In 1900, at
Fajardo, the
Escuela Normal Industrial (
normal school) was established as the first higher education center in
Puerto Rico. Its initial enrollment was 20 students and 5 professors. The following year it was moved to
Río Piedras. On March 12, 1903, the legislature authorized founding of the University of Puerto Rico, and that day the "Escuela Normal" was proclaimed as its first department. As new schools began being built to mimic those in the United States, the UPR emerged as the main center to train teachers well versed in English to further the Americanization project. of the
Mayagüez Campus (RUM) at University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, based on the
Giralda in Seville, includes the emblems both of
Harvard University—the oldest in the United States—and
University of San Marcos—the oldest in the Americas. In 1908, the
Morrill-Nelson Act was extended to Puerto Rico, making the university a "
Land Grant College," which authorizes the use of federal land to establish colleges of agriculture, science and engineering. Two years later, in 1910, the College of Liberal Arts was established and the year following that the College of Agriculture at Mayagüez came into being. In 1912, the name was changed to College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Chardón had an interest in developing archeologists, and he pushed Arturo Morales Carrión to go abroad and study anthropology, but the student declined. That year, the Alfa Fi Sigma fraternity was founded by a group of students that were against the use of initiation rituals by other fraternities. In 1933, several students joined strikes that were taking place within the tabaco and needlework industries. In 1935, the U.S. Congress extended to Puerto Rico the benefits of
Bankhead-Jones Act, which provided funding for research and the construction of more buildings. During the following years, major structures in Spanish
Renaissance style were built in the quadrangle in Río Piedras, including buildings such as the Tower Theatre. In 1938, Augusto Rodríguez composed the music and lyrics
Arriví Francisco's Alma Mater, the university anthem. Pedreira took over the role from Onís and remained as director of the
Revista de Estudios Hispánicos until 1939. However, under rector Juan B. Soto, most of the directors were foreign and the institution was part of the Americanization effort of the colonial government, with most classes being taught in English. A number of local professors that sympathized with the administration also taught in English. The emergence of a Puerto Rican nucleus from within the UPR led to clashes, which reflected the political situation of Puerto Rico at large. Between 1941 and 1942, Pedro Muñoz Amaro and Isidro Díaz López led the student council. That same year, Benítez was named rector. Another such publication was the newspaper
La Torre. Believing that Benítez requesting the maximum salary for all failed to properly compensate based on competency. By the end of 2011, all 11 campuses had regained full accreditation after demonstrating significant progress in this area. 2017 – The UPR's staff organized a
strike in opposition to budget cuts proposed by the
Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico. After the impact of
Hurricane Maria the university suffered damages totaling over $175 million. The university system was still in the process of acquiring
FEMA funding to repair damages and as a result still suffered from structural damage months after the hurricane. The hurricane also affected the process of accreditation since eight campuses where in non compliance according to of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The eleven campuses opened within two months of Hurricane Maria, offering a sense of structure and normalcy for professors and students. 2019– During
Jorge Haddock tenure the university newspaper, Diálogo, after 32 years in print, was moved online and employees were laid off until only the editor and an assistant remained. They were reassigned, while the newspaper was moved from the central administration to the Arecibo campus. 2021 – In June the Financial Oversight and Management Board cut $94 million from the UPR budget which would have drastically affected the institutions ability to operate. The local government intervened and assigned the money necessary before the August semester commenced. ==Organization==