University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky, also referred to as UK, is a public, co-educational university located in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865, the university is the largest in the Commonwealth by enrollment, with 27,209 students.

History
John Bowman founded the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, a publicly chartered department of Kentucky University, after receiving federal support through the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act in 1865. The first degree of the land-grant university was awarded in 1869, and James Kennedy Patterson became the first president of the university in that same year. In 1878, A&M separated from Kentucky University, which is now Transylvania University. For the new school, the city of Lexington donated a 52 acre (210,000 m²) park and fair ground, which became the core of UK's present campus. The modern campus covers 784 acres (3.17 km²).

The college was initially for men only, but women were admitted beginning in 1880. The first female degree recipient was Belle Gunn in 1888. The school's first women's dormitory, Patterson Hall, constructed in 1904, was the first building constructed apart from the main campus; residents had to cross a swamp, where the Student Center now resides, to reach central campus. Today, Patterson Hall is the oldest still-existing university dormitory on campus. The school's name was changed to State University, Lexington, Kentucky in 1908, then to the University of Kentucky in 1916. In 1910, the university's Agricultural Extension Service was founded and was one of the first in the United States; it became a model for the federally mandated programs that were required beginning in 1914. In 1918, the university's three engineering schools were consolidated into one. The Department of Education became the College of Education in 1923, followed by the founding of the College of Commerce, today's Gatton College of Business and Economics, in 1925. Four years later, the university awarded its first doctoral degree.

The University of Kentucky became racially integrated in 1949 when Lyman T. Johnson, an African American, won a lawsuit to be admitted to the graduate program. Undergraduate classes desegregated in 1954.

Ground was broken for the Albert B. Chandler Hospital in 1955, when Governor of Kentucky A. B. "Happy" Chandler recommended that the Kentucky General Assembly appropriate $5 million for the creation of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and a medical center at the university. This was completed after a series of studies were conducted that highlighted the health needs of the citizens, as well as the need to train more physicians for the state. In 1960, the College of Medicine and College of Nursing opened, followed by the College of Dentistry two years later.

On April 3, 1998, the largest university project at the time of completion opened. The six-level William T. Young Library was constructed on south campus and is second only to Harvard University in the size of its book endowment and first among public universities. Just nine-years later, on April 13, 2007, ground was broken for the Biological Pharmaceutical Complex Building, the largest planned academic building in the state of Kentucky, and one of the largest in the United States. It complements the adjacent Biomedical Biological Science Research Building, and is expected to be part of the new university research campus. Other recent announcements include the construction of the new $450 million Albert B. Chandler Hospital, which will be one of the largest projects in the state's history in terms of size and economic impact.

As a land-grant university, UK is affiliated with several satellite institutions spread throughout the commonwealth. It formerly operated fourteen community colleges with more than 100 extended sites, centers and campuses, which were a part of the former University of Kentucky's Community College System (UKCCS), but in a major reorganization of the commonwealth's higher education system in 1997, the community colleges were placed under an independent governing board, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Nearby Lexington Community College, despite the 1997 reorganization of the community colleges, remained integrated with the university itself, but separated from UK in 2004 and became a part of KCTCS. The College of Engineering operates a satellite campus in Paducah, located on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Traditions
In 1892, the university adopted the signature blue and white as its official colors, but only after deciding upon blue and light yellow at the Kentucky-Centre College football game on December 19, 1891. The particular shade of blue was determined from a necktie, which was used to demonstrate the color of royal blue.

On October 9, 1909, "Wildcats" became converse with the university shortly after a football victory over Illinois University. The then chief of the military department at the old State University, Commandant Carbusier, stated that the team had "fought like Wildcats." The nickname became more popular over the years and was eventually adopted by the university. The mascot later originated during the 1976 academic year as a way to entertain the thousands of university fans at Commonwealth Stadium and Rupp Arena during athletic events.

On October 1, 2000, the new 859 area code was placed into effect. The area code is also a mnemonic that spells out "UKY," short for the University of Kentucky.

Buildings
The university is home to numerous notable structures, such as Main Building, the oldest remaining building on campus, and Patterson Office Tower, the tallest. It is also home to several major construction projects, including the new Albert B. Chandler Hospital and the Biological Pharmaceutical Complex Building, which will be the largest academic building in the state.

Academics


The university features 16 colleges, a graduate school, 93 undergraduate programs, 99 master's degrees, 66 programs in Ph.D.'s and doctoral degrees, and four professional programs.

Organizations

 * College of Agriculture
 * College of Arts and Sciences
 * College of Communications & Information Studies
 * College of Dentistry
 * College of Design
 * College of Education
 * College of Engineering
 * College of Fine Arts
 * College of Health Sciences
 * College of Law
 * College of Medicine
 * College of Nursing
 * College of Pharmacy
 * College of Public Health
 * College of Social Work
 * Gatton College of Business and Economics
 * Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce
 * Martin School of Public Policy and Administration

Libraries
The university is home to 15 campus libraries. Among them is the William T. Young Library, which houses the university's social sciences, humanities and life sciences collections, it also acts as a United States federal repository and a public library for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Here are list of the libraries on campus:


 * Agricultural Information Center
 * Chemistry-Physics Library
 * Design Library
 * Distance Learning Library Services
 * Education Library
 * Geological Sciences Library
 * Law Library
 * Library Link at the Patterson Office Tower
 * Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center
 * Mathematical Sciences Library
 * Medical Center Library
 * Shaver Engineering Library
 * Special Collections and Digital Programs
 * William T. Young Library

"Top 20 Plan"
In 1997, the Kentucky General Assembly formed a Compact with the university that mandates that it become a Top 20 public research university by 2020. According to the Compact, states with Top 20 universities feature higher average household incomes, higher education attainments, healthier lives and more financial security. As a result, fewer citizens live in poverty and as a result, fewer public dollars are spent on health care. It would also spur technological advancements due to university-based research and increase the marketability of the state to investors.

As part of the Top 20 plan, the university plans to,
 * 1) Increase enrollment by 7,000 students to 34,000;
 * 2) Increase the state's highest graduation rate by 12% to 72%;
 * 3) Increase the number of faculty by 625 to total 2,500;
 * 4) Increase research expenditures by $470 million to total $768 million per year; and
 * 5) Increase the university's role in Kentucky's "schools, farms, businesses and communities."

The Top 20 plan has already produced results,
 * 1) Total enrollment increased from 24,061 in 1996 to 26,440 in 2004, an increase of 2,379.
 * 2) The graduation rate increased from 48.1 percent in 1991 to 59.5 percent in 1998.
 * 3) Research expenditures increased from $124.8 million in 1996 to $297.6 million in 2003. It dipped slightly to $274 million for 2005. It is currently ranked 28th among public universities in sponsored research.
 * 4) Endowment increased from $195.1 million in 1997 to $538.4 million in 2005.
 * 5) Increasing the university's six-year graduation rate from 60% in 2007 from 50.8% in 1998.

In 2000, to help finance the Top 20 plan, the university launched The Campaign for the University of Kentucky, a $600 million fundraising effort that was used to "enhance facilities, academic programs, public service, and scholarships." It passed that goal and the effort was raised to $1 billion. In March 2007, $1.022 billion was raised, month's before the fundraising effort was set to end.

Although currently the university's undergraduate program is ranked 122nd in the nation, tied with the Catholic University of America, by U.S. News & World Report's college rankings, by some measures the university already has top-20 programs in:
 * Anatomy and neurobiology,
 * Counseling psychology,
 * Diplomacy/international relations at the Patterson School,
 * Educational psychology,
 * Entomology,
 * Hispanic studies,
 * Martin School of Public Policy and Administration,
 * Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics,
 * Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology,
 * Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry,
 * Nursing,
 * Pharmacy,
 * Physiology,
 * Plant pathology,
 * Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health,
 * Sanders-Brown Center on Aging,
 * Surgery,

The 2005 Faculty Scholarly Activity Index ranked UK as a whole 19th in the nation among public research universities based on the scholarly activity of faculty.

According to the Statewide Facilities Condition Assessment Report released on April 4, 2007, the University needs $12.5 billion to complete its 1997 mandate to become a top-20 institution.

Athletics


In the 1890s, students at the university scheduled football games with neighboring colleges. In 1902, the basketball program began on campus, originally as a women's sport; a men's team was added one year later. In 1930, then-high school coach Adolph Rupp was hired as a basketball coach for the university, and later guided the Wildcats to four NCAA crowns in 1948, 1949, 1951, and 1958. . In 1950-51,  University of Kentucky was one of the few schools to have players were arrested in the CCNY Point Shaving Scandal which brought down many schools from various institutions for taking money from gamblers. Players included Dale Barnstable, Ralph Beard, and Alex Groza. . It also won a fifth championship under Joe B. Hall in 1978, another in 1996 under Rick Pitino, and its last under Orlando "Tubby" Smith in 1998. The university also boasts a cross country national championship, eight championships in gymnastics, an Olympic medalist in track and field, and 14 national championships in cheerleading.

On 22 March, 2007, the school began looking for a new head basketball coach when Tubby Smith left for the University of Minnesota. On April 6, 2007, the school announced former Texas A&M and UTEP coach Billy Gillispie would be the new head basketball coach.

Athletic Programs: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey (Privately Funded), Rifle, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track, Volleyball

Media
The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department was the home and sponsor of one of the earliest college amateur radio stations in the United States. W4JP began continuous operation before World War I and persisted until amateur radio licenses were granted by the US Government.

The university is currently served by two independent FM stations. 91.3 FM WUKY is an Triple-A station and was the first university-owned FM radio station in the United States and Kentucky's first public radio station. It's operations started on October 17, 1940 as WBKY out of Beattyville, although it moved five years later to Lexington. In 1971, the station was one of the first to carry NPR's "All Things Considered" and helped debut National Public Radio. It only changed its call letters to WUKY in 1989 to better reflect its affiliation with the university. In 2007, it became the first Lexington radio station to broadcast in high-definition digital radio.

The second is 88.1 FM WRFL which has been in operation since 1988. It is operated by students and broadcasts live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and features music that is spread across most genres.

The campus is also served by the Kentucky Kernel, a student-run, financially independent daily newspaper. The official yearbook of the University of Kentucky is the Kentuckian. First published in 1906, it was preceded by at least one previous book, the Echo. Many former members of the staff have gone on to successful careers in journalism. One of the more notable is National Geographic photographer Sam Abell. As one of UK's student publications, the book is currently closely associated with the school's independent daily student newspaper.

Student life
The university offers seven main dining facilities, 23 residence halls, and numerous recreation facilities spread between three distinct campuses: north, south, and central. It is also home to more than 250 student-run organizations.

Campus safety
The university has suffered from a perception that the campus is unsafe. In a survey of 1000 female university students, conducted in spring 2004, 36.5% reported having been victims of rape, stalking, or physical assault while at the campus. Campus law enforcement statistics do not bear out these numbers, however, and it can be assumed either that many serious crimes go unreported or that the survey conclusions were erroneous.

In response to the survey, University President Lee T. Todd, Jr. launched an initiative in September 2005 titled the Campus Safety Imperative, which included a quadrupling of annual expenditures on safety. Todd specifically linked campus safety to the goal of becoming a top 20 public research institution, stating that "We will never make gains toward becoming a top-20 public research institution if our students are unsafe or if they lack a sense of physical security. It is part of our fundamental mission, then, to create a campus that provides a safe place to live, to work, and to learn."

Greek life
There are 19 sororities and 26 fraternities that serve the university.

Notable people
The university has been home to many notable people.
 * Governor of Kentucky Ernie Fletcher
 * Ken Lucas, a former U.S. representative from the commonwealth's fourth congressional district
 * U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell,
 * Ashley Judd, an actress.
 * Daniel Libeskind, respected architect, taught at UK's College of Design

Sponsored Benefits Plan
On January 12, 2007, the university's domestic partner benefits committee unanimously voted recommending domestic partner benefits, such as health insurance and employee education benefits, to same-sex and opposite-sex unmarried couples to help enhance the university's competitiveness in attracting top faculty and staff, part of the Top-20 plan. The program stemmed from a work-life survey of university employees in 2005 and 2006, and led to several proposals to improve employee conditions that would affect 13,600 employees, of which 68 are same-sex partners, and 272 opposite-sex partners. The estimated cost of the originaldomestic partner benefits program would be $633,000 annually, less than 1% of the university's $68.2 million annual health care budget; 40% of which would be paid from the university's undesignated general funds; the remainder would  have been from various grants, contracts, athletics, and hospital revenues.

The measure was supported by the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, but opposed by the Family Trust Foundation and The Family Foundation of Kentucky. It was also opposed by Republican Stan Lee, who filed a bill to ban domestic partner coverage at Kentucky's public universities, and by Republican Vernie McGaha, who sponsored Senate Bill 152 to ban state and local governments, public and private colleges, and some quasi-government institutions from offering domestic partner benefits. Both bills were never passed.

University President Lee T. Todd, Jr. endorsed the benefits proposal on April 24, 2007. It was slated to go into effect July 1, and the university would become the second public college in the state to offer such benefits, however, Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo, stated on June 1, 2007 that the package violates the constitutional definition of marriage. On June 18, the Sponsored Benefits Plan, an amended plan that eliminates the conflict with the definition of marriage in the Kentucky Constitution, was announced to take effect on July 1, 2007. This plan uses no Commonwealth of Kentucky appropriated funds.

Points of interest

 * Commonwealth Stadium
 * Memorial Coliseum
 * Memorial Hall
 * University of Kentucky/Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Arboretum
 * University of Kentucky Research and Education Center Botanical Garden
 * William T. Young Library

Official sites

 * Official University of Kentucky web-site
 * Official University of Kentucky athletics web-site
 * UK Channel 50

University project sites

 * Guthrie, Kentucky - "District Regionalism" community created by the College of Design
 * African Cemetery No. 2, Lexington KY
 * Appalshop
 * KY Beef IRM (Integrated Resource Management)
 * The Comic Book Periodic Table of the Elements
 * UK Firefly Solar Powered Vehicle
 * UK Global English Research Project
 * Mathews Garden - native plants for teaching and research
 * Monte Verde (Chile): review of archaeological special report
 * North Central Regional Committee on Swine Nutrition
 * The Daily Aesthetic: leisure & recreation in Lexington's segregated park system
 * Geographic Information Science at UK