Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
University of Akron
The University of Akron is an institution of higher learning located in Akron, Ohio.
The school was founded as Buchtel College by the Ohio Universalist Convention in 1870. In 1907 it became a private, non-denominational college. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of Akron due to financial problems. In 1967 the university became a state institution.
Enrollment in 2004 is approximately 23,400 students. The school offers more than 200 undergraduate degrees and 100 graduate degrees. Its most well known program is its College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, (Akron is known as the "Rubber City"), which is located in a 13 story reflective glass building overlooking Akron's downtown. The university also has a branch campus in Orrville, Ohio.
A $300 million construction program was completed in the fall of 2004. Called "A New Landscape for Learning", the program included the construction of nine new buildings, the renovations or updating of 14 other buildings and structures, and numerous capital improvement projects. The New Landscape for Learning included a new College of Arts & Science Building, Honors Residence Hall and Classroom complex, a new Student Recreation and Wellness Center, and a new Student Union. Multiple new parking decks were constructed to address high demand for parking (despite its goal of being less like a commuter campus), and several public streets were closed to consolidate the campus, provide a more friendly environment for pedestrians and to add greenspace. The university added 30 acres (120,000 m²) of new landscaped greenspace as a part of the projects.
Its athletic teams are known as the "Zips," originally short for "Zippers," overshoes that were nationally popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and a product of Akron.
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