University of The District of Columbia - History

History

UDC was created in 1977 from the merger of the District of Columbia Teachers College with Federal City College and the Washington Technical Institute.

Myrtilla Miner founded the Normal School for Colored Girls in 1851. In 1879, by then known as Miner Normal School, it joined the D.C. public education system. The Washington Normal School was established in 1873 for girls, and was renamed the Wilson Normal School in 1913.

In 1929, the United States Congress made both schools four-year teachers' colleges and designated Miner Teachers College for African Americans and Wilson Teachers College for whites. In 1955, following Brown v. Board of Education, the two schools merged into the District of Columbia Teachers College.

Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon and Congressman Ancher Nelsen of Minnesota sponsored the District of Columbia Public Education Act, enacted on November 7, 1966 as (Public Law 89-791), which established two additional institutions. Federal City College was created as a four-year liberal arts college. It was originally planned to be a small, selective college of about 700 students. By the time the college opened in 1968, however, admission was open and applications had soared to 6000; students were placed by lottery. The Washington Technical Institute was established as a technical school. Both institutions were also given land-grant status and awarded a $7.24 million endowment (USD), in lieu of a land grant.

The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MACS) granted educational accreditation to Washington Technical Institute in 1971 and to Federal City College in 1974.

Efforts to unify the D.C. Teachers College, Federal City College, and Washington Technical Institute under a single administrative structure began in earnest after the passage of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. A merger of the institutions was approved in 1975, and on August 1, 1977, the three institutions were formally consolidated as the University of the District of Columbia, with Lisle Carleton Carter, Jr. named its first president.

Beginning with the 2009-10 academic year, UDC's programs were split into two separate institutions under an umbrella "university system"-style setup. A new Community College of the District of Columbia (CCDC) assumed UDC's associate's degree, certificate, continuing education, and workforce development programs, while UDC continued with only its bachelor's and graduate degree programs. While CCDC will maintain an open enrollment policy, a high school diploma no longer guarantees admission into UDC. These changes were in response to UDC's low graduation rate, where only 7.9% of students complete their degrees within six years.

In October 2012, UDC announced the plan to spend, in 2013, $ 4 million in severance packages to "lay off 25 faculty members and staffers, on top of 30 positions already cut" as part of a right-sizing initiative. Alan Etter, spokesman for UDC, said the reason UDC expected DC to make the $ 4 million payment was "because the city mandated that UDC make the cuts" and "You just can't turn people out in the street. You can't." Other UDC officials said a strong union presence was to blame for the costs.