University of Alaska Anchorage

University of Alaska Anchorage
Established	1954
Type	Public
Endowment	$14.9 million
Chancellor	Fran Ulmer
Students	about 16,500
Location	Anchorage, Alaska
Campus	about 141 hectares
Website	uaa.alaska.edu

The University of Alaska Anchorage is one of three University of Alaska System schools, with its main campus located in Anchorage, Alaska.

The University of Alaska Anchorage (locally called UAA) is divided into six teaching units at the Anchorage campus: the colleges of Education, Health and Social Welfare, Arts and Sciences, Business and Public Policy, the Community and Technical College, and the School of Engineering. Included with UAA for administrative purposes are four community campuses: Matanuska-Susitna College, Kenai Peninsula College, Kodiak College, and Prince William Sound Community College. UAA offers Master's Degrees and Graduate Certificates in select programs, and the ability to complete certain PhD programs through cooperating universities through its Graduate Division. UAA is unable at this time to confer the title PhD to any of its students, in its own capacity.

The university's history in Anchorage began in 1954, when the Anchorage Community College opened, using the West Anchorage High School building during evenings. Anchorage Senior College began teaching upper-division classes in 1969, and then it became the four-year University of Alaska Anchorage in 1976. UAA, the community college, and the rural extension units were merged in 1987 to form the present institution.

Academics

Aviation Technology

UAA offers Associate of Applied Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in:

• Air Traffic Control
• Aviation Administration
• Professional Piloting

An associate of applied science degree is also offered in:

• Aviation Maintenance

UAA Aviation Technology division is part of Center of Excellence for General Aviation (CGAR) which is a collaborative research effort between the following member universities:

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Florida A&M University
• University of North Dakota
• University of Alaska
• Wichita State University

Colleges and schools

• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Business and Public Policy
• College of Education
• College of Health and Social Welfare
• Community and Technical College
• School of Engineering
• School of Nursing
• School of Social Work
• University Honors Program
• Graduate Division

Libraries

• UAA/APU Consortium Library
• Alvin S. Okeson Library (Matanuska-Susitna campus)
• Carolyn Floyd Library (Kodiak College campus)

Publications

Accolades is the University of Alaska Anchorage Magazine for Alumni and Friends.

The Alaska Quarterly Review is a literary magazine published by UAA.

The student newspaper is The Northern Light.

Understory is a magazine run by Creative Writing and Literary Arts graduate students, open for submissions from any UAA undergraduate student.

True North is a yearly magazine produced by students in the Department of Journalism and Public Communications.

The Pacific Rim Conference on Literature and Rhetoric is a yearly conference showcasing Literary Scholars and Rhetoricians from around the nation, as well as a venue for graduates from UAA and other universities to share their work.

Athletics

See also: Alaska Anchorage Seawolves men's ice hockey

The UAA sports teams are known as the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves and the school colors are green and gold. UAA, which sponsors 11 sports programs, is a NCAA Division I school for gymnastics and hockey, and a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. UAA is a Division II member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in men's and women's basketball, volleyball, men's and women's cross country and men's and women's outdoor track and field. Other conference affiliations are the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (gymnastics) and the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association. UAA also hosts the nationally known Great Alaska Shootout college basketball tournament every Thanksgiving, and the Kendall Hockey Classic in October.

Student life

Housing

UAA's student housing comprises nearly 1,000 students:

• Three co-educational residence halls (North, West, and East Halls), completed in 1998. Each holds 230 students, most living in individual bedrooms; rooms are grouped in suites of one, two, or four.
• The Main Apartment Complex (MAC), completed in 1984, was once family housing. There are 74 four-bedroom apartments in six buildings, each housing four same-sex students.
• The Templewood Apartments hold 80 students in 20 apartments.

Student government

The Union of Students of the University of Alaska Anchorage or USUAA is the student governing body for University of Alaska Anchorage. Each student pays $1 per credit hour for students registered in 3 or more credits. Maximum charge $12 and maximum credit hour is 12.

The President, Vice President and 23 Senators are elected at-large to serve on the Assembly. Four representatives (Residence Hall Association, Club Council, Greek Council and Graduate Student Association) complete the rest of the board. The President and Vice President are elected in the spring for one year terms.

The union has co-sponsored political debates in Anchorage, including a 2004 debate held at the university between Senatorial candidates Tony Knowles and Lisa Murkowski.

Student Media

UAA has two primary sources of student-run media. The Northern Light is an award winning student newspaper printed every Tuesday with a wide coverage from school news sports to community events and entertainment reviews.

KRUA 88.1FM is the on-campus, non-commercial radio station run by a collective of student staff and a host of volunteers from both the school and greater Anchorage community.

See also

• Alaskan Coalition of Student Leaders

External links

• University of Alaska Anchorage - official site
• UAA Alumni Association
• UAA Graduate School
• UAA Seawolves Athletics
• The Northern Light - student newspaper
• UAA Organizational Chart
• Great Alaska Shootout
• UAKJobs Careers at UAA