University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM) —or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) in Spanish— is a state university located in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. UPRM is the second largest university campus of the University of Puerto Rico System, and the premier Engineering and Science institution of the Caribbean.

University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez

Motto	Antes, Ahora y Siempre, Colegio! Spanish for "Before, Now and Forever, Colegio!"
Established	September 23, 1911
School type	Public; Land-grant & Sea-grant
Rector	Jorge I. Vélez Arocho
Location	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Enrollment	11,079 undergraduate 1,069 graduate
Faculty	682
Endowment	$200 million, USD
Campus	300 acres (1.2 km²), urban
Sports teams	Tarzanes (Tarzans, male) Juanas (Janes, female)
Homepage	www.uprm.edu
Mascot	Tarzán (a bulldog)

UPRM's portico.

UPRM Central Administration Building.

History

The university was founded in 1911 as a land-grant university with the name of College of Agriculture. The founding of the institution is credited to D.W. May , José de Diego and Carmelo Alemar . In 1912 the name of the institution was changed to the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts — Colegio de Agricultura y Artes Mecanicas (CAAM).

In 1918, an earthquake and a fire caused significant damage to the institution. The ruins of the entrance of one of the buildings which withstood the devastation would later become the emblem of the institution. In 1988 the archway ruins (the portico) was re-created in a monument.

In 1942, the campus was granted considerable autonomy thanks to university reforms in which the colleges of Agriculture, Engineering and Science were created.

In the 1950s the institution saw more programs added when the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Nuclear Center were established.

The Puerto Rican Legislative Assembly reorganized the University of Puerto Rico's system in 1966. This reorganization of the system lead to the controversial change of its name, University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez Campus, which is used in the present day as the official name of the institution. Currently, the university is divided into four academic units; Agriculture, Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Business Administration. In the past few years, more women than men have been earning Engineering degrees at UPRM, a rare statistic in a field where women usually compose a small minority.

The Puerto Rico Seismic Network, in charge of monitoring seismic activity, is located on the campus.

To this day, as a matter pride, students and alumni alike still refer to the institution as “El Colegio” (The College) in reference to its former CAAM name. Such school spirit is evident still in sporting events with the student battle cry and motto of “¡Antes, Ahora y Siempre Colegio!” (“Before, Now and Forever, Colegio!”)

Campus population

• Students: 12,136
• Regular Staff: 1,336
• Faculty: 1,026

External links

• University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez - Official Site (In Spanish).
• Campus Information (In English)
• Puerto Rico Seismic Network

References

1. UPRM. Undergraduate Academic Catalogue. Mayaguez, Puerto Rico: University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.