University of Alabama at Birmingham

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System. UAB offers over 140 programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees in the social and behavioral sciences, the liberal arts, business, education, engineering, and health-related fields such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, nursing, and public health. The school is highly renowned for its medical research and natural sciences programs.

The UAB Health System, one of the largest academic medical centers in the United States, is affiliated with the university. UAB Hospital sponsors residency programs in various medical specialties, including internal medicine, neurology, surgery, radiology, and anesthesiology. UAB Hospital is the only ACS verified Level I trauma center in Alabama, as rated by the American College of Surgeons Trauma Program.

UAB is the state's largest employer, with more than 18,000 faculty and staff and over 53,000 jobs at the university and in the health system. An estimated 10 percent of the jobs in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area and 1 in 33 jobs in the state of Alabama are directly or indirectly related to UAB. The university's overall annual economic impact was estimated to be $4.6 billion in 2010.

In the fall of 2012, the University of Alabama at Birmingham enrolled 17,999 students from over 110 countries, including 1,605 freshmen. There are plans to commence with an "aggressive" growth in enrollment at UAB. The current UAB President is Dr. Ray L. Watts.

History
In 1936, in response to the rapid growth of the Birmingham metropolitan area and the need for the population to have easy access to a university education, the University of Alabama created a Birmingham Extension Center. The center initially operated in an old house in downtown Birmingham at 2131 6th Avenue North and enrolled 116 students. In 1945, the newly-created four-year University of Alabama School of Medicine moved from the Tuscaloosa campus to Birmingham and took over management of Jefferson and Hillman hospitals. In the post-war boom, enrollment at the extension center increased steadily; it stood at 1,856 by 1957. The medical center also grew. By 1959, research grants, training grants, and fellowships exceeded $1,000,000, and ground was broken for a new Children's Hospital.

By the 1960s, it grew readily apparent that the extension center was becoming a university in its own right. An engineering building was built close to the medical center in 1962. In 1966, the Extension Center and the School of Medicine were merged into the University of Alabama in Birmingham. An Advisory Board for UAB was created in 1967. In 1969, the legislature created the University of Alabama System and elevated UAB to the status of an autonomous institution within the system, which also included UA (in Tuscaloosa) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in Huntsville. Dr. Joseph Volker was named the first president of UAB.

In the 1970s, the university began a period of rapid growth. Enrollment at the beginning of the decade stood at 6,629, including 2,724 women. To accommodate the growing student population, UAB acquired much land in the Southside and began a steady expansion of the physical plant. UAB Mini Park (the predecessor to The UAB Green) was dedicated in 1977. The university created an intercollegiate athletic program, joined the NCAA and began fielding teams beginning with golf in 1970 and men's basketball in 1978. The university's name was changed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1984.

By 1990, UAB had awarded its 50,000th degree. In 1992, U.S. News and World Report named UAB as the #1 up-and-coming university in the United States. In 1993, UAB's economic impact on the Birmingham region was estimated at more than $1.5 billion per year (the figure would be $2 billion per year by 1998). In 1994, UAB became the first Alabama university to achieve "Research University I" status in the Carnegie Foundation classification.

UAB celebrated its 40th anniversary as an independent university in 2009. When classes began, UAB had the largest enrollment in the school’s 40-year history. Freshman enrollment was up 19% and graduate student enrollment hit its largest number ever. A record 18,047 students enrolled in courses at UAB.

Campus
UAB is located in the Southside neighborhood of downtown Birmingham. Spanning around 83 blocks, the UAB campus blends seamlessly with the urban character of the Southside. The campus is roughly rectangular in shape with University Boulevard serving as the main axis of the rectangle and Campus Green serving as the center of the campus.

The campus can be divided into three sections. The medical center occupies most of the campus east of Campus Green. The medical center is the home to the various health science schools and their teaching facilities, including the UAB Health System (UABHS). The medical center overlaps with the larger Birmingham Medical District where, in addition to UABHS, non-UAB affialiated hospitals such as the VA Medical Center Birmingham, Children's Hospital of Alabama and Cooper Green Mercy Hospital are located.

The part of campus from Campus Green west and University Boulevard south is the academic center of the campus, as well as the center of student life on campus. The majority of the university's academic, student life, residential and cultural facilities are located on this part of campus. It is anchored by Campus Green, which was developed between 2000 and 2007 as the centerpiece of the move to convert the school from its theretofore commuter school feel into a more traditional residential campus.



Athletics facilities, including Bartow Arena, are located on the far western side of campus. Legion Field, located a few miles west of campus, is the current home of the football team, but planning is underway for an on-campus football stadium adjacent to Bartow Arena.

Since 1969, UAB has undergone extensive growth and is sometimes jokingly referred to as "The University that Ate Birmingham", and construction projects are common across campus. Current projects that are in planning, recently completed, or under construction include:
 * Shelby Biomedical Research Building
 * Southern Bio-Safety Lab Alabama Birmingham
 * Alumni Affairs House
 * UAB Softball Complex
 * Campus Green Project
 * Women's and Infants Center
 * Hazelrig-Salter Radiation Oncology Facility

Organization and administration
UAB is an autonomous institution within the University of Alabama System, which is governed by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama and headed by Chancellor of the University of Alabama. The board is self-nominating and composed of 15 elected members and two ex officio members. The makeup of the Board is dictated by the Constitution of the State of Alabama, and requires that the board be made up of three members from the congressional district that contains the Tuscaloosa campus, and two members from every other congressional district in Alabama. Board members are elected by the Board and are confirmed by the Alabama State Senate. Board members may serve three consecutive six-year terms.

The President of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is the principal executive officer of the university and is appointed by the chancellor with approval of the Board of Trustees. The president reports directly to the chancellor, and is responsible for the daily operations of the university. The president also acts as chairman of the board of the UAB Health System. Richard Marchase was named interim president on August 21, 2012, after the retirement of former president Carol Garrison.

Colleges
UAB is composed of 1 college, 9 schools, the Graduate School, and the Division of General Studies. Together, these divisions offer 51 bachelor's degree programs, 46 master's degree programs, and 36 doctoral programs.

Prior to 2010, the schools of Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Science and Mathematics, and Education were separate, degree-granting units within the university. The schools were merged into a single college (the first at UAB): the College of Arts and Sciences, with Education retaining its identity as a distinct unit within the new college. University leaders cited efficiency, curricula, and more opportunity for interdisciplinary research and cooperation for the restructuring.

Endowment
UAB's endowment stood at just over $325 million in 2009.

In 1999, the university launched a capital campaign with a goal of $250 million. When it ended in 2003, the UAB Capital Campaign had raised over $388.7 million.

Academics
UAB is a large, four-year primarily residential research university. UAB has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1970, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Undergraduates comprise a majority of the total university enrollment. Part-time and transfer student comprise a sizable portion of the undergraduate student body. The undergraduate instructional program provides a balance between professional programs of study and the liberal arts (meaning the number of degrees awarded in the two areas is similar), and there is a high level of co-existence between the graduate and undergraduate programs (meaning that the majority of undergraduate program have graduate degree program counterparts). The university has a "very high level" of research activity and has a graduate instructional program heavily emphasizing doctorates in STEM fields as well as professional programs in the health and veterinary sciences. UAB is only one of 108 universities in the country (and only one of two in Alabama) with the "very high level" research rating.

The academic calendar is based on the semester system, which divides the academic year, lasting from mid-August to early May, into two 15-week semesters (fall and spring) and the summer. The fall semester ends in early December and the spring term begins in early January. The summer, which lasts from mid-May to August, is divided into a number of sessions: a 12-week session, a 3-week "mini-semester" in May, a nine-week session in June and July, and two four-week sessions in June and July, respectively. The schools of medicine and dentistry follow an academic calendar beginning in July and ending in late May/early June.

In academic year 2009-2010, UAB awarded a total 1,942 bachelor's degrees and post-bachelor certificates; 1,339 master's degrees, educational specialist degrees, and post-master's certificates; 229 research doctorates; and 171 professional doctorates.

Student Profile
In fall 2011, the UAB student body consisted of 11,128 undergraduates, 4,019 graduate students and 2,428 professional doctoral students from all 67 Alabama counties, all 50 states and more than 110 foreign countries. 28.7% of students were enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (excluding Education), 10.6% in Education, 11.5% in Business, 1.5% in Dentistry, 6.7% in Engineering, 11.0% in Health Professions, 2.4% in Joint Health Sciences, 3.5% in Medicine, 10.3% in Nursing, 1.1% in Optometry, 2.0% in Public Health, while 10.7% were undecided.

Of the undergraduate student body, 43% are from Jefferson County, 17.5% are from other counties in the Birmingham metropolitan area, specifically Blount, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties. 31% come from the rest of Alabama, 6.5% from the rest of the United States, while international students comprise 1.9%. The male-to-female ratio among undergraduates is 0.7:1. Reflecting one of the core reasons for UAB's founding, a large percentage of undergraduates are from non-traditional demographics. One quarter of undergraduates are part-time students, and 23% are above the age of 25. (The average undergraduate is 23 years old.)

The average entering freshman ACT score for the Class of 2013 is 24.3 with a 3.5 high school GPA. Average undergraduate class size of 31 students. Since 2000, UAB has produced 7 Fulbright Scholars, 6 Phi Kappa Phi Fellows, 8 Goldwater Scholars, 5 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellows, 6 Truman Scholars, 1 Marshall Scholar, and 2 Rhodes Scholars.

In addition to the undergraduate curriculum, the Graduate School at UAB has experienced significant growth. In the past 3 years, graduate enrollment is up 19.5%. There has also been a 30 point increase in the mean GRE score of applicants with an average GRE Verbal score of 530 and Quantitative score of 690.

Faculty and Staff
UAB has 18,619 employees, including 2,244 faculty. 91.3% of the faculty at UAB hold an academic or professional doctorate. Eight faculty members from UAB have been elected to the National Institute of Medicine. The student-faculty ratio at UAB is 18:1.

Library
UAB has two libraries: the Mervyn H. Sterne Library and Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences. Sterne Library holds 1.7 million print volumes while Hill Library holds just under 350,000.

Rankings
The 2013 US News & World Report Top United States Universities and Colleges ranks UAB overall as the 151st best national university.

UAB ranks among Top-20 nationally in federal research and development funding and 1st in the state of Alabama, receiving more funding than all other Alabama universities combined. UAB received over $416 million in external grants and contracts in fiscal 2007–2008.

As of 2009, UAB is 4th in the Southeast for NIH research funding behind only Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt University.

In the Taiwanese Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers in World Universities, UAB ranked 94th in the world in 2011.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is nationally ranked among Top-20 in total federal research funding and key areas of health sciences receiving more than $433 million dollars in funding. The Scientist magazine recently ranked UAB No. 24 on its Top 40 “Best Places to Work as a Postdoctoral Fellow” list, up from its No. 56 ranking in 2008. In the 2010 Princeton Review College Rankings, UAB is listed as one of the "Best Southeastern Colleges" and one of the top 371 colleges/universities in the US. In addition, out of the 371 Best College Rankings, UAB was ranked #3 in race/class interaction, #11 for happiest students, and #14 for best athletic facilities. In the 2011 US News and World Report, UAB is listed as a "more selective" institution and 151st overall (public or private) among 572 universities in USA. In 2009, the Scientist Magazine ranked UAB as 5th in the Top 15 U.S. Academic Institutions and up from 47th in 2007.

In the most recent ranking of graduate programs by the US News & World Report, several UAB programs in the health and natural sciences were highly ranked. The School of Medicine is ranked 30th in the research category and 10th in the primary care category. Four medical specialties at UAB are ranked in the top 20 nationally by the magazine: AIDS, 6th; geriatrics, 12th; rural medicine, 15th; and internal medicine 20th. The School of Nursing is ranked 21st. Programs within the nursing school ranked highly as well: nurse practitioner (adult) program, 10th; nursing service administration program, 10th; nurse practitioner (family) program, 12th. The School of Public Health ranks 16th.

In graduate science programs, UAB ranked 34th in biological science, 123rd in chemistry, 111th in mathematics, and 133rd in physics.

In the School of Health Professions, the Master of Science in Health Administration program is currently ranked 5th, the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is ranked 17th, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is ranked 29th, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is ranked 25th and is one of only two programs in the nation that has a surgical focus. The School of Health Professions is #1 in the nation in research funding from the National Institutes of Health and holds the record for 26 consecutive years in either first or second place. The UAB Medical Scientist Training Program has been continuously funded by the National Institute of Health since 1992. According to NRC rankings, Department of Biostatistics is ranked 55th among all Statistics and Biostatistics departments in the nation. The Section on Statistical Genetics (SSG) in the Department of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health is "one of the largest" in United States.

The UAB School of Business was ranked 7th in metropolitan state business schools by US News and World Report in 2004 and is accredited by AACSB International. The UAB MBA program is recognized by The Princeton Review in its 2010 edition of "Best 296 Business Schools" as one of the best in the nation. The UAB accounting program graduates first-time pass rates on the CPA exam that are 30% higher than the national average. During the past 11 years, a UAB graduate has achieved the highest score in Alabama on the CPA Exam 9 times. UAB School of Business finance graduates pass the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam at a rate 20% higher than the national average.

The biomedical engineering program is ranked 40th in the nation by US News and is the only biomedical engineering program in the state. A UAB School of Engineering student has been named by the ASPE (Alabama Society of Professional Engineers) as the state of Alabama's Outstanding Undergraduate Student of the Year from 2004–2009 and 9 of the past 12 years.

Student life
There are over 150+ student organizations on the UAB campus

The UAB Model Arab League team is among the best government model teams in the nation with over five years of expansion and award winning achievement including multiple "outstanding delegation" awards. The UAB Mock Trial team is consistently among the nation's best as a perennial Top 25 program. The program enjoyed its greatest success in 2006, when the team won the national title in the Silver Division defeating the defending national champions of Harvard University.

Recreation Center
Opened in 2005, the UAB Recreation Center serves the students, faculty, and alumni of UAB as well as the surrounding Birmingham community. The 150000 sqft covers three floors: housing four basketball/volleyball courts, five racquetball courts (one of which can be converted to squash and four for wallyball), four aerobics studios, 18000 sqft of weight and cardio-fitness areas, game room, KidsZone, aquatics center with both lap and leisure components, CenterCourt gym used for indoor soccer, floor hockey and badminton, juice bar, indoor track, and a climbing wall. The center includes free weights, court sports, swimming pools, group fitness classes, nutrition education, fitness areas, and a climbing wall.

Greek life
Seventeen Greek Letter Organization (GLOs) are currently active on campus, with one additional in process of colonizing. Three governing bodies oversee the operations of university-sanctioned GLOs. These bodies act as umbrella organizations over the member GLOs. Among the differences between the governing bodies, the most important distinction are recruitment process and policies.

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) governs men's GLOs (also known as fraternities). Current members are ΔΣΦ, ΛΧΑ, TKE and ΠKΦ.

The Panhellenic Council (NPC) governs women's GLOs (also known as sororities). Alpha Gamma Delta (colonized at UAB in 1978), Alpha Omicron Pi (1987), Alpha Xi Delta (1996) and Delta Gamma (1991).

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) governs historically black GLOs. Currently-active member fraternities are Alpha Phi Alpha (Iota Nu chapter, founded at UAB in 1974), Kappa Alpha Psi (Kappa Kappa chapter, 1980), Omega Psi Phi (Kappa Delta chapter, 1972) and Phi Beta Sigma (Eta Epsilon chapter). Currently-active member sororities are Alpha Kappa Alpha (Iota Phi chapter, 1975), Delta Sigma Theta (Iota Lambda chapter, 1972), Sigma Gamma Rho (Xi Mu chapter, 1996) and Zeta Phi Beta (Gamma Theta chapter, 1990).

Student Media
Aura Literary Arts Review is a twice-yearly student magazine featuring fiction, creative non-fiction, art, photography, poetry and reviews. It was awarded the highest honor in student media, the Pacemaker from ACP, in 2006.

Intramurals
The school also has an intramural program that runs year-round. Students and staff compete for league trophies in sports such as basketball, bowling, flag football, golf, soccer, softball, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball, or play to win special tournaments in billiards, racquetball, tennis, and other sports.

University Honors Program
The University Honors Program (UHP) is UAB’s core liberal arts honors program. This program provides students with a variety of interdisciplinary courses that are designed to be more challenging, innovative, and personal than normal courses. The program only accepts a maximum of 50 students per year that represent a diverse range of majors and disciplines in order to create a unique and cultivating learning environment.

This program does not have any minimum requirements for admission. Applicants are considered if they demonstrate particular academic or creative talent and after having a personal interview.

The University Honors Program represents a unique program. The interdisciplinary fall course consists of a 9 hour block (equivalent to three classes) taken the fall of freshman and sophomore years. These classes have an overarching theme such as "Bottom Up, Top Down," "The Anatomy of Desire," and "Paradigm Shifts" and are team taught by at least five faculty members from varying disciplines. These courses have in the past featured faculty from psychology, literature, visual arts, physics, Egyptology, and applied neuroscience just to name a few. This class combines freshman and sophomores together in a small learning environment allowing them to explore curiosities and form friendships across age groups. The remaining portion of the honors curriculum is made of 5 seminars. These are also very diverse in subject and are taught in small class sizes of approximately 15.

Science and Technology Honors Program
The Science and Technology Honors Program, otherwise known as Sci-Tech Honors or STHP, is UAB’s research based honors program. This program prepares students for research careers and graduate school by connecting them with labs and mentors in their undergraduate years.

The first two years of the program focus primarily on teaching the methodologies and techniques used in scientific research, while the last two years are spent on developing the student’s Honors Thesis, consisting of an individual research project and report that will be submitted for publication.

The program also encourages collaboration amongst students and boasts its tight-knit learning community, which is facilitated by numerous program meetings, activities, and summer retreats. In order to promote these ideas, the program only accepts a maximum of 50 students each year. The minimum requirements for application are a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and an ACT or SAT score at or above the 90th percentile in math and science. However, all applications are individually reviewed and there is no definite cut-off based on ACT or SAT scores.

Experiential Learning Scholars Program
ELSP is a new program on the UAB campus, started in the fall of 2009. The program is based around learning through experiences based on the students future goals. The program has only a few required courses allowing many different majors to be in this honors program. Like most of the other honors programs it has no definite cut-off for ACT requirements. All students accepted into ELSP must maintain a 3.0 GPA to graduate with honors.

Global and Community Leadership Honors Program
The Global Community and Leadership Honors Program (GCL Honors) is composed of students interested in community and global issues. Students in this program are commonly study foreign languages, culture, and international studies. The program is designed to facilitate student interest in being leaders in their community and in the world and to help them explore the issues facing the world today and apply them to their own goals. This program provides specialized curriculum and incorporates Study Away/Study Abroad programs into its required courses.

Early Medical School Acceptance Program
The Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) is the most competitive honors program available at UAB. EMSAP serves as a magnet for academically superior high-school seniors, attracting them to UAB’s undergraduate programs by offering guaranteed acceptance into the School of Medicine, Dentistry, or Optometry, after completion of their undergraduate degree at UAB.

EMSAP is a combination of three separate programs: the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP), the Early Dental School Acceptance Program (EDSAP), and the Early Optometry School Acceptance Program (EOSAP). Currently, EMSAP accepts only 10 students per year into its program while EDSAP and EOSAP, both of which are new programs starting Fall 2008, are anticipated to accept only 1–2 students each per year.

The minimum requirements for application are a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and at least a 30 ACT or 1320 SAT (out of 1600). However, the average ACT score of those accepted ranges from 32 to 36. The minimum academic requirements for remaining in good standing are a 3.5 GPA in natural science and math courses and a 3.6 GPA overall. Should a student’s GPA drop below these minimums, the student is placed on probation and has one year to bring their GPA back up to the minimum, or be expelled from the program. In addition, EMSAP students must achieve a minimum score of 28 on the MCAT examination before their matriculation into the School of Medicine, while EDSAP and EOSAP students must make at least average scores on the DAT and OAT.

The program is currently mentored by Gregory Pence, a renowned bioethicist and both an undergraduate and medical school professor.

Health System
The UAB Health System (UABHS) is a partnership between UAB and the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation (UAHSF), a private not-for-profit medical practice made up of the faculty of the UAB School of Medicine. UABHS is governed by a board of directors which has representatives of UAHSF, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, and UAB administrators. The UAB president is the ex officio chairperson of the UAB Health System. The CEO of the UABHS reports directly to the UAB Health System board and is appointed by the chairman of the board.

UAB Hospital is the central institution of UABHS. It was formed as University Hospital in 1945 from the merger of Jefferson Hospital and Hillman Hospital, two private hospitals in the Southside of Birmingham acquired by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. University Hospital was created to serve as the primary teaching hospital for the School of Medicine.

The other major institutions of UABHS include:
 * Kirklin Clinic, the outpatient clinic of UAB Hospital
 * Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, founded independently as the Eye Foundation Hospital in 1963 and merged into UABHS in 1973,
 * UAB Women and Infants Center
 * UAB Highlands. Formerly HealthSouth's flagship medical center in the Southside, UABHS acquired it in 2006. Highlands now serves as an acute care hospital (there is no emergency room). In 2010, UABHS announced plans to merge Highlands completely into UAB Hospital.
 * Spain Rehabilitation Center
 * UAB Health Centers, clinics operated and staffed by UABHS located throughout central Alabama
 * Viva Health, a health maintenance organization (HMO) which is a subsidiary of Triton Health Systems, a limited liability corporation based in Birmingham and owned by the UABHS

In addition UABHS manages, but does not operate, Medical West in Bessemer and Baptist Health in Montgomery. UABHS also has affiliations with the Birmingham VA Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Alabama, and Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville.

Athletics


UAB's athletic teams are known as the Blazers. The school athletic colors are forest green and old gold athletic teams at UAB. The school is one of the 12 member institutions of Conference USA and participates in Division I of the NCAA. The UAB football team, which competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision, is led by Garrick McGee and plays its home games at 71,594-seat Legion Field. The men's basketball team, coached by Jerod Haase, plays in 8,508-seat Bartow Arena.



The school started its intercollegiate athletic program in 1978. The program was inaugurated with men's basketball by Gene Bartow, who was John Wooden's successor at UCLA. Bartow left UCLA after several exceptional seasons (52–9 over three seasons, including a berth in the Final Four in 1976) to head up the founding of the first UAB men's basketball team. He served as the school's first head basketball coach and athletic director for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NIT in the program's second year of existence, and followed that with seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 1981 and the Elite Eight in 1982. Bartow retired from coaching in 1996 and, in 1997, UAB renamed its basketball venue from UAB Arena to Bartow Arena in his honor. In 30 years, UAB has made 13 NCAA appearances, three Sweet Sixteen appearances and an Elite Eight appearance, and has had 27 winning seasons, 19 of which were 20+ win seasons.

In addition to football and basketball, UAB also has programs in men's sports for baseball, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women's sports programs include softball, basketball, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), cross country, rifle and volleyball. On November 11, 2010 UAB announced the addition of sand volleyball and bowling beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year.

Professional golfer Graeme McDowell (winner of the 2010 U.S. Open) played on the UAB golf team from 1998 - 2002.

Future On-Campus Stadium
The current football home field, Legion Field, has multiple structural, repair, and upgrade issues leading to the AHSAA football state championships to abandon the site and move to separate facilities in 2010. Since the early 2000s (decade), UAB has considered building a new 45,000 seat stadium on campus to replace the aging, city-owned, and off-campus Legion Field. A preliminary study for an on-campus facility began in November 2009. As of November 2011, the University of Alabama education system denied the on-campus stadium. This occurred with controversy as the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees tabled the proposal and never allowed it to go up for an official board vote, thus sparking the controversy and the #FreeUAB movement.

Fight song
The Fight Song for UAB is the "UAB Fight Song". It sometimes is also known as the "WIN FOR UAB". The lyrics for the song are:

At UAB in Birmingham

All Hail our players bold

We are the mighty Blazers

Who wear the Green and Gold (Fight, Fight, Fight)

Tonight let's fire their Golden Blaze

The flame of vic-to-ry!

Go Blazers! Go Blazers!

WIN FOR UAB!

Notable Alumni and Faculty
As of 2009, there are over 100,000 graduates of UAB. The UAB National Alumni Society includes 59 chapters across the United States.