University of West Alabama

Infobox University
name =The University of West Alabama


motto="There's something about this place."
established=1835
type=Public
president=Dr. Richard Holland
city=Livingston
state=AL
country=USA
enrollment=4,249
student/teacher ratio=18 to 1
campus=Rural, 600 acres
nickname=Tigers
mascot=Lu'ie
colors=Red and White color box|#FF0000 color box|#FFFFFF
affiliations=NCAA Division II; GSC
address=The University of West Alabama Livingston, AL 35470
telephone=[phone]
website=http://www.uwa.edu

The University of West Alabama, is a public four-year institution located in Livingston, Alabama, offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is often referred to as Livingston, U-DUB (pronounced "you dub" and/or "oooh dub") or U-WAH (pronounced "you wah" and/or "oooh wah") by the students.

History

Early Beginnings: 1835 - 1919

The University of West Alabama was chartered in 1835 as Livingston Female Academy and State Normal College, a church-related female academy, and admitted its first students in 1839. After difficult times during the Civil War and Reconstruction periods, the school reopened in the late 1860s or early 1870s. Although it appears that a few male students were admitted following the reopening, a resolution by the Board of Trustees in 1876 excluded boys, and this policy was followed until the beginning of the 20th century. Livingston Female Academy and State Normal College continued as a women's college with some State support until 1907, when the State assumed full control. It remained under its own board of trustees, however, until the Alabama Legislature created a State Board of Trustees for all the normal schools in 1911. In 1919 this board was abolished and all state normal schools were placed under the supervision of the State Board of Education. During these early years the school offered both secondary education and normal school programs for the training of teachers.

Depression Era: 1920 - 1956

In 1929 the school at Livingston became State Teachers College, Livingston, Alabama, with authority to confer the degree of Bachelor of Science. The Bachelor of Arts degree was authorized in 1947. Although the institution had begun accepting male students soon after 1900, the student body remained predominantly female through the 1950s.

Name Changes: 1957 - 1994

In 1957 the name was again changed by an act of Legislature — this time to Livingston State College — and the following year the mission of the institution was broadened when the Graduate Division was established and the College was authorized to confer master’s degrees in the field of professional education. In 1967 an act of the Legislature created Livingston University, with its own Board of Trustees. In 1971 a longtime historic landmark in Sumter County, the Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge (built 1861), was restored and moved on campus by the Sumter County Historical Society. It currently spans the northeast corner of Duck Pond behind Reed Hall.

Present Day: 1995 - Present

In 1995 the institution recognized its broader mission as a regional university serving the educational needs of all the citizens of the area by changing its name to The University of West Alabama. Dating back to 2002, a record enrollment has been reached for five consecutive years at the university. In the fall of 2005, enrollment reached the 3,000 mark for the first time and went on to reach the 4,000 mark in the fall of 2007. More information about the university enrollment can be found at http://news.uwa.edu/Enrollment_08.asp.

Presidents

Housing and Residential Life

Mission

The University of West Alabama Housing Office's mission is to provide an environment conducive to personal growth and academic success. This mission is accomplished by:
*Providing reasonably priced residence halls and apartments which are clean, well maintained, safe, and comfortable.
*Coordinating programs to assist students in their personal growth and development outside of the classroom.
*Assisting new students in their adjustment to college.
*Creating an environment in the residence halls that is conducive to learning.
*Involving students within the residence halls so that they develop a sense of community and tolerance for others.

Residence Halls

The University of West Alabama has six residence halls and an apartment complex for graduate and married students, all of which are conveniently located near classes and campus services.
Traditional Residence Halls
Most of the students live in traditional residence halls. The traditional residence halls are Spieth Hall, Selden Hall and Sisk Hall. They are equipped with the following amenities:
*Basic cable television service in each room
*Centrally heated and air conditioned (individually in Sisk Hall)
*TV lounge
*Wireless Internet service
*Computer lab
*Elevator (no elevator in Sisk Hall)
*Inside hallways
*Community bathrooms
*Smoke-free environment
*Coin-operated washer and dryer on each floor (on-site laundry room on first floor)Residential Scholar Communities
The three buildings that make up the Residential Scholar Communities are Reed Hall, Stickney Hall and Hoover Apartments. First-year freshmen on a Trustee Scholarship are given priority to stay in Reed Hall. Reed Hall, Stickney Hall, and Hoover Apartments are equipped with the following amenities:
*Basic cable television service
*Private bathrooms in each room (private bathrooms in each bedroom at Hoover Apartments)
*Compact refrigerator and stove-top (oven/stove in Stickney Hall and Hoover Apartments)
*Wireless Internet service
*Individually heated and air conditioned (central in Hoover Apartments)
*Smoke-free environment
*On-site laundry room with coin-operated washers & dryers
*Bunked beds (Stickney Hall only)
*Computer lab (Stickney Hall only)
*TV lounge (Stickney Hall only)
*Elevator (Stickney Hall only)
*Inside hallways (Stickney Hall only)
*Furnished living room and dining room
*Patio/deckApartment Complex
Patterson Apartments are for graduate students or those who are married, have children or are over 24 years of age. They consist of unfurnished one and two bedroom apartments. Each apartment has a refrigerator and oven. All other furnishings are provided by the student, though some old furniture may be borrowed by residents without any furnishings.

Housing Staff

Within each residence hall, there are students called the housing staff. The Hall Director (HD) is responsible for the management of a residence hall housing 80-200 students. The HD facilitates an environment conducive to academic success and student development. The Resident Assistant (RA) helps students in the residence hall and assists the Hall Director in the day-to-day operations of the building. The RA is required to live in the residence hall where he/she works and is expected to be in the residence hall between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on a daily basis unless excused by the hall director. The typical week consists of twelve scheduled hours per week and three hours spent meeting with residents, enforcing policies, coordinating programs, attending meetings and completing administrative tasks. In Stickney and Sisk Halls, the Desk Assistant (DA) monitors the computer lab and must enforce all housing procedures and rules but is not required to live in Stickney or Sisk Hall, have meetings with residents, or coordinate programs.

Rates

The following residence hall rates are listed to provide an estimate of a student's room and board expenses for each semester. These rates are for the 2008-2009 academic year. Most students attend the University two semesters each year during the fall and spring. All room and board rates are subject to change. The rates listed below are per person, based on double occupancy. When available, a private room costs an additional 50%. Private rooms are not usually available during the fall semester. If students live in a residence hall, they are also required to purchase a meal plan. Hoover and Patterson Apartments are exceptions to this. The meal plan rates listed below refer to the minimum meal plan required of the particular residence hall and how many meals are provided each week.

Notable Alumni

* The Honorable Andrew I. Killgore, former United States Ambassador to Qatar
* Jeff Branson, retired Major League Baseball infielder
* the late Charles Martin, retired National Football League defensive tackle
* Scott Gray, contestant and winner on NBC's Treasure Hunters
* Johnny Shepherd, former Canadian Football League award winner, NFL and Arena football player.
* Lois Wilson, former Silent Film star and a former Miss Alabama in the 20's
* Phil Robinson, referee in the National Basketball Association

External links

* [http://www.uwa.edu/ University of West Alabama]
* [http://athletics.uwa.edu/ University of West Alabama Athletics]
* [http://www.uwatigers.com/ UWA Message Board]
*Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge