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University of Alabama

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University of Alabama



 
 
The University of Alabama (also known as Alabama, UA, or colloquially as 'Bama) is a public coeducation
Coeducation

Mixed-sex education , is the integrated education of males and females in the same institution. The opposite situation is described as single-sex education....
al university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
 located in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Tuscaloosa is a city in west central Alabama in the southern United States. Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the county seat of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and the fifth-largest city in Alabama with a population of 83,052 ....
, Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
, USA
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship university
Flagship university

Flagship#University campuses university refers to the leading comprehensive public research university or universities in a given U.S. state. Flagship universities are usually the largest public institutions of higher learning in the state and are generally well-known nationally....
 of the University of Alabama System
University of Alabama System

The University of Alabama System consists of three state university university in Alabama, United States: the University of Alabama , the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama in Huntsville ....
. Within Alabama, it is often called the "Capstone". UA is the senior and the largest in terms of enrollment of the state's major research universities, the others being academic and athletic rival Auburn University
Auburn University

Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, Alabama, United States With more than 24,100 students and 1,200 faculty, it is one of the largest university in the state....
 and fellow UA System institutions the University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, state university, coeducational university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, Alabama, United States....
 (UAHuntsville) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama at Birmingham

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a state university , co-education university located in Birmingham, Alabama, Alabama, United States....
 (UAB).

The University of Alabama offers programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's
Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years....
, master's
Master's degree

A master's degree provides a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of profession. Within the area studied, graduates possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theory and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, Critical thinking and/or professional application; and the ability to problem solving a...
, Education Specialist, and doctoral
Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree that in most countries represents the highest level of formal study or research in a given field. In some countries it also refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to practice in a specific profession ....
 degrees.






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The University of Alabama (also known as Alabama, UA, or colloquially as 'Bama) is a public coeducation
Coeducation

Mixed-sex education , is the integrated education of males and females in the same institution. The opposite situation is described as single-sex education....
al university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
 located in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Tuscaloosa is a city in west central Alabama in the southern United States. Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the county seat of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and the fifth-largest city in Alabama with a population of 83,052 ....
, Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
, USA
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship university
Flagship university

Flagship#University campuses university refers to the leading comprehensive public research university or universities in a given U.S. state. Flagship universities are usually the largest public institutions of higher learning in the state and are generally well-known nationally....
 of the University of Alabama System
University of Alabama System

The University of Alabama System consists of three state university university in Alabama, United States: the University of Alabama , the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama in Huntsville ....
. Within Alabama, it is often called the "Capstone". UA is the senior and the largest in terms of enrollment of the state's major research universities, the others being academic and athletic rival Auburn University
Auburn University

Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, Alabama, United States With more than 24,100 students and 1,200 faculty, it is one of the largest university in the state....
 and fellow UA System institutions the University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, state university, coeducational university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, Alabama, United States....
 (UAHuntsville) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama at Birmingham

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a state university , co-education university located in Birmingham, Alabama, Alabama, United States....
 (UAB).

The University of Alabama offers programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's
Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years....
, master's
Master's degree

A master's degree provides a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of profession. Within the area studied, graduates possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theory and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, Critical thinking and/or professional application; and the ability to problem solving a...
, Education Specialist, and doctoral
Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree that in most countries represents the highest level of formal study or research in a given field. In some countries it also refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to practice in a specific profession ....
 degrees. The only publicly-supported law school
University of Alabama School of Law

The University of Alabama School of Law is a law school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Alabama. University of Alabama School of Law is one of five law schools in the state, one of three that is American Bar Association accredited, and of the accredited schools, it is the only public law school in Alabama....
 in Alabama is at UA. Other academic programs unavailable elsewhere in Alabama include doctoral programs in anthropology
Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of humans and humanity in its totality. Anthropology has origins in the natural sciences, and the humanities. In Great Britain it was originally divided into physical anthropology and cultural anthropology, which itself was divided into archaeology, technology, ethnology and sociology ....
, library and information studies, metallurgical engineering, music
Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture ....
, Romance languages
Romance languages

The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European languages comprising all the languages that descend from Latin language, the language of ancient Rome....
, and social work
Social work

Social work is a discipline involving the application of social theory and research methods to study and improve the lives of people, groups, and societies....
.

As of fall 2008, Alabama has an enrollment of 27,052 students and its president is Dr. Robert Witt
Robert Witt (American academic)

Robert E. Witt is president of the University of Alabama, as of March 1 2003. His experience includes 35 years in the University of Texas system, including 10 years as dean of the University of Texas at Austin business school and eight years as president of the University of Texas at Arlington....
. Under his leadership, the University has experienced significant growth, despite lower admission acceptance rates, and higher academic standards. The UA Honors Program has grown rapidly as well, with one in five freshmen now enrolled in UA’s Honors College. In fall 2007, these 1,066 scored in the top 2 percent nationally on the ACT.

History

In 1818, Congress authorized the newly created Alabama Territory
Alabama Territory

The Alabama Territory was a historic, organized territory of the United States that was formed from the eastern portion of the Mississippi Territory, split in half....
 to set aside a township for the establishment of a "seminary of learning". When Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
 was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, a second township was added to the land grant
Land grant

A land grant is a gift of real estate - land or privileges - made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially as rewards for military service....
, bringing it to a total of 46,000 acre
Acre

The acre is a Units of measurement of area in a number of different systems, including the Imperial unit#Measures of area and United States customary units#Units of area systems....
s (186 km²). The General Assembly of Alabama established the seminary on December 18, 1820, named it "The University of the State of Alabama", and created a Board of Trustees to manage the construction and operation of the university. The board chose as the site of the campus a place which was then just outside the city limits of Tuscaloosa, the state capital
State capital

In countries with federation constitutions divided into administrative division known as state , the state capital is the administrative center of a state....
 at the time. The University's charter was presented to the first University president in the nave of Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa. Alabama opened its doors to students on April 18, 1831, with the Reverend Alva Woods as President.

An academy-style institution during the Antebellum period, the university emphasized the classics
Classics

Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean World; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity ....
 and the social and natural sciences. There were around 100 students per year at the University in the 1830s. However, as Alabama was a frontier state and a sizable amount of its territory was still in the hand of various Native American
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
 tribes until the 1840s, it lacked the infrastructure to adequately prepare students for the rigors of university education. Consequently, only a fraction of students who enrolled were adequately prepared for a university education and few students graduated, especially in the early years. Those who did graduate often had distinguished careers in Alabama and national politics. Early graduates included Benjamin Porter and Alexander Meek.

There was an active literary culture on campus and in Tuscaloosa. The University had one of the largest libraries in the country on the eve of the Civil War at more than 5000 volumes. There were several thriving literary societies, including the Erosophic and the Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa Society

The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society with the mission of "fostering and recognizing excellence" in the undergraduate liberal arts and sciences....
 societies, which frequently had lectures by distinguished politicians and literary figures, including United States Supreme Court Justice John A. Campbell, novelist William Gilmore Simms
William Gilmore Simms

William Gilmore Simms was a poet, novelist and historian from the American South whose novels achieved great prominence during the 19th century, with Edgar Allan Poe pronouncing him the best novelist America had ever produced....
, and Professor F.A.P. Barnard (later president of Columbia University
Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York , is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Columbia's main campus lies in the Morningside Heights, Manhattan neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, in New York City....
).

Discipline and student behavior was a major issue at The University almost from the day it opened. Early presidents attempted to enforce strict rules regarding conduct. Students were prohibited from drinking, swearing, making unauthorized visits off-campus, or playing musical instruments outside of a one-hour time frame. Yet riots and gunfights were not an uncommon occurrence. To combat the severe discipline problem, president Landon Garland
Landon Garland

Landon Cabell Garland was born March 21, 1810 in Nelson County, Virginia. He graduated with first honors from Hampden-Sydney College in 1829. He taught chemistry and natural philosophy at Washington College , c1829-1830, and taught chemistry and natural history at Randolph-Macon College, 1833-1834, eventually being elected chair of the depart...
 lobbied and received approval from the legislature in 1860 to transform the university into a military school. As such, many of the cadets who graduated from the school went on to serve as officers in the Confederate
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
 Army during the Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. As a consequence of that role, Union
Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the Federal government of the United States of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that formed the Confederate States of America....
 troops burned down the campus in April 1865, which was unrelated to Sherman's
William Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman was an United States soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched earth" policies that he implemente...
 March to the Sea several months earlier and farther east, in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
. Only four buildings survived the burning, including the President's Mansion built in 1841 and the Gorgas House built in 1829 (the oldest building on campus).

The University reopened in 1871 and in 1880, Congress granted The University 40,000 acres (162 km²) of coal land in partial compensation for $250,000 in war damages. The military structure was dropped approximately a decade after the school was officially opened to women in 1892 after much lobbying by Julia Tutwiler
Julia Tutwiler

Julia Strudwick Tutwiler , born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was as a staunch advocate for educational and prison reforms in Alabama....
 to the Board of Trustees. Tutwiler Hall is now the largest female-only dorm on campus.

On June 11, 1963, contrary to the wishes of University administrators, Governor George Wallace
George Wallace

George Corley Wallace Jr. , was a Governor of Alabama of Alabama for four terms . He ran for President of the United States four times, running officially as a Democratic Party three times and in the American Independent Party once....
 made his infamous "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door
Stand in the Schoolhouse Door

File:Wallace at University of Alabama edit2.jpgThe Stand in the Schoolhouse Door was an incident that took place at Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama on 11 June, 1963....
". He stood in the front entrance of Foster Auditorium
Foster Auditorium

Foster Auditorium is a multi-purpose facility at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It was built in 1939 and has been used for Alabama basketball, women's sports , graduations, lectures, concerts, and other large gatherings, including registration....
 in a symbolic attempt to stop the enrollment of two African American
African American

African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the Black people populations of Africa....
s: Vivian Malone
Vivian Malone Jones

Vivian Juanita Malone Jones was an African-American woman, one of the first two African Americans to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963 and was made famous when Alabama Governor George Wallace blocked them from enrolling at the all-white university....
 and James Hood
James Hood

James Hood was one of the first African Americans to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963 and was made famous when Alabama Governor George Wallace blocked them from enrolling at the all-white university....
. When confronted by U.S. Deputy Attorney General
United States Deputy Attorney General

United States Deputy Attorney General is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. In the United States federal government, the Deputy Attorney General oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Justice, and may act as United States Attorney General during the absence of the Attorney General...
 Nicholas Katzenbach
Nicholas Katzenbach

Nicholas deBelleville Katzenbach is an United States lawyer who served as United States Attorney General during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration....
 and federal marshal
United States Marshals Service

The United States Marshals Service is a United States Federal law enforcement in the United States within the United States Department of Justice and is the second oldest federal law enforcement agency in the United States.While the United States Postal Inspection Service first agent was appointed in 1772, performed Chief Postal Inspect...
s sent in by Attorney General
United States Attorney General

The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the government of the United States....
 Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy

Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also called RFK, was an United States politician. He was United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and a United States Senator from New York from 1965 until his Robert F....
, Wallace stepped aside. Although Hood dropped out of school after two months, he subsequently returned and, in 1997, received his Ph.D. in philosophy. Malone persisted in her studies and became the first African American to graduate from The University. In 2000, The University granted her a doctorate of humane letters. Later in his life, Wallace apologized for his opposition at that time to racial integration
Racial integration

Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of Race , and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely bringing a racial minority into the m...
.

Academic divisions

Ua Clark Hall
The eight divisions of The University granting undergraduate degrees are:

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration
  • College of Communication and Information Sciences
  • College of Education
  • College of Engineering
  • College of Human Environmental Sciences
  • Capstone College of Nursing
  • School of Social Work


Degrees in those eight divisions at the master's
Master's degree

A master's degree provides a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of profession. Within the area studied, graduates possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theory and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, Critical thinking and/or professional application; and the ability to problem solving a...
, specialist, and doctoral
Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree that in most countries represents the highest level of formal study or research in a given field. In some countries it also refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to practice in a specific profession ....
 level are awarded through the Graduate School.

The School of Law offers J.D.
Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a first professional degree graduate degree and professional doctorate in law degree. The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century as a degree similar to the old European doctor of law degree and the legal studies counterpart to the M.D....
 and LL.M.
Master of Laws

The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, or research degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister....
 degree programs. The College of Community Health Sciences provides advanced studies in medicine and related disciplines and operates a family-practice residency program in association with the UAB School of Medicine. Finally, the College of Continuing Studies provides correspondence courses and other types of distance education opportunities for non-traditional students. It operates a distance education facility in Gadsden
Gadsden, Alabama

Gadsden is a city in and the county seat of Etowah County, Alabama, northeastern Alabama, United States, approximately 60 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama....
.

Founded in 1971 and merged into the College of Arts and Sciences in 1996, the New College
New College, University of Alabama

New College is an interdisciplinary, undergraduate-focused academic unit within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama....
 program allows undergraduate students more flexibility in choosing their curriculum while completing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree. The program allows students to create a "depth study" in a particular field chosen by the student. The student completes approved independent studies alongside their normal coursework. The objective of New College is to inspire interdisciplinary learning at the undergraduate level.

Campus

Ua Denny Chimes
UA is composed of a singular campus of approximately 1,000 acres (4 km²). The campus is notable for its abundance of buildings built in the Greek Revival style. Four University of Alabama buildings survived the Civil War: Gorgas
Josiah Gorgas

Josiah Gorgas was one of the few Northern-born Confederate States of America generals in the American Civil War. As chief of ordnance, he managed to keep the Confederate armies supplied with weapons and ammunition, despite the Union blockade and even though the Southern United States had hardly any munitions industry before the war began....
 House, Maxwell Hall (the Old Observatory), the Little Round House (Civil War lookout post), and the President's Mansion. All are still used today.

Landmarks include the President's Mansion, the Amelia Gayle Gorgas
Amelia Gayle Gorgas

Amelia Gayle Gorgas was librarian and post-mistress of the University of Alabama for 25 years until her retirement at the age of eighty in 1907....
 Library, and Denny Chimes
Denny Chimes

The Denny Chimes is a tall campanile equipped with a 25-bell carillon, located on the south side of the Quadrangle of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Alabama U.S.A.....
, a campanile
Campanile

A campanile – pronounced – is, especially in Italy, a free-standing bell tower, often adjacent to a church or cathedral....
 equipped with a 25-bell carillon
Carillon

A carillon is a musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bell s which are played one after the other or sounded together ....
, all of which are located on or near the Quad
Quadrangle (architecture)

In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building....
, the central green on campus. The Quad lies roughly at the geographic center of the campus.

On-campus cultural facilities include the [Paul Bryant Museum, the Alabama Museum of Natural History, the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, and the Frank M. Moody Music Building, which houses the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra
Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra

The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Alabama. Koreans Maestro Shinik Hahm is its current music director chair....
.

The University also maintains The University of Alabama Arboretum
University of Alabama Arboretum

The University of Alabama Arboretum is a 60 acre arboretum located near the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Pelham Loop Road in Tuscaloosa, Alabama....
 in eastern Tuscaloosa and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab on Dauphin Island
Dauphin Island, Alabama

Dauphin Island is a town in Mobile County, Alabama, Alabama, United States, located on a barrier island also named Dauphin Island. The population was 1,371 at the 2000 United States Census....
.

Layout

Ua President's Mansion
The Quad anchors the campus. To the east lie buildings housing most of the science and math departments, as well as the College of Nursing. Engineering Row, home of the departments of the College of Engineering, is located to the northeast, and the fine arts and humanities departments of the College of Arts and Sciences are oriented to the north and northwest of the Quad. To the west lie the buildings of the colleges of Commerce and Education. Finally, the College of Communication and Information Sciences, the College of Human Environmental Sciences, and the School of Social Work flank the Quad to the south.

Additionally, the facilities of the School of Law, the School of Music (a division of the College of Arts and Sciences), and the College of Community Health Sciences are located in the far eastern edge of campus. The College of Continuing Education is located in Parham Hall further south of the Quad.

Athletic facilities generally flank the far south edge of campus. Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant-Denny Stadium

Bryant-Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the Alabama Crimson Tide football. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny....
 is in the southwestern edge of the campus and Coleman Coliseum is in the southeastern edge of campus, near the law school.

The entire campus is served by the CrimsonRide
CrimsonRide

The CrimsonRide is an area bus service serving the students, staff, faculty, and general public on and around the University of Alabama's campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Alabama....
 shuttle bus system, which officially started serving campus on August 11, 2007.

Demographics

As of the fall semester of 2006, The University has a total enrollment of 23,878 undergraduate, professional
Professional

A professional is a person who has completed a doctoral or law program or equivalent .A professional is someone who has a professional degree - a number one on the Hollingshead scale....
, and graduate students. Of which, 76% are residents of Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
 and 24% are out-of-state students. 81% of students are white, 11% are African-American and 2% are Hispanic
Hispanic

Hispanic is a term that historically denoted relation to the ancient Hispania . During the Modern Era, it took on a more limited meaning relating to the contemporary nation of Spain....
.

In figures from 2005, the most recent available, The University had a faculty of 1,148. 829 held the rank of assistant professor or higher. 922 faculty members were full time. 527 were tenured with 244 on tenure track. 13.8% (114) were minorities and 34.7% (287) were women.

Capital Campaign

In April 2006, the university announced a capital campaign with a goal of $500 million called "Our Students. Our Future." The "quiet phase" of the campaign, which started in 2002, raised $299 million. The focus of the campaign, to end in 2009, was stated to be "student scholarships, faculty support, campus facilities and priority needs." In November 2007, the university announced that it had raised $428 million.

This campaign will add approximately $250 million to the endowment, currently valued at over $700 million, to bring the university's total endowment to an estimated $1 billion.

Half of the money raised in the capital campaign will go toward student financial aid to recruit and retain students. So far more than $170 million has been allocated to student financial aid. Endowed scholarships account for $75 million.

An additional $77 million has been donated to buildings and facilities. The athletics department and the UA School of Law have raised substantial amounts of money for building purposes.

Rankings and Accolades

A ranking of colleges and universities, published in the May 19, 2008 edition of Forbes magazine, ranks the University of Alabama second in the nation among public universities. The ranking also places UA 42nd among all national universities, both public and private. According to both the 2008 and the 2009 US News and World Report America's Best Colleges Edition college rankings, UA had the highest ranking of any university in the state of Alabama. In fact, among all public universities in the US, the University of Alabama is ranked #37, according to the 2009 USNWR America's Best Colleges Edition, up from its national ranking of #41 the previous year. The University of Alabama School of Law is ranked 11th among public law schools and 32nd among all law schools in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Reports 2009 edition of its annual "Best Graduate Schools" publication.

The University of Alabama has consistently ranked as a top 50 public university in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is an influential United States newsmagazine published in Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek, it was for many years a leading news weekly, although it focused more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories....
 and has a selectivity rating of "more selective.". The University of Alabama ranked 12th in the nation among public universities in the enrollment of National Merit Scholars in 2007. Seven University of Alabama students were named to the 2008 USA Today All-USA College Academic Team, the most of any school. This year’s team brings UA’s total for the last six years to 31, a figure that tops all other colleges and universities. In addition to this year, UA had the most students on the list in 2006 with six and in 2005 and 2003, both with five. In 2007, UA tied with Washington University-St. Louis for the most team members with four. In 2004, with four students on the team, UA came in second only to Harvard.

THES - QS World University Rankings
THES - QS World University Rankings

The THE - QS World University Rankings is an annual publication that ranks the "Top 200 World Universities", and is published by Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds ....
 puts the University of Alabama 5th in the world (in front of both Princeton
Princeton University

Princeton University is a private university university located in Princeton, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League and has the largest per-student Financial endowment in the world....
 and Harvard in terms of citations per staff member.

UA’s undergraduate business program ranked 29th among public undergraduate business schools in U.S. News and World Report’s annual college rankings, fall 2007 and 48th when private universities are included.

The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences’ doctoral program in mass communication is ranked seventh nationally by the National Communication Association. The most recent U.S. News rankings for communication graduate programs placed UA’s advertising program 12th and telecommunication 14th in the nation.

The doctoral program in health education, a joint program of The University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, ranks seventh in the nation according to a recent study published in the Journal of Health Education.

UA graduates include 15 Rhodes Scholars
Rhodes Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarship named after Cecil Rhodes is an international award for study at the University of Oxford and was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships....
, 15 Goldwater Scholars, nine Truman Scholars
Truman Scholarship

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is a federal scholarship granted to U.S. college juniors for demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to public service....
, one Gates Scholar
Gates Scholarship

The Gates Cambridge Scholarships were established by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 with a $210 million endowment to enable outstanding graduate students from outside the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge....
, one Portz Scholar, and one Udall Scholar
Morris K. Udall Foundation

The Morris K. Udall Foundation is an Executive office of the United States Government. The Foundation was established by the Congress of the United States in 1992 to honor Mo Udall?s thirty years of service in the United States House of Representatives....
.

The law school, ranked the 11th best public law school in the nation by US News and World Report 2009 Graduate Programs Edition, boasts prestigious alumni such as United States Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black
Hugo Black

Hugo LaFayette Black was an Politics of the United States and Law of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party , Black represented the U.S....
, long time Alabama senator Howell Heflin
Howell Heflin

Howell Thomas Heflin was a United States Senate from Alabama, and a member of the United States Democratic Party....
, and both current U.S. Senators from Alabama (Richard Shelby
Richard Shelby

Richard Craig Shelby , sometimes known as Dick Shelby, is the senior United States Senate from Alabama. Originally elected to the United States Senate as a United States Democratic Party, Shelby switched to the United States Republican Party in 1994 when it gained the majority in United States Congress....
 and Jeff Sessions
Jeff Sessions

Jefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions III is the junior United States Senate from Alabama. He is a member of the Republican Party ....
).

UA is one of the 113 members of the Association of Research Libraries
Association of Research Libraries

The Association of Research Libraries is an organization of the leading research library in North America. As of October 2006, it comprises 123 libraries at comprehensive, research-intensive institutions in the US and Canada that share similar missions, aspirations, and achievements....
, which yearly compiles internal rankings. In 2004-2005, the last year for which statistics are available, among 113 members, the University of Alabama ranked 94th (where 113 is the bottom) in support staff; 98th in total expenditures; 83rd in total volumes; 73rd in current serials; and 103rd in total items loaned, a measurement of the library's use. This is one of the lowest rankings for a state university in the country.

Published reports have ranked UA among the top four flagship universities in the Southeast and among the nation's top 25 public flagship universities in terms of minority enrollment.

Student life

With more than 25,000 students enrolled, The University has a substantial student life component, although some students complain that increasing enrollment without a commensurate increase in the size of the faculty has led to excessively large class sizes in some areas. This complaint has no bearing in reality, as avg. class size has not increased due to record new funding for faculty hires and pay increases. In fact, University of Alabama Provost Judy Bonner stated "I’ve been here 25 years, and I have never before seen this level of funding for new faculty positions."

The University continues to hire additional faculty, qualified staff and build additional classrooms, dining facilities, and residence halls to accommodate its planned, but controlled, growth.

Greek life

Greek letter organizations first appeared at The University in 1847 when two men visiting from Yale University
Yale University

Yale University is a private university in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School, Yale is the Colonial Colleges institution of higher education in the United States and is a member of the Ivy League....
 installed a chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon

Delta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who, upon hearing that some but not all of them had been invited to join the two existing societies , instead elected to form their own fraternity....
. When DKE members began holding secret meetings in the old state capitol building that year, the administration strongly voiced its disapproval. Over the two decades, four other fraternities appeared at Alabama: Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta

Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social Fraternities and sororities with 107 chapters and 7 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Washington & Jefferson College, Pennsylvania in 1848 and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, Kentucky, USA....
 in 1855, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Sigma Alpha Epsilon was founded March 9, 1856 at the University of Alabama. SAE is the largest social college fraternity by total initiates with more than 288,000 initiated members....
 in 1856 (this was the founding chapter), and Kappa Sigma in 1867. Anti-fraternity laws were imposed in that year, but were lifted in 1890s. Women at the University founded the Zeta Chapter of Kappa Delta sorority in 1903. Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi

Alpha Delta Pi was founded May 15 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia making it the first female fraternal organization established. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia....
 soon followed.

The University today recognizes 48 social Greek letter organizations. An unknown number of unofficial fraternities and sororities also exist. Three governing boards oversee the operations of the Greek organizations: the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the Panhellenic Association, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council
National Pan-Hellenic Council

The National Pan-Hellenic Council is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international greek alphabet fraternities and sororities....
 (NPHC). There is also a newly established UGC, or Unified Greek Council, which includes those organizations with multicultural membership who are not national members of the latter three Greek boards. Over one quarter of undergraduates at Alabama are now members of a social Greek letter organization. The number of Greek men has more than doubled since 2002 to almost 2,500 for the fall of 2008 with fifteen fraternities now recording memberships of more than one hundred (within recent years there were none recorded with that number). For the fall 2008 over 3,500 females or 30% of undergraduate females were in a social sorority at UA. Following 2008 fall recruitment, almost all Panhellenic sororities participating through all rounds had potential new member class sizes of 80 or more; nearly all Panhellenic sororities also now have more than 200 total members. In March 2008, the University gained two new sororities to accommodate the growing Greek system interest. Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi

Alpha Phi is a fraternities and sororities for women founded at Syracuse University on September 18, 1872. Its celebrated Founder's Day is October 10....
, which had a chapter at the University from 1932 to 1963, colonized in the fall of 2008.

SGA Controversy
Since its founding in 1914, a secretive coalition of fraternities and sororities, commonly known as "The Machine
The Machine

The Machine, the former Alpha Rho chapter of Theta Nu Epsilon at the University of Alabama, is a select coalition of traditionally-white fraternities and sororities which formed a secret society with enormous influence over campus, state, and southern politics....
", has wielded enormous influence over the Student Government Association. Occurrences of harassment, intimidation, and even criminal activities aimed at opposition candidates have been reported, though never proven. Many figures in local, state and national politics have come out of the SGA at the University of Alabama. (
Esquire
Esquire (magazine)

Esquire is a men's magazine by the Hearst Corporation with a strong literary tradition. Founded in 1933, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich....
magazine devoted its April 1992 cover story to an exposé of the Machine.)

Honor societies

  • Alpha Lambda Delta
  • Alpha Psi Omega
  • Anderson Society
  • Arnold Air Society
  • AF ROTC honorary
  • Blue Key
  • Cardinal Key
  • Druids
  • Elliot Society
  • Gamma Beta Phi
  • Golden Key
  • HPSA
  • Lambda Sigma
  • Mallet Assembly
    Mallet Assembly

    The Mallet Assembly is an honors program at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Mallet was established in 1961 by John Blackburn and is the oldest honors program still in existence at the University of Alabama....
  • MortarBoard
  • NSCS
  • Omicron Delta Kappa
  • Phi Eta Sigma
    Phi Eta Sigma

    Phi Eta Sigma is an United States freshman honor society. Founded at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on March 22, 1923, is the oldest and largest freshman honor society and now has more than three hundred chapters throughout the United States and more than 800,000 members....
  • Pi Mu Epsilon
    Pi Mu Epsilon

    Pi Mu Epsilon is the United States of America honorary national mathematics society.The society was founded at Syracuse University on May 25, 1914, by Professor Edward Drake Roe, Jr, and currently has chapters at 321 institutions across the nation....
  • Pi Sigma Phi
  • Rho Alpha Tau
  • Sigma Alpha Lambda
  • Sigma Tau Delta
  • Jasons Men's Senior Honorary
  • XXXI Women's Senior Honorary
  • Lambda Pi Eta
  • Who's Who


Media

Numerous media outlets are operated by or in conjunction with The University. Student-produced media outlets are all managed by the Office of Student Media, itself controlled by The University-sanctioned Media Planning Board. However, all student publications are editorially independent of The University. The OSM oversees the production of one newspaper, one yearbook, three scholarly publications, and the student-run radio station.

  • The Crimson White
    The Crimson White

    The Crimson White, known colloquially as "The CW," is the student-run newspaper of the University of Alabama. It is published four times a week -- every weekday except Tuesday -- throughout the fall and spring semesters and weekly during the summer semester....
    is the student-produced newspaper. Published four times a week during the normal academic term and once-weekly during the summer term, the CW, as the newspaper is known, normally distributes 15,000 copies per publication.
  • First published in 1892, Corolla is the official yearbook of The University. It is produced annually by students.
  • The Black Warrior Review is The University's widely distributed and influential literary journal managed and published by graduate students (primarily from the English and Creative Writing departments). Founded in 1974, BWR publishes local, regional, and nationally known writers, poets, and visual artists.
  • Since 1990, UA has also published the Marr's Field Journal, an undergraduate literary journal published by, and composed of material from, Alabama's undergraduates. Like its "big brother," MFJ publishes fiction, poetry, and graphic art.
  • The Southern Historian is a journal of Southern history written, edited, and produced entirely by graduate students in the Department of History. Southern Historian features articles on all aspects of Southern history, culture and book reviews in all fields of U.S. History.
  • WVUA-FM
    WVUA-FM

    WVUA-FM is the student-run radio station at the University of Alabama. The station was established for the purpose of giving students an environment in which they could learn to be radio broadcasters....
    , "90.7 The Capstone", formerly known as "New Rock 90.7", is one of the older college radio stations in the nation, tracing its roots back to 1940. It carries a variety of music programming and broadcasts the games of several of the University's sports teams.
  • WVUA-CA
    WVUA-CA

    WVUA-CA is a low-power television station owned and operated by the University of Alabama, affiliated with the America One and ShopNBC networks....
    , also owned by The University and employing numerous students, is a commercial television station run by a professional staff.


Athletics and traditions


Alabama's athletic teams are known as the Crimson Tide. Alabama competes in the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference

The Southeastern Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in , which operates in the Southern United States part of the United States....
 (Western Division) of the NCAA's
National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
 Division I
Division I

Division I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States....
. The Athletic facilities on campus include the 92,138-seat Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant-Denny Stadium

Bryant-Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the Alabama Crimson Tide football. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny....
, named after legendary football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant
Bear Bryant

Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an United States college football coach . He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide football....
 and former UA President George Denny, and the 14,619-seat Coleman Coliseum
Coleman Coliseum

Coleman Coliseum is a 15,316-seat multi-purpose arena in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and is home to the University of Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide basketball and artistic gymnastics teams....
.

Alabama maintains athletic rivalries with Auburn University
Auburn University

Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, Alabama, United States With more than 24,100 students and 1,200 faculty, it is one of the largest university in the state....
 and the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee

The University of Tennessee , sometimes called the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is the flagship institution of the statewide land-grant university University of Tennessee system public school system in Tennessee....
. The rivalry with Auburn is especially heated as it encompasses all sports. The annual Alabama-Auburn football game is nicknamed the
Iron Bowl
Iron Bowl

The Iron Bowl is a common name for the annual college football game between the University of Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide football and the Auburn University Auburn Tigers football....
.

While the rivalry with Tennessee is centered around football for the most part, there is no shortage of acrimony here, especially given the recent history between then-UT Coach Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer

Phillip Fulmer is the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football college football team. He coached the team from 1992 until the end of the 2008 season....
 and his relationship to the Tide's most recent NCAA probation. There are also rivalries with Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a state university, coeducational, Level l Research University located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System....
 (football and baseball), University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi

The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a state university , co-education research university located in Oxford, Mississippi, Mississippi....
 (football and men's basketball), Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in north east-central Mississippi, United States, adjacent to the town of Starkville, Mississippi and is situated 125 miles northeast of Jackson, Mississippi and 23 miles west of Columbus, Mississippi....
 (men's basketball), and the University of Georgia
University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public university research university located in Athens, Georgia, Georgia , the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning....
 (women's gymnastics).

Football

The University of Alabama football
Alabama Crimson Tide football

The Alabama Crimson Tide football program is a college football team that represents the University of Alabama . The team currently competes in NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship as a member of the Southeastern Conference....
 program is the most nationally-known of all Alabama's intercollegiate athletics programs. Started in 1892, it is one of the oldest and most tradition-rich football programs in the country. The team has won 21 SEC titles and 12 national championships in polls (including 6 awarded by the Associated Press
Associated Press

The Associated Press is an Media of the United States news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, Radio station and Television station stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staffers....
 and 5 by the Coaches Poll). Additionally, the team has compiled 31 10-win seasons and 55 bowl appearances, winning 32 of them – all NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
 records. Alabama has produced 18 hall-of-famers (Paul "Bear" Bryant
Bear Bryant

Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an United States college football coach . He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide football....
, Harry Gilmer
Harry Gilmer

Harry Vincent Gilmer, Jr. is a former American football Halfback and quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions....
,Bart Starr
Bart Starr

Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers and the Super Bowl MVP of the first two Super Bowls....
, Johnny Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown

This article is for the college football player, for the head coach see Mack Brown.Johnny Mack Brown was an All-American college football player and film actor....
, Johnny Cain
Johnny Cain

Johnny Cain was an American football player. Cain was an All-American at the University of Alabama and a member of the 1925 National Championship team that played in the Rose Bowl....
, John Hannah, Frank Howard
Frank Howard (football coach)

Frank J. Howard was an United States college football player and coach. He played college football for University of Alabama and was a teammate of legendary coach Bear Bryant....
, Pooley Hubert, Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan

Lee Roy Jordan was an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys from 1963 to 1976 in the National Football League.Before his NFL career, he played for the University of Alabama from 1960-1962....
, Dixie Howell
Dixie Howell

Millard "Dixie" Howell was an American football running back and head coach....
, Don Hutson
Don Hutson

Donald Montgomery Hutson was the first star wide receiver in National Football League history. He joined the Green Bay Packers out of the University of Alabama in 1935 and retired in 1945 after 11 seasons....
, Vaughn Mancha
Vaughn Mancha

Vaughn Mancha was a professional American football player who played professionally for the Boston Yanks. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990....
, Johnny Musso
Johnny Musso

Johnny Musso "The Italian Stallion" is an United States former American Football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League in 1975?1977....
, Joe Namath
Joe Namath

Joseph William Namath , also known as Broadway Joe or Joe Willie, is a former United States American football quarterback. He played for the University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962?1964, and in the American Football League and National Football League duri...
, Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome

Ozzie Newsome Jr. is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current general manager of the Baltimore Ravens....
, Billy Neighbors
Billy Neighbors

William Wesley "Billy" Neighbors is a former American football Guard who played in the American Football League from . He played college football at the University of Alabama where he was an All-American, and was selected in sixth round of the 1962 American Football League Draft....
, Fred Sington
Fred Sington

Frederic William Sington was an American football player. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955. He would also play professional baseball as an outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins....
, Wallace Wade, Don Whitmire
Don Whitmire

Donald Boone Whitmire was an American football offensive tackle between 1941?1944 for the Alabama Crimson Tide football. In 1956, Whitmire was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame....
) and 96 All-Americans
College Football All-America Team

The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best United States college football players at their respective positions....
 honored 105 times.

The Crimson Tide's current home venue, Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant-Denny Stadium

Bryant-Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the Alabama Crimson Tide football. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny....
, opened in 1929 with a capacity of around 12,000. The stadium has since grown to an official capacity of 92,138 via several additions, the latest being an upper deck in the north end zone (completed August 2006). This addition includes a premium club level, an official stadium entrance, and a promenade that is prominently featured in pre-game activities. Bryant-Denny Stadium's all-time attendance record is 92,138, set on September 2, 2006 vs. the University of Hawaii. The Tide has also played many rivalry games, among others, at Legion Field
Legion Field

Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events....
 in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in the United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama. It also includes part of Shelby County, Alabama....
.

Nearly synonymous with Alabama football is legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant
Bear Bryant

Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an United States college football coach . He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide football....
 whose record at The University of Alabama was 232-46-9. He led the Crimson Tide to a national title in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, and 1979, which is tied with Notre Dame's legendary coach Knute Rockne. Additionally, the 1966 team was the only one in the country to finish undefeated and untied, but poll voters denied the 12-0 Alabama team the three-peat as Michigan State and Notre Dame tied each other 10-10 in what was considered the "Game of the Century" and subsequently split the national championship.

On January 3, 2007, Alabama signed former LSU
Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a state university, coeducational, Level l Research University located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System....
 and Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins

. The Miami Dolphins are the professional American football team based in the Miami, Florida South Florida metropolitan area. They play home games at Dolphin Stadium, in the suburb of Miami Gardens, Florida....
 coach Nick Saban
Nick Saban

Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide Football college football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other National Collegiate Athletic Association universities: LSU Tigers football, Michigan State Spartans football and Toledo Rockets....
 to a reported 8 year, $32 million contract, making him the highest paid college football coach at the time.

On April 21, 2007, Alabama fans attended the spring scrimmage ("A-Day") game in record numbers. All 92,138 seats, as well as standing room only areas were filled. Over 20,000 fans were turned away by the Tuscaloosa fire marshal
Fire Marshal

A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a fire department but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether....
.

Men's basketball

Alabama's men's basketball
Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a basketball through a 10 feet  high hoop under organized rules....
 program has been overshadowed for most of its history by football even though it trails only Kentucky in SEC basketball wins, SEC tournament titles and regular season titles. In recent years, the men's basketball program has again risen in stature nationally under head coach Mark Gottfried
Mark Gottfried

Mark Frederick Gottfried is a men's college basketball coach and is the former head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball. The program has achieved both its only #1 ranking in the Associated Press poll and only advancement to the Elite Eight during his tenure....
, achieving a No. 1 national ranking briefly in 2003. Further, UA has once again become a regular conference basketball contender, much as it was in the 80s and early 90s under the direction of Wimp Sanderson and the 70s under C. M. Newton
C. M. Newton

Charles Martin Newton is a retired American basketball player, coach and administrator. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a Contributor on October 13, 2000....
. Alabama has 7 NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and in the 2003-04 season The University of Alabama's men's basketball team reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament; it ended up losing to the national champion of that year, the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut

The University of Connecticut is the Connecticut's land-grant university. It was founded in 1881 and serves more than 28,000 students on its six campuses, including nearly 8,000 graduate students in multiple programs....
. Alabama has the second most NCAA tournament wins without reaching the final four.

Gymnastics

The women's gymnastics
Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility and coordination. Artistic Gymnastics is the best known and most popular of the gymnastics sports governed by the F?d?ration Internationale de Gymnastique ....
 squad at The University of Alabama first competed in 1975. The squad did not have a winning season until the arrival of Sarah Patterson in 1979. In the intervening 26 years under Patterson and her husband David, the squad has won four national championships, five SEC championships, 19 regional titles, and 198 All-America
All-America

An All-American "team" is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players, those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position, who are referred to as All-America or, less precisely, All-American Sportspersons....
n honors. It has placed in the top 5 at the NCAA Championships 19 of the past 21 years and won the championships four times: in 1988, 1991, 1996, and most recently in 2002. The gymnastics squad also hosts an annual fundraiser for breast cancer, where the crowd is encouraged to "Think Pink" and support the cause by turning out in pink clothing.

Gymnastics meets have an average attendance of 9,000 at Coleman Coliseum. Meets against the team's arch-rival, the University of Georgia Gymdogs, often sell out. Alabama holds two of the five NCAA records for the largest gymnastics crowds of all time, including an attendance of 15,043 fans on Feb. 1, 1997.

Women's Rowing

In October 2005, Mal Moore
Mal Moore

Mal Moore is the current athletic director for the University of Alabama. On November 23, 1999, he was hired to his current position after spending almost thirty years in other areas with the university....
 announced the addition of Alabama's 21st varsity sport. The women's rowing team became the newest varsity sport at The University of Alabama in Fall 2006. The team was added due to the NCAA's Title IX
Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, now known as the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in honor of its principal author, but more commonly known simply as Title IX, is a United States law enacted on June 23, 1972 that states: "No person in the United States shall judge on the basis of sex, be denied the be...
 and allows for 20 full scholarships.

Taking only girls who had previously rowed for the Alabama Crew
Crew

A crew comprises a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchy organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard....
 Club(est. 1987) and other walk-ons, Head Coach Larry Davis built the program from the ground up. In the first year of competition (2006-2007), the Tide defeated the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati is a coeducational public university research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ohio, part of the University System of Ohio....
, Creighton University
Creighton University

Creighton University is a university located in Omaha, Nebraska. The university was founded as Creighton College in 1878 through a gift from Mary Lucretia Creighton, who stipulated in her will that a school be established in memory of her husband, prominent Omaha businessman Edward Creighton....
, and Murray State University
Murray State University

'Murray State University', located in the town of Murray, Kentucky, Kentucky, is an approximately 10,000-student, four-year public university. Murray State maintains a strong academic reputation and has been rewarded with high marks when compared with other regional public universities in U.S....
 and also won medals at the Chattanooga Head Race and the Head of the South.

The second year (2007-2008) of competition surprised many as the Varsity 8 went on to win silver medals at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta
Head of the Charles Regatta

The Head of the Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR or HOTC, is a rowing race held on the penultimate complete weekend of October each year on the Charles River, which separates Boston, Massachusetts and Cambridge, Massachusetts, Massachusetts....
 in Boston, MA and also the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships in Oakridge, TN. The Tide again medaled at the Chattanooga Head Race and the Head of the South and recorded several match race victories against Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University is a private university, coeducational university in University Park, Texas, Texas . Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU currently operates campuses in University Park, Plano, Texas, and Taos, New Mexico....
, Creighton, Murray State, Drake University
Drake University

Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in the city of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy....
, and the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina

The University of North Carolina system includes all sixteen public four-year universities in North Carolina, United States and one North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics....
. The team also landed three boats in the top 10 of their categories at the Dad Vail Regatta
Dad Vail Regatta

The Dad Vail Regatta, held annually on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest regular intercollegiate rowing event in the USA , drawing over a hundred colleges and universities from North America....
 in Philadelphia, PA.

Within two years, the team has had 25 athletes earn SEC Academic Honor Roll honors and 16 earn Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete awards. For the 2007-2008 school year, Women's Rowing won the team service award by posting the most number of community service hours (over 1500) out of all women's sports at Alabama.

Traditions

The most distinctive of Alabama's traditions are almost always associated with football. The nickname "Crimson Tide" originated with the 1907 Iron Bowl. Auburn, heavily favored to win, was forced to accept a tie with Alabama after a hard-fought game. Describing the game, one sportswriter described the offensive line as a "Crimson Tide", in reference to their crimson jerseys.

  • UA's mascot is an elephant called "Big Al". The name was chosen in the late 1970s in a campus-wide contest.
  • The "Million Dollar Band
    Million Dollar Band

    Million Dollar Band can refer to:*Million Dollar Band , the marching band of the University of Alabama*Million Dollar Band , the Hee Haw television variety show supergroup comprising Chet Atkins and other famous American country music musicians...
    " holds the distinction of appointing the first ever female college marching band director, Kathryn Scott, who led the band from 1984 until her retirement in 2002.
  • On the evening before the homecoming football game, a pep rally is held on campus at which a bonfire is ignited.
  • The day of homecoming, a parade is held.
  • Before the start of each home game, a video feed featuring famous plays from Alabama history along with the voice of Paul "Bear" Bryant is played.
  • At the beginning of the 4th quarter in football, the Million Dollar Band
    Million Dollar Band

    Million Dollar Band can refer to:*Million Dollar Band , the marching band of the University of Alabama*Million Dollar Band , the Hee Haw television variety show supergroup comprising Chet Atkins and other famous American country music musicians...
     plays "Basketcase" by Green Day
    Green Day

    Green Day is an American Rock music trio formed in 1987. The band has consisted of Billie Joe Armstrong , Mike Dirnt , and Tr? Cool for the majority of its existence....
    , and fans hold up four fingers to signify that Bama is a "fourth quarter team" and will pull out a victory in the end.
  • After great victories, fans love to yell the "Rammer Jammer" cheer


Popular School Cheers


  1. "Roll Tide Roll"
  2. "Rammer Jammer"
    For example, following a victory against Auburn:
  3. "Hey Auburn! Hey Auburn! Hey Auburn! We just beat the hell out of you! Rammer jammer, yellow hammer. Give 'em hell, Alabama!"


Fight Song

Yea Alabama
University of Alabama traditions

The University of Alabama is a school with many rich and spirited traditions. This article describes several of these traditions....

Yea, Alabama! Drown 'em Tide!
Every 'Bama man's behind you,
Hit your stride.
Go teach the Bulldogs to behave,
Send the Yellow Jackets to a watery grave.
And if a man starts to weaken,
That’s a shame!
For Bama's pluck and grit have
Writ her name in Crimson Flame.
Fight on, fight on, fight on men!
Remember the Rose Bowl, we’ll win then.
So roll on to victory,
Hit your stride,
You're Dixie’s football pride,
Crimson Tide, Roll Tide, Roll Tide!!

Notable alumni


See also

  • WVUA-CA
    WVUA-CA

    WVUA-CA is a low-power television station owned and operated by the University of Alabama, affiliated with the America One and ShopNBC networks....
  • Million Dollar Band
    Million Dollar Band

    Million Dollar Band can refer to:*Million Dollar Band , the marching band of the University of Alabama*Million Dollar Band , the Hee Haw television variety show supergroup comprising Chet Atkins and other famous American country music musicians...
  • Alabama International Trade Center
    Alabama International Trade Center

    The Alabama International Trade Center was created in 1979 as one of the first international SBDCs. Since its inception, the AITC has provided export trade research, education, finance, and training throughout Alabama....


External links

  • – Digital Collection of Maps and Aerial Photos from the Geography Department's Cartographic Research Lab