University of Alaska Fairbanks

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Former names	Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines (1917–1935) University of Alaska (1935–1975)
Motto	Ad summum(Latin)
Motto in English	"To the top"
Type	Publicland-grantresearch university
Established	1917; 107 years ago(1917)
Parent institution	University of Alaska
Accreditation	NWCCU
Academic affiliations	UARC UArctic Sea-grant Space-grant
Endowment	$375 million (system-wide) (2021)[1]
Chancellor	Daniel M. White
Academic staff	546
Administrative staff	2,465
Students	6,813 (Spring 2022)[2]
Undergraduates	5,850[3]
Postgraduates	963[4]
Location	College , Alaska , United States 64°51′32″N147°50′08″W / 64.85889°N 147.83556°W /64.85889; -147.83556
Campus	Small suburb, 2,250 acres (9.1 km2)[5]
Other campuses	Bethel Dillingham Fairbanks Kotzebue Nome
Newspaper	The Sun Star
Colors	Blue and gold[6][7]
Nickname	Nanooks
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II-GNAC Independent (hockey) PCSC[8] RMISA PRC
Mascot	Nanook
Website	www.uaf.edu

TheUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks(UAForAlaska) is apublicland-,sea-, andspace-grantresearch universityinCollege, Alaska,^[9]a suburb ofFairbanks. It is the flagship campus of theUniversity of Alaska system. UAF was established in 1917 and opened for classes in 1922. Originally named theAlaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, it became theUniversity of Alaskain 1935. Fairbanks-based programs became the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1975.

UAF isclassifiedamong "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."^[10]In addition to the Fairbanks Troth Yeddha' campus, UAF encompasses six rural and urban campuses: Bristol Bay Campus inDillingham; Chukchi Campus inKotzebue; the Fairbanks-based Interior Alaska Campus, which serves the state's rural Interior; Kuskokwim Campus inBethel; Northwest Campus inNome; and theUAF Community and Technical College, with headquarters in downtown Fairbanks. UAF is also the home of UAF eCampus, which offers fully online programs.

In fall 2017, UAF enrolled 8,720 students. Of those students, 58% were female and 41% were male; 87.8% were undergraduates, and 12.2% were graduate students. As of May 2018, 1,352 students had graduated during the immediately preceding summer, fall, and spring semesters.^[11]

The University of Alaska Fairbanks was established in 1917 as theAlaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, but its origins lie in the creation of a federal agricultural experiment station in Fairbanks in 1906.^[12]The station set the tone for the strongly research-oriented university that developed later.^[13]

In the spring of 1915, theU.S. Congressapproved legislation that reserved about 2,250 acres of land for a campus around the research station. It also allowed the federal government to give the college land that had been surveyed and unclaimed in theTanana Valley; the proceeds from the sale and development were supposed to help fund the operation of the college. However, because most of the land in Tanana Valley remained unsurveyed for years, the college only received 12,000 acres. In 1929, Congress attempted to remedy the situation by granting the college an additional 100,000 acres anywhere in Alaska, but those rights were extinguished in 1959 when Alaska became a state.^[14]

Four months after Congress approved the legislation for the campus land in 1915, a cornerstone for the college was laid by Territorial DelegateJames Wickershamon a bluff overlooking the lowerChena Rivervalley. The ridge, which the indigenous Athabaskan people calledTroth Yeddha', soon became known as College Hill.Charles E. Bunnellwas appointed the university's chief executive and served the university for 28 years. Classes began at the new institution on September 18, 1922. It offered 16 different courses to a student body of six (at a ratio of one faculty member per student) on opening day. In 1923, the first commencement produced one graduate,John Sexton Shanly.^[15]

In 1935, theAlaska Legislaturepassed a bill that officially changed the name of the college to theUniversity of Alaska. WhenWilliam R. Woodbecame the university's president in 1960, he divided the academic departments of the university into six select colleges: Arts and Letters; Behavioral Sciences and Education; Biological Sciences and Renewable Resources; Business, Economics, and Government; Earth Sciences and Mineral Industry; and Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering. From that point on, both the university's student population and research mission grew tremendously. With the appointment of ChancellorHoward A. Cutlerin 1975, the University of Alaska became theUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks. It was, and still is, the primary research unit of the statewide university system.^[16]

The two other primary UA institutions are theUniversity of Alaska Anchorageand theUniversity of Alaska Southeastin Juneau.

TheAlaska Constitutional Conventionwas held in the freshly constructed Student Union Building on the Fairbanks campus from November 1955 to February 1956. While the convention progressed, the building became known asConstitution Hall, where the 55 delegates drafted the legal foundation of the 49th state. The campus' old library and gymnasium was renamed Signers' Hall after the Alaska Constitution was signed there in February 1956.^{[17][dubious–discuss]}

Academic rankings
National
ARWU[18]	155-175
Forbes[19]	574
U.S. News & World Report[20]	298-389
Washington Monthly[21]	269
Global
ARWU[18]	601-700
THE[22]	401-500
U.S. News & World Report[23]	736

UAF has nine academic schools and colleges:

• College of Engineering and Mines (CEM)
• College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
• College of Natural Science and Mathematics (CNSM)
• College of Rural and Community Development (CRCD)
• Graduate School
• School of Education
• College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences(CFOS)
• College of Business and Security Management (CBSM)
• School of Natural Resources and Extension (SNRE)

There are 190 different degree and certificate programs available in more than 120 disciplines.

The UAF Honors College was created in 1983 and provides additional opportunities for students to prepare forprofessional schooladmission.^[24]Students complete core curriculum courses for their degrees in the Honors Program, maintain at least a 3.25grade-point averagein all courses, and complete a thesis project.^[25]

• Elmer E. Rasmuson Library
  • TheAlaska Film Archives, housed in the library's Alaska and Polar Regions Collections and Archives, holds the largest collection of film-related material about Alaska.^[26]
  • BioSciences Library (permanently closed as of June 2014)^[27]
• Keith B. Mather Library(housed in the International Arctic Research Center)

UAF is Alaska's primary research university, conducting more than 90% of UA system research. Research activities are organized into several institutes and centers, some of which are listed:

• theGeophysical Institute, established in 1946 by an act of Congress, specializes inseismology,volcanologyandaeronomy, among other fields.
• the Research Computing Systems unit, located within the Geophysical Institute, is the high-performance computing unit of UAF.
• theInternational Arctic Research Centerresearches the circumpolar North and the causes and effects ofclimate change.
• the Institute of Northern Engineering, an arm of the College of Engineering and Mines, conducts research in many different areas of engineering.
• theAlaska Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Stationconducts research focused on solving problems related to agriculture and forest sciences.
• theInstitute of Arctic Biologyconducts research focused on high-latitude biological systems.
• the Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station conducts long-term research withmuskoxen,reindeerand cattle.^[28]
• the Institute of Marine Science, a branch of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, investigates topics in oceanography, marine biology, and fisheries.
• the research vesselSikuliaq, a 261-foot ice-resistant ship outfitted with modern scientific equipment, is operated by the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences for the National Science Foundation.

UAF has several student residence halls on both lower and middle Fairbanks campus. Housing is offered year-round. All halls are smoke-free, as is the entire campus. Each hall has a kitchen, laundry facility, exterior door hall access system and maintenance services. The halls vary from each other slightly to suit different preferences of the student population. Additional housing locations on campus are available to graduates, families, employees and nontraditional students.^[29]

TheAssociated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks(ASUAF) is the representative group for students attending UAF.

Fairbanks, CTC, and eCampus student pay $53 per credit in Consolidated Fees, students at rural campuses pay $21 per credit; ASUAF receives 2.2% of Consolidated Fee revenue.

ASUAF holds general elections each semester. As per the ASUAF Constitution, there is a president, a vice president and no more than 16 senators, all of whom must be in good academic standing (2.0+ CGPA). Senators, the president and the vice president have terms of one full academic year.^[30]

University of Alaska Fairbanks sports teams are theAlaska Nanooks, with the wordNanookderived from the Inupiaq word for "polar bear." Though often known as UAF within the state, the university prefers to be called simply "Alaska" for athletics purposes. The school colors are blue and gold.

The Alaska Nanooks compete at theNCAA Division Ilevel in hockey as anIndependent. The Nanooks play home games at the 4,500-seatCarlson Center, located in downtown Fairbanks. The Alaska Nanooks also have aDivision IIrifle team which has won 11NCAA National Rifle Championships(1994, 1999–2004, 2006–2008, 2023). The rifle team is a member of thePatriot Rifle Conference. The men's and women's basketball, cross country running, and women's volleyball teams areDivision IImembers of theGreat Northwest Athletic Conference, while the women's swim team is a member of thePacific Collegiate Swimming Conference(PCSC), and the men's and women's Nordic skiing teams are members of theRocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association(RMISA). The men's basketball team, women's basketball team, and women's volleyball team play home games in the 1,622-seat Patty Center. Due to its isolation from theLower 48and the lack of a dome to protect against the harsh elements, Alaska does not have a football program, as is true for all three branches of the University of Alaska.

Since the UAF athletics program was operating at a financial deficit, a new student fee was initiated in 2008. This fee charges UAF students $10 per credit hour they are enrolled in, up to a maximum of $120 per semester. The fee grants students free admission to select UAF athletic events.

In fiscal year 2010, the department was able to meet financial obligations without additional year-end funding for the first time.

The department has increased scholarships for women by 95% since 2005, and was recognized byThe Chronicle of Higher Educationfor Title IX compliance in an article titled "Turnaround Stories."

There are severalbook publishersat UAF, including theUniversity of Alaska Press, theAlaska Native Language Center,Alaska Sea Grant, the University of Alaska Museum of the North, UAFCooperative Extension Service, and the Alaska Native Knowledge Network. TheUniversity of Alaska Foundationalso publishes books.

Serial publications include:

• Aurora,^[31]produced once annually by UAF University Relations
• Agroborealis,^[32]produced twice annually by the School of Natural Resources and Extension
• Ice Box,^[33]the UAF studentliterary magazine
• Permafrost,^[34]the UAF English Department's literary journal
• The Alumnus, the UAF Alumni Association newsletter, published twice annually

Thestudent newspaperis titledThe Sun Star,^[35]formed after the merger ofThe Polar Star, an independent student paper, andThe Northern Sun, the journalism department's student newspaper.

The Fine Arts Complex hosts the Charles Davis Concert Hall, the Lee H. Salisbury Theatre and the Eva McGown Music Room. The building is also home to the UAF Art Gallery, which is used for student art shows, thesis shows and faculty shows.

The Reichardt Building was completed in 1994 is a three-story 117,435-square-foot steel-frame structure that features an extensive artwork collection.^[36]

• Syun-Ichi Akasofu(1961), geophysicist and founding director of the International Arctic Research Center
• Tom Albanese(1979, 1981), former CEO,Rio Tinto Group
• Bob Bartlett(1925), territorial delegate and first Alaska senator
• Ralph R. Beistline, U.S. district judge of theU.S. District Court for the District of Alaska
• Pam Buckway(1973), Canadian politician
• Charles E. Bunnell, first president of the University of Alaska (1921–49)
• F. Stuart Chapin III, professor of ecology at the Department of Biology and Wildlife of the university's Institute of Arctic Biology and president of theEcological Society of America(2010–11)
• Sydney Chapman, professor ofgeophysicsand advisory director of the university's Geophysical Institute
• T. Neil Davis(BS 1955, PhD 1961), geophysicist and author
• Curtis Fraser(2004), hockey player
• Matthew Emmons(2003), sport shooter and Olympic medalist
• Otto W. Geist, explorer and naturalist
• Ronald Graham(1958), mathematician
• Ben Grossmann(1995), winner of Academy Award in 2012 for best visual effects for the movieHugo
• Jay S. Hammond(1949), formergovernor of Alaska
• Jordan Hendry(2006), hockey player
• Susan Henrichs, oceanographer and university provost
• Willie Hensley, matriculate, Alaska Native leader and one of the chief activists for the historic 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
• Chad Johnson(2009), hockey player
• Judith Kleinfeld, professor of psychology
• Tyler Kornfield(2013), Olympiccross-country skier
• Rudolph Krejci, professor of Philosophy and founding dean of the university's College of Arts and Sciences
• Cody Kunyk(2014), hockey player
• Don L. Lind(1975–76), NASA astronaut, who conducted postdoctoral research at the UAF'sGeophysical Institute
• Margaret Murie(1924), naturalist and author
• Mark Myers(1994), former director of U.S. Geological Survey
• Brad Oleson, basketball player
• Colton Parayko(2015), hockey player
• Erin Pettit, geophysicist and glaciologist^[37]
• George Polk(1938), journalist for whom theGeorge Polk Awardis named
• J. Jill Robinson(MFA 1990), award-winning Canadian writer of fiction andcreative nonfiction
• George Schaller(1955), one of the founding fathers of the wildlife conservation movement
• Virgil L. Sharpton, vice chancellor for research and planetary scientist (2005-2010)
• Bharath Sriraman(1995), academic, editor, professor of mathematics atThe University of Montana
• F. Kay Wallis, traditional healer and politician
• Travante Williams, basketball player
• Nicholas Hughes, biologist

• Rainey's Cabin, a log cabin (and one of the oldest buildings) on the campus

• Official website
• Alaska Fairbanks Athletics website