• Board of Trustees

• Administrative Board

• Academic Senate

• Historical Sketch

• Organization of the University of Puerto Rico

• Organization of the Mayagüez Campus

• University Regulations

• Research and Development Endeavors

• Office of the Dean of Academic Affairs

• Office of the Dean of Students

• Other Services

• Fees and Expenses

Students are encouraged to participate in organized sports and other recreational physical activities sponsored by the Department of Athletic Activities.

UPRM is a member of the Puerto Rico Inter-University Athletic League (LAIPR) and fully participates in a variety of intercollegiate sports. It is also a corresponding member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Inter-University Program offers 15 men's and 13 women's sports for students who demonstrate superior athletic abilities. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross-country, judo, soccer, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field, decathlon, volleyball, weight lifting, wrestling, and cheerleading. Women's sports include weight lifting, basketball, cross-country, judo, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field, heptathlon, volleyball and cheerleading. Exhibition activities also include Tae Kwon Do, Chess, bowling and women's soccer.

The Intramural Program provides activities and competitions that take place mostly on campus grounds. Students, faculty, and staff participate in a wide variety of activities including 3 on 3 basketball, judo, soccer, indoor soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, table tennis, tennis, 4 on 4 volleyball, water polo, weight lifting, wrestling, billiar and domino. Student teams in the Intramural Program may participate in the Extramural Program and compete with other universities and non-university groups.

The Department of Athletic Activities allows the use of campus athletic facilities and equipment in support of recreational non-traditional unorganized sports. Equipment and facilities are available to students and to university sponsored teams in their free time.

Athletic facilities include a gymnasium, a coliseum, a 50-meter swimming pool, basketball, volleyball, tennis and basketball courts, a synthetic running track, a weight-lifting gymnasium, a training and conditioning exercise room, an athletic field for soccer and track, a softball park, as well as judo and wrestling areas. For more information contact the Athletic Department at (787)-265-3866.

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Students with musical talent may join different music groups such as the concert band, marching band, corium canticus, university chorale, jazz ensemble, string orchestra, Latin music groups, and the dancing group Millenium RUM Dancers. Students interested in participating in any of these groups are required to perform in an audition.

Groups are required to rehearse twice a week to develop interpretive skills and maintain an ample musical and artistic program. The ensembles present a variety of concerts and performances as representatives of the university also international performances, festivals and competitions. For more information contact: BAND AND ORCHESTRA DEPARTMENT at (787) 265-3895.

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Counseling and guidance are offered to the students so that they may achieve better self-understanding and make adequate adjustment to university environment. Programs and services are offered to diminish the negative impact of everyday stress and to help students cope with academic and environmental demands.

The Department of Counseling provides personal counseling, career and life planning, testing, and psychological services. Counselors assist students with personal, educational, and career development issues and concerns. Counselors teach the freshman orientation course, UNIV 3005 Introduction to the University Way of Life, during the first semester. Psychologists provide individual therapy, crisis intervention, workshops and lectures on personal, emotional, and social growth topics. Workshops are offered throughout the year to meet student needs. Topics such as stress management, assertiveness, personal and social growth, study skills, time management, and decision-making are discussed.

A Tutoring Program offers remedial help services in basic academic areas such as mathematics, Spanish, English, Chemistry, and Physics. Tutors are selected among honor or advanced students.

A Freshman Orientation Week is offered a week prior to the registration period for the first semester. It is a campus wide activity in which new students receive information about facilities, academic programs, services, and student organizations. It offers freshmen the opportunity to meet faculty, staff, and other students. Members of the Peer Counseling Program work intensely during this week and throughout the year in coordination with the Department of Counseling assisting counselors with campus tours, group guidance, open house, and career days.

A Freshman Orientation Course is offered during the first semester. It consists of a one-hour lecture per week on diverse topics such as academic regulations, study skills, career planning, personal development, computer literacy, and institutional resources. It has been designed to enhance college students' academic and social integration.

For additional information contact: Nidia S. López, Ph.D, at (787) 265-3864.orientacion@uprm.edu.

The Department of Financial Aid administers financial aid programs to assist students with educational expenses. Even though costs at the University are considered low, each year approximately 64% of the student body qualifies for financial assistance. This assistance is provided through Federal, state, institutional, and private sources. These programs include grants and scholarships which do not have to be repaid, part-time employment for students who wish to work, and loans that require repayment.

The philosophy followed in rendering financial assistance is based on the principle that parents are the ones who are primarily responsible for providing financial means to educate their children. Students are also considered responsible in helping finance their college education through self-help which includes resources from assets, earnings from work, and loans to be repaid from future earnings.

The established requirements for financial assistance are:

• US citizenship or eligible non-citizen
  
• Enrollment in a degree or a teaching certificate program
  
• Satisfactory academic progress for Title IV Program
  
• Justified financial need (Except for unsubsidized Stafford Loans).
  
  

Financial need is determined by the difference between the cost of education and the amount of aid that parents and student can contribute. The amount which a student may receive is determined according to student's financial need and fund availability. In order to be considered for all financial aid programs, students must complete and submit once every academic year the Application for Federal Student Aid, the Institutional Application Form and all other required documents.

Grants and Scholarships

The Legislative Scholarship Program receives funds assigned by the Puerto Rico Legislature to assist students with need and who also meet specific academic criteria.

Private scholarships and grants are received by the University for student assistance which are administered according to criteria and guidelines specified by each donor.

Federal Work-Study Program

The Federal Work-Study Program provides on campus employment opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need.

Loans

Based on their determined financial need, the FFEL Stafford Loan Program allows undergraduate and graduate students to borrow low-interest federally subsidized funds through lending institutions such as banks. Students can also obtain unsubsidized loans regardless of need. Repayment begins six month after the student graduates or ceases to be enrolled.

The Geer Loan Program is funded through a private trust donation to the Mayaguez Campus. It provides 5 percent interest loans for up to a maximum yearly amount of $ 1,000 based on financial need. Repayment begins 46 days after the loan proceeds are disbursed.

The Health Services Department offers primary health care, and first aid services free of charge, for all students. Among the services provided are medical consultation, dental care, emergency and short-stay recuperation care, ambulance services, clinical laboratory tests, psychology service, counseling on addiction and a health education program. The University of Puerto Rico also offers a university health insurance plan throughout a private provider for students who are not cover by a private personal insurance or a government health insurance.

These services are classified in two areas: preventive medicine with emphasis on primary and secondary prevention and therapeutic medicine. Preventive medicine pursues the prevention, detection, screening and control of medical conditions among students that may need immediate attention, observation or special care. Services are offered during regular working hour, except ambulance transportation service, which is coordinated on after hour’s basis by the police university thru the municipal or state emergency services.

All students entering the University for the first time are required to complete and submit a medical history form that includes a complete physical examination and laboratory tests. Evidence of immunizations is also required. Failure to comply will result in a medical hold on registration.

Medical consultation and emergency services are offered by general physicians and professional nurses even in extended periods. These services are offered during semesters from 7:30am to 8:00pm, Monday to Thursday and from 7:30am to 4:30pm on Friday. A clinical laboratory complements these services during regular working hours.

Dental services are offered to students by appointments. Services include oral examinations, X-rays, prophylactic treatment, control of infections and cavities, and orientation on dental hygiene. Senior year students of the School of Dentistry of the University of Puerto Rico Health Science Campus provide primary dental care under the supervision of the Health Service Department dentists.

Psychological services are also part of the services offered. This includes psychotherapy, crisis intervention, group therapy and consultation to other health departmental professionals. Workshops on various mental health topics are also available.

The Stress Management Center offers services to all the university community by previous appointment. This center specialized in teaching techniques such as music therapy, visualization and direct relaxation. The psychologist coordinates this service. The Center is a practice center for psychology students from the Social Science Department.

Through a Health Promotion and Prevention Program, individual and group orientations are offered. Some of the areas covered are: nutrition, sexual health, eating disorders, sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS, alcohol and other drug abuse prevention, counseling on addiction and referral. Secondary prevention for chronic illness such as heart diseases, diabetes, asthma and epilepsy, as well as other health related areas with emphasis in the promotion of healthy lifestyles and health maintenance are also included in the program. A resource library with printed health educational and informational on material is available to the university community.

The University, through a private company, offers the students an insurance health plan in order to provide more comprehensive health coverage. The plan is required, unless the student provides evidence of other health insurance coverage. Among the services covered by the university plan are consultations to specialists, X-rays and laboratory tests, hospital emergency room care, hospitalization, surgical procedures, maternity services including prenatal and postnatal care. Health plan also offers options on pharmacy, dental and major medical services.

A Title X Family Planning Program offers comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services to all members of the university community. This program offers evaluation and medical consultation, health and sexual health education, guidance in reference to abstinence, natural family planning, referrals, PAP smears tests and others tests for sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia and HIV, as well as education and availability of anticonceptive methods. A gynecologist specialist physician is part of this program. A nominal fee is charged for medical visit and for anticonceptive supply.

A Traffic Safety Project sponsored by the Puerto Rico Traffic Safety Commission offers educational and promotional activities establishing traffic safety as part of a healthy way of life among all members of the community.

The Health Services Department considers social health as a very important area to look after in a university setting. Some of the actual health issues such as alcohol and other substance abuse are related to social health. This motivated the development of the project “Café Colegial La Cueva del Tarzan”; a pro-active socialization prevention project that offer social alternatives develop and administer by students where a positive, creative and entertainment environment is present.

The department also sponsors three student organizations that advocate healthy lifestyles among the student community.

The Off-Campus Housing Department provides services to students, faculty and staff seeking non-university owned housing. It maintains an interactive housing database search listing private homeowner's rooms, efficiency, one-two bedroom apartments or houses and apartment to share. Search can be done by several criteria such as owner’s name, location, housing type and rental range. Access to housing listings can be obtained at the website www.uprm.edu/vivienda or http://vivienda.uprm.edu.

The housing listing includes units available from landlords registered with our site. Accommodations are not inspected by the University. Students must assume responsibility for making a determination about the condition of the housing and for getting a clear understanding (preferably in the form of a written lease) of the terms and conditions under which he or she will occupy the housing. Because the available housing market changes daily we cannot updated listings of housing for distribution by mail or e-mail nor can give information of this type over the telephone. However an Off-Campus Housing Guide can be provided by mail upon request.

Other services include assistance with landlord tenant questions and consumer general information about leases, utilities, safety, transportation, temporary housing, finances and child care. We also support the students throughout the Off-Campus living experience providing counseling and referral in housing related matters. The Housing Mediation Services is an alternative resource which assists in the resolution of problems which may arise between students, landlords and roommates. For more information contact (787) 832-4040, extensions 3894, 2078 or e-mail: vivienda@uprm.edu.

The Placement Department's main objective is to assist students in obtaining permanent, summer, or temporary employment. Services provided include arrangement of on-campus interviews with prospective employers, coordination of employer presentations, and job referrals. The Department offers seminars and workshops to facilitate job search, résumé preparation, and interviewing skills.

Once a year, the Placement Department organizes and hosts an annual Job Fair for local companies and governmental agencies. A library containing information on companies which recruit students is available for student use at the Student Center, Office 508.

The department prepares an employment report for each graduating class which lists the number of students who find job placement or continue their graduate studies in Puerto Rico and in the United States. Students are advised to initiate their job search as during freshmen year, since this will increase their chances for obtaining summer or co-op employment during their second or third year of studies.

The Quality of Life Office offers a wide variety of services in order to promote a safe campus environment and achieve the educational objectives of this institution. This office encourages a safe and secure environment through various activities each semester. It sponsors peer education and support student groups.

Proactive prevention programs are offered in order to prevent campus crime, violence, sexual assault, and the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs, which may affect the quality of life on campus. Further information about the office, its services, and activities may be obtained by calling 787-832-4040, Extensions 3107, 5467, or at calidaddevida@uprm.edu
http://www.uprm.edu/cvida.

Emergency Numbers: Security Office (787)265-1785, Office of the Dean of Students (787)265-3862, Quality of Life Office (787)265-5467, Health Services (787) 265-3865, Counseling and Guidance (787) 265-3864.

At UPRM, the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff is an important priority.

UPRM's urban campus and its environs are safe and have a relatively low crime rate.

The University is required by federal law to publish an annual security report containing information with respect to campus security policies and statistics on the incidence of certain crimes on and around our campus.

Statistics of Campus Crime Report:

UPRM offers diverse social and cultural activities such as pep rallies, concerts, shows, dances, plays, films, presentations, tournaments, and exhibitions by recognized artists and performing groups.

Although most activities are celebrated on campus, university-sponsored activities are also offered at municipal government facilities such as the Yagüez Theater, the Cultural Center, and the Municipal Coliseum. For additional information contact: 787-832-4040 ext. 3366.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND CLUBS

The University has over 100 recognized student organizations and clubs which serve the various needs and interests of students. These organizations range from campus branches of national organizations to local clubs and special interest groups which provide an opportunity for involvement in student recreational activities, community service, leadership and personal development. For further information, contact 787-832-4040 ext. 3366, 3370.

The Student Center constitutes the university’s community center and it is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors everyday. Services are available from 7:00 am to 12:00 midnight, Monday to Thursday, Friday until 4:00pm and from 2:00pm to 12:00 midnight on weekends and most holidays. It is a focal point for cultural, social, and recreational activities while providing study areas for students. We also provide wireless connection to our network and the WWW. Several departments under the Office of the Dean of Students are located in the Center, the offices of Campus Housing, Placement, Social and Cultural Activities, and the Student Exchange Program and International Student Service.

Other offices located in the Student Center include the General Student Council Office, the Graphic Arts Workshop, and a small Art Gallery. The Student Center also houses the campus cafeteria, snack bar, game room, and bookstore. The Student Aid Center, located on the ground floor, provides low cost specialized services, such as photocopying, photographic film development, and fax services. Further information may be obtained from: José Figueroa at jofigue@caribe.net or at extension 2287.

The Student Center constitutes the university’s community center and it is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors everyday. Services are available from 7:00 AM to 12:00 midnight, Monday to Thursday, Friday until 4:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 12:00 midnight on weekends and most holidays. It is a focal point for cultural, social, and recreational activities while providing study areas for students. It also houses a Computer Center offering computer facilities and tutoring. We also provide free wireless connection throughout the building to our network and the WWW. Academic tutoring services are offered by the Department of Counseling and Guidance.

Several departments under the Office of the Dean of Students are located in the Center, the offices of Campus Housing, Placement, Social and Cultural Activities, and the Student Exchange Program and International Student Service.

Other offices located in the Student Center include the General Student Council Office, the Child Care Aid Program, the Graphic Arts Workshop, and a small Art Gallery. The Student Center also houses the campus cafeteria, snack bar, game room, and bookstore. The Student Aid Center, located on the ground floor, provides low cost specialized services, such as photocopying, photographic film development, and fax services. Further information may be obtained from: José Figueroa at jofigue@caribe.net or at extension 2287.

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The International Student Exchange Program offers students the opportunity to study, experience and learn from exposure to different regional, cultural, and ethnic perspectives and to broaden their educational background. A qualified, full-time undergraduate student may participate in the exchange program for an entire academic year and live in one of 35 countries.

The Global Engineering Education Exchange is an international program designed specifically for engineering students. More than 50 universities are currently participating in over 17 countries around the world..