The
University of Chicago (U of C, Chicago, or U Chicago) is a private
research university in Chicago, Illinois and one of the world's leading
and influential institutions of higher learning, with top ten positions
in numerous rankings and measures.
The
university, established in 1890, consists of The College, various
graduate programs, interdisciplinary committees organized into four
academic research divisions and seven professional schools. Beyond the
arts and sciences, Chicago is also well known for its professional
schools, which include the Pritzker School of Medicine, the University
of Chicago Booth School of Business, the Law School, the School of
Social Service Administration, the Harris School of Public Policy
Studies, the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional
Studies and the Divinity School. The university currently enrolls
approximately 5,000 students in the College and around 15,000 students
overall.
University
of Chicago scholars have played a major role in the development of
various academic disciplines, including: the Chicago school of
economics, the Chicago school of sociology, the law and economics
movement in legal analysis, the Chicago school of literary criticism,
the Chicago school of religion, and the behavioral ism school of
political science. Chicago's physics department helped develop the
world's first man-made, self-sustaining nuclear reaction beneath the
university's Stagg Field.Chicago's research pursuits have been aided by
unique affiliations with world-renowned institutions like the nearby
Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory, as well as the Marine
Biological Laboratory. The university is also home to the University of
Chicago Press, the largest university press in the United States. With
an estimated completion date of 2020, the Barack Obama Presidential
Center will be housed at the University of Chicago and include both the
Obama presidential library and offices of the Obama Foundation.
Founded
by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil
magnate and wealthiest man in history John D. Rockefeller, the
University of Chicago was incorporated in 1890; William Rainey Harper
became the university's first president in 1891, and the first classes
were held in 1892. Both Harper and future president Robert Maynard
Hutchins advocated for Chicago's curriculum to be based upon theoretical
and perennial issues rather than on applied sciences and commercial
utility.[18] With Harper's vision in mind, the University of Chicago
also became one of the 14 founding members of the Association of
American Universities, an international organization of leading research
universities, in 1900.
The
University of Chicago is home to many prominent alumni. 89 Nobel
laureates have been affiliated with the university as visiting
professors, students, faculty, or staff, the fourth most of any
institution in the world. In addition, Chicago's alumni include 49
Rhodes Scholars, 21 Marshall Scholars, 9 Fields Medalists, 13 National
Humanities Medalists 13 billionaire graduates, and a plethora of members
of the United States Congress and heads of state of countries all over
the world.
Administration and finances:
The
University of Chicago is governed by a board of trustees. The Board of
Trustees oversees the long-term development and plans of the university
and manages fundraising efforts, and is composed of 50 members including
the university President. Directly beneath the President are the
Provost, fourteen Vice Presidents (including the Chief Financial
Officer, Chief Investment Officer, and Dean of Students of the
university), the Directors of Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab,
the Secretary of the university, and the Student Ombudsperson As of
August 2009, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Andrew Alper, and
the President of the university is Robert Zimmer. In December 2013 it
was announced that the Director of Argonne National Laboratory, Eric
Isaacs, would become Provost.
The
university's endowment was the 12th largest among American educational
institutions and state university systems in 2013[80] and as of 2012 was
valued at $6.571 billion. Part of President Zimmer's financial plan for
the university has been an increase in accumulation of debt to finance
large building projects.[82] This has drawn support and criticism from
many in the university community.
Academics: University of Chicago Main Quadrangles:
The
academic bodies of the University of Chicago consist of the College,
four divisions of graduate research and seven professional schools. The
university also contains a library system, the University of Chicago
Press, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, and the University
of Chicago Medical Center, and holds ties with a number of independent
academic institutions, including Fermilab, Argonne National Laboratory,
and the Marine Biological Laboratory. The university is accredited by
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of
Colleges and Schools.
The
university runs on a quarter system in which the academic year is
divided into four terms: Summer (June–August), Autumn
(September–December), Winter (January–March), and Spring (April–June).
Full-time undergraduate students take three to four courses every
quarter for approximately eleven weeks before their quarterly academic
breaks. The school year typically begins in late September and ends in
mid-June.