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University of Miami

Encyclopedia : U : UN : UNI : University of Miami

The University of Miami, sometimes called UM or The U, is a private university, founded in 1925, with its main campus in the city of Coral Gables in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States. UM is the second largest private employer in South Florida.

Contents

Overview

A view of Lake Osceola on the University of Miami campus, facing Eaton Residential College and the School of Architecture.
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A view of Lake Osceola on the University of Miami campus, facing Eaton Residential College and the School of Architecture.

The University of Miami has a total student body slightly in excess of 15,000. In 2005, the average weighted grade point average for students granted admission to the university was 4.0 and the median SAT score was 1258. Sixty-two percent of UM students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. UM's undergraduate tuition, as of the 2006-2007 academic school year, is $30,732 per year.

UM's campus spans 240 acres (1 km²) in Coral Gables. Several university satellite campuses are located off the primary campus, including the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (located on Virginia Key) and the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine (located at Jackson Memorial Hospital in the city of Miami).

The current president of UM is former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala. The school colors are orange, green and white, which represent the fruit, leaves, and blossoms of the orange tree.

UM is also home to the Iron Arrow Honor Society, a selective and prestigious student honor organization.

In 2004, UM's BankUnited Center (formerly the Convocation Center) was the site of the first nationally televised U.S. presidential debate of the 2004 U.S. Presidential election, featuring President George W. Bush and U.S. Senator John Kerry.

Academic rankings

U.S. News & World Report's annual academic ranking of U.S. colleges and universities for 2006 ranked the University of Miami the 55th best in the nation in its national universities category.

Also in 2006, BusinessWeek ranked UM's School of Business Administration the 44th best among all U.S. undergraduate business programs. In 2006 and again in 2007, the School of Business Administration also was ranked by the Wall Street Journal as the ninth best regional business school in the nation and the best full-time business program in the state of Florida.

U.S. News & World Report's 2007 ranking of law schools ranked the University of Miami School of Law 65th best among the nation's 180 accredited law schools.

For the third year in a row, the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute was ranked the best hospital in the country for ophthalmology in U.S. News and World Report's 2006 survey of “America’s Best Hospitals”[link].

Organization

The University of Miami's primary campus in Coral Gables houses eight schools and two colleges. The Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine has its own campus that is part of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center complex in downtown Miami. The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is located on Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay. Additionally, other academic programs, including bi-lingual Continuing Education classes, are offered at the Koubek Center in Miami's Little Havana.

Academic Units:

UM also has three graduate-level schools: In addition, there is a Department of Continuing and International Education.

Athletics

The distinctive 'Split-U' logo, the official logo of University of Miami athletic teams
The distinctive 'Split-U' logo, the official logo of University of Miami athletic teams

The university's sports teams are called the 'Miami Hurricanes' and compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Its traditional athletic rivals include the Florida State University Seminoles and the University of Florida Gators.

Team colors are green, orange, and white. The school mascot is 'Sebastian the Ibis'. The ibis was selected as the school's mascot because, according to university legend, it is the last animal to flee an approaching hurricane and the first to reappear after the storm, making it a symbol of leadership and courage.

The school's athletics logo is a simple green and orange letter "U." Nike is the official supplier of uniforms, apparel, and various athletic equipment to all University of Miami sports teams.

Sebastian the Ibis, the official mascot of the University of Miami
Sebastian the Ibis, the official mascot of the University of Miami


Football



UM has been particularly successful in football, where the Hurricanes have won five Division I national championships (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001).  UM won exactly half of the Division I national football championships between 1983 to 1991, with four national championships in eight years.  All five of UM's national championships have come since 1983, making it the most successful college football program of the past 25 years (Nebraska is second during that time span with three national championships).  UM has also produced two Heisman Trophy winners, Vinny Testaverde in 1986 and Gino Torretta in 1992.  The current head coach of the football team is Larry Coker.  The team plays its home games at the historic Miami Orange Bowl, located off-campus, in the city of Miami.


In addition to its success in football, UM has experienced national success with its baseball program.  Hurricane baseball teams have won four national championships (1982, 1985, 1999 and 2001) and are a mainstay at the College World Series, having reached the event 21 times in the 32 seasons since 1974.



Other sports





Alternate Ibis logo introduced in 2000

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Alternate Ibis logo introduced in 2000






The university fields 15 athletic teams, in accordance with Title IX equality requirements.  Men's teams compete in football, baseball, basketball, cross-country, diving, tennis, and track and field.  Women's teams compete in basketball, cross-country, diving, golf, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.



2006 custodial workers' strike



On February 26, 2006, University of Miami custodial workers, who are contracted to the university by a Boston, Massachusetts-based company, UNICCO, voted to strike, citing unfair labor practices, substandard pay, and lack of health benefits. The strike, which involved prominent political and labor leaders and gained national attention, began on the evening of February 28, 2006 and ended on May 1, 2006. 


A worker vote on unionization, taken in June 2006, led to the first official presence of the SEIU union in South Florida. The unionized UM workers and SEIU are currently engaged in unionization attempts at other South Florida-based universities and local shopping malls.



Points of interest



Notable alumni


Arts & Entertainment



Athletics



Business



Law



Politics



Television



External links


















 





From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
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