| rdfs:comment | - 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 Americans 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.
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| abstract | - 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 Americans 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.
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