable persons pass through its halls.

See also

References External links



The University of Texas at Austin - Web Central
A comprehensive university with a broad mission of undergraduate and graduate education, research, and service to society. Enrollment of over 48,000.

University Of Texas

University of Texas Libraries
Research affiliations: Association of Research Libraries, Center for Research Libraries, Research Library Group.

The University of Texas at Tyler, UT Tyler
UT Tyler part of the University of Texas system in Tyler, Texas

The University of Texas at Arlington - UT Arlington - UTA
A comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution located in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. Offers baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees within nine ...

The University of Texas System - Nine Universities. Six Health ...
Official site: overview featuring administration, publication, campuses, programs.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
A component of The University of Texas System, the 60-acre school offers highest levels of patient care, health education, research, and student resources.

Tex's French Grammar
Tex's French Grammar is the integral grammar component of Français Interactif, an online French course from the University of Texas at Austin. Français Interactif includes ...

UTSA: University of Texas at San Antonio
A comprehensive, four-year public university serving the San Antonio metropolitan area, South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.

The University of Texas at El Paso Home
The Official Site of The University of Texas at El Paso. Located in El Paso Texas, UTEP is the nation's leading engineering and research institute for the Hispanic population.

 

University Of Texas



 
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