University of Dubuque
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| Established | 1852 |
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| Type | Private University |
| Endowment | Approximately $40 million ([1]) |
| President | Rev. Jeffrey Bullock |
| Staff | - |
| Students | 1,101 ([2]) |
| Location | Dubuque, Iowa, United States of America |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Royal Blue and White |
| Nickname | Spartans |
| Affiliations | Presbyterian Church, USA |
| Website | www.dbq.edu |
The University of Dubuque is a private, coeducational university located in Dubuque, Iowa It is referred to locally as UD. One of three post-secondary, four-year institutions in the city of Dubuque, the school is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. The current President of the University is the Rev. Jeffrey Bullock.
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[edit] Accreditation
The school is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the State of Iowa Department of Education, the Council on Aviation Accreditation, and the Association of Theological Schools in North America. [1]
[edit] Background
[edit] History
The institution currently known as the University of Dubuque was founded by the Rev. Adrian Van Vliet in 1852 to train ministers to serve the influx of immigrants to the upper midwest. Van Vliet believed the large number of immigrants - particularly German farmers and miners - would need ministers of the gospel for the communities they were establishing. He began by training two young men, conducting classes in his home. Although Van Vliet was Dutch, until 1896 all classes were conducted in German.
Initially the school was Van Vliet's independent endeavor. In 1864 the Presbytery of Dubuque assumed control of the insititution, and it became known as The German Theological School of The North West. In 1870 the Presbyterian Church of the United States took control of the school. In 1871, following the death of Van Vliet, Jacob Conzett was selected to lead the school. In 1872 the school moved to a brick building on the north side of 17th street, where it would remain for the next 35 years.
In 1901 Cornelius Martin Steffens came on board as financial secretary. He proved to be an outstanding fund raiser. He also helped the school expand its curriculum. A liberal arts college and academy were added to the school, and the first college degrees were granted in 1906. It was Steffens's idea to move the school to larger quarters. Property on the western edge of the city was acquired in 1905 for that purpose. Steffens served as school president from 1908 to 1924.
The school moved to its present location on University Avenue in 1907. The first buildings constructed at this new location were the Administration Building (1907, later renamed Steffens Hall), Severance Hall (1911), the University Bookstore (1912), McCormick Gymnasium (1915), Peters Commons (1916), and Van Vliet Hall (1926). All except Steffens Hall are still standing. Steffens Hall was demolished in 1980 and replaced with Blades Hall, but the some of its archways were preserved and can be seen today.
In 1911 the college became coeducational. In 1916 the school, known then as the Dubuque German College and Seminary, dropped the word "German" from its name, due in part to anti-German sentiment inflamed by the First World War, and became known as Dubuque College. However, presnt-day Loras College, located just down the street, also wanted to call itself Dubuque College. In the end, neither school kept that name. The Romam Catholic school took the name of Mathias Loras, first archbishop of Dubuque, while the Presbyterian school became the University of Dubuque.
The school has been involved in intercollegiate sports for many decades. The teams are called the Spartans, and the school colors are royal blue and white. There was a brief period, from 1925-28, when UD withdrew from intercollegiate sports and focused on intramural competition. This was done because University president Karl Wettstone was opposed to the commercialization of sports and the recruiting of athletes with offers of free tuition, room, and board. There also were concerns about the salaries some coaches had received, which were felt to be excessive compared to the compensation paid other department heads. Following the reinstatement of intercollegiate competition, UD joined the Iowa Conference (IIAC) in 1929.
The University of Dubuque is a member of NCAA Division III, and is part of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - which, in addition to the University of Dubuque, currently includes Buena Vista University, Coe College, Central College, Cornell College, Luther College, Loras College, Simpson College, and Wartburg College. Men's varsity sports include football, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, indoor and outdoor track, tennis, and wrestling. Women's varsity sports include basketball, soccer, golf, cross country, softball, volleyball, track, and tennis.
In the late 1990s the school underwent a major restructuring process which resulted in the elimination of 15 academic majors and the dismissal of many faculty members. The administration said the process—while painful—did improve the school's financial situation.
In the 1950s and '60s, during the administration of Dr. Gaylord Couchman, a number of buiding projects took place: the Seminary Library (1955), Smith Hall, a seminary residence (1956), Goldthorp Science Hall (1959), Aitchison Hall, a women's residence (1963), Ficke-Laird Library (1966), Cassat Hall, a men's residence (1966), and Donnell Hall, another men's residence (1967).
McCormick Gymnasium was expanded in 1967. Another large addition to it, named the Stoltz Sports Center, was made later. The original building was also renovated to include a new indoor swimming pool, racquetball courts, a hall of fame, and a multi-purpose area.
In recent years, the school has constructed a number of new buildings, including the Dunlap Technology Center, an major expansion of the library, and a significant addition to the Goldthorp Science Hall. The Dunlap Technology Center offers computer labs, classroom space, faculty offices, and a large auditorium. When the Ficke-Laird Library was remodeled and expanded, it was renamed the Charles C. Myers Library. The science hall addition and the Myers Teaching and Administrative Center are under construction at this writing (2006).
The University also has been busy building additional student housing on land adjacent to Dodge Street, the main east-west thoroughfare through the city. This property remained vacant for many years until these new dormitories and apartments were built.
Notable graduates of the University of Dubuque include Edward A. "Sol" Butler, a track star who set national and world records, competed in the 1920 Olympics, and was one of the first black players in the National Football League, and actor Tony Danza, a star of the TV sitcoms "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss?". Danza returns to visit the school from time to time.
[edit] Student Death and Underage Drinking
On September 24, 2006, eighteen year-old University of Dubuque freshman Shane Frederick fell from a window at an off campus residence. Frederick was attending an "underage drinking party" and fell out of a second floor window while attempting to elude police, whom just a few minutes before had "busted" the party. Frederick apparently slipped on an overhang and fell face first onto the concrete below. He was taken to a local Dubuque hospital before being transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa. At UIHC he underwent treatment for blunt head trauma and broken bones. Unfortunately, on Monday, October 2nd, Frederick passed away in Iowa City, just one day after his 19th birthday.
Students around UD have been mum about the subject, asked by the administrators not to talk to the media. The University held a private prayer vigil on the Tuesday after his death, mourning the loss of the young student.
In recent years, there have been many efforts to curb the amount of underage drinking present at the University of Dubuque. The UD is a dry campus, however, like many colleges and universities across the US, drinking is still common on and off campus. Fines have increased in recent years for drinking in the dorms, and the University is known to take administrative action against students for underage drinking tickets received off campus. Efforts have stepped up even more this year, as it has been announced that alcohol will be banned from all off-campus UD events, including Homecoming.
Students often complain of a lack of activities present in and around the city of Dubuque, and drinking sometimes appears as the only enjoyable activity. The city of Dubuque itself is fairly well known to many in the midwest to be a heavy drinking town, and according to some has "the largest per-capita bar ratio in the U.S." It has yet to have been proven, but is still an often passed around piece of information for students at any one of the three private colleges in Dubuque.
[edit] Recent Criticism
In 1999, the University informed 14 professors, 10 of whom held tenured positions, that they would lose their positions due to a financial crisis. A report by The American Association of University Professors raised concerns about this action, but the AAUP has not at this time censured the university.
A provision in all faculty contracts at the University specifies that if the employee should "release remarks" which are in any way critical of the University's operations, the employee may be terminated and compelled to repay all salary money to the University.
In 2003 the University received money to implement the Lester G. Wendt and Michael Lester Wendt Character Initiative, currently overseen by the Wendt Center for Character Education, which among other tasks encourages ethical character development of University students and integration of the same into the university curriculum. Also associated with the Wendt name was a Wendt University Professorship, granted in 2005 to Dr. Paul Jeffries, a professor of philosophy. As the Wendt professor, Dr. Jeffries was to oversee the initiative and "speak broadly" about it in the University and external community. A few months later, when he was issued a new contract granting him tenure, he objected that the contract's restriction on speech could interfere with his objectvity in speaking about ethics and character. The offer of tenure was immediately revoked and Dr. Jeffries was dismissed from the University, in an action that stirred considerable unrest amongst students and faculty. It is unknown whether the status "Wendt University Professor" is or will be used in the future at the University.
The University shows signs of vindictiveness towards its critics, including anyone attempting to disseminate information about this incident. A subpeona was issued to a former student once associated with a web blog with information about the Wendt Center and Dr. Jeffries, requesting that a long list of private communications be turned over to the University; the subpeona was quickly dismissed by a judge, but the editors of the site state that they considered it part of an attempt to harass them for providing public information about the Wendt Center issues.
[edit] Field of Dreams movie location
Along with other places in Dubuque County, the University was used as a shooting location for the motion picture Field of Dreams. The Seminary Library, Blades Hall, and Van Vliet Hall were used in a scene where Kevin Costner's character is researching Terrance Mann. The movie made it appear the library was located in Van Vliet Hall, which is incorrect. Van Vliet is currently an office building, although a new administration building is under construction. Also, the spot where Annie parked the family pickup truck was and still is in a "no parking" zone.
[edit] References
- ^ University of Dubuque: Education for a Changing World
[edit] External links
- The University of Dubuque Web Site
- Article on Dubuque's 1999-2000 Financial Crisis
- Site presenting information, including primary documents, on issues surrounding the Wendt Center.
- Information about the death of Shane Frederick
- Article about the fall of Shane Frederick
- Web site created by Shane Frederick's family
| Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
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| Buena Vista • Central (Iowa) • Coe • Cornell (Iowa) • Dubuque • Loras • Luther (Iowa) • Simpson • Wartburg |
