Utah Valley State College

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Utah Valley State College
Motto: "Success Starts Here"
Established: 1941
Type: Public
President: William A. Sederburg
Undergraduates: 23,750
Location: Orem, Utah, USA
Campus: Suburban
Mascot: Wolverine
Colors: Green & Gold (Yellow), with White trim
Website: [1]

Utah Valley State College or UVSC, is a publicly-funded college located in Orem, Utah.

Although Utah Valley has many courses of study, including an increasing number of bachelor's degree programs, it still retains many of its trade and technical school roots. The college currently offers 57 bachelor degrees and more than 270 career-preparation programs. The college’s Wasatch Campus in Heber City, Utah, also offers bachelor degrees in business management and secondary education as well as associate degrees in accounting, behavioral science, business management, elementary education and general education.

As of June, 2007, UVSC is in the process of becoming a university (scheduled to become effective July 1, 2008), after which it will be known as Utah Valley University.

Contents

[edit] Accreditation

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

[edit] Admissions

In 2005, UVSC had students from all 50 states and 78 countries.

[edit] History

UVSC was founded in the fall of 1941, when the Utah State Vocational Office consolidated federal work program classes into one campus in Provo. At this time the school was known as the Central Utah Vocational School.

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

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

UVSC is the eighth fastest growing school in the country[citation needed] and Utah's third largest academic institution[citation needed]. The college is Orem’s largest employer and the third largest employer in Utah County with more than 1,300 faculty and 3,540 part- and full-time staff.

As a university, UVSC will become UVU.

[edit] Extracurricular Activities

Utah Valley State College Wolverines logo. Used until 2007.
Utah Valley State College Wolverines logo. Used until 2007.
Utah Valley University Wolverines logo. 2007-Present
Utah Valley University Wolverines logo. 2007-Present

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

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

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

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

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

The athletic program is in the NCAA Division I. Most teams compete as independents, and the school is currently attempting to gain a conference affiliation.

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

[edit] Digital Learning Center

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

[edit] Academic strength

Since 2001, UVSC student teams have placed 1st or 2nd overall in the National Skills USA competition. Each year students from UVSC place well in National Phi Beta Lambda and Delta Epsilon Chi Business Competitions. At the 2007 National Phi Beta Lambda conference in Nashville Tennessee UVSC students were awarded with 14 top 10 finishes.

According to the 2005 Utah Foundation Report, UVSC bachelor degree graduates earn more money than graduates from any other Utah college or university, except Westminster College.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] References

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

[edit] External links

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Colleges and universities of Utah
BYU • CEU • Dixie State • LDS Business College • SLCC • Snow College • SUU • Stevens-Henager • U of U • USU • UVSC • WSU • Westminster