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Former names | State Normal School of Colorado (1889–1935) Colorado State College of Education at Greeley (1935–1957) Colorado State College (1957–1970) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Sapientia in aeternum est (Latin) |
Motto in English | Wisdom is Eternal |
| Type | Public university |
| Established | April 1, 1889; 136 years ago (1889-04-01) |
Academic affiliations | Space-grant |
| Endowment | $111.9 million (2023)[1] |
| President | Andy Feinstein |
| Provost | Kirsten Fleming[2] |
Academic staff | 686[3] |
| Students | 8,869 (Fall 2024)[4] |
| Undergraduates | 6,480 (Fall 2024)[4] |
| Postgraduates | 2,389 (Fall 2024)[4] |
| Location | , United States |
| Campus | Suburban 260 acres (1.1 km2)[3] |
| Colors | Blue and gold[5] |
| Nickname | Bears |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division I FCS –Big Sky |
| Mascot | Klawz the Bear |
| Website | unco |
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| Academic rankings | |
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| National | |
| U.S. News & World Report[6] | 352 |
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TheUniversity of Northern Colorado (UNCO orUNC) is apublic university inGreeley, Colorado, United States.[7] It was founded in 1889 as theState Normal School of Colorado and has a long history inteacher education.[8]
The institution has officially changed its name three times, first toColorado State College of Education, at Greeley on February 16, 1935,Colorado State College on February 11, 1957, and its current form since May 1, 1970.[9]
Approximately 10,000 students are enrolled in six colleges. Extended campus locations are inLoveland,Denver/Aurora, andColorado Springs.[10] UNCO's 19 athletic teams compete inNCAA Division I as members of theBig Sky Conference.[10]
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The campus is divided into two main areas: central and west. UNCO's Central Campus includes the areas north of 20th Street and west of 8th Avenue inGreeley, Colorado. The residence halls on Central Campus have been designated a state historic district.[11]
The board of trustees for the university oversees the administration and approves the university annual budget. Several members of the university's administrative team are ex officio members of the board.[12]
The university has had 13 presidents since its establishment:[13]
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The College of Performing and Visual Arts (PVA) is an arts community of practitioners, scholars, and learners representing a range of arts traditions and disciplines.[15]
UNCO has a tradition as an arts institution and its main college offices, located in Guggenheim Hall, are one of the oldest buildings on campus.[16]
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 60% | ||
| Hispanic | 26% | ||
| Two or more races | 5% | ||
| Black | 4% | ||
| Asian | 2% | ||
| International student | 1% | ||
| Unknown | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 29% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 71% | ||
Sports teams at the school are calledBears. Northern Colorado joined theBig Sky Conference on July 1, 2006. The school mascot is Klawz the Bear and the school colors are navy blue and gold. The Fight Song is the "UNC Fight Song". Northern Colorado's Athletic Director is Darren Dunn.
A number of the university's alumni have gone on to have professional sports careers.Vincent Jackson attended and played football at Northern Colorado from 2001 to 2004 before being drafted by theSan Diego Chargers in the2005 NFL draft. Other football alumni of the school include punterDirk Johnson, quarterbackKyle Sloter, safetyReed Doughty, and defensive linemanAaron Smith.
Before upgrading toNCAA Division I in 2006, UNCO was a member of theRocky Mountain Athletic Conference from 1923 to 1972 and theGreat Plains Athletic Conference (1972–76). Following several years of being conference independent, the university joined theNorth Central Conference. The Bears have won two Division II Football National Championships in 1996 and 1997. On March 9, 2011, the Bears won theBig Sky Conference tournament championship inmen's basketball, clinching a trip to the2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the first in the school's history. The Northern Colorado men's baseball program also ranks among the top 15 schools for most all-time NCAA College World Series appearances, tied with theUniversity of Oklahoma at ten appearances apiece. The Northern Colorado women's softball team appeared in the first elevenWomen's College World Series ever held in 1969–1979, advancing to but losing the title game in 1974.[18]
The bear became UNCO's mascot in 1923. Before the school adopted the bear, athletes used the nickname "the Teachers."[19] The bear was said to be inspired by a bear on top of an Alaskan totem pole donated by an 1897 alumnus in 1914. The totem pole was kept in the University Center, but under the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990, the pole was reclaimed by theTlingit in 2003.
Klawz is the newest addition to the long line of Bears mascots.
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40°24′17″N104°41′48″W / 40.404853°N 104.696741°W /40.404853; -104.696741
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