The University of Rochester (UR) is a private, nonsectarian, research university located in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional degrees through six schools and various interdisciplinary programs. The university is home to several noted schools and programs, including the number one ranked Eastman School of Music and The Institute of Optics, the oldest optics program in the U.S.
The university enrolls approximately 4,600 undergraduates and 3,900 graduate students. The University of Rochester competes in the NCAA's Division III for athletics. UR is a highly research-oriented institution, hosting numerous centers of research, and has the most powerful ultraviolet laser in the world, the OMEGA laser of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. UR with its affiliated Strong Health System is the largest employer in the Greater Rochester area.
History
The University of Rochester was founded in 1850 as a Baptist-sponsored institution. The impetus to form the university came primarily from the little town of Hamilton, New York, which has been home to Colgate University since 1819. In 1848, the Baptist Education Society planned to move Colgate University (Then known as Madison University) to the city of Rochester, but was halted by legal action. Dissenting Colgate trustees, faculty, and students founded the University of Rochester, receiving a charter from the Regents of the University of the State of New York on January 31, 1850. Classes began that November, with approximately 60 students enrolling, including 28 transfers from Madison.
University of Rochester's campus was originally in downtown Rochester at the United States Hotel, which was located on Buffalo Street near Elizabeth Street, which today is West Main Street near the I-490 overpass. In 1853, the campus moved east to a then-suburban location on what is now University Avenue. Local businessman and Congressman Azariah Boody donated 8 acres (32,000 m2) of land for the new campus, and the University purchased a further 17 acres (69,000 m2) from him. UR would remain on this campus until the current River Campus was constructed in 1930, and the university continues to own a small part of the University Avenue campus (where the university-owned Memorial Art Gallery is located).
The first women students were admitted in 1900, the result of an effort led by Susan B. Anthony and Helen Barrett Montgomery. During the 1890s, a number of women took classes and labs at the university as "visitors" but were not officially enrolled nor were their records included in the college register. President David Jayne Hill allowed the first woman, Helen E. Wilkinson, to enroll as a normal student, although she was not allowed to matriculate or to pursue a degree. Thirty-three women enrolled among the first class in 1900, and Ella S. Wilcoxen was the first to receive a degree, in 1901. When the River Campus was completed in 1930, male students moved there while the female students remained on the University Avenue campus until 1955.
Major growth occurred under the leadership of Rush Rhees, during his 1900-1935 tenure. During this time, George Eastman became a major donor, giving more than $50 million to the university. The first Ph.D. was awarded in 1925. In 1955, the separate colleges for men and women were merged into The College. In 1958, three new schools were created in engineering, business administration, and education.
In 1995, university president Thomas H. Jackson announced the launch of a "Renaissance Plan" for The College that, among several changes, reduced enrollment and created a more selective admissions process. The plan also revised the undergraduate curriculum significantly, creating the current system with only one required course and only a few distribution requirements.
Campus
The River Campus is the center of the university's academic and administrative activities. It is located in a bend of the Genesee River about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of downtown Rochester and covers around 200 acres (0.81 km2). It is bounded by Bausch & Lomb Riverside Park, an 18-acre (73,000 m2) public park along the east bank of the Genesee River.
Research
UR is a leading private university and a major center for diverse fields of research. The university has eight Nobel Prize winners among its faculty and alumni. UR consistently ranks among the top 40 colleges and universities nationwide in federally financed science, engineering, medical, and other research, with a total research budget of around $350 million spread across many departments and research centers, including the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, a laser-based nuclear fusion facility, and the extensive research facilities at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Recently, the university has also engaged in a series of new initiatives to expand its programs in biomedical engineering and optics, including the construction of the new $37 million Robert B. Goergen Hall for Biomedical Engineering and Optics on the River Campus. Other new research initiatives include a cancer stem cell program and a Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. UR also has the ninth highest technology revenue among U.S. higher education institutions, with $30 million being paid for commercial rights to university technology and research in 2005. Notable patents include Zoloft and Gardasil. WeBWorK, a web-based system for checking homework and providing immediate feedback for students, was developed by University of Rochester professors Gage and Pizer. The system is now in use at over 100 universities and colleges.
Academic Reputation
UR is one of the 25 New Ivies in the 2007 Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get into College Guide." The list names institutions whose academic programs and students are considered to rival traditional Ivy League schools. The rankings are based on admissions statistics as well as interviews with administrators, students, faculty, and alumni.
U.S. News and World Report, in their popular National University Rankings, placed the University of Rochester 35th in the nation for 2008. In 2007, the London Times rated the University of Rochester 48th among the best universities in the world and 21st among American educational institutions. The University of Rochester also placed 21st on The Washington Monthly College Rankings list. The list includes institutions that The Washington Monthly believes are "benefitting the country." The rankings take into account how a school contributes to social mobility by helping the poor improve their economic standing. Other criteria include the institution's support for research in the humanities and in the sciences and its promotion of an ethic of service to country.
Consistently, in world university rankings, University of Rochester places within the top 100 overall, and in the top 10 for the staff-to-student ratio. The University has also been ranked as 21st in the United States among research universities.
The Eastman School of Music ranks first among graduate music programs in the U.S. . Other schools in the university also rank highly, with the School of Medicine and Dentistry at 30th overall among medical schools and its primary-care program ranked 15th among primary-care medical schools, and the Simon School ranked 23rd among graduate business schools.
Schools and Colleges
Arts, Sciences and Engineering
School of Arts and Sciences
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
With more than 60 undergraduate majors and 30 graduate programs, Rochester offers the intellectual excitement of a major research university and the intimacy and opportunities of a liberal arts college.
Eastman School of Music
One of the nation’s premiere music schools, Eastman combines a foundation in musicianship with and adventuresome approach to music leadership.
School of Medicine and Dentistry
The "Double Helix Curriculum" combines basic science and clinical work through all four years of medical school.
Departments and Centers
School of Nursing
Our pediatric nurse practitioner program was named the 10th best in the nation in the most recent ranking by U.S. News & World Report.
Simon School of Business
Simon is noted for its economics-based approach to business education, emphasizing the interactive nature of business decisions.
MBA, MS, and PhD Programs
Warner School of Education
Warner offers programs in teaching and curriculum, counseling, human development, and educational leadership.
The University of Rochester was ranked 119th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking
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