The flagship state university in Texas, The University of Texas is the largest campus in the UT System.
I (Mama Blaster) spent 7 years here and got 2 degrees: an undergraduate degree in History and a Law degree. Younger Sister Blaster is planning on being UT class of 2028. Older Sister Blaster isn't sure about her college plans yet, so there's still time to work her over! ha! ]:>
The campus is a wonderul place just to come and explore. What I loved best about being a student at UT were all the wonderful treasures to see. Every building has something cool in it or on it -- check out the historic cattle brands around Garrison Hall or the wonderful architectural details inside the Science Library.
UT has world-class art collections, history archives and holdings, plus exceptional museums. We have a Gutenberg Bible, Vivian Leigh's gowns from Gone with the Wind, and an exact replica of Perry Mason's study -- lots of weird and wonderful things to discover. All you have to do to unlock the treasures of the University of Texas is ask, "what cool things do y'all have in here?"
When I was a student, my co-history-geek friend and I used to go audit former US Rep. Barbara Jordan's graduate-level public policy classes over at the LBJ School of Goverment. Years younger than the enrolled students, we were obviously just geeky history fans. A statue of her now stands near the Texas Union.
Also when I was a student, the Tower was off-limits. I had to charm my way into the office at the top of the Tower that was manned by 3 UT Police officers. They let me in and walked me around outside -- my buddies were all so jealous!!! HA!
Now you can take a free tour to the top. You can see where Charles Whitman was killed on that tragic day when he terrorized the city with his sniper-rifle. You can put your fingers in divots on the Main Mall balustrade where his bullets landed. It's a haunting part of the past, and we don't dwell on it, but we can't forget it either.
And of course we did what all college kids do: go on beer hunts! We used to stash beers in Waller Creek for picnics by the old Blanton building, jump out of Goverment class to see Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling pitch (with beer), and crash fraternity parties for the -- you guessed it -- free beer. We discovered that the Texas Exes kept ALL their beer in the 3 stainless-steel fridges with big signs on them that read: NO BEER HERE! BEER UNDER LOCK AND KEY DOWNSTAIRS!!!
I have no more comment on that.
Enough boring memories! ]:> On to the meat-and-potatoes of the waymark: from the UT website: (
visit link)
Campus Profile
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest public universities in the United States and is the largest institution of The University of Texas System.
Founded in 1883, the university has grown from a single building, eight teachers, two departments and 221 students to a 350-acre main campus with 17 colleges and schools, about 24,000 faculty and staff, and more than 50,000 students.
The university’s reach goes far beyond the borders of the main campus with satellite campuses and research centers across Texas, including the J.J. Pickle Research Campus, the Marine Science Institute, the McDonald Observatory, the Montopolis Research Center and the Brackenridge tract.
With an enrollment of 11,000 students and more than 3,500 master’s and doctor’s degrees awarded annually, the Graduate School is a national leader in graduate degrees awarded and one of the largest graduate schools in the nation. More than 8,700 bachelor’s degrees are awarded annually in more than 170 fields of study and 100 majors.
The university has one of the most diverse student populations in the country and is a national leader in the number of undergraduate degrees awarded to minority students.
What Starts Here Changes the World
We connect the values and mission of the university to the needs of the state and the nation. Find out how the students, faculty and staff of the university change the world through research and education.
The University of Texas at Austin is dedicated to improving the quality of life of the people of Texas and the United States. We are a leading provider of education and research with a depth and diversity of resources unmatched by most other public universities.
As an enduring symbol of the spirit of Texas — big, ambitious and bold — the university drives economic and social progress in Texas and serves our nation as a leading center of knowledge and creativity.
Mission and Core Purpose
From teaching and research to public service, the university's activities support its mission and core purpose:
to transform lives for the benefit of society through the core values of learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity and responsibility.
Read a welcome message from President William Powers Jr. and visit the Office of the President Web site.
The Compact with Texans states that the mission of The University of Texas at Austin is to achieve excellence in the interrelated areas of undergraduate education, graduate education, research and public service.
Read The University of Texas at Austin's 2010-11 Compact with The University of Texas System (PDF).
Accreditation
The University of Texas at Austin is accredited by the Commission on Colleges (COC) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the regional accrediting organization for eleven states in the southeastern United States, including Texas. Read more about the university's accreditation.
Commission of 125
In 2002 a group of citizens convened to express a vision of how the university can best serve Texas and society during the next 25 years. After nearly two years of deliberations, the Commission of 125 recommended one imperative: "The University of Texas at Austin must create a disciplined culture of excellence that will enable it to realize its constitutional mandate."
The imperative alludes to the Constitution of the State of Texas, which states, "The Legislature shall...establish, organize and provide for the maintenance, support and direction of a university of the first class." To that end, the commission recommended two strategic initiatives — to develop a new undergraduate core curriculum and to establish a more demanding standard for leadership of academic departments and research centers." [end]
Oh, yeah -- and we play sports too: (
visit link)
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