University of Central Missouri facts for kids
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Former name
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|---|---|
| Motto | Education for Service |
| Type | Public university |
| Established | 1871 |
| Endowment | $42.89 million (2017) |
| President | Roger Best |
| Provost | Tim Crowley (Interim) |
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Academic staff
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424 Full-time and 156 Part-time |
| Students | 13,734 (Spring 2024) |
| Undergraduates | 8,019 (Spring 2024) |
| Postgraduates | 5,715 (Spring 2024) |
| Location |
,
Missouri
,
United States
38°45′33″N 93°44′15″W / 38.7591°N 93.7374°W |
| Campus | 1,561 acres (631.7 ha) |
| Colors | Red and Black |
| Nicknames | Mules and Jennies |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division II – The MIAA |
| Mascot | Mo the Mule |
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The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is a public university located in Warrensburg, Missouri, United States. It's a place where students go to learn and prepare for their future careers.
In 2024, UCM had about 13,734 students. These students came from 48 different states and 52 countries! The university campus is very large, covering 1,561 acres. UCM offers many different ways to learn, with 150 study programs. This includes programs to become a teacher and many advanced study options.
Contents
History of UCM: How It Grew
The University of Central Missouri started a long time ago, in 1871. Back then, it was called Normal School No. 2. It was mainly a school for training teachers. Over the years, its name changed several times as it grew bigger and offered more subjects.
- In 1919, it became Central Missouri State Teachers College.
- Then, in 1945, it was renamed Central Missouri State College.
- In 1972, it became Central Missouri State University.
- Finally, in 2006, it got its current name: the University of Central Missouri.
Today, UCM offers 150 different majors and minors. It also has a special high-tech center called the Missouri Innovation Campus. This campus focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects. UCM also offers many online courses, so students can learn from anywhere.
Academics: What Can You Study?
UCM is known for its strong academic programs. It is even recognized as a top center for learning about Cyber Defense. This means it's a great place to learn how to protect computer systems from attacks.
UCM has several main colleges, each with many different departments:
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
This college is for students who love creative subjects, history, languages, and understanding people.
- School of Visual and Performing Arts: Here you can study Music, Theatre and Dance, or Art and Design.
- Government, International Studies and Languages: Learn about how governments work and different languages.
- English and Philosophy: Explore literature, writing, and big ideas.
- History and Anthropology: Discover the past and learn about human cultures.
- Communication and Sociology: Study how people communicate and interact in groups.
Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies
This college helps students prepare for careers in business and other professional fields.
- School of Business Administration: Learn about money, marketing, and how to manage businesses.
- School of Professional Studies: This includes exciting areas like Aviation (learning to fly!), Criminal Justice, and Military Science.
College of Education
If you want to become a teacher, this is the college for you!
- Career and Technology Education: Learn to teach practical skills.
- Elementary and Early Childhood Education: Focus on teaching younger children.
College of Health, Science, and Technology
This college is for students interested in health, science, and how things work.
- School of Health and Human Performance: Study Nursing, Nutrition, and how the body moves.
- Biology and Earth Science: Learn about living things and our planet.
- School of Technology: Explore different types of technology.
- School of Computer Science and Mathematics: Dive into computers and numbers.
The Honors College: For Top Students
The Honors College is for students who want an extra challenge. Students in this program get special benefits. These include signing up for classes early and having smaller classes. They also get special courses and one-on-one help from advisors.
UCM's Role in Finding Prime Numbers
The University of Central Missouri plays an important role in a project called the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search. This project uses computers all over the world to find very large prime numbers. A prime number is a number that can only be divided by 1 and itself.
UCM's team has been very successful. They are one of the top contributors to the project. They have even discovered four huge Mersenne primes! These numbers are so big they have millions of digits. It's like finding a needle in a haystack, but much, much bigger!
Student Life: What to Do Outside of Class
Life at UCM is not just about studying! There are over 185 student groups you can join. These groups cover many interests, like academics, culture, sports, and helping the community.
You can also play in more than 20 different intramural sports. These are fun, friendly competitions between students. The campus also has free movie nights, a bowling alley, and a movie theater in the student union building.
First-year students usually live in one of the 9 residence halls. This helps them get used to college life. Students can also choose to live in "Learning Communities." In these communities, students studying the same subjects live together. This makes it easier to study and make friends.
Greek Life: Fraternities and Sororities
UCM is home to 26 Greek organizations. These are social groups like fraternities for men and sororities for women. About 10% of UCM students are part of Greek life.
Media: Student News and TV
UCM has its own student newspaper called The Muleskinner. There's also an online news site, digitalburg.com, which covers news for the local area. Both of these are run entirely by students. The university also has its own TV station, KMOS-TV.
Athletics: Go Mules and Jennies!
UCM has many sports teams that compete in the Mid–America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, known as the MIAA. The men's teams are called the Mules, and the women's teams are called the Jennies.
UCM has two mascots: Mo the Mule, and two live mules named Tammy and Molly!
Sports at UCM include:
- basketball
- baseball
- women's bowling
- American football
- golf
- women's soccer
- softball
- cross-country
- track
- volleyball
- wrestling
Basketball games are played in the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center. This building is often called The Multi by students. It can hold 6,500 people for games. Football games are played at Audrey J. Walton Stadium. This stadium can hold 11,000 people, and sometimes even more!
UCM also has the Keth Memorial Golf Course. It's an 18-hole course with a pro shop. This course is used for UCM's golf and cross-country competitions.
Library: James C. Kirkpatrick Library
The main library at UCM is called the James C. Kirkpatrick Library (JCKL). It's named after James C. Kirkpatrick, who was an important government official in Missouri. The library has over 480,000 books that students can borrow.
Notable Alumni and Faculty
Many interesting people have studied or taught at the University of Central Missouri. You can find a full list of them in the article about List of University of Central Missouri people.
