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University of North Texas
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The University of North Texas (informally UNT or North Texas) is a public university located in Denton, Texas, USA. UNT is the flagship of the University of North Texas System, which also includes the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth and the UNT Dallas Campus.
The university was founded in 1890 by Joshua Chilton as the Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute. Since its inception, the institution has had its name modified six times to reflect its growth and change.
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Encyclopedia
The University of North Texas (informally UNT or North Texas) is a public university located in Denton, Texas, USA. UNT is the flagship of the University of North Texas System, which also includes the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth and the UNT Dallas Campus.
The university was founded in 1890 by Joshua Chilton as the Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute. Since its inception, the institution has had its name modified six times to reflect its growth and change. In 1894, the name became North Texas Normal College, followed by North Texas State Normal College in 1901. The institution was known as North Texas State Teachers College in 1923, North Texas State College in 1949, and North Texas State University in 1961, before becoming the University of North Texas in 1989. With an enrollment of over 34,000 students, it is the fourth-largest university in the state by enrollment.
The university is a member of the , offering various graduate degrees in coordination with Texas Woman's University and Texas A&M University-Commerce. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Academics
The University of North Texas confers degrees from eleven colleges and schools:
- College of Law
- College of Public Affairs and Community Service
- College of Visual Arts and Design
- School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management
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Additionally, students in any major may apply to join the Honors College, a program based on a course of academic study and composed of students who have access to honors classes and to a wide array of special programs and privileges. Membership is open to undergraduates regardless of their major, and graduates of the College are entitled to wear the Honors College Medallion upon commencement.
College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of the University of North Texas. It is a learning and discovery community of increasingly recognized and highly capable scholars and artists who interact in a variety of formats with talented students and colleagues across disciplines for the purpose of communicating, pursuing, and advancing knowledge.
Housed within CAS, the is the nation's leading program for the study in environmental ethics and environmental philosophy. It is distinguished by a focus upon 'field' philosophy, where philosophers work with scientists, engineers, and policy makers. It is also the home of the journal Environmental Ethics founded in 1979.
The College of Arts and Sciences is also home to the which has consistently been ranked highly in the nation as a productive, research oriented program. The program itself ranks 3rd nationally in “Graduate Training Programs” and 6th nationally in “Affiliation Rankings.” The first of these rankings reflects the productivity of a department's graduate students based on the “average number of Ph.D's granted annually in the last 3 years.” The second ranking measures faculty productivity adjusting for the number of faculty in the department. The department is also home through 2008 to , one of the premier journals of international relations in the world.
College of Business
The UNT College of Business is currently planning the imminent construction of a new Business Leadership Building. With an approximate budget of $60 million, it will feature cutting-edge, 21st century technology in step with our global and real time economy. The new building will help the College provide the region’s highest quality business education.
The College is accredited by AACSB International, and a rigorous and comprehensive peer review process ensures that students are earning a national caliber degree. All constituents can be assured that the College meets the highest of standards and is committed to continuous improvement.
In November of 2008 the college changed its name from College of Business Administration to College of Business.
College of Engineering
In the spring semester of 2003, UNT opened the College of Engineering at its Research Park (now Discovery Park) campus in Denton. Bachelor degrees are offered in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and engineering technology (with focus areas in electronics, mechanical, manufacturing, or construction). UNT also offers a degree in Mechanical and Energy Engineering. This new program provides knowledge in the basics of mechanical engineering and alternative energy. The Mechanical and Energy program at UNT is the first program of its kind in the United States. Master's degrees are offered in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering technology, materials science, and mechanical and energy engineering. Doctoral degrees are offered in computer science and materials science.
School of Library and Information Sciences
The School of Library and Information Sciences (SLIS) offers programs in a range of traditional and non-traditional information fields, including school library media, information science, legal information services and US News and World Report third-ranked medical informatics and medical librarianship program. UNT SLIS, which is accredited by the American Library Association, offers classes at its campus in Denton, in Dallas and Houston, and in Georgia, Nevada, and Minnesota. The school also hosts the University's Interdisciplinary Information Science Ph.D. program.
The University of North Texas is home to the largest music school in the nation, as of the fall 2007 enrollment numbers. Enrollment figures are similar to Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music.
The College of Music is known for its competitive standards and rigorous coursework. It includes recognized programs in composition, theory, history, performance, , and education. Additionally, the college hosts an extensive collection of early music period instruments and is supported by the third largest music library in the U.S., with thousands of scores, periodicals, books, and recordings.
UNT features a symphony orchestra conducted by David Itkin and a symphonic wind ensemble directed by Eugene Migliaro Corporon and associate director Dennis W. Fisher. Their most public and flagship choir is the UNT A Cappella Choir, conducted by Dr. Jerry McCoy. Dr. Lyle Nordstrom directs the various early music performance ensembles, including the UNT Baroque Orchestra, the Collegium Singers and several smaller early music chamber ensembles. Current renowned professors in the music history and theory area are Dr. Frank Heidlberger, Dr. Margaret Notley, Dr. Timothy Jackson, Dr. David Schwarz, Dr. Albert W. Wily, and Dr. Paul E. Dworak.
North Texas was the first university in North America to offer a degree in in 1947. The College of Music is noted for building a world-class jazz program along with the world-renowned One O'Clock Lab Band, which is often highlighted on the campus radio station KNTU. Jazz musician Stan Kenton donated his entire library to the music department, and the Stan Kenton Jazz Recital Hall is named in his honor. Just a few notable alumni of the North Texas jazz program include Lou Marini, Lyle Mays, and Bob Belden, as well as countless members of the orchestras of Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, and Maynard Ferguson.
In striving to build leaders in all areas of music education, the school of music also has several other music ensembles including a marching band known as the Green Brigade Marching Band under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Williams, as well as steel drum ensembles, Brazilian music, jazz strings, Afro-Cuban, and opera theatre ensembles.
College of Public Affairs and Community Service
The College of Public Affairs and Community Service (PACS) is based in Chilton Hall. PACS includes at least 17 departments, centers and institutes, including Anthropology, Applied Arts and Sciences, Applied Economics, Applied Gerontology, Behavior Analysis, Criminal Justice, Rehabilitation, Social Work and Addictions, and Sociology. PACS also offers several post graduate programs, including a masters degree program and Ph.D. program in sociology.
The Emergency Administration and Planning program (EADP) is part of the PACS Department of Public Administration. UNT offered the first bachelor's degree program for emergency management in the United States in 1983. In the years since, the EADP program has drawn students from throughout the US and internationally from Barbados, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Sweden, and Taiwan. Students in the program often benefit from UNT's proximity to FEMA's Region VI headquarters, also in Denton (which provides federal disaster assistance to Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) as well as to the dozens of state and local government entities in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
The Department of Public Administration also offers a master of public administration (MPA) degree that provides professional education for persons pursuing a management career in government or non-profit organizations. The MPA degree at UNT is one of the oldest and most respected in the country. In 2008, U.S. News and World Report ranked the UNT MPA program as being the best in Texas and the Southwest in the field of city management/urban policy, and 9th nationally. In 2005, the department launched a doctoral program offering a Ph.D. in public administration and management.
College of Visual Arts and Design
Art has been a vital part of UNT since it was first taught there in 1894, just four years after the institution was founded. Today, with an enrollment of more than 2000 students, CVAD is one of the largest and most comprehensive visual arts programs in the nation. Thirteen degree programs offer both undergraduate and graduate work that leads to the BA, BFA, MA, MFA, and Ph.D. degrees as well as a graduate certificate in art museum education. A nationally and internationally recognized faculty provides students excellent role models upon which to pattern their career. The school advertises that a number of internationally known artists, designers, and scholars are UNT alumni, including Jesus Moroles and Bill Worrell.
Toulouse School of Graduate Studies
The Toulouse School of Graduate Studies at the University of North Texas offers over 111 master's and 50 doctoral programs in all nine colleges listed above plus a Master of Arts and a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies.
Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
One of the highlights of UNT is the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. TAMS is a math program that annually admits 200 gifted students into full-time college studies following their 10th grade year. This program has produced numerous Intel Talent Search finalists and semi-finalists, Goldwater Scholars, and National Merit Scholars.
Program Accreditation
Many programs offered at the University of North Texas are accredited by specialized national organizations. These program accreditations include:
Athletics
UNT competes at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) level as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. When North Texas joined the Sun Belt in 2001, North Texas became an instant power. From 2001 to 2004 UNT won four straight Sunbelt Conference Championships. UNT has since turned into an SBC basketball power and are in the process of adding baseball to their list of sports. In the SBC Arkansas State, Troy, and Middle Tennessee are rivals for UNT. It is a competitive participant in the following varsity sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Diving, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field and Volleyball.
Additionally, UNT offers numerous athletic sports clubs, including the following as of Spring 2008: aikido, baseball, billiards, bowling, cycling, fencing, ice hockey, inline hockey, men's & women's lacrosse, racquetball, men's rugby, men's soccer, tennis, triathlon, men's & women's ultimate disc, wakeboarding.
Football
Founded in 1913, the football team has won several conference championships. The Mean Green has won eight Lone Star Conference championships, five Gulf Coast Conference championships, five Missouri Valley Conference championships, two Southland Conference championships and most recently, four consecutive Sun Belt Conference championships. The team also appeared in a total of 7 bowl games, winning 2, most recently the New Orleans Bowl in 2002. The new head coach, Todd Dodge, left Southlake Carroll High School with an 89-6 record and finished his third consecutive unbeaten season in 2006.
Since 1952, home football games have been played at Fouts Field, a stadium with a current capacity of 30,500.
In October, 2008, students approved a new dedicated athletics fee to fund the construction of a new football stadium. The vote passed 2,829(58%) YES to 2,038(42%) NO. It was the largest voter turnout (14% of the student body) in recent UNT history.
Men's basketball
Despite in the past not having a significant or powerful men's basketball program, North Texas has recently experienced success under head coach Johnny Jones. During the 2006-2007 season, North Texas won its first ever Sun Belt Conference title and advanced for the first time since 1988 to the NCAA Tournament. Only three of the state's 20 Division I teams more wins than North Texas’ 23 in 2006-07 -
Texas, Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Since 1973, the team has played its home games in the Super Pit. The 10,032 seat arena is the second toughest venue to win at in the Sun Belt, only behind Western Kentucky
North Texas firsts
- First aging studies program in the U.S., now the Department of Applied Gerontology, Center for Studies in Aging.
- First jazz studies program in the U.S.
- First emergency administration and disaster prevention program in the U.S.
- First environmental ethics program in the country to offer the Ph.D., which is considered the best in the nation
- First program in the Southwest.
- First oil and petroleum accounting program in the U.S.
- First patent for silicon-based ultra-sensitive chemical sensor for use in integrated circuit fabrication.
- First business computer information systems program in the U.S.
- First PhD program in art education in the U.S.
- First bachelor's degree in electronic merchandising in the U.S.
- First online school library preparation program in the U.S.
- First accredited counseling program in the U.S., which still ranks among the nation's best.
- First school in the country to offer a degree in Mechanical and Energy Engineering.
- First college in the South to integrate; Class of 1956 was first integrated graduating class.
- First football team in modern history to go to a bowl game after posting a losing overall record. The Mean Green finished 5-6 overall in 2001 but won the Sun Belt with a 5-1 conference record, thus earning an automatic bid to the New Orleans Bowl.
Residence Halls
Students living on campus have the choice of residing in the following UNT dormitories:
- Bradley Street Apartments - mainly for couples and students with children.
- Bruce Hall - the oldest resident hall on campus, with 492 resident spaces.
- Clark Hall
- College Inn
- Crumley Hall - an all female dorm that is also the home to the central offices for Housing and Dining.
- Kerr Hall
- Honors Hall
- Legends Hall - upperclassmen
- Maple Street Hall
- McConnell Hall - the dorm reserved solely for TAMS students.
- Mozart Square - upperclassmen
- Santa Fe Square - upperclassmen
- Traditions Hall
- Victory Hall - located across I-35, next to where the new stadium will be located
- West Hall
Mascot
UNT's mascot is the eagle and was adopted in 1922 in a student election over the dragon, the lion and the cottontail rabbit. This selection is said to have reflected the student population's ideals of individual liberty and freedom of expression, values the UNT community continues to cherish. Barefoot students are a relatively common sight on or off campus, for example. The costumed eagle character, Scrappy, appears at sporting and university events, though he didn't always go by that name; in 1974, students who felt "Scrappy" was too warlike dubbed the bird "Eppy," and he kept that name until 1995. Athletic teams are referred to as the "Mean Green." This name is usually associated with football star and 1969 graduate "Mean" Joe Greene, a legendary member of the famous Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers; however, accounts vary about the actual origins of "Mean Green".
In the spring of 2002, the school's chapter of the Albino Squirrel Preservation Society attempted to make the group's namesake the school's secondary mascot. The student body narrowly rejected the measure. If it had passed, it would have made North Texas the nation's second university to have a secondary mascot. In August 2006, the albino squirrel, believed to bring luck to students who spotted him before an exam, was killed by a red-tailed hawk. By May 2007, another albino squirrel had been born on the campus.
Greek life
As of Spring 2008, the following are officially recognized chapters at UNT: ,
Panhellenic Council
Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, Zeta Tau Alpha
Interfraternity Council
Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Sigma Phi, Kappa Alpha Psi, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Lambda Theta Phi, Kappa Alpha Order, Phi Gamma Delta Phi Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Theta Chi, Sigma Tau Gamma
National Pan-Hellenic Council
Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Phi Beta
Multicultural Council
Delta Phi Omega, Lambda Theta Alpha, Lambda Theta Phi, Sigma Lambda Beta, Sigma Lambda Gamma
Academic/Honorary/Professional/Religious
Alpha Chi Sigma, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Alpha Kappa Delta, Alpha Kappa Psi, Alpha Phi Sigma, Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Beta Beta, Beta Gamma Sigma, Beta Upsilon Chi, Chi Alpha, Chi Sigma Iota, Chi Tau Epsilon, Delta Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Pi, Eta Sigma Delta, Eta Sigma Gamma, Gamma Beta Phi, Gamma Sigma Alpha, Kappa Delta Pi, Lambda Alpha Beta, Lambda Alpha Epsilon, Lambda Pi Eta, Mu Alpha Theta, Mu Kappa Tau, Omicron Delta Upsilon, Order of Omega, Phi Alpha Delta, Phi Alpha, Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Chi Theta, Psi Chi, Phi Mu Alpha, Phi Sigma Pi, Pi Sigma Alpha, Rho Epsilon Mu, Sigma Alpha, Sigma Alpha Iota, Sigma Alpha Lambda, Sigma Delta Pi, Sigma Lambda Gamma, Sigma Pi Omega, Sigma Tau Delta, Tau Alpha Pi, Tau Sigma
Traditions and symbols
UNT Fight Song
After winning a university sponsored contest, alumnus Francis Stroup wrote the school's fight song in 1939. Throughout the years, the song has changed its lyrics to reflect the name changes of the university.
Let's give a cheer for U of NT...
Cheer for the Green and White!
Victory's in store, whate'er the score,
Our team will ever fight, fight, fight!
Shoulder to shoulder we march along,
Striving for victory.
Playing the game for the honor
and fame and the glory of UNT!
U...N...T....Eagles! U-N-T Eagles,
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Alma Mater
In 1919, Julia Smith, member of the university's band (now called the Green Brigade), composed "Glory to the Green and White" which was adopted as the school's alma mater in 1922.
Singing glory to the green,
Singing glory to the white,
For we know our university is
striving for the right,
Down the corridor of years,
We'll forget the joys and tears,
But North Texas, North Texas,
We love!
Traditions
 - , the clock tower atop the Hurley Administration Building in the center of campus, is bathed in green light for each victory by a UNT athletic team. It appears on the official class ring with two different times on its faces: 1:00 (for the One O'Clock Lab Band) and 7:00 (the 1892 curfew time for Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute students).
- The hand gesture is made by curling the thumb, index and middle fingers forward, leaving the ring finger and pinky closed against the palm.
- A is built with thousands of pallets donated by Miller Brewing of Denton and the local Peterbilt plant. The pallets are stacked in a 40-foot by 40-foot footprint then stacked to a final height of 25 feet. It is assembled by members of the spirit group the week before Homecoming and is lit on the Friday night of Homecoming week (when a burn ban is not in effect).
- , hand crafted from solid oak on the Denton campus, the 7/8th scale M1841 6 pound, smooth bore muzzleloader cannon has been used to signify scores by the Mean Green since Fall 1970. Since that time "Boomer the Cannon" has gone through three different phases of restoration by Talon alumni. The final was in the Fall of 2007 in which the final phase saw him fitted with a custom Limber to assist with transportation and equipment handling.
- The is a green 1931 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan and is driven by members of the at home football games and special events. This should not be confused with the
Mean Green Machine, a large mechanical eagle trailed by remote panel in a truck, controlled by three physics students, that made Homecoming and other appearances between 1968 and 1976. The Green Machine is currently undergoing an overhaul by members of Talons Cannon Crew. , a 22-foot-tall bronze statue of a flying eagle created by Gerald Balciar, is a popular landmark and meeting place, and is often decorated in green for school spirit. It was dedicated during the university's centennial celebrations in 1990.
Student media
Aerie, student yearbook KNTU (88.1 FM), campus radio station with a primarily jazz format The North Texas Daily, student newspaper published Tuesday-Friday during the fall and spring semesters and weekly during the summer , student-submitted, student-run literary journal NTTV, 24-hour cable television station featuring student-produced and student-centered programming
In the Media
- In 1991, the UNT campus was used to depict the then-fictional Texas State University campus for the film
Necessary Roughness. Southwest Texas State University changed its name to Texas State University-San Marcos in 2003.Again in 1995, the rugby union film "A Matter of Honor" was film primarily at Fouts Field and on the football practice fields.
Notable alumni and professors
Today, the University of North Texas has 175,000 living alumni; 100,000 residing in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. A significant number of notable alumni have made their mark in music including Roy Orbison, Meat Loaf, Tom "Bones" Malone and "Blue Lou" Marini (both members of The Blues Brothers Band and the Saturday Night Live Band), and Grammy Award-winners Don Henley, Norah Jones and Pat Boone. Notable North Texas athletes include American Football League MVP Abner Haynes, Pro Football Hall of Famer "Mean" Joe Greene and PGA champion Don January who are all former "Mean Green." Stone Cold Steve Austin the professional wrestler, also played football for North Texas. North Texas political alumni include Michael C. Burgess, current congressman for the 26th Texas district, Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi ambassador to Washington and former adviser to the Royal Court of Saudi Arabia, former congressman Ray Roberts of the 26th Texas district (also namesake of nearby Lake Ray Roberts), and Charlie Fern, former White House speechwriter for First Lady Laura Bush who worked as a reporter and editor on UNT's newspaper, the North Texas Daily. Notable professors include former House of Representatives Majority Leader Dick Armey and wind symphony conductor Eugene Corporon, who is considered an authority on wind/band music repertoire. Other significant alumni include former 1971 Miss America Phyllis George, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry, and Phil McGraw ('79), from the American television show Dr. Phil.
External links
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