Entire 2014-2015 catalog - University of Alaska Fairbanks

488 Pages·2014·8.37 MB·English

WWEELLCCOOMMEE
This catalog is a complete guide to studying at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
ACCREDITATION
UAF is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges • Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
and Universities. Additionally it has the following specialized and Alaska State Board of Education
accreditations, certifications and standards: • Council on Social Work Education
• ABET — Engineering Accreditation Commission • Federal Aviation Administration
• ABET — Computing Accreditation Commission • National Association of Schools of Music
• Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and • National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation
Mass Communication
• Society of American Foresters
• Alaska Police Standards Council
• American Alliance of Museums
• American Bar Association
• American Chemical Society
• American Psychological Association
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Programs approved after this catalog was published are online at
www.uaf.edu/catalog/current/addendum.html. Students enrolling
• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education
for the first time should also refer to the registration guide, which
Programs: Medical Assistant and Paramedic Program
is available online at www.uaf.edu/register/. Search for courses
• Commission on Dental Accreditation available for registration at www.uaf.edu/coursefinder/. For a
schedule of classes at any of UAF’s community campuses, contact
the campus directly. Addresses and phone numbers of campuses
and UAF offices are available online at http://edir.alaska.edu.
Students walk along Yukon Drive on the first day
of classes of the spring 2013 semester. UAF photos by Todd Paris, unless otherwise noted.
UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
Contents
DEGREES AND PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE 4 Applying for Admission:
International Students 31
OVERVIEW 6 When to Apply 31
Admission Requirements 31
UAF Facts and Figures 7 Required Funding Amounts 31
Degrees Conferred, Spring 2013 7 Immigration Requirements 32
Student Profile, Fall 2013 7 English Proficiency Requirements 32
Estimated 2014–2015 UAF Annual Costs 7 Request to Postpone 32
Where to Get More Information 32
The UAF Experience 8
UAF — Then and Now 8 Transferring Credits 33
Students 9 Transferring Credits 33
Faculty 9 Alternate Ways to Earn Credit 35
UAF’s Mission 9
Commitment to Quality 9 Registration 40
Course Placement 41
Campuses 10 Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Classes 42
Fairbanks Campus 10 Directed and Individual Study 43
Community Campuses 10 Where to Get More Information 43
Colleges and Schools 13
ACADEMICS AND REGULATIONS 44
Research Institutes, Centers and Consortia 16
Academics and Regulations 45
Communication via Email 45
GETTING STARTED 21 Class Standing 45
Full- or Part-Time Status/Study Load 45
Applying for Admission:
Grading Options 45
Occupational Endorsement Programs 22 Grading System and Grade Point Average Computation 46
When to Apply 22 Attendance 47
How to Apply 22 Academic Progress 48
Admission Requirements 22 Academic Standards 48
Program Completion 22 Appeal of Academic Decisions 49
Where to Get More Information 22 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities 50
Information Release and FERPA 51
Applying for Admission:
Certificate or Associate Degree Programs 23
COSTS AND FINANCIAL AID 52
When to Apply 23
How to Apply 23 Tuition and Fees 53
Admission Requirements 23
Tuition 53
After Acceptance 24
Basic Student Fees 54
Where to Get More Information 24
Other Fees 56
Paying Tuition and Fees 58
Applying for Admission:
Refunds 59
Bachelor’s Degree Programs 25
Where to Get More Information 60
When to Apply 25
How to Apply 25 Financial Aid 61
Admission Requirements 25 What Is Financial Aid 61
After Acceptance 27 Who Receives Financial Aid 61
Where to Get More Information 28 How to Apply for Financial Aid 61
Costs of Attending UAF 61
Applying for Admission:
How Eligibility Is Determined 61
Graduate Degree Programs 29 Scholarships, Grants and Tuition Waivers 62
When to Apply 29 Graduate Assistantships 63
How to Apply 29 Loans 63
Admission Requirements 30 Student Employment 64
After Acceptance 30 Veterans’ Services 64
Where to Get More Information 30 Remaining Eligible for Aid 65
Payment to the Student 65
Important Financial Aid Dates 65
Rights and Responsibilities of Accepting Financial Aid 65
Where to Get More Information 66
2 UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution 2014–2015 CATALOG
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
HOUSING AND DINING 67 CERTIFICATES AND ASSOCIATE DEGREES 93
Housing 68 How to Earn a Certificate or
Single-Student Housing 68 Associate Degree 94
Family Housing/Graduate Housing 69 General University Requirements 94
Immunization Policy and Housing 70 Types of Certificates and Associate Degrees 96
Where to Get More Information 70 Certificate Requirements 96
General Associate Degree Requirements 97
Dining Services 71
Associate of Arts Requirements 97
The UAF Dining Experience 71
Associate of Applied Science Requirements 98
Where to Get More Information 71
Associate of Science Requirements 98
SERVICES AND RESOURCES 72 Certificate and Associate Degree Programs 100
Services and Resources 73 BACHELOR’S DEGREES 128
Academic Advising and Learning Assistance 73
Academic Records, Registration and Graduation 75 How to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree 129
Alumni Association 75 General University Requirements 129
Army ROTC 75 Types of Bachelor’s Degrees 132
ASUAF 76 Bachelor’s Degree Requirements 132
Athletics 76 Baccalaureate Core 133
Campus Recreation 76 Beyond the Core 133
Career Services 76
Continuing Education and Professional Development 77 Bachelor’s Degree Programs 138
Cooperative Extension Service 77
Developmental Education 77 Pre-Professional Opportunities 198
Disability Services 77
Diversity and Equal Opportunity 78 GRADUATE DEGREES 199
E-learning 78
General Studies 78 How to Earn a Graduate Degree 200
Greek Life at UAF 79 Academics, Policies and Regulations 200
Honor Societies 79 General University Requirements 200
Honors Program 79 Graduate Assistantships 204
Libraries 80 Graduate Certificates 204
New Student Orientation 80 Requirements for Graduate Certificates 204
Northern Military Programs 80 Requirements for Graduate Degrees 204
PolarExpress Identification Card 80 Types of Master’s Degrees 206
Police and Fire Departments 81
Post Office 81 Graduate Degree Programs 208
Student Health and Counseling Center 81
Student Services 81 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS 247
Study Away Programs 82
Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning 82 How to Read the Course Descriptions 248
Technology on Campus 83
Testing Services 83 Course Descriptions 250
Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity 83
Upward Bound 84 UAF ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY AND EMERITI
Women’s Center 84 461
Wood Center 84
FAIRBANKS CAMPUS MAP 478
OCCUPATIONAL ENDORSEMENTS 85
How to Earn an Occupational Endorsement 86 INDEX 480
Occupational Endorsements 86
General University Requirements 86 ACADEMIC CALENDAR 486
Occupational Endorsement Requirements 86
Occupational Endorsement Programs 87
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution 3
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
Degrees and Programs at a Glance
E S E S
R FICAT CIATE ELOR’ ER’S ORAL R FICAT CIATE ELOR’ ER’S ORAL
MINO CERTI ASSO BACH MAST DOCT MINO CERTI ASSO BACH MAST DOCT
Accounting, BBA • • Economics, Resource and Applied, MS •
Accounting, Applied, AAS (e) • • Education, BA, Lic, MEd (e) • • •
Accounting Technician, Cert (e) • Electrical Engineering, BS, MEE, MS • •
Airframe, Cert (see Aviation Maintenance) • Engineering, PhD •
Airframe and Powerplant, Cert (see Aviation • Engineering Management, MS •
Maintenance)
Alaska Native Languages • English, BA, MA, MFA/MA • • •
Alaska Native Studies, BA • • Environmental Chemistry, PhD •
American Sign Language • ESnciveirnocnem, MenStal Engineering and Environmental Quality •
Anthropology, BA, BS, MA, PhD • • • • Environmental Politics •
Apprenticeship Technologies, AAS • Environmental Studies, Cert •
Arctic Engineering, MS • Eskimo, Inupiaq, BA • •
Arctic Skills • Eskimo, Yup’ik, BA • •
Art, BA, BFA, MFA • • • Ethnobotany, Cert •
Arts and Sciences, BAS • Film, BA •
Asian Studies • Film Studies •
Associate of Arts, AA (e) • Fire Science, AAS • •
Associate of Science, AS • Fisheries, BA, BS, MS, PhD • • • •
Atmospheric Sciences, MS, PhD • • Foreign Languages, BA • •
Automotive Technology, Cert • General Science, BS •
Aviation Maintenance, AAS • Geography, BA, BS • •
Aviation Technology (see Piloting, Professional) • Geological Engineering, BS, MS • •
Baking and Pastry Arts, Cert (see Culinary Arts and • Geology, MS, PhD (see Geoscience for BS) • •
Hospitality)
Biochemistry and Neuroscience, PhD • Geophysics, MS, PhD • •
Biological Sciences, BA, BS, MS, PhD • • • • Geoscience, BS • •
Business Administration, BBA, MBA • • • Global Studies •
Business, Applied, AAS (e) • • Health Care Reimbursement, Cert (e) (see Health, Allied) •
Business Management, Applied, Cert (e) • High Latitude Range Management, Cert •
Chemistry, BA, BS, MA, MS • • • History, BA • •
Child Development and Family Studies, BA • HMoamnaelgaenmd eSnetc, uBrEitMy a(en)d Emergency • •
Civil Engineering, BS, MCE, MS • • Human Services, AAS • •
Communication, BA • • Indigenous Studies, PhD •
Communication, Professional, MA • Information Technology Specialist, Cert, AAS • •
Community Health, Cert, AAS • • Instrumentation Technology, Cert •
Computer Engineering, BS • Interdisciplinary Studies, AAS, BA, BS, BT, MA, MS, PhD • • • • •
Computer Science, BS, BS/MS, MS • • • Japanese Studies, BA • •
Construction Management, AAS • Journalism, BA • •
Construction Trades Technology, Cert, AAS • • Justice, BA (e) • •
Counseling, Lic, MEd • Justice, Administration of, MA (e) •
Creative Writing, MFA, MFA/MA (see English) • Law and Society •
Cross-Cultural Studies, MA • Leadership •
Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Cert, AAS • • Linguistics, BA • •
Dental Assistant, Cert, AAS (see Health, Allied) • • Linguistics, Applied, MA •
Dental Hygiene, AAS • Marine Biology, MS, PhD • •
Diesel/Heavy Equipment, Cert • Marine Science •
Drafting Technology, Cert, AAS • • Mathematics, BA, BS, MS, PhD • • • •
Early Childhood Education, Cert, AAS • • • Mechanical Engineering, BS, BS/MS, MS • •
Earth Science, BA • Medical Assistant, Cert, AAS (see Health, Allied) • •
Economics, BA, BBA • • Medical/Dental Reception, Cert (e) (see Health, Allied) •
4 UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution 2014–2015 CATALOG
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
E S
R FICAT CIATE ELOR’ ER’S ORAL
MINO CERTI ASSO BACH MAST DOCT DEGREE CONCENTRATIONS
Military Science and Leadership • Many degree programs offer multiple concentrations in specific subject
areas. Review degree program descriptions for information about available
Mineral Preparation Engineering, MS •
concentrations.
Mining Engineering, BS, MS • • •
Music, BA, BM • • SPECIAL TRAINING PROGRAMS
Law Enforcement Academy, Paramedic Academy
Music Performance, MM •
Native Language Education, Cert, AAS • • OCCUPATIONAL ENDORSEMENTS
Natural Resources and Sustainability, PhD • Administrative Assistant, Basic Carpentry, Bookkeeping Technician (e), Entry Level
Welding, Facility Maintenance, Financial Services Representative (e), Homeland
Natural Resources Management, BS, MS, MNRMG • • • Security, Medical Billing*(e), Medical Coding*(e), Medical Office Reception*(e),
Northern Studies, BA, MA • • • Nurse Aide*, Rural Human Services, Rural Utilities Business Management,
Nursing Qualifications, Pre-, Cert (see Health, Allied) • Sustainable Energy, Tribal Justice, Wildland Fire Science
Oceanography, MS, PhD • • PRE-PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Paralegal Studies, AAS • • Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Architecture, Audiology, Chiropractic,
Dentistry, Law, Library Science, Medicine (allopathic and osteopathic), Museum
Paramedicine, AAS •
Studies, Naturopathic Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy,
Petroleum Engineering, BS, MS • • Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Podiatry, Speech/Language Pathology,
Philosophy, BA • • Veterinary Medicine
Physics, BS, MS, PhD • • • • GRADUATE AND POSTBACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATES
Piloting, Professional, AAS • • Design and Construction Management (e), Education (Elementary, Secondary,
Political Science, BA • • K–12 Art, Counseling, Special Education), Science Teaching and Outreach,
Statistics
Power Generation, Cert •
Powerplant, Cert (see Aviation Maintenance) • * See Health, Allied
Process Technology, AAS • (e) This program can be completed online through eLearning and Distance
Education.
Psychology, BA, BS • •
Psychology, Clinical-Community, PhD • ABBREVIATIONS
Rural Development, BA, MA • • • AA Associate of Arts
Rural Human Services, Cert • AAS Associate of Applied Science
AS Associate of Science
Russian Studies, BA • • BA Bachelor of Arts
Safety, Health and Environmental Awareness • BAS Bachelor of Arts and Sciences
Technology, Cert BBA Bachelor of Business Administration
Science Management, MS • BEM Bachelor of Emergency Management
Social Work, BA • • BFA Bachelor of Fine Arts
Sociology, BA, BS • • BM Bachelor of Music
BS Bachelor of Science
Statistics, MS • • BT Bachelor of Technology
Technology, BT • Cert Certificate
Theatre, BA • • Lic Licensure issued by state of AK
MA Master of Arts
Tribal Management, Cert, AAS • • MAT Master of Arts in Teaching
Wildlife Biology and Conservation, BS, MS • • • MBA Master of Business Administration
Women’s and Gender Studies • MCE Master of Civil Engineering
MEd Master of Education
Yup’ik Language and Culture, BA • MEE Master of Electrical Engineering
Yup’ik Language Proficiency, Cert, AAS • • MFA Master of Fine Arts
MM Master of Music
(e) This program can be completed online through eLearning and Distance Education. MNRMG Master of Natural Resources Management and Geography
MS Master of Science
PhD Doctor of Philosophy
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution 5
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
OVERVIEW
UAF Facts and Figures 7
The UAF Experience 8
Campuses 10
Colleges and Schools 13
Research Institutes, Centers and Consortia 16
Students make their way along Yukon Drive on the
Fairbanks campus on a sunny autumn afternoon.
UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
UAF Facts and Figures
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• Originally founded in 1917 when Alaska was still a • As America’s arctic university, UAF offers a number of
territory, today UAF is America’s northernmost Land, unique programs and degrees particularly focused on
Sea and Space Grant institution. the biology, climate, natural resources and peoples of
• UAF encompasses the central campus in Fairbanks; northern latitudes, the circumpolar North and the Pacific
Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham; Chukchi Campus Rim.
in Kotzebue; Interior-Aleutians Campus, covering the • The UAF mascot is the Nanook, a derivation of “nanuq,”
Interior and the Aleutian Islands; Kuskokwim Campus in the Inupiaq Eskimo word for polar bear. Up until the
Bethel; Northwest Campus in Nome; and the Community mid-70s, the men’s basketball team was known as the
and Technical College in Fairbanks. “Flying Nanooks” because of the regular, and long,
• UAF’s geographically diverse student body represents 48 airplane rides they took in order to compete with other
states and 45 foreign countries. college teams. Since 1963 all University of Alaska
Fairbanks sports teams have been called Nanooks.
• UAF offers 158 degrees and 32 certificates in 123
disciplines.
Degrees Conferred, Spring 2013 Estimated 2014–2015
UAF Annual Costs
• 115 licensures and occupational endorsements
• 997 certificates and associate or baccalaureate degrees ALASKA NON-
WUE*
• 265 master’s and doctoral degrees RESIDENT RESIDENT
FRESHMEN AND
Student Profile, Fall 2013 SOPHOMORES
Tuition and fees** $6,328 $20,048 $9,016
(30 credits,
ENROLLMENT 100–200-level classes)
Fairbanks Campus ..........................................6,360 Room and board 8,240 8,240 8,240
(double room and
Community and Technical College ..............3,340
Denali meal plan)
Bristol Bay Campus ...........................................707
ANNUAL TOTAL $14,568 $28,288 $17,256
Chukchi Campus ...............................................346
Interior-Aleutians Campus ...............................509 JUNIORS AND
Kuskokwim Campus .........................................477 SENIORS
Northwest Campus ............................................304 Tuition and fees** $7,440 $21,160 $10,684
(30 credits,
eLearning & Distance Education ..................2,138
300–400-level classes)
University of Alaska Fairbanks (total*) ......10,214
* Some students attend more than one campus and are not counted Room and board 8,240 8,240 8,240
twice in the total. (double room and
Denali meal plan)
• Female 59%
ANNUAL TOTAL $15,680 $29,400 $18,924
• Male 41%
GRADUATE
• Alaska Native/American Indian 20% STUDENTS
• Undergraduate 88% Tuition and fees** $8,332 $16,120
(18 credits,
• Graduate 12%
600-level classes)
• Median age 25
Room and board 8,240 8,240
(double room and
Denali meal plan)
ANNUAL TOTAL $16,572 $24,360
* Western Undergraduate Exchange (see page 63)
** Includes Wood Center student life, student government, technology, trans-
portation, UA network, athletics, Student Recreation Center and health
center fees. Does not include health insurance, books, supplies, parking,
sustainability, travel, miscellaneous expenses or special costs associated with
international or exchange students. Costs are subject to change.
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution UAF Facts and Figures 7
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
The UAF Experience
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O UAF — Then and Now Research Range, providing launch facilities for NASA and
the Department of Defense. Poker Flat is the only university-
owned rocket range in the world.
UAF’s Fairbanks campus is four miles west of downtown
In 1970 the university was designated a federal Sea Grant
Fairbanks, on a low ridge overlooking the Chena and Tanana
institution for marine research. Alaska Sea Grant develops
river floodplains. Artifacts found on the bluff tell us tribal
and supports research, education, and outreach programs
groups used the hill beginning perhaps 3,500 years ago. It
and partnerships to help sustain economic development,
offered a wide view of the flats below and probably served as a
traditional cultural uses, and conservation of Alaska’s marine,
base camp for hunting and gathering.
estuarine and coastal watershed resources. Stations in Kodiak
THE EARLY YEARS and Juneau are also actively involved in marine and fisheries
Gold discoveries in the early 1900s brought sudden changes research.
to the Tanana Valley. In 1906 the hill where UAF now stands In 1972 the Alaska Legislature established the Alaska
became part of a federal Agricultural Experiment Station, and Native Language Center and provided operating funds. Since
in 1915 the U.S. Congress approved money and transferred a then the university has supported research, documentation
piece of land from this station to establish a school of higher and teaching of the state’s 20 Native languages.
education. The institution began as the Alaska Agricultural To meet the need for expanding services for all Alaskans,
College and School of Mines, focusing on research and the University of Alaska statewide system was created in 1975.
teaching in support of agriculture and mining. Two years later Campuses in Anchorage and Juneau were assigned their own
the Alaska Territorial Legislature added funding, and in 1922, chancellors and central staffs, with the statewide administra-
when the first building was completed, the college opened its tion and overall university president remaining in Fairbanks.
doors to students. In the first semester, a faculty of six offered Meanwhile, the main campus in Fairbanks continued to
16 classes to a student body of 12. Commencement in 1923 expand. The University of Alaska Museum of the North, one
consisted of a single graduate. of the state’s most popular visitor attractions, moved into the
The institution quickly began to grow. In 1931 the federal Otto Geist Building in 1980. An expansion completed in 2006
government transferred the entire Agricultural Experiment nearly doubled the museum’s size and added a research center,
Station to the college. In 1935 the Alaska Territorial learning center and Alaska art gallery. The museum’s unique
Legislature changed the institution’s name to the University collection offers the public a view of the rich and varied
of Alaska to reflect the school’s expanding role in research, cultures of the North.
teaching and public service for all Alaska. By then, faculty In 1981, UAF enrollment topped 5,000 students for the first
and course offerings had grown to include liberal arts, science time. The university also began to emphasize its shared schol-
and engineering. arship and global education efforts in a series of agreements
World War II brought a rapid influx of population and with schools in Japan, Denmark, Canada, India, People’s
development to the territory. Wartime national awareness Republic of China, Russia and other countries. The institution
of the need for scientific polar research in the interests of branched out to include campuses in Bethel, Dillingham,
defense and communications led to the establishment in 1946 Kotzebue, Nome and the Interior. Learning centers in other
of the Geophysical Institute. Since its inception, the GI has communities such as Fort Yukon, Galena, McGrath, Nenana,
earned an international reputation for studies of the Earth Tok and Unalaska provide additional education services to
and the physical environment at high latitudes. The university rural Alaskans.
awarded its first PhD degree to a geophysics student in 1955. UAF’s public service role is filled in part by the statewide
Cooperative Extension Service with its 13 district offices.
STATEHOOD AND BEYOND
Public broadcasting stations KUAC FM and TV, the first
The University of Alaska had a significant role in the
public stations in the state, are headquartered at UAF.
statehood movement of the 1950s, when the Constitutional
In 1991 NASA named UAF a Space Grant institution for
Convention was held on campus. The Alaska Constitution
aerospace research, making it a Land, Sea and Space Grant
was drafted in what is now Constitution Hall and signed in
institution, one of only a handful of triple-crown universities
stately Signers’ Hall, now the home of UAF student service
in the country.
and administrative offices. Alaska became the nation’s 49th
state in 1959. TODAY
Research expanded broadly in the decade of the 1960s UAF’s colleges and schools offer degrees and certificates in
with the establishment of institutes in several disciplines. The 123 disciplines with a variety of vocational and technical
Alaska Legislature created the Institute of Marine Science programs. Graduate degrees are available in a wide range of
in 1960 and the Institute of Arctic Biology two years later. academic study. UAF is internationally known for its Pacific
Since 1969 the Geophysical Institute has operated Poker Flat Rim and circumpolar North research. It is consistently
8 The UAF Experience UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution 2014–2015 CATALOG
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
among the top 100 universities in the nation for funding professors, but as friends, advisors and mentors. Education is
from the National Science Foundation. UAF is the only an individual process, different for each person. At UAF, you
doctoral degree-granting institution in Alaska, offering PhD are an individual, not just a face in the crowd. O
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degrees in anthropology, indigenous studies, several of the E
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physical and natural sciences, psychology, mathematics and UAF’s Mission V
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engineering. Master’s degrees are offered in almost 50 fields EW
in the humanities, social sciences, northern studies, physical The University of Alaska Fairbanks is a Land, Sea, and Space
and natural sciences, and in professional fields such as Grant university and an international center for research,
engineering, justice, education and business administration. education, and the arts, emphasizing the circumpolar North
Interdisciplinary programs are possible for students who have and its diverse peoples. UAF integrates teaching, research, and
a research focus in areas where UAF has faculty expertise and public service as it educates students for active citizenship and
research facilities available. prepares them for lifelong learning and careers.
In 2017, UAF will celebrate 100 years of making important
CORE THEMES
contributions to Alaska, helping find solutions to the state’s
unique challenges in areas like arctic engineering, wildlife • Educate: Undergraduate and graduate students and
biology, health care and education. UAF helps power Alaska’s lifelong learners
economy by turning students into professionals for Alaska’s • Research: Create and disseminate new knowledge,
workforce. insight, technology, artistic and scholarly works
• Prepare: Alaska’s career, technical and professional
Students
workforce
• Connect: Alaska Native, rural and urban communities by
Individualism and diversity are Alaska traditions. At UAF,
sharing knowledge and ways of knowing
students find not only a broad mix of cultures and ages, but
also a climate of respect for individual rights and preferences. • Engage: Alaskans through outreach for continuing
A student from a rural Alaska village can share knowledge education and community and economic development
and insights with others from places as distant as Tallahassee
Commitment to Quality
or Tokyo. UAF’s enrollment in fall 2013 was 10,214 students.
Of those, 59 percent are female and 41 percent male; 88 per-
cent are undergraduate and 12 percent are graduate students. UAF has been accredited since 1934 by the Northwest
UAF students hail from 48 states and 45 foreign countries. Commission on Colleges and Universities. UAF acts
Many UAF students are nontraditional. They study at continually to assess and improve the educational experi-
night or after work, and balance schoolwork with family ence for its students. Students evaluate their teachers at
responsibilities. The university offers a wide variety of the end of each semester; those student opinion reports
evening and weekend classes. UAF students can attend classes are available for review at Rasmuson Library. Faculty and
through distance delivery from remote areas of Alaska or administrators evaluate courses in the core curriculum
from anywhere in the world. Using computers, telephones and every year. Each degree program and certificate is assessed
the Internet, students can take courses or work toward their at least every five years. Results are used to change and
degrees without leaving home. improve the education provided by UAF. The learning
Many students take advantage of UAF’s exchange pro- outcomes expected for each degree program can be viewed at
grams to study at colleges and universities around the world, www.uaf.edu/provost/assessment-review/assessment/.
or through the National Student Exchange program, which
offers studies at universities throughout the United States.
There are 140 different student organizations on campus,
with that number going up all the time. Students produce
the weekly Sun Star newspaper, run KSUA, the campus radio
station, and participate in scores of special interest groups.
Faculty
At UAF you find faculty members who are among the best in
the country, and because of the low 11:1 student-faculty ratio,
you receive more personal attention here than you would at
almost any other public university in the nation. Once you
have chosen a major, you will be assigned a faculty advisor
from your academic department. Your advisor will help you
choose classes each semester and will explain programs and
requirements. You will get to know the faculty not just as
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution The UAF Experience 9
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
Campuses
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O Fairbanks Campus away. Mount McKinley, or Denali (Koyukon Athabascan for
“The High One”), the tallest mountain in North America,
is often visible from many UAF residence hall windows.
The 2,250-acre Fairbanks campus offers limitless opportuni-
Whether the sport is canoeing, climbing, running, dog mush-
ties for activity and recreation. The main campus has two
ing, skiing or fishing, nowhere else compares with Alaska.
lakes and 26 miles of trails as well as a major student recre-
ation complex for indoor sports. Facilities are available for TRANSPORTATION TO FAIRBANKS
basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, calisthenics, dance, Fairbanks is easily accessible by land or air. Anchorage is 365
gymnastics, judo and karate. There are rifle and pistol ranges; miles away via the Parks Highway or the Alaska Railroad,
courts for handball, racquetball and squash; a jogging track; a and Seattle is 2,300 miles away via the Alaska Highway. Major
swimming pool; weight training and modern fitness equip- airlines offer several daily flights between Fairbanks and
ment areas; an ice arena for recreational skating and hockey; Anchorage, Seattle and many other destinations.
a special aerobics area; a two-story indoor climbing wall; an The Alaska Railroad provides a special one-way fare
outdoor climbing tower covered with ice in the winter; and a between Anchorage and Fairbanks for all full-time UAF
winter snowboard terrain park. UAF sponsors intercollegiate students in summer or regular sessions. Students must ask for
athletic teams in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and the special rate when making reservations and present their
women’s cross country running and skiing, coed rifle, men’s student ID to the ticket agent at check-in. For reservations,
ice hockey and women’s volleyball and swimming. contact the Alaska Railroad at 907-458-6025 or 800-544-0552.
The Wood Center is the focus of many extracurricular
ELEARNING & DISTANCE EDUCATION
activities. With a pub, dining facilities, bowling lanes,
UAF has been a leader since 1963 in offering distance courses
conference rooms, lounge and games area, the Wood Center is
and programs for students throughout Alaska and the world.
a gathering place for the entire university community.
eLearning & Distance Education offers more than 250 courses
UAF has some of the best facilities in the state.
in 45 disciplines. Additionally, eLearning offers degrees and
Performances are scheduled almost every weekend during
certificates completely online. Internet-based e-learning
the academic year in Davis Concert Hall or Salisbury
provides an opportunity for students to further their educa-
Theatre. The Rasmuson Library, Alaska’s largest library, offers
tion and earn their degree without the constraint of classroom
extensive resource materials in print and online. An array of
attendance. eLearning courses are academically rigorous and
computer databases provides access to hundreds of academic
count toward degree programs.
journals, and Internet connections allow students at remote
For more information contact eLearning & Distance
rural sites to use library resources. The UA Museum of the
Education at 2175 University Avenue South in Fairbanks,
North is not only one of the top visitor attractions in the state
by phone at 800-277-8060 or 907-479-3444, via email at
but also a resource for students. Its vast collections are used
[email protected] or at http://elearning.uaf.edu.
for demonstration and comparative studies in classrooms and
labs.
Community Campuses
The Fairbanks campus is the statewide university system’s
principal research center. Internationally respected institutes
provide students with an opportunity to see science in action In addition to the Fairbanks campus, UAF has com-
and participate in research activities. munity and rural campuses in downtown Fairbanks,
Bethel, Dillingham, Kotzebue and Nome, and maintains six
FAIRBANKS AREA
community centers through its Interior-Aleutians Campus in
Fairbanks, Alaska’s second-largest city, sits on the banks of
Fairbanks. These branches, part of the College of Rural and
the Chena River in the heart of Alaska. The downtown district
Community Development, are central to fulfilling the UAF
is easily accessible via the local bus system and a network
mission of providing educational opportunities throughout
of bike trails. The city is steeped in a history of riverboat
the state. Credits earned at any UAF campus or center are
captains and gold seekers. Its character has been shaped by
recognized at all UAF campuses, meaning that students may
a large military presence, construction of the trans-Alaska
change campuses and transfer all UA credits.
oil pipeline and the continuing oil economy, and a thriving
For more information about the College of Rural and
university. It is a city where old quietly blends with new.
Community Development, visit www.uaf.edu/rural/.
Striking modern buildings sit side-by-side with log cabins
built in the early part of the last century. BRISTOL BAY CAMPUS IN DILLINGHAM
With an area population of some 100,000, Fairbanks offers The Bristol Bay Campus is situated in a 55,000-square-mile
the conveniences of a big city, yet millions of acres of rolling region bounded by Bristol Bay, the Bering Sea and the Pacific
hills and spectacular Alaska panoramas are only minutes Ocean. The administrative center is in Dillingham (about 322
10 Campuses UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution 2014–2015 CATALOG
and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual:
www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.