University of the District of Columbia

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University of the District of Columbia

Red   Gold[3][4]
Nickname	Firebirds
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – ECC
Mascot	Felix the Firebird
Website	udc.edu

The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is a

The university operates a flagship campus at Van Ness in the Northwest quadrant of the city with several branch campuses across Washington, DC. Other campuses and sites include the Lamond-Riggs Campus, Congress Heights Campus, aviation facilities (Hangar #2) at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the UDC Firebird Farm Research Farm in Beltsville, Maryland.

History

University of the District of Columbia was consolidated in August 1, 1977 with the merge of Teachers College, Federal City College, and Washington Technical Institute.

Normal School for Colored Girls

Myrtilla Miner with six pupils founded the Normal School for Colored Girls against considerable racist opposition. On December 3, 1851, it started operations in a rented room about fourteen feet square, in a frame house then owned and occupied as a dwelling by African American Edward Younger. This was the first normal school in the District of Columbia and the fourth one in the United States.

The school trained young black women to become teachers. Among its benefactors were the

In 1873, Another institution for white girls was established in Washington D.C. in 1913 was named the Washington Normal School, and it was renamed the Wilson Normal School^[6]

District of Columbia Teachers College

In 1929, the

U.S. Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon and Representative Ancher Nelsen of Minnesota sponsored the District of District of Columbia School Reform Act, it was enacted on November 7, 1966, as (Public Law 89-791), which established two additional institutions: $7.24 million (~$52 million in 2023)

• The Federal City College was created as a four-year liberal arts college. It was originally planned to be a small, selective college of about 700 students. By the time the college opened in 1968, however, admission was open and applications had soared to 6000; students were placed by lottery.^[8]

• The Washington Technical Institute was established as a technical school.

Both institutions were also given

Efforts to unify the D.C. Teachers College, Federal City College, and Washington Technical Institute under a single administrative structure began in earnest after the passage of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. A merger of the institutions was approved in 1975, and on August 1, 1977, the three institutions were formally consolidated as the University of the District of Columbia, with Lisle C. Carter named its first president. The Council of the District of Columbia later passed legislation merging the District of Columbia School of Law with the University of the District of Columbia in 1996.

Beginning with the 2009–2010 academic year, UDC's programs were split into two separate institutions under an umbrella "

In late 2012, the university reported that its average expenses of "$35,152 (~$46,126 in 2023) per full-time student] are 66 percent higher than expenses for comparable schools."[11] To cut costs, UDC underwent a reorganization and eliminated several degree programs.^[11]

In 2012 and 2013, the university eliminated 97 full-time equivalent positions including abolished positions, executive appointments, and vacant funded positions. In late December 2012, the Board of Trustees approved a change in the university's executive administration and appointed Rachel Petty to serve as interim COO. During the spring of 2013 James E. Lyons Sr. was hired as an interim President to lead the institution through strategic planning. Since July 1, 2015, president Ronald Mason has led the resurgence of the university by implementing its Equity Imperative.^[12] UDC expanded its footprint through campus expansions and community extensions across the District of Columbia. In 2021, the university was ranked 59th in U.S. News & World Report annual list of Top Performers on Social Mobility for Regional Universities North.^[13]

The university launched the District of Columbia's Institute of Politics Policy and History^[14] in 2019. In response to the 2020 racial justice uprisings, the university launched the Institute for the Study and Elimination of White Supremacy^[15]

Academics

UDC offers 81

• College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)
• College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability & Environmental Sciences (CAUSES)
• School of Business & Public Administration (SBPA)
• School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)
• David A. Clarke School of Law (formerly the Antioch School of Law)
• University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC)
• Division of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning

Faculty

Among UDC's faculty are Paul Cooke who taught English and directed several plays at the university for 22 years including serving as president

The UDC's adult education department had a collegial relationship with the University of Nairobi for several years, including faculty exchange and doctoral student sponsoring.

Ranking

UDC is ranked #133-#175 in Regional Universities North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022 rankings.^[22]

Campus

The flagship campus of UDC, known as the Van Ness campus, is in the

The Van Ness Campus opened in 1968 as the campus of the Washington Technical Institute, occupying buildings vacated by the National Bureau of Standards. Following the announcement of the UDC in 1975, work began on redeveloping the campus, with the construction of Buildings 32, 38, and 39 completed in 1976.^[24] Seven additional buildings opened in 1981 at the conclusion of a second phase of construction. The DCTC facilities at the old Wilson Teachers College building at 11th and Harvard Streets, NW and at the Franklin School were retired.

In January 2019, UDC leased property near its Van Ness campus as part of its project to improve its infrastructure.^[26]

Athletics

The University of the District of Columbia athletic teams are known as the UDC Firebirds. The university is a member of the

UDC has several Greek-lettered organizations including all nine of the National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations.

Student media

UDC publishes The Trilogy, a student-paper highlighting campus events and national and local news. The Flightpath yearbook focuses on graduating students and the years' activities.

Television

UDC

UDC Cable TV 98 supports teaching, research and public service with educational-access television and instructional programming. Cable TV 98 operates an audio and video recording service center, electronic field and studio production and a video training center for Public-access television production.^[29]

Cost and scholarships

The University of the District of Columbia is a public university receive funds from the Government of the District of Columbia and from the Federal government of the United States. Therefore students fees are lower than private universities in the area. DC residents fees are lower than students that live out of Washington D.C.^[30][31] Additionally to its low cost, DC Residents that apply to DC Futures Program, can Receive Up To $8,000 In Scholarships.^[32][33]

UDC Police Department

The UDC Police Department (UDCPD) is an operating element within the Office of Public Safety & Emergency Management (OPSEM). The UDCPD is tasked with providing full service policing for all UDC assets and stakeholders in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year. The department consists of commissioned Police Officers and non-sworn support staff. UDCPD officers have full authority to investigate crimes, respond to calls for service and effect arrests on any UDC property. OPSEM and the UDCPD are under the command of Marieo Foster who serves as the Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety.^[34]

Notable alumni

• Branislav Andjelić - Serbian Internet pioneer, economist and politician
• Chase Fraser - Professional lacrosse player
• Amadou Gallo - Vice President and managing director of NBA Africa and President of Basketball Africa League^[35]
• Denis Godwin Antoine - Ambassador of Grenada to the US and representative to the Organization of American States
• Johnny Grier - First African-American referee in the National Football League
• Euphemia Haynes - 1st African-American woman to gain a PhD in mathematics in 1943^[36]
• Kenneth Starr's probe of the Clinton
  administration
• Ruby Ruffin Hurley - Activist, Organizer, National NAACP official^{[37][circular reference]}
• NBA
  player
• Dolores Kendrick Washington - Poet Laureate of Washington, D.C.^[38]
• Roger Ramsammy - 7th President of the Hudson Valley Community College^[39]
• NFL
  security
• Floretta Dukes McKenzie - Superintendent of District of Columbia Public Schools
• Lyn McLain - Cofounder of the DC Youth Orchestra Program
• Aldon Lynn Nielsen - Poet
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Portia Shields - 1st female President of Albany State University^[40]
• Frank Ski - is an American DJ, journalist, philanthropist, radio personality and public forums host^[41]
• Abdul Thompson Conteh - Professional soccer player
• Brian Thompson - Designer of the United States $100 bill^[42]
• John Thompson - first African-American head coach to win a major collegiate championship in basketball when he led the Georgetown Hoyas to the NCAA Division I national championship in 1984^[43]
• Thelma Thompson - President of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
• Voice over
  actress
• Nadine Winter - 1st African-American woman elected to the Council of the District of Columbia
• Rasheim Wright - Jordanian basketball player
• Lennox Yearwood - President of the Hip Hop Caucus

See also

• List of colleges and universities in Washington, D.C.
• Normal School for Colored Girls
• Felix Grant

Wikimedia Commons has media related to University of the District of Columbia.

References