Summary
University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) is a national public research university located in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established as Little Rock Junior College by the Little Rock School District in 1927, the institution became a private four-year university under the name Little Rock University in 1957. It returned to public status in 1969 when it merged and co-created the University of Arkansas System under its present name.
Located on 200 acres (0.81 km2) in Arkansas' largest city, the UALR campus encompasses more than 40 buildings, including a university library which contains more than 500,000 volumes, 700,000 microform items, 8,300 audiovisual forms and CDs, and subscribes to 2,625 periodicals. Additionally, UALR houses special learning facilities that include a learning resource center, art galleries, radio station, television station, cyber café, speech and hearing clinic, and a campus-wide wireless network.
Because of the university's location in the capital city of Arkansas, UALR students benefit from close contact with leaders in government, business, industry, medicine (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences), and information technology. As the state's only metropolitan university and as a member of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, UALR provides a strategic focus on the needs of the community by creating active links between the campus, community, and commerce. Its academic options include both traditional and online courses leading to more than 100 degrees and over 60 graduate level programs. Students attend classes in one of the University's colleges:
Library
The university library which contains more than 500,000 volumes, 700,000 microform items, 8,300 audiovisual forms and CDs, and subscribes to 2,625 periodicals. The Sequoyah Research Center of the American Native Press Archives is housed within the campus' library.[1] The collection includes the research materials of Louis F. Burns, a leading historian and expert on the Osage Nation.[2]
Student life
The student life at UALR is typical of many larger, public universities in the United States. It is characterized by student run organizations and affiliation groups that support social, academic, athletic and religious activities and interests.
Campus housing
During the first half-century of UALR's history, the university did not provide on-campus housing for students. With the construction of East Hall in the 1990's, UALR transformed from a commuter-campus (non-residential) to a hybrid-campus (residential and commuter) and currently provides a variety of housing options for students ranging from traditional dormitory rooms to multiple bedroom apartments (see UALR Office of Student Housing). Between 1992 and 2012, more than 1,000 students moved on campus with plans for significant expansion of residential housing in the future.
Athletics
UALR athletic teams are known as the Trojans. The Trojans are a non-football member of the Sun Belt Conference. UALR Athletics is located in the Jack Stephens Center, a state-of-the-art facility with 5,600 seats.
Notable alumni
Government
Entertainment
Athletics