University of Hartford

Academic rankings
Academic rankings
National
Forbes	542
U.S. News & World Report	304
Washington Monthly	421

University of Hartford
Motto	Ad humanitatem
Motto in English	To Humanity
Type	Private university
Established	1957; 67 years ago
Accreditation	NECHE
Academic affiliations	NAICU; Space-grant
Endowment	$175.9 million (2020)
President	Lawrence P. Ward
Administrative staff	718
Students	5,740
Undergraduates	3,977
Postgraduates	1,763
Location	West Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Campus	Suburban, 350 acres (140 ha)
Colors	Scarlet and white;
Nickname	Hawks
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III Commonwealth Coast Conference
Mascot	Howie the Hawk
Website	www.hartford.edu

The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its 350-acre (1.4 km²) main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.^[6]^[7]

History

The University of Hartford was chartered through the joining of the Hartford Art School, Hillyer College, and The Hartt School in 1957.^[8]

In 2021, University of Hartford announced it will begin the process to move all of its 17 athletic programs from Division I to Division III. Students and alumni from the University of Hartford attempted to sue the university, claiming that the university "reneged on its commitment" to the student-athletes. The university filed its intent to move to Division III in January 2022 and is expected to become a member of DIII no later than September 1, 2025, unless the move is halted in the courts.^[9]

Academics

The University of Hartford has fewer than 6,000 full-time and part-time graduate and undergraduate students. The university offers 82 bachelor's degree programs, 10 associate degrees, 28 graduate degrees, and 7 certificates or diplomas. The student-faculty ratio is 9:1.^[13] The university's academics are organized into seven schools and colleges:^[14]

Campus

Gengras Student Union

Gengras Student Union houses the student government, the university post office, student organizations including the student newspaper The Informer and the Student Television Network (STN), a cafeteria, a convenience store, and the Gengras food court, featuring Einstein Bros. Bagels, Burger Studio, and Moe's. A major renovation of the Gengras Student Union began in early 2017.^[15]

The Harry Jack Gray Center

Centrally located on campus, the Harry Jack Gray Center houses the Mortensen Library and the Allen Memorial Library.^[16] After the renovation of the library in 2016, the university announced the library would be renamed Harrison University Libraries in honor of University President Walter Harrison. Also located here are the Joseloff Gallery, the university bookstore, the School of Communications, the Visual Communication Design Department, the Department of Architecture, WWUH (91.3 MHz FM) radio station, the Wilde Auditorium, the Kent McCray Television Studio, the Gray Conference Center, the Museum of Jewish Civilization, and the 1877 Club restaurant. It was the former home of the Museum of American Political Life, which housed the second largest collection of political memorabilia in the United States after the Smithsonian.^[17]

Alfred C. Fuller Music Center

The main Hartt School Complex, the center is composed of Millard Auditorium, Paranov Hall, and O'Connell Hall, a one-story extension of Paronov Hall. Originally, Abrahms Hall was included in the Fuller Complex. A renovation of Millard Auditorium was completed in 2017.

Beatrice Fox Auerbach Hall

Auerbach Hall is named after businesswoman Beatrice Fox Auerbach. It is one of the largest academic buildings on campus and is home to the Barney School of Business. During the 2018–19 academic year, Auerbach Hall underwent a major renovation which included a 10,000-square-foot addition for the Barney School including additional classrooms and a trading room.^[18]

Hillyer Hall

Built in 1962, Hillyer Hall was the first classroom building on campus. Hillyer Hall is home to the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, and Hillyer College. In 2012, the Shaw Center was completed to provide additional classrooms and offices for Hillyer College. The building is named after John C. "Jay" Shaw (Class of '74) and wife Debi of Greenwich, who donated $1.5 million to the project.^[19]^[20]^[21]

University High School of Science and Engineering

This public magnet high school, formerly located on the university's Albany Avenue campus, is now located on the east side of the campus. The University High School was established in 2004 as a partnership of the Hartford Public Schools, the University of Hartford, and the Capitol Region Education Council. It is based on the early college initiative mode: University High School students are able to earn college credits while they attend high school. The high school enrolls two hundred students, seventy percent of whom are from Hartford. The other thirty percent come from towns in central Connecticut. Students are selected through a lottery from a pool of applicants, as required by the state of Connecticut.

Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center

Dedicated in 2008, the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center is a 55,000-square-foot (5,100 m²)facility that is the instructional home for collegiate and Community Division students studying theatre, Musical Theater and Dance at the Hartt School. It contains five dance studios, four theatre rehearsal studios, three vocal studios, and two black box theatres, as well as faculty offices, a community room, and a cafe.^[22]

The University Residences

There are four different styles of on-campus housing. All provide students with access to the university's T-3 broadband internet network, cable television, and telephones.

Six residential suite-style complexes - A through F - are each capable of housing 312 students. All complexes feature study lounges, laundry facilities, and activity rooms.
Regents Park consists of suite-style independent living for sophomores and juniors. It is a large building of four wings of suites typically outfitted with a living room and partial kitchen. It has north, south, east, and west wings.
The Village Apartments, consisting of seven quads (four groupings of apartments forming a rectangular area), are an independent-living apartment area for upperclassmen. Each apartment has a kitchen and can house two to six students.
Park River Apartments provides apartment-style independent living for third- or fourth-year students. Each unit is a full apartment complete with a full-size bathroom and a kitchen (including a full-size refrigerator, dishwasher, sink, and cabinets).
Hawk Hall houses 204 freshmen and eight resident assistants. Hawk Hall features Residential Learning Communities (RLC), grouped by wings on each floors. Some RLC themes (past and present) include Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology (WISET), Wellness, Leadership, Destinations, Environmental Awareness, the Adult Journey, Honors: Making a Difference in The World, Community Service, and Hawk Spirit. The five-story residence hall has lounges with floor-to-ceiling windows. The first floor includes a spacious lounge with a flat-screen TV, two SMART classrooms, and a kitchen.^[23]

Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion

Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion is home to the men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team. Opened in 1990, the arena is named in honor of the Chase Family in West Hartford.^[24] Included in the building is the Mary Baker Stanley Pool and the university's athletic administration offices. Entertainment at the arena has included Girl Talk, Wale, and Ludacris. Past visiting politicians include Governor Dannel P. Malloy, former President Bill Clinton,^[25] and President Barack Obama.^[26]

Asylum Avenue Campus

Located 2 miles (3 km) west of downtown Hartford, and once home to the Hartford College for Women, it now includes academic classrooms and graduate student campus housing in fourteen townhouses and Johnson House. It contains a cafeteria, computer lab, and studio space.^[27]

Hursey Center

The Francis X. and Nancy Hursey Center for Advanced Engineering and Health Professions, inaugurated in the fall of 2021, serves as a key addition to the campus of the University of Hartford. The center, named after alumnus Francis "Frank" Hursey, who is a pioneer in pressure swing adsorption oxygen technology with contributions to NASA's Apollo Program, and his wife, Nancy, a retired registered nurse, spans 60,000 square feet and aims to merge the couple's passions for nursing and engineering.

The Hursey Center is designed to support the expanding programs within the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, as well as the College of Education, Nursing, and Health Professions. The building's design incorporates gathering spaces around its vicinity and throughout the academic quad, featuring a green roof that integrates the structure with its environmental surroundings, in line with sustainable building practices.

The center is home to a range of laboratories and classrooms tailored to specific fields of study. This includes a health simulation suite and labs dedicated to motion analysis, human performance, strength and conditioning, health and physical assessment, functional and physical rehabilitation, robotics, 3D-printing, mechanical engineering, and cybersecurity, among others. The facility also houses an immersive simulation suite, outpatient exam skills suite, occupational therapy skills/integration lab, makerspace, and labs dedicated to aerospace, turbomachinery, concrete and surveying, and CNC machining.

Organization and administration

Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
Race and ethnicity^[28]	Total
White	50%	50
Black	17%	17
Hispanic	15%	15
Foreign national	5%	5
Asian	4%	4
Other^[b]	2%	2
Economic diversity
Low-income^[c]	29%	29
Affluent^[d]	71%	71

List of university presidents

Vincent B. Coffin (1959–1967)
Archibald M. Woodruff (1967–1977)
Stephen Joel Trachtenberg (1977–1988)
Humphrey Tonkin (1989–1998)
Walter Harrison (1998–2017)
Gregory S. Woodward (2017–2023)
Stephen Mulready (2023–2024)
Lawrence P. Ward (2024–present)

A cappella groups

Such groups at the University of Hartford are governed by the A Cappella Coalition and hold auditions at the beginning of each year for new members.

L'shir^[29]
Hawkapella^[30]
Uharmonies
HartAttack^[31]

Music for a Change

Launched in the spring of 2000, the Music for a Change benefit concert series raises money for Greater Hartford charities and nonprofit organizations. Headliners have included Arlo Guthrie, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Art Garfunkel, Aztec Two-Step, Citizen Cope, Dionne Warwick, George Winston, Jonathan Edwards, Kris Kristofferson, Marc Cohn, Pat Metheny, Richie Havens, Shawn Colvin, Susan Tedeschi, Tom Paxton, Tom Rush, The Wailers, and Wynton Marsalis.^[32]

Greek life

Fraternities ^[33]	Sororities ^[34]	Former Organizations
Alpha Epsilon Pi Alpha Sigma Phi Delta Sigma Phi Lambda Theta Phi Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Nu Theta Chi	Alpha Xi Delta Delta Gamma Delta Zeta Phi Mu Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi Sigma Delta Tau	Alpha Epsilon Phi Delta Phi Epsilon Phi Delta Theta Phi Iota Alpha Phi Kappa Sigma Phi Sigma Kappa Pi Lambda Phi	Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Kappa Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Epsilon Phi Zeta Beta Tau Sigma Kappa

Athletics

The Hartford Hawks participate in the NCAA Division III in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The university fields 18 varsity sports, nine men's sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, and indoor and outdoor track & field; and nine women's sports: basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse,^[35] soccer, softball, indoor and outdoor track & field, and volleyball.^[36]^[37]

Student media

WSAM student-run radio

Founded on February 2, 1974, WSAM is the university's only student-run radio station. It streams its radio shows online through Mixlr.^[38] It hosts annual concerts such as Live from the Lawn every opening weekend and a Halloween show every Halloween weekend.^[39]

The Informer – student newspaper

With a legacy from The Hillyer Callboard, the student newspaper of Hillyer College, dating from the 1920s, the Informer is the official student newspaper of the University of Hartford. Since 1976, the student-run Informer has published 24 times every academic year, coming out every Thursday. Circulation is 3,000 and the paper is distributed all over campus.

Student Television Network – STN Channel 2

The Student Television Network is a completely student-run station that broadcasts on stn2.tv and their YouTube page. Founded by then-graduate student Chuck King and a group of interested students in 1993, STN became a popular student organization. Though separate from the School of Communication, it provides relevant experience for students pursuing careers in television. STN started its weekly news program broadcast, "STN Channel 2 News," on February 9, 1993. Currently, new broadcasts are live once a week and then played throughout the week. In addition to weekly news broadcasts, STN produces and broadcasts several live Hartford Hawks sports productions throughout the year, and hosts a number of other student-created programs.^[40]

Notable alumni

Currently the university has over 94,000 alumni worldwide.^[41]

Kenny Adeleke (born 1983), basketball player
Robert Black (bassist)
William Bridgeo, state representative^[42]
Leo Brouwer, musician
Kathleen Clark, playwright
David Cordani, CEO of Cigna
Steve Davis, jazz trombonist
Mark Dion, artist
Jim Ford, actor and stuntman
A. J. Hammer, television host of Showbiz Tonight on CNN, radio personality
Liane Hansen, National Public Radio host of Weekend Edition Sunday
Jack Hardy, singer and songwriter
Seymour Itzkoff, professor, researcher in intelligence
Johnathan Lee Iverson, first black ringmaster of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Wilfred X. Johnson, first black Connecticut state legislator
Jerry Kelly, professional golfer, PGA Tour
Erik Mariñelarena, filmmaker^[43]
William J. Murphy, former Speaker of the House of the State of Rhode Island
Peter Niedmann, composer
Chuck Pagano, chief technology officer of ESPN
Tim Petrovic, professional golfer, PGA Tour
Joseph M. Suggs Jr. (B.S. 1978), mayor of Bloomfield and Connecticut State Treasurer (1993–1995)

Notes

^ Scheduled to reclassify to Division III no later than September 1, 2025.^[5]
^ Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.
^ The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
^ The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

References

^ "NAICU – Member Directory". naicu.edu. Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c "At a Glance". hartford.edu. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
^ University of Hartford Brand Identity Guide. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
^ "University of Hartford Votes to Drop Athletic Department to Division III". Sports Illustrated. May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
^ U.S. News & World Report, Best National Universities 2011 http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings/ Archived December 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
^ University of Hartford Accreditation http://admission.hartford.edu/studying/accreditation.php Archived August 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
^ "University of Hartford".
^ "UHart student-athletes, managers sue over decision to move to DIII". July 20, 2021.
^ "Forbes America's Top Colleges List 2023". Forbes. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
^ "2023-2024 Best National Universities". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
^ "2023 National University Rankings". Washington Monthly. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
^ "Academics | University of Hartford". New.hartford.edu. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
^ "University of Hartford - Schools and Colleges". Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
^ "SLAM Completes Multiple Projects at the University of Hartford". HIGH PROFILE. January 23, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
^ "UHart begins $10.6M Mortensen Library redo". Hartford Business.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
^ "More Doubts, Opposition To Sale Of Unique, Hartford Collection Of Political History". Hartford Courant. April 28, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
^ "UHart biz school eyes $5.2M expansion". Hartford Business.com. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
^ "UHart's Hillyer College debuts new Shaw Center". Hartford Business.com. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
^ "The SLAM Collaborative". Retrieved June 3, 2018.
^ "Cornerstones: University of Hartford Making $4 Million Addition To Hillyer Hall". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
^ "Ex-dealership Nearly Ready For Close-up". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "David T. Chase Remembered For Shaping Hartford Skyline, Co-Founding Holocaust Memorial Museum". Hartford Courant. June 4, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
^ "Clinton stumps for Malloy in governor's race". THE REGISTER CITIZEN. November 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
^ "At University Of Hartford, President Calls For Congressional Vote On Gun Control". Associated Press. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
^ "Former College Campus In Hartford's West End May Be Converted To Student Apartments". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
^ "College Scorecard: University of Hartford". United States Department of Education. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
^ "L'News". www.lshir.com. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
^ "Welcome to Hawkapella.com!". Hawkapella. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
^ "HartAttack". hartford.edu. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
^ "MUSIC for a CHANGE". University of Hartford. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
^ "FRATERNITIES". University of Hartford. University of Hartford. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
^ "SORORITIES". University of Hartford. University of Hartford. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
^ "University of Hartford Athletics Adds Women's Lacrosse, Discontinues Men's and Women's Tennis". Hartford Courant. October 29, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
^ "University of Hartford Athletics". NCAA. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
^ Riley, Lori; Putterman, Alex (May 6, 2021). "University of Hartford Board of Regents votes to move from Division I to Division III in athletics". Hartford Courant. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
^ "WSAM Radio on Mixlr".
^ "WSAM Alternative Radio (@wsamradio) • Instagram photos and videos".
^ "Student Television Network at the University of Hartford".
^ "ALUMNI NETWORK". Retrieved December 30, 2018.
^ "William Bridgeo". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
^ "Erik Mariñelarena – Filmography by year". IMDb. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
^ "Biography". house.gov. Retrieved September 22, 2023.

External links

41°48′03″N 72°42′50″W / 41.800911°N 72.714021°W / 41.800911; -72.714021

[6] Scheduled to reclassify to Division III no later than September 1, 2025.^[5]

[30] Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.

[31] The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.

[32] The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

[1] "NAICU – Member Directory". naicu.edu. Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2018.

[2] As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.

[auto-3] "At a Glance". hartford.edu. Retrieved March 3, 2023.

[4] University of Hartford Brand Identity Guide. Retrieved November 10, 2022.

[5] "University of Hartford Votes to Drop Athletic Department to Division III". Sports Illustrated. May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.

[7] U.S. News & World Report, Best National Universities 2011 http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings/ Archived December 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine

[8] University of Hartford Accreditation http://admission.hartford.edu/studying/accreditation.php Archived August 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine

[9] "University of Hartford".

[10] "UHart student-athletes, managers sue over decision to move to DIII". July 20, 2021.

[Rankings_Forbes_NU-11] "Forbes America's Top Colleges List 2023". Forbes. Retrieved September 22, 2023.

[Rankings_USNWR_NU-12] "2023-2024 Best National Universities". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 22, 2023.

[Rankings_Wamo_NU-13] "2023 National University Rankings". Washington Monthly. Retrieved February 10, 2024.

[14] "Academics | University of Hartford". New.hartford.edu. Retrieved April 9, 2016.

[15] "University of Hartford - Schools and Colleges". Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2010.

[16] "SLAM Completes Multiple Projects at the University of Hartford". HIGH PROFILE. January 23, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.

[17] "UHart begins $10.6M Mortensen Library redo". Hartford Business.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018.

[18] "More Doubts, Opposition To Sale Of Unique, Hartford Collection Of Political History". Hartford Courant. April 28, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

[19] "UHart biz school eyes $5.2M expansion". Hartford Business.com. Retrieved June 3, 2018.

[20] "UHart's Hillyer College debuts new Shaw Center". Hartford Business.com. Retrieved January 21, 2018.

[21] "The SLAM Collaborative". Retrieved June 3, 2018.

[22] "Cornerstones: University of Hartford Making $4 Million Addition To Hillyer Hall". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 21, 2018.

[23] "Ex-dealership Nearly Ready For Close-up". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 16, 2018.

[24] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[25] "David T. Chase Remembered For Shaping Hartford Skyline, Co-Founding Holocaust Memorial Museum". Hartford Courant. June 4, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2018.

[26] "Clinton stumps for Malloy in governor's race". THE REGISTER CITIZEN. November 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2018.

[27] "At University Of Hartford, President Calls For Congressional Vote On Gun Control". Associated Press. Retrieved June 10, 2018.

[28] "Former College Campus In Hartford's West End May Be Converted To Student Apartments". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 10, 2018.

[29] "College Scorecard: University of Hartford". United States Department of Education. Retrieved September 22, 2023.

[33] "L'News". www.lshir.com. Retrieved March 30, 2018.

[34] "Welcome to Hawkapella.com!". Hawkapella. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.

[35] "HartAttack". hartford.edu. Retrieved March 30, 2018.

[36] "MUSIC for a CHANGE". University of Hartford. Retrieved May 27, 2010.

[37] "FRATERNITIES". University of Hartford. University of Hartford. Retrieved May 5, 2021.

[38] "SORORITIES". University of Hartford. University of Hartford. Retrieved May 5, 2021.

[39] "University of Hartford Athletics Adds Women's Lacrosse, Discontinues Men's and Women's Tennis". Hartford Courant. October 29, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2018.

[40] "University of Hartford Athletics". NCAA. Retrieved January 20, 2012.

[41] Riley, Lori; Putterman, Alex (May 6, 2021). "University of Hartford Board of Regents votes to move from Division I to Division III in athletics". Hartford Courant. Retrieved May 10, 2021.

[42] "WSAM Radio on Mixlr".

[43] "WSAM Alternative Radio (@wsamradio) • Instagram photos and videos".

[44] "Student Television Network at the University of Hartford".

[45] "ALUMNI NETWORK". Retrieved December 30, 2018.

[46] "William Bridgeo". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 23, 2023.

[47] "Erik Mariñelarena – Filmography by year". IMDb. Retrieved October 3, 2011.

[48] "Biography". house.gov. Retrieved September 22, 2023.

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