University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut ( UConn ) is a public research university in Connecticut . Known as a Public Ivy , UConn was founded in 1881 and is a Land Grant and Sea Grant college & member of the Space Grant Consortium . The institution serves more than 30 , 000 students on its six campuses , including more than 8 , 000 graduate students in multiple programs . UConn ' s main campus is in Storrs , Connecticut . The university ' s president is Susan Herbst . UConn is one of the founding institutions of the Hartford , Connecticut / Springfield , Massachusetts regional economic and cultural partnership alliance known as New England ' s Knowledge Corridor . UConn is a member of Universitas 21 , a global network of 24 research - intensive universities , who work together to foster global citizenship and institutional innovation through research - inspired teaching and learning , student mobility , connecting students and staff , and promote advocacy for internationalisation . UConn is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the Big East Conference . History . UConn was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School . It was named after Charles and Augustus Storrs , two brothers who donated the land for the school as well as initial funding . Women began attending classes in 1891 and were officially admitted in 1893 , when the name was changed to Storrs Agricultural College and it became Connecticut ' s land grant college . In 1899 , the name changed again to Connecticut Agricultural College ; in 1933 , to Connecticut State College ; and finally in 1939 , to the University of Connecticut . In 1940 , the school was first divided into individual colleges and schools , reflecting its new university status . This was also the year that the School of Social Work and School of Nursing were first established . The graduate program was also started at this time , and existing schools of law and pharmacy were absorbed into the university . Ph . D . s have been awarded since 1949 . During the 1960s , the University of Connecticut Health Center was established in Farmington as a home for the new School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine . John Dempsey Hospital was opened in Farmington in 1975 and has been operated by UConn ever since . In 1995 , a state - funded program called UCONN 2000 was passed by the Connecticut General Assembly and signed into law by then - Gov . John G . Rowland . This 10 - year program set aside $ 1 billion to upgrade campus facilities , add faculty , and otherwise improve the university . An additional $ 1 . 3 billion was pledged by the State of Connecticut in 2002 as part of a new 10 - year improvement plan known as 21st Century UConn . Academics . UConn offers about 100 majors , eight undergraduate degrees , 17 graduate degrees and five professional degree programs . Students can choose from 87 different minors at UConn , including some areas of study that are not offered as formalized majors . Some areas of study offered formally only as minors at UConn include Asian American Studies , Bioinformatics , Criminal Justice , Film Studies , Human Rights , Middle Eastern Studies , Native American and Indigenous Studies , and Slavic and East European Studies . Bachelor ' s , master ' s , and doctoral programs are offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences , College of Agriculture and Natural Resources , the Graduate School , the Neag School of Education , the School of Nursing , the School of Business , the School of Dental Medicine , the School of Medicine , the School of Engineering , the School of Social Work , the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture , the School of Pharmacy , the School of Law , and the School of Fine Arts . Faculty 500 . In 2012 , The University of Connecticut embarked on an ambitious , multi - year hiring initiative to expand its faculty numbers across numerous academic disciplines . This four - year investment in 500 tenure - track faculty positions is poised to : Build on the institution ' s existing strengths and grow new expertise in strategic areas by hiring talented scholars within a targeted selection of academic departments ; boost the University ' s research productivity ; provide outstanding teaching and service to UConn students ; and continue the transformation that has led the University to stand among the nation ' s leading public research universities . Admissions and rankings . The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50 % and has been steadily decreasing , with about 30 , 000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class for fall semester 2012 . Approximately 50 , 000 prospective students and their families tour the main campus in Storrs annually . UConn ' s retention rate is among the best for public universities in the nation , with 93 % of students returning for their sophomore year . According to the " U . S . News & World Report ' s " America ' s Best Colleges listings , the University of Connecticut was ranked 21st among public universities in the United States . The University ' s undergraduate programs are ranked 63rd among national universities by " U . S . News & World Report " . UConn participates in the New England Board of Higher Education ' s Regional Student Program ( NERSP ) , which allows students from the five other New England states to enroll at the university at a reduced out - of - state tuition rate if their intended major is not provided by one of their in - state universities . The university participates in a special guaranteed admissions program with the Connecticut Community Colleges ( CCC ) that is designed for academically qualified students who are attending a Connecticut community college and who are planning to transfer to the University of Connecticut in Liberal Arts & Sciences , Agriculture & Natural Resources , Business , or Engineering . Each year , more than 1 , 000 transfer students are admitted to the university . Economic Development . Bioscience Connecticut . In June 2011 , the Connecticut General Assembly approved legislation for Bioscience Connecticut , a plan proposed by Connecticut Gov . Dannel P . Malloy to jump - start the Connecticut economy . According to the proposal , Bioscience Connecticut will result the creation of 3 , 000 construction jobs annually from 2012 through 2018 and a $ 4 . 6 billion increase in personal income by 2037 , while generating more than 16 , 000 jobs . The initiative includes plans for renovations to existing facilities on the UConn Health Center campus in Farmington , Conn . , as well the construction of a new patient tower and ambulatory care facility , and seeks to increase in the Health Center ’ s medical and dental school enrollments by 30 percent . Jackson Laboratory . In January 2012 , Gov . Malloy announced that Jackson Laboratory ( JAX ) had reached an agreement with the state of Connecticut to launch a $ 1 . 1 billion personalized medicine laboratory on the campus of the UConn Health Center in Farmington , Conn . Jackson Laboratory is an independent , nonprofit biomedical research institution based in Bar Harbor , Maine . According to the agreement , Jackson Laboratory will enter into a collaborative research agreement with the UConn Health Center and will create at least 300 positions within 10 years , of which 90 or 30 percent of the total number of employees , whichever is higher , will be senior scientist positions . Once fully developed , the facility is projected to employ 600 scientists and technicians . The state of Connecticut has approved $ 291 million of the total capital and research budget ; Jackson Laboratory will raise the balance of $ 860 million through federal research grants , philanthropy , and service income . Campuses . The main university campus is located in Storrs , a division of the Town of Mansfield , approximately 28 miles ( 45 km ) east of Hartford , the state ' s capital . It is situated between North Eagleville Road and South Eagleville Road . Storrs Road ( CT Route 195 ) cuts through the campus from north to south . In addition to the main campus in Storrs , there are five regional campuses : Avery Point ( in Groton ) , the Greater Hartford campus ( West Hartford ) , Stamford , Torrington , and Waterbury . The University of Connecticut School of Law is located in Hartford , the School of Social Work is on the Greater Hartford Campus in West Hartford , and the School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine are both located at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington . There is a downtown Hartford branch that houses teaching and research facilities for the School of Business . Health Center Campus . The University of Connecticut Health Center campus in Farmington is home to the School of Medicine , the School of Dental Medicine , John Dempsey Hospital and faculty practices in medical and dental health care . The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library , which is housed at the University of Connecticut Health Center , was one of eight federally funded National Network of Libraries of Medicine libraries from 1991 to 2001 . Avery Point Campus . The Avery Point ( Groton ) Campus has undergone a major transformation in the last few years . Included in a recent $ 50 million renovation project is a new Marine Sciences and technology building , the renovation of the Branford House , the gym , and classrooms in the Academic Building , a new Project Oceanology building , a new research vessel and new landscaping for our campus - by - the - sea . The Avery Point campus was formerly the summer estate of Morton Plant , a railroad , steamship and hotel magnate . Branford House , the mansion overlooking Long Island Sound , was reportedly worth $ 3 million when it was completed in 1904 . Also located on the estate was a caretaker ' s house ( the current police station ) and a barn and horse stable ( the current physical plant buildings ) . The estate included what is now the Shennecossett Public Golf Course located just north of the campus . The Plant estate was turned over to the State of Connecticut in the 1930s . During World War II , it was leased to the Coast Guard as a training center . During that period , the Coast Guard built the present cinder block buildings . In 1967 , the estate was converted to the Southeastern Campus of the University of Connecticut , later renamed the University of Connecticut at Avery Point . Students have access to classes for all UConn ' s traditional majors as well as the Bachelor of General Studies . In addition to the Bachelor of General Studies degree , there are three other majors that students are able to complete at the Avery Point campus . Coastal Studies is a marine - science based major , Maritime Studies is a humanities based major focused on marine topics , and American Studies deals with all aspects of the Western Hemisphere . Greater Hartford Campus . UConn ' s Greater Hartford campus , as its name indicates , serves a broad section of the area ’ s populace . Opened in 1939 in the City of Hartford , the University of Connecticut ’ s Greater Hartford Campus moved in 1970 to its present park - like location in West Hartford . The Greater Hartford Campus offers a wide range of Liberal Arts and Sciences courses and degrees to over 1 , 400 undergraduate and more than 600 graduate students . Students pursue undergraduate degrees in American Studies , Business and Technology , Business Administration , English , General Studies , Human Development and Family Studies , Psychology , and Urban and Community Studies . The Center for Continuing Studies provides a number of certificate program options , in addition to the Bachelor of General Studies , an interdisciplinary degree program tailored to meet individual needs and goals of returning , non - traditional , part - time adult students . Due to the Greater Hartford Campus ’ proximity to the State Capitol and legislative offices , the University ’ s Department of Public Policy is based on the Greater Hartford Campus and offers a Master of Arts in Survey Research and a Master of Arts in Public Administration , as well as certificate programs . The University ’ s School of Social Work is also located at the Greater Hartford Campus and offers a Master of Social Work and Ph . D in Social Work . The Greater Hartford Campus also offers the popular one - year Master of Education with Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates . Located on a campus , the Greater Hartford facilities include the Harleigh B . Trecker Library , which is fully integrated with and linked to the University Library System , including Storrs , all regional campuses , the Law School , and the UConn Health Center ; a state - of - the - art Information Technology Center , which features high - tech computer labs and distance learning facilities ; the Writing and Quantitative Center , a peaceful study environment for tutorial help and assistance in writing , math , accounting , chemistry , biology , and statistics ; the UConn Co - op ; and an art gallery . . In November 2012 , the decision was made to move the West Hartford campus to downtown Hartford . Stamford Campus . The Stamford Campus of the University of Connecticut was founded in 1951 , to provide education for GIs returning from the Korean War . It is currently located at One University Place , at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Broad Street in downtown Stamford and is easily accessible by car , train , or bus . The campus offers four - year undergraduate degrees in American Studies , Business and Technology , Economics , English , General Studies , Human Development and Family Studies , History , Political Science , and Psychology . At the graduate level , the campus offers the Master of Business Administration ( MBA ) and the Executive Master of Business Administration ( EMBA ) degrees . The Stamford campus ' location in lower Fairfield County provides access to internships , field placements , and jobs with Fortune 500 companies , investment and banking institutions , non - profit organizations , and civic , education , and community agencies . Torrington Campus . The University of Connecticut at Torrington was founded in 1957 ; it opened on its own campus in 1965 with the construction in a quiet rural setting in the western outskirts of the city . The campus consists of the M . Adela Eads Classroom Building ( named after the late long - time Senate Republican Leader , a champion of the campus ) and the Litchfield County Extension Service Building . The facility includes a high - tech classroom , a learning center , an art studio , computer rooms , a UConn Co - op bookstore , a 250 - seat auditorium , a student lounge , and a cafeteria . The Julia Brooker Thompson Library comprises a collection of about 17 , 000 books and videos and 25 print journals and newspapers , and provides access to all other UConn libraries as well as to public libraries and libraries of other schools . Approximately 400 students matriculate at the campus , enjoying a student - faculty ratio of about 10 to 1 . UConn Torrington offers the following undergraduate degree programs : American Studies , Human Development and Family Studies , English , General Studies , Business and Technology , Psychology , and Urban and Community Studies . Also noteworthy is the Litchfield County Writers Project , a focus for cultural activity in the region . Since 2009 , UConn Torrington has been the site of the northwest Connecticut regional competition for History Day . It has also sponsored Locally Grown History , a program designed to showcase the historical and cultural treasures and organizations of the region . The campus ' s Academic Plan ( drafted in 2007 ) envisions an increasing focus on the arts and humanities . Dr . Michael Menard serves as campus director . Waterbury Campus . The University of Connecticut ' s Waterbury campus serves more than 1 , 000 students annually . In its 60 years of operation , UConn Waterbury has opened the doors to educational access and excellence to thousands of Connecticut residents , many of whom have distinguished themselves in the fields of community service , business , education , law and politics . Today , the campus is located in a modern , state - of - the - art facility in the heart of downtown Waterbury . Students at UConn Waterbury enjoy smaller classes and a more intimate campus environment . With a low student to faculty ratio , students are able to engage in frequent classroom discussions with the school ' s distinguished faculty . Professors come from diverse academic backgrounds and are actively involved in scholarly research . Many serve as student advisors and mentors . Uconn Waterbury offers a variety of campus resources and support services . Students can use the library , writing center , math center , peer tutoring assistance , computer labs and counseling services . Through the generous support of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes ( OLLI ) , the Waterbury campus houses the OLLI at UConn program , which is an academic cooperative that provides mature adults 50 and over with opportunities for intellectual development , cultural stimulation , and social interaction . The programs are centered around classes developed and taught by members who volunteer their time and talents to share their knowledge and interests with other members . A diversified program of courses is offered from the fields of art , computers , culture and language , health and wellness , history , horticulture , literature and writing , math and science , music , performing arts , personal development , social sciences , visual arts , and more . Student life . Approximately 75 % of all students , including many graduate students , live on campus . The university sponsors many events throughout the year for its students , and also oversees more than 500 student organizations available at UConn for both undergraduates and graduate students . There is a wide variety of student organizations on campus , including fraternities and sororities , musical groups , and religious , athletic , political , cultural , business , military , artistic , and community service clubs . There are also student organizations set up with the intent of governing student life itself , such as the Student Union Board of Governors , the Undergraduate Student Government , the InterFraternity Council , the Panhellenic Council , UConnPIRG , Residence Hall Association , and the various residence hall councils . The university also has a daily student - run newspaper , " The Daily Campus " , which is the largest student newspaper in the state of Connecticut . As well as the newspaper , the university has a Huskyvision cable network , channels 14 and 16 at the university . Channel 14 is UCTV , a cable TV network consisting of student - made public - access television shows . Also under way is the construction of the new Storrs Downtown Center , a mixed - use town center slated to include retail shops , restaurants , offices , and housing , situated on Connecticut Route 195 across from the UConn campus . While many area activities are held on campus , the university provides free local bus transportation and also arranges frequent bus trips to Boston , Manhattan , and the Connecticut shoreline . The main university campus also includes a number of museums , theaters , and performing arts venues such as the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts , J . Robert Donnelly Husky Heritage Sports Museum , the William Benton Museum of Art , and the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History . The UConn Dairy Bar was started circa 1953 . It remains open year - round is well known for its ice cream , with roughly 200 , 000 customers visiting annually . Student Traditions . Painting " The Rock " Coated with thousands of layers of paint over the decades , " The Rock " is a student tradition dating back to the late 1940s . Students repeatedly paint it to promote student events , including dances , pep rallies , student elections , parades , fraternity and sorority functions and a host of other campus activities . The current rock is a portion of a much larger outcropping that was originally located across from the North Campus quadrangle and removed for construction of the Life Sciences building in 1958 . Forty years later it was put into storage during the UCONN 2000 construction program . The Rock was relocated to its present site in 2008 . Oozeball OOzeball is UConn ' s annual Mud Volleyball Tournament . Each year over 1 , 000 players and spectators come out to watch UConn ' s finest get " down & dirty . " 2012 marked the 29th running of OOzeball , making it the longest running tournament of its kind in the nation . Lip Sync Lip Sync is one of UConn ' s signature Homecoming events , where teams from the Cultural Centers and Greek organizations compete in a high - energy lip syncing contest . Each team choreographs a routine set to popular songs , and performs in front of thousands of fans in Gampel Pavilion . Spring Weekend The annual Spring Weekend concert organized by the Student Union Board of Governors ( SUBOG ) has attracted top artists and bands such as Outkast and Third Eye Blind in 2000 , Guster and Nelly in 2001 , Fat Joe and Nine Days in 2002 , 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes in 2003 , Ludacris and Kanye West in 2004 , Nas and Fabolous in 2005 , O . A . R . in 2006 , Dashboard Confessional , Reel Big Fish and The Starting Line in 2007 , Method Man , Redman , Flo Rida , and T - Pain in 2008 , 50 Cent and Naughty by Nature in 2009 , Jack ' s Mannequin and KiD CuDi in 2010 , B . o . B and Far East Movement in 2011 , Wiz Khalifa in 2012 , and most recently Kendrick Lamar and Steve Aoki in 2013 . It is also known for sizable outdoor parties that typically draw well over 10 , 000 attendees , particularly at one of its parking lots ( X - Lot ) , and the privately owned Celeron and Carriage House apartments , located less than a mile off campus . Some of these parties have led to near - riot situations , characterized by incidents of property destruction and unruliness requiring a sizable police presence every year , thereby giving Spring Weekend a degree of local notoriety . In order to give students more alternative options during that weekend , the Spring Weekend committee advertises all the events occurring for the UConn community . It should be noted that the vast majority of incidents of property destruction and unruliness are perpetrated by individuals not associated with the university ( non - students who come to the university for the weekend festivities ) . In 2011 , the university adopted new measures to de - escalate Spring Weekend including banning guests from campus during the three - day period , instituting numerous police roadblocks and parking lot closures across campus , working with off - campus landlords to limit crowds and calling for a voluntary moratorium by students – instead suggesting they return home for Easter weekend . These actions resulted in dramatically reduced crowds , no major incidents and far fewer arrests than in previous years . Greek life . Since 2003 , the University has taken much stronger steps towards producing a quality fraternity and sorority experience with the addition of university - operated Greek housing in the " Husky Village " area atop Horsebarn Hill and the hiring of a full - time staff to coordinate fraternity and sorority operations . Currently , 30 Greek organizations have chapters at UConn . Athletics . The University of Connecticut athletic teams are nicknamed the " Huskies " and compete at the NCAA ' s Division I - A level and in the Football Bowl Subdivision . UConn teams compete in the Big East Conference , which the school is a charter member of in all sports but men ’ s and women ’ s ice hockey . UConn is a member of Atlantic Hockey in men ' s ice hockey and will join Hockey East in 2014 - 15 . UConn women ' s ice hockey plays in Hockey East . Many UConn student - athletes have had success on the professional level , including : Ray Allen ( Miami Heat ) , Caron Butler ( Los Angeles Clippers ) and Rudy Gay ( Memphis Grizzlies ) of the NBA ; Donald Brown ( Indianapolis Colts ) , Tyvon Branch ( Oakland Raiders ) and Dan Orlovsky ( Tampa Bay Buccaneers ) of the NFL ; Sue Bird ( Seattle Storm ) , Tina Charles ( Connecticut Sun ) and Diana Taurasi ( Phoenix Mercury ) of the WNBA ; and Kevin Burns ( Columbus Crew ) , Shavar Thomas ( Philadelphia Union ) and O ’ Brian White ( Toronto FC ) of the MLS . UConn student - athletes graduate at a higher rate than the general student body and many teams and individuals have won honors for academic excellence . UConn men ’ s basketball player Emeka Okafor ( 2004 ) and women ’ s basketball player Maya Moore ( 2011 ) were named the National Academic All - Americans of the Year by the College Sports Information Director of America as seniors . UConn is known for its men ' s and women ' s basketball teams , which are both considered the finest in the country . The men ’ s basketball teams won NCAA Division I National Championships in 1999 , 2004 and 2011 and also played in the 2009 Final Four . The women ’ s basketball team have won seven NCAA Division I National Championships ( 1995 , 2000 , 2002 , 2003 , 2004 , 2009 and 2010 ) and have played in a total of 13 NCAA Final Fours , including the past five . In 2004 , the University of Connecticut became the first and only Division I school to win national championships in both men ' s and women ' s basketball during the same year . The women ' s basketball team went undefeated in the 1995 , 2002 , 2009 and 2010 seasons . The women ’ s basketball team won its 89th consecutive game on December 21 , 2010 , to set an NCAA Division I record , in streak that extended to 90 games . Both the UConn men ’ s and women ’ s basketball program have dominated BIG EAST Conference play in both the regular season and in the league ’ s postseason tournaments . UConn elevated its football program to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2002 , although the school first fielded a team in 1896 . UConn became the quickest program to go from FBS elevation to a Bowl Championship Series game when it played in the 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl . UConn has now played in a total of five bowl games . UConn is also known for its championship men ’ s and women ’ s soccer teams . The men ' s team has been the national champion three times ( 1948 , 1981 and 2000 ) , while the women ' s soccer team advanced to the NCAA National Championship title game in 1984 , 1990 , 1997 and 2003 . UConn also is a national power in field hockey as it has advanced to the national semifinals ten times and winning the national championship in 1981 and 1985 . The Husky baseball team has played in the NCAA College World Series five times and played in the 2011 NCAA Super Regionals . UConn players that have gone on to Major League Baseball stardom include : Walt Dropo , who was the 1950 American League Rookie of the Year with the Boston Red Sox and had a 14 - season pro career ; and Charles Nagy , a three - time all - star pitcher with the Cleveland Indians and also had a 14 - season career . Symbols . Until 1933 , the " mascot " of UConn had been the " Aggies " . This was because of the original agricultural nature of the University . In 1933 , the University changed its name from Connecticut Agricultural College to Connecticut State College . To reflect this change , athletic teams were known as the " Statesmen " . In December 1934 , the Husky was chosen as the " mascot " . All UConn huskies are named " Jonathan " in honor of Jonathan Trumbull , and all but the first , a brown and white husky , have been white with one brown eye and one blue eye . The current " real " Jonathan is " Jonathan XIII " ; he is often seen greeting fans and eating dog biscuits at sporting events . Jonathan is one of the few university mascots in the nation to have been selected by students via a popular poll . " Jonathan ' s " was the name of a fast food restaurant in the south end of the Student Union building until that section was closed for construction . A statue of Jonathan can also be found outside near the entrances to Gampel Pavilion and the natatorium . This statue , by artist Larry Waisele , was dedicated in 1995 . Students are known to rub its nose for good luck , though it is also common to see students climbing on top of the statue to " ride " it . The UConn " fight song " , officially titled " UConn Husky " but commonly called " The Husky Fight Song " , is one of the most recognizable in the country , due in large part to its frequent playing by the Pride of Connecticut during nationally televised sporting events . A Macromedia audio presentation of " UConn Husky " is available on the UConn Alumni Association website . A full history of the song can be found on the UConn " Advance " website . The " colors " of UConn are white and national flag blue , though small amounts of red often appear on athletic uniforms . The Pantone standard for the exact shade of blue used is # 281 . The " visual symbol " of the university is the oak tree , which is also the state tree of Connecticut . This is because the Latin word for oak , " robur " , also refers to moral and physical strength , and because of the importance of the Charter Oak to the state ' s history . The oak leaf appears on the university symbol and next to the word " UConn " on official letterhead . Facilities . Public Safety . The University of Connecticut Police Department is a fully functional police agency with the same statutory authority as any municipal police department in the State of Connecticut . State and internationally accredited , the department is responsible for the protection of lives and property at the University of Connecticut and all adjacent areas within the jurisdiction of the UConn Police Department . This includes the main campus in Storrs and the regional campuses located statewide . The UConn Division of Public Safety also includes the UConn Fire Department , and Office of the Fire Marshal and Building Inspectors . Utilities . Because it is situated in a fairly rural area , the UConn campus at Storrs has facilities that allow it to be virtually self - sufficient . All heat on campus is steam , and where possible sidewalks were laid over the underground connectors to keep the snow off . In 2005 , a cogeneration plant was activated , which generates most of the electricity for the campus , and uses the exhaust steam for the campus central heating system . The University also owns its own public water system and waste water treatment facility . With the support of a growing number of industry leaders based in Connecticut , UConn is at the forefront of developing clean , alternative sources of renewable energy using fuel cell technology . In partnership with UTC Power , the University will begin using a PureCell System to provide clean , efficient , and reliable energy to all buildings on the Depot campus , including important research laboratories and offices at UConn ’ s Center for Clean Energy and Engineering and Longley Building . Libraries . The University of Connecticut Libraries form the largest public research collection in the state of Connecticut . The main library is the Homer D . Babbidge Library , formerly the Nathan Hale Library , at the Storrs campus , which underwent a $ 3 million renovation that was completed in 1998 , making it then the largest public research library in New England . The Storrs campus is also home to the university ' s Music and Pharmacy libraries , as well as the Thomas J . Dodd Research Center , home to the university ' s archives and special collections , including university records , rare books , and manuscript collections . Each of the regional campuses also have their own libraries , including the Jeremy Richard Library at UConn - Stamford and the Trecker Library in West Hartford . These libraries are tied into the Babbidge library through a shared catalogue . The Babbidge - based collection , which places UConn among the top 30 universities in the nation for both library holdings and funding , contains more than 2 . 5 million print volumes ; approximately 2 , 500 current print periodicals ; more than 35 , 000 unique electronic journals available through the eJournal locator ; 2 . 8 million units of microform ; 180 , 000 maps at the Map and Geographic Information Center ( New England ' s largest public map collection ) ; thousands of electronic books ; and an array of free electronic information sources . The UCL also license approximately 265 electronic search databases , many of which contain the full - text of research journals , monographs , and historic documents . Members of the UConn community can access these resources from off - campus by logging in to the VPN with their netID and password . The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library , which is housed at the University of Connecticut Health Center , was one of eight federally funded National Network of Libraries of Medicine libraries from 1991 – 2001 . The University of Connecticut School of Law houses the School of Law Library at its campus in Hartford . The Stowe and Law libraries have catalogues separate from the Babbidge system , making the total library holdings of the University of Connecticut much higher than the 2 . 5 million print volumes of Babbidge . Additionally , UConn is the home of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research , which is the world ' s most comprehensive survey and public opinion data library . In addition to their own libraries , UConn participates in outside library consortia , including the New England Law Library Consortium . The Dodd Research Center has also formed a partnership with the African National Congress to share materials with South Africa n scholars . Theatre . The UConn campus at Storrs is home to the Connecticut Repertory Theatre ( CRT ) run by the Department of Dramatic Arts . The theatre complex contains three venues , the 486 - seat Harriet S . Jorgensen Theatre , the 241 - seat Nafe Katter Theatre , and the 116 - seat Studio Theatre . CRT is a member of the Theatre Communications Group , the national service organization for the professional theatre . Athletics . The most notable athletic facilities are : Improvement projects . UConn 2000 was a public - private partnership to rebuild , renew and enhance the University of Connecticut from 1995 to 2005 . It was paid for by the State of Connecticut , UConn ' s students , and private donations . UConn 2000 was enacted by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1995 and signed into law by Governor John G . Rowland . The construction projects were overseen by President Philip E . Austin . The legislature continued the construction investment through 21st Century UConn . Several projects resulted in financial problems and many of the new buildings had fire code violations . These problems were investigated by a special committee organized by Governor Jodi Rell . 21st Century UConn is the continuation of UConn 2000 and is another billion dollar construction investment by the state of Connecticut to upgrade facilities at the University of Connecticut . It passed the Connecticut General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor Rowland in 2002 . By the time of the project ' s completion , every building on campus will be either new or completely renovated . Money has also been put into the regional and satellite campuses , such as the new School of Business facility in downtown Hartford .