Utah Valley University

Infobox University | width = 100px
name = Utah Valley University


motto = "Success Starts Here"
established = 1941
type = Public
president = Dr. Elizabeth Hitch (Interim)
city = Orem
state = Utah
country = USA
undergrad = 23,750
postgrad =
postgrad_label =
faculty =
campus = Suburban
colors = Green & Gold (Yellow), with White trim
free_label = Mascot
free = Wolverine
website = [http://www.uvu.edu/ www.uvu.edu]

Utah Valley University or UVU, is a publicly-funded college located in Orem, Utah. Although Utah Valley has many courses of study, including an increasing number of bachelor's degree programs, it still retains many of its trade and technical school roots. The college currently offers 56 bachelor degrees and more than 270 career-preparation programs. The college’s Wasatch Campus in Heber City, Utah, also offers bachelor degrees in business management and secondary education as well as associate degrees in accounting, behavioral science, business management, elementary education and general education.

Most recently known as Utah Valley State College (UVSC), on July 1, 2008 the school attained university status and switched its name to Utah Valley University.

History

. At this time the school was known as the Central Utah Vocational School.

Growth brought many changes to the College. The name of the college changed several times to reflect its changing role. In 1963 the name was changed from Central Utah Vocational School to Utah Trade Technical Institute. In 1967 the name became Utah Technical College at Provo as the College was first given the authority to confer associate degrees. In 1977, it began moving to its present location beside I-15 in Orem. In 1987 it became Utah Valley Community College.

It wasn't until 1993 that it became Utah Valley State College and began awarding four-year degrees. The Utah legislature approved renaming it as a university in February 2007 (effective July 1, 2008), allowing it to begin offering master's degrees, although the school's emphasis would remain with its two-year and four-year degree programs.

UVU is the eighth fastest growing school in the country Fact|date=February 2007 and Utah's third largest academic institutionFact|date=September 2007. The college is Orem’s largest employerFact|date=July 2008 and the third largest employer in Utah CountyFact|date=July 2008 with more than 1,300 faculty and 3,540 part- and full-time staff.

Academics

Accreditation and admissions

UVU was accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Association of Schools in 1969, and has since been renewed in 1984, 1995, and 2005. Vocational accreditation was granted in 1976 and renewed in 1990, and 1995 by the Utah State Office of Vocational Education. In December 2006, the UVU School of Business received accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The college is currently seeking accreditation in connection with its university status.

In 2005, UVU (then UVSC) had students from all 50 states and 78 countriesFact|date=July 2008.

Rankings and awards

conference in Atlanta,Georgia UVU students were awarded with 12 top 10 finishes [citeweb|title=National Leadershp Conference Results|publisher=FBLA-PBL, Inc.|url=http://utah-fbla-pbl.org/pbl/about/news/2008-National-Leadership-Conference-Results/] .

According to the 2005 Utah Foundation Report, UVU bachelor degree graduates earn more money than graduates from any other Utah college or university, except Westminster CollegeFact|date=July 2008.

Campus

Digital Learning Center

In September 2006, the school began construction of a new Digital Learning Center that replaced the previous 35,000 square foot Losee Resource Center (library). The "DLC" is 180,000 square feet and is located northeast of the Liberal Arts building. It opened on July 1, 2008. UVU President William A. Sederburg hired Cooper, Roberts, Simonsen and Associates and Layton Construction as the design/build team for the new Digital Learning Center, with acclaimed New York architect Jacob Alspector as lead architect. “We chose the design we’re going with because it was an exceptional design that still kept a lot of the same features of our current campus. So it looks like it’s supposed to be there yet it stands out,” said Jim Michaelis, associate vice president of Facilities Planning. The $48 million project includes: networked computers, a computer lab, computer reference area, media center, 60+ study rooms, a map room, an electronic reserve, and wireless internet throughout the building.

Extracurricular Activities

The school mascot is the Wolverine, and the colors are green and gold.

The school competes in most major sports at various levels. The school's NCAA sports are Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Track and Field, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Golf, Baseball, Wrestling, Softball, Women's Soccer, and Women's Volleyball. The school also fields several club teams including Men's Ice Hockey (plays in the ACHA), Men's Soccer, Men's Volleyball, Men's Lacrosse, and Men's and Women's Rugby.

The Wolverines play their home basketball games in the 8,500 seat McKay Events Center. The Men's Basketball team finished the 2007-08 season with a 15-14 record which capped off its 25th winning season in a row. The McKay Center is also home to the Utah Flash of the NBA D-League.

The baseball team plays at the newly re-named Brent Brown Ballpark, a 2,500 seat facility (up to 3,000 additional fans can sit on a grass berm that wraps around third base and left field for a grand total of 5,500) that opened on March 25, 2005. Brent Brown Ballpark is also the home of the Orem Owlz, a minor-league affiliate of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, that competes in the Pioneer Baseball League.

The school's club hockey team, which competes in the ACHA Division 2, plays their home games at the Peaks Ice Arena a 2002 Winter Olympics Hockey Venue.

The athletic program is in the NCAA Division I. After many years of being an independent, the Wolverines will be affiliated with the Great West Conference when it begins its inaugural all-sports season in 2008-09. [http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700241969,00.html New Great West Conference]

The UVU Rodeo Team was ranked No. 1 in the nation by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association in March 2007. Daily Herald, http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/217127/

Alumni

*Ricky Allman - Internationally renowned painter
*Ronnie Price - basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the NBA
*Travis Hansen- former basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA
*Noelle Pikus Pace - World Cup Gold Medalist in Skeleton (tobogganing)
*Matthew S. Petersen - Chief Counsel to the United States Senate Rules Committee and nominated in May 2008 by President Bush to the Federal Election Commission [http://www.senate.gov/~bennett/press/record.cfm?id=298326]

References

"UVSC celebrates first 'unofficial' university grads"; Salt Lake Tribute,http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5767536

External links

* [http://wolverinegreen.cstv.com/ Official athletics website]
* [http://www.uvuhockey.com/ Hockey team's website]
* [http://www.utahcollegehousing.com/UVSC/&cat UtahCollegeHousing.com] UVSC Off-Campus housing database
* [http://www.uvscbiz.com/ UVSC DEX/PBL Official Website]
* [http://www.unitedbasketballconference.com/ United Basketball Conference]
* [http://www.utahsbr.edu/prospective_students/institutions/uvsc.htm Utah System of Higher Education]
* [http://www.anycollege.com/details.cfm?id=13574&page=feature UVSC Featured Article on AnyCollege.com]
* [http://www.netxnews.net/ The College Times website]
* [http://www.uvsc.edu/dnce/ballroom/index.html UVSC Ballroom Dance Company website]
* [http://www.uvsc.edu/ethics/index.html The Center for the Study of Ethics at UVSC]