University of the District of Columbia The University of the District of Columbia ( UDC ) is a historically black , public university located in the U . S . capital of Washington , D . C . UDC is one of the few urban land - grant universities in the country and a member - school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund . It is also the only public university in the District of Columbia . 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 American s 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 late 2012 , the university reported that its average expenses of " $ 35 , 152 [ per full - time student ] are 66 percent higher than expenses for comparable schools . " To cut costs , UDC plans to reduce the number of people it employs , move its community college , and eliminate several degree programs . Two months after announcing the cost - cutting measures , the board of trustees fired university president Allen L . Sessoms . One month after that , the university provided more details on its financial plans by announcing that they were eliminating nearly 100 jobs to save $ 8 . 5 million a year . Academics . UDC offers over 175 undergraduate and graduate degree programs . The Division of Community Outreach and Extension Services ( COES ) offers a variety of practical , nonacademic educational programs and training . UDC spends $ 35 , 152 per full - time student . The Fiscal Times reports UDC ' s graduation rate to be the second - worst in the United States , at 7 . 7 % . UDC Guard Force . UDC has its own guard force who are responsible for guarding and protecting university property , staff , faculty and students . The guard force works 24 / 7 and utilizes the catchphrase " We are here for you ! " which is printed in the sides of all vehicles belonging to the guard force . The guard force are commissioned as District of Columbia Special Policemen and carry . 38 revolvers , handcuffs and flashlights in order to accomplish their mission . International programs . A 1996 academic partnership with the Modern Academy In Maadi , in Maadi , a southern suburb of Cairo , Egypt , encourages the material , physical , and intellectual growth of students , faculty , and staff of both institutions through Cairo - based UDC Bachelor degrees , Computer Science and Business Administration management programs . In July 2001 , the partnership included Accounting and Finance options in Business , Computer Engineering and Information Technology and Electronic Engineering and Communication Technology and graduate studies in Business Administration ( MBA ) . The UDC ' s adult education department had a collegial relationship with the University of Nairobi for several years , including faculty exchange and doctoral student sponsoring . Campus . The main campus of UDC , known as the Van Ness campus , is located in the North Cleveland Park neighborhood at Connecticut Avenue and Van Ness St . in Northwest Washington , DC . It lends its name to the nearby Van Ness – UDC Metrorail station . Primarily a commuter school , UDC opened its first residential accommodations or dormitories in August 2010 by leasing an apartment building across the street from its campus . UDC plans to open a new residence hall on its main campus by 2012 that could house as many as 300 students . Construction of a new $ 40 million student center also began in 2012 . The Van Ness Campus opened in 1968 as the campus of the Washington Technical Institute , occupying buildings vacated by the National Bureau of Standards . Following the announcement of the UDC in 1975 , work began on redeveloping the campus , with the construction of Buildings 32 , 38 , and 39 completed in 1976 . Seven additional buildings opened in 1981 at the conclusion of a second phase of construction . The DCTC facilities at the old Wilson Teachers College building at 11th and Harvard Streets , NW and at the Franklin School were retired . Mt . Vernon Square was selected as the site for Federal City College in 1968 , and in 1973 FCC took control of the Carnegie Library , closed in 1970 in anticipation of the D . C . Public Library ' s move to the Martin Luther King Jr . Memorial Library . Funding for the campus did not materialize until 1978 , however . Facing declining enrollment and lack of funding , operations at the downtown campus were wound down in the 1990s , and the facilities shuttered . " UDC " was removed from the name of the nearby Mount Vernon Square Metro Station in 2001 . Athletics . The University of the District of Columbia athletic teams are known as the UDC Firebirds . The university is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) and competes at the Division II level as a member of the East Coast Conference ( ECC ) . The university currently fields ten varsity sports , four men ' s sports : basketball , cross country , soccer , tennis ; and six women ' s sports : basketball , cross country , tennis , indoor and outdoor track & field , and volleyball . In 2012 , the university announced plans for athletic expansion , with the addition of men ' s and women ' s lacrosse in 2014 and soon thereafter men ' s and women ' s swimming . Success . The Firebirds have experienced recent success in men ' s and women ' s tennis winning the East Coast Conference team titles their first season as a part of the conference ; with the women ' s tennis team making it all the way to the " Sweet Sixteen " in the NCAA Division II tournament . The Firebirds also excelled on the hardwood in 2011 - 12 where both men ' s and women ' s basketball teams made it to the East Regional Quarterfinals in the 2012 NCAA Men ' s Division II Basketball Tournament . Pastorally , the Firebirds have excelled at intercollegiate athletics highlighted most notably by the men ' s basketball team winning the 1982 NCAA Men ' s Division II Basketball Tournament , under the tutelage of Coach Will Jones . The Firebirds attempted and fell just short of repeating as champions but had to settle for runner - up in 1983 . Administration . Since December of 2008 , the Athletic Department has been headed up by Patricia Thomas who is the university ' s first female African American to serve in this position . Thomas came to University of the District of Columbia with over 30 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics , including many years serving as a Senior Associate Athletic Director at Georgetown University where she also served on the NCAA Division I Management Council . The department also has five associate athletic directors , Joseph Lang ( Compliance ) , Mike Riley ( Internal Operations ) , Patrick Knapp ( External Operations ) , Matthew Rienzo ( Marketing & Communications ) , and Kendra Greene ( Academics / Senior Woman Administrator ) . Notable coaches . Jeff Ruland ( Iona College , 1991 ) has been the coach of the Firebirds men ' s basketball team since 2009 . Ruland most notably is remembered for his years as a Center in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) where he played for the Washington Bullets and was an All - Star Selection in the 1982 - 83 Season . Ruland came to The University of the District of Columbia from an assistant coaching position with the Philadelphia 76ers . Student activities . Greek Letter organizations . National Pan - Hellenic Council . All nine of the National Pan - Hellenic Council organizations currently have chapters at the University of the District of Columbia . Student media . UDC publishes " The Trilogy " , a student - paper highlighting campus events and national and local news . " The Flightpath " yearbook focuses on graduating students and the years ' activities . Television . UDC Cable Television , Channel 19 , is the District Government ' s non - commercial , adult education program service . UDC Cable TV 98 supports teaching , research and public service with Educational - access television and instructional programming . Cable TV 98 operates an audio and video recording service center , electronic field and studio production and a video training center for Public - access television production .