University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez

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Coordinates: 18°12′34″N, 67°8′30″W

University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Motto: Antes, Ahora y Siempre, Colegio! ("Before, Now and Forever, Colegio!")
Established: September 23, 1911
Type: Public
Endowment: US $200 million
Chancellor: Jorge I. Vélez Arocho
Faculty: 1,026
Staff: 1,336
Undergraduates: 11,079
Postgraduates: 1,069
Location: Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Campus: Urban, 300 acres/100 ha
Mascot: Tarzán (a bulldog)
Website: www.uprm.edu

The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM) —or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) in Spanish— is a state university located in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. UPRM is the second largest university campus of the University of Puerto Rico System, and the premier Engineering and Science institution of the Caribbean. UPRM has been accredited by the "Middle States Commission on Higher Education" (MSCHE) since 1946. Also, the Engineering undergraduate program is accredited by the "Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology" (ABET), the Nursing undergraduate program is accredited by the "National League of Nursing" (NLN) and the Chemistry Department is recognized by the "American Chemical Society" (ACS). The Business Administration Department is going through the process of the AACSB accreditation.

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[edit] History

The university was founded in 1911 as a land-grant university with the name of College of Agriculture.[1] The founding of the institution is credited to D.W. May, José de Diego and Carmelo Alemar. In 1912 the name of the institution was changed to the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts — Colegio de Agricultura y Artes Mecanicas (CAAM).

In 1918, an earthquake and a fire caused significant damage to the institution. The ruins of the entrance of one of the buildings, Degetau Hall -which not only withstood the earthquake, but proved to be almost indestructible after the rebuilt hall was torn down in the late 1940s- would later become the emblem of the institution. In 1988, the archway ruins (the portico) was moved, landcaped and turned into a monument.

In 1929, the LAI ("Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria") was created at the Mayagüez Campus. The LAI is an athletic organization, similar to the NCAA, created with the purpose of promoting and regulating sports activities. It originally consisted of a three event competition : basketball, baseball and track and field. Currently the competition consists of more than 25 sports.

UPRM's portico.
UPRM's portico.
UPRM Central Administration Building.
UPRM Central Administration Building.

In 1942, the campus was granted considerable autonomy thanks to university reforms in which the colleges of Agriculture, Engineering and Science were created.

In the 1950s the institution saw more programs added when the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Nuclear Center were established.

The Puerto Rican Legislative Assembly reorganized the University of Puerto Rico's system in 1966. This reorganization of the system lead to the controversial change of its name, University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez Campus, which is used in the present day as the official name of the institution.[1] Currently, the university is divided into four academic units; Agriculture, Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Business Administration. In the past few years, more women than men have been earning Engineering degrees at UPRM, a rare statistic in a field where women usually compose a small minority. For obvious reasons, the University of Puerto Rico of Mayagüez is the top Hispanic graduating University in the United States & Latin America.

The campus' rectory was located at the José de Diego building, the oldest standing edification within the campus, being built in 1911.[1] The building was inscripted in the National Historic Bulding Registry as a architectic patrimony.[1] In 1940, a clock tower was built into the main building.[1] In 1993, the building underwent a restoration process.[1]

The Puerto Rico Seismic Network, in charge of monitoring seismic activity for the Caribbean region, is also located on the campus.

To this day, as a matter pride, students and alumni alike still refer to the institution as El Colegio (The College) in reference to its former CAAM name. Such school spirit is evident still in sporting events with the student battle cry and motto of “¡Antes, Ahora y Siempre Colegio!” (“Before, Now and Forever, Colegio!”). The university is unique in Puerto Rico for creating a strong bond between students and the institution itself. Alumni proudly declare themselves "Colegiales" even decades after graduating the institution. Being a "Colegial" becomes part of a student's identity. Some students say that, given the shared challenges of academic life there, all alumni share a sense of belonging and trust. "Colegiales" are also deeply prized by employers in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and many parts of the United States.

[edit] Academics

The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez consists of four major faculties. These faculties are Agricultural Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration and Engineering.

The estimated enrollment is 12,146 students. In 2006 the institution had an acceptance rate of 62%.

[edit] Faculty of Agricultural Sciences

The Agricultural Sciences faculty originated with the creation of the Mayagüez campus in 1911.

The Agricultural Sciences faculty offers 11 undergraduate academic programs conducive to a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Sciences, a Pre-Veterinary program and 9 graduate programs conducive to a Master's Degree in Agricultural Sciences.

The following Bachelor's programs in Agricultural Sciences are offered:

  • Agronomy
  • Agribusiness
  • Agricultural Economy
  • Animal Sciences ("Industria Pecuaria")
  • Agricultural Mechanization
  • Crop Protection
  • General Agriculture
  • Horticulture
  • Agricultural Education
  • Agricultural Extension
  • Soils

The following Master in Sciences degree programs are offered:

  • Agronomy
  • Animal Sciences ("Industria Pecuaria")
  • Agricultural Economy
  • Crop Protection
  • Science and Technology of Foods
  • Horticulture
  • Agricultural Education
  • Agricultural Extension
  • Soils

[edit] Arts and Sciences Faculty

The Arts and Sciences faculty was founded in 1942 and currently consists of 13 departments.

The departments are the following:

  • Biology Department
  • Industrial Biotechnology Department
  • Industrial Microbiology Department
  • Marine Sciences Department
  • Economy Department
  • Physical Education Department
  • Nursing Department
  • Hispanical Studies Department
  • Physics Department
  • Humanities Department
  • Department of Social Sciences
  • English Department
  • Geology Department
  • Mathematics Department
  • Chemistry Department

[edit] Business Administration Faculty

Business Administration Logo
Business Administration Logo

The Departments of the Business Administration Faculty are the following:

  • Accounting Program
  • Finances Program
  • Human Resources Program
  • Industrial Management Program
  • Marketing Program
  • Computerized Information Systems Program
  • Office Administration Program

[edit] Engineering Faculty

The Engineering faculty was founded in 1942 and currently consists of seven departments. It has approximately 4,825 undergraduates students, 343 graduate students, 197 full time faculty members and 100 staff employees. Approximately 40% of undergraduate students and 32% of graduate students are women.

The six departments that comprise the engineering faculty are the following:

  • Chemical Engineering Department
  • Civil Engineering and Surveying Department
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
  • Engineering Science and Materials Department
  • Industrial Engineering Department
  • Mechanical Engineering Department

All of these departments offer degrees except the General Engineering Department which offers courses that provide the foundation for all engineers.

[edit] Athletics

The University's men and women sports team are called the Tarzans and the Janes, respectively. The Mayagüez campus is a member of the LAI ("Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria"). It is the only university that participates in all sports sponsored by the LAI. It currently participates in 16 men's sports and 12 women's sports with a total of 373 athletes.

Since the 1st of September of 2003 the Mayagüez campus also competes as an independent university in the NCAA's Division II. It participates in men's basketball, baseball, cross country running, soccer, swimming, tennis, track (outdoor), volleyball and sport wrestling and in women's basketball, cross country running, swimming and tennis.

[edit] Greek life

The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez has a number of fraternities and sororities. Until the early nineties most of the established fraternities owned a house in a nearby "Bosque" Street, yet a law was passed in Puerto Rico that no fraternity houses may be in residential areas. Now only Alpha Beta Chi and Phi Sigma Alpha have houses yet no brothers live in them.

Social Societies:

Fraternities

  • Phi Eta Mu *
  • Phi Sigma Alpha *
  • Nu Sigma Beta *
  • Alpha Beta Chi *
  • Phi Delta Gamma *
  • Phi Epsilon Chi
  • Phi Zeta Chi
  • Zeta Phi Beta
  • Alpha Omicron Sigma
  • Phi Delta Sigma
  • Sigma Phi Chi
  • Lambda Phi Sigma
  • Rho Omicron Rho

Sororities

  • Mu Alpha Phi *
  • Eta Gamma Delta *
  • Zeta Phi Sigma
  • Eta Phi Zeta
  • Phi Lambda Omega
  • Sigma Delta Nu
  • Gamma Chi Sigma
*) Member of Concilio Interfraternitario de Puerto Rico (Inter-Fraternity Council of Puerto Rico)

Greek Lettered Service, Professional and/or Honor Societies:

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Mónica Hechevarría (2008-02-24). "Huellas", El más viejo del RUM. Puerto Rico: El Nuevo Día, 58. 
  1. UPRM. Undergraduate Academic Catalogue. Mayagüez, Puerto Rico: University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.

[edit] External links


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