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Northern Arizona University

Coordinates: 35°11′16″N 111°39′10″W / 35.18782°N 111.6528°W / 35.18782; -111.6528
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Northern Arizona University
File:NAU Seal.png
Former names
Northern Arizona Normal School
Northern Arizona State Teacher's College
Arizona State Teacher's College of Flagstaff
Arizona State College of Flagstaff
MottoThe Difference that Matters
TypePublic
Established1899
Endowment$46.4 million[1]
PresidentJohn D. Haeger
ProvostLiz Grobsmith
Academic staff
809
Students21,413
Undergraduates15,827
Postgraduates5,586
Location
Flagstaff
,
Arizona
,
United States

35°11′16″N 111°39′10″W / 35.18782°N 111.6528°W / 35.18782; -111.6528
CampusSmall town
740 acres (3,000,000 m2)
ColorsBlue & Sage   
NicknameLumberjacks
MascotLouie the Lumberjack
Websitehttp://www.nau.edu
File:NAU logo.png

Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public university situated near the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, Arizona, in the United States.

As of spring 2010, 22,421 students were enrolled, 14,982 at the main Flagstaff campus.[2] Average class sizes are 38 students in 100-level and 200-level courses; 25 in 300-level courses; 21 in 400 level courses; and 15 in graduate courses.[3] Average cost of tuition for an on-campus, full-time, Arizona resident student for two semesters is $6,964.[4]

Under them Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, NAU is classified as a Research University with High research activity.[5] NAU is governed by the Arizona Board of Regents.

History

Old Main, site of Northern Arizona Normal School; currently houses an art gallery, museum, and offices

Work started on the school building in the fall of 1894, and within a few months, the walls were up and the roof was on. However due to excessive cost, Flagstaff was left with an unfinished building that was still missing its doors and windows. On March 18, 1897 a bill was passed to turn the building into an "insane asylum". In 1898, doors and windows were fitted into the shell of the building, and in 1899 Flagstaff's leaders convinced the legislature to use the building for the Northern Arizona Normal School. On September 11, 1899 Northern Arizona Normal School opened. [6]

In 1925, the Arizona State Legislature allowed the institution to grant the Bachelor of Education degree. Following this change, the school was renamed Northern Arizona State Teacher's College.

In 1928, the name was changed to Arizona State Teacher's College of Flagstaff. In 1945 the name was changed to Arizona State College of Flagstaff. Finally, in 1966 the name was changed to the current incarnation, Northern Arizona University.[7]

Academics

Academic rankings
National
Forbes[8]460
U.S. News & World Report[9]NR
Washington Monthly[10]96

NAU is ranked 78th on Forbes Magazine's "America's Best Public Colleges" list[11] and is ranked 460th overall on Forbes "America's Best Colleges 2010" list,[12] but is not ranked by U.S. News & World Report, being deemed a Tier 2 institution.[13] It has ninety-one academic programs; and consists of six colleges, as delineated below.

College of Arts and Letters

The Riles Building, Department Comparative Cultural Studies

The College of Arts and Letters (CAL) contains eight academic departments, encompassing philosophy, humanities, religion, history, languages, and English, as well as music, theatre, and the visual arts. CAL also houses and oversees the NAU Art Museum, Martin-Springer Institute (promoting lessons of the Holocaust), Northern Arizona Writing Project, Ardrey Memorial Auditorium and Ashurst Hall, and interdisciplinary minors such as Asian Studies, Latin American Studies and Cinema and Visual Culture Studies. The College of Arts and Letters Film Series has been providing quality classic films to the NAU and Flagstaff community for over 5 years. Each fall and spring, department faculty and students share with the public their scholarly work and artistic achievement through more than 300 performances, lectures, films and exhibitions yearly.[citation needed]

College of Education

The College of Education is primarily responsible for preparing educators, counselors, school psychologists, and administrators.[citation needed]

College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences

Department of Geology building, Frier Hall

The College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences has 11 departments and a Quaternary Program; 13 centers and two institutes. It continues to expand its degree programs. Programs include Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Construction Management, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Sciences and Education, Geology, Mathematics and Statistics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics and Astronomy, Quaternary Studies, Master of Engineering, and Master of Science in Engineering.

The School of Forestry was incorporated into the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences in 2008. The incorporation of The School of Forestry was due to the cut in funding provided by the state.[14]

College of Health and Human Services

NAU's College of Health and Human Services consists of the School of Nursing, and three departments:[citation needed] Rehabilitation sciences: physical therapy, athletic training, and communication sciences and disorders. Health sciences: physical education and school health, community health, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary studies (BIS) in Speech-language Sciences and Technology (SST), diagnostic medical imaging and therapy, respiratory care, physical therapist assisting, paramedic care and medical assisting, and a Bachelor of Applied Studies in health sciences for allied health professionals. Dental Hygiene: a residential degree program and a degree completion program for licensed hygienists. The School of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing undergraduate degree as well as a Master of Science (MS) family nurse practitioner specialty, MS nursing education specialty, and MS public health nursing specialty.

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) undergraduate programs include anthropology, applied indigenous studies, criminology and criminal justice, ethnic studies, geography, planning and recreation, political science, psychology, communication, sociology/social work, and women's and gender studies.[citation needed] The School of Communication was incorporated into Social and Behavioral Sciences in 2004.[citation needed] It offers undergraduate degrees in advertising, electronic media & film, journalism, merchandising, photography, public relations, speech communication, and visual communication. It also offers a masters program in applied communication.[citation needed]

The W.A. Franke College of Business

The W.A. Franke College of Business primary focus is undergraduate education, but it also offers a master’s level education and research opportunities.[citation needed]

Businessman Bill Franke's commitment of $25 million resulted in the renaming of the college in his honor. The W.A. Franke College of Business was fully re-accredited in fall 2008 by the national accrediting body AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The NAU program is one of about 400 accredited programs among the more than 1,000 throughout the nation. In 2006, the college moved into a new 111,000-square-foot (10,300 m2), LEED-certified building.[citation needed]

Campuses

Flagstaff campus

Perched at 6,950 feet (2,120 metres) above sea level, the main campus is surrounded by the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest on the North American continent[15] and enjoys a four-season climate. Snow is common in winter, with accumulations most prevalent in December and January. Winter skiing is accessible at Arizona Snowbowl, an alpine ski resort located on the San Francisco Peaks, 7 miles (11 kilometres) northeast of Flagstaff.

Extended campuses

Northern Arizona University maintains campuses throughout Arizona that offer alternatives to the traditional learning experience including evening, weekend and accelerated classes. By offering more than 123 degree, certificate, and endorsement programs in person and/or on the web. Extended Campus students are learning in-person in classrooms across the state at 39 different locations throughout Arizona. One-third of Northern Arizona University students are served through the Extended Campuses program.[citation needed]

The U.S. Distance Learning Association honored Northern Arizona University's Extended Campuses with the 2007 21st Century Best Practice Distance Learning Award.[16] The award goes to institutions with outstanding leadership, innovation, and technology in distance learning.

Northern Arizona University also has an Elementary Spanish program and Educacion Espanola program for home schools and elementary schools across the United States and Canada. The Elementary Spanish program was named a 1994 Telecon USDLA Award winner. In 2007, educacion espanola was created for upper level students.[citation needed]

Residence Halls

Northern Arizona University has twenty-one[17] dorms situated all around its Flagstaff campus. Students who wish to live on-campus can choose from freshmen connection halls, traditional-style halls, apartment-style halls, and family living. Freshmen only have the option of living in freshmen connection halls where as sophomores and upperclassmen can choose from any of the other three options.[citation needed]

Freshman residence halls

Sechrist Hall
  • Allen Hall (formerly an upperclassmen hall)
  • Cowden Learning Community
  • McConnell Hall
  • Reilly Hall
  • Wilson Hall
  • Sechrist Hall

Sechrist Hall is an eight story dorm, making it the tallest building in Flagstaff.[18]

  • Tinsley Hall (Beginning Fall 2010, Tinsley will be a blended Freshman Connections and upper division hall) [19]
  • Aspen Crossing Learning Community, is reserved for students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have completed 30 credit hours.[20]

Family Housing

These apartment-styled halls are for married couples and students with children.[citation needed]

  • Campus Heights
  • South Family

Center for International Education

The Center for International Education[21] welcomes international students from around the world and provides services for its students ranging from foreign student and scholar advising, field trips to area attractions like the Grand Canyon, and leadership opportunities through the International Club.

Athletics

File:NorthernArizonaLumberjacks.png
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks logo

Student athletes go on to compete at national, international, and professional levels in football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, track and field, tennis, swimming and diving. The university participates in 15 intercollegiate sports programs. NAU teams compete at the Walkup Skydome, which is a multipurpose building which provides facilities for football, basketball, indoor track and field, soccer, weight lifting, lacrosse, student recreation, major concert events, commencements, intramurrals, and a variety of other university and community activities.[22]

The Lumberjacks compete at the NCAA Division I level in all sports. In football, the Lumberjacks compete at the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA) level. NAU competes in the Big Sky Conference in all sports except swimming and diving, which is part of the Western Athletic Conference.

Basketball

NAU Walkup Skydome

The Lumberjacks have made the NCAA tournament twice in school history.[citation needed] The first came in 1998 as a #15 seed in the West Region hosted in Boise ID. The Jacks faced the #2 seed, Cincinnati Bearcats and lost the game with a final score of 65-62.[citation needed] The Lumberjacks narrowly missed out on being the fourth #15 seed to beat a #2 seed in tournament history. The second NCAA tourney appearance came in 2000 when the #15 seeded Lumberjacks again faced the #2 seed this time, the St. Johns Red Storm and lost again, with a final score of 61-56.[citation needed]

High Altitude Training

The Center for High Altitude Training at Northern Arizona University offers a location to train in a fully-supported altitude environment (7,000 ft (2,100 m)*).

In 2004 The U.S. Olympic Committee designated NAU one of only nine official U.S. Olympic Training Sites in the states.[23]

The Australian rules football club Collingwood regularly use the Center for their pre-season training.[24]

It was announced in Jan. 2009 that the Center for High Altitude Training would be closing due to budget cuts, but the Wall Aquatic Center remains open for Olympic athletes to train.[25]

On Campus Activities/Student Media

NAU has more than 180 recognized professional, academic, service and social organizations; an intramural sports program; The Lumberjack student newspaper; and active residence hall organization.

The Lumberjack, KJACK, NAZ Today, and UTV62

The university's award-winning, weekly newspaper is an independent, student-run publication called The Lumberjack. Founded in 1914, it is the second-oldest newspaper in Northern Arizona. [citation needed] In May 2007, the newspaper won a Society of Professional Journalists national award in the editorial writing category for articles printed during 2006.[26][27]

KJACK is available in Flagstaff on 1680 AM or online. KJACK reports to the College Music Journal and specializes in new music. NAU's televised news program, NAZ Today airs Monday through Thursday in Flagstaff on NPG cable channels 4, 59 and UTV 62 on campus at 6pm MST, and on Dish Network's UniversityHouse Channel (9411) 9pm MST. Since the shutdown of Channel 2 news in August 2008, NAZ Today is now the only TV news source for all of Northern Arizona. UTV 62 is NAU's student run and produced television station. UTV 62 runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week on channel 62 on campus. One of the shows it produces is a sketch comedy show entitled: "Quincy Longstone Presents: Lumberjack'd" and can be found on youtube.

The Lumberjack is an affiliate of UWIRE [6], which distributes and promotes its content to their network.

Choirs

The Northern Arizona University Choral Union consists of eight ensembles contained within the School of Music: Men's Chorale, Women's Chorale, University Singers, two Vocal Jazz Ensembles: Northern Voices and High Altitude, Vocal Chamber Ensemble, the Harold M. Harter Memorial Handbell Choir, and the Shrine of the Ages Choir, the premier choral ensemble that tours internationally.

Recreation services

The NAU Recreation Center provides facilities for all students, including a fully equipped weight room, a two-court basketball/volleyball gymnasium, five glass-back racquetball courts, an aerobic/dance studio, a six-station climbing wall, locker rooms with dry saunas, and conference rooms for meetings, classes, or activities.

Intramural sports

Intramural sports are organized for teams and individuals and include flag football, soccer, volleyball, softball, racquetball, and backgammon. Sports clubs include sports such as rugby, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, water polo, and judo.

Movies and other events

Unions and Student Activities offers many services and events for the campus community, such as movies and the popular Friday night AfterHours program produced by SUN Entertainment. SUN also presents several concerts and special events each year and coordinates Welcome Week concerts. The College of Arts and Letters Film Series presents classic films every Tuesday night during the school year, and the College of Arts and Letters presents more than 300 music and theatrical performances, lectures, films and art exhibitions yearly.

Alumni

Main article: Northern Arizona University alumni

The NAU Alumni Association represents more than 115,000[28] alumni from the U.S.

Other information

The Arizona Cardinals of the NFL conduct their summer training camp at Northern Arizona University's Flagstaff campus.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  2. ^ Enrollment Highlights Northern Arizona University Planning, Budget and Institutional Research Office. Retrieved 2010-08-13
  3. ^ NAU Institutional Data and Analysis
  4. ^ Northern Arizona University Academic Year Budgets 2010-2011. Retrieved 2010-08-13
  5. ^ The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
  6. ^ [From Flagstaff Past & Present. by Richard & Sherry Mangum. Northland Publishing 2003. ISBN=0-87358-829-0(hc), 0-87358-847-9(sc)]
  7. ^ Student Life Handbook History
  8. ^ "America's Top Colleges 2024". Forbes. September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  9. ^ "2023-2024 Best National Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 18, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  10. ^ "2024 National University Rankings". Washington Monthly. August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  11. ^ "America's Best Public Colleges". Forbes Magazine. 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-13. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "America's Best Colleges 2010". Forbes Magazine. 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-18. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "Colleges Ranking: Northern Arizona University". U.S. News & World Report. 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Forestry to join Engineering, Natural Sciences
  15. ^ Biotic Communities of the Colorado Plateau
  16. ^ http://www.usdla.org/index.php?cid=119
  17. ^ Northern Arizona University- Residence Life
  18. ^ NAU Residence Life- Communities at a Glance Sechrist Hall
  19. ^ http://home.nau.edu/reslife/residencehalls.asp
  20. ^ NAU Residence Life- Communities at a Glance Aspen Crossing Learning Community
  21. ^ http://international.nau.edu/intlstds/f1students/apply.htm
  22. ^ J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome
  23. ^ http://www4.nau.edu/insidenau/extra/2009/01_20_09/
  24. ^ http://www4.nau.edu/insidenau/bumps/10_19_05/chat.htm
  25. ^ http://home.nau.edu/highaltitude2/
  26. ^ Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards, Society of Professional Journalists, 2005
  27. ^ NAU's 'Lumberjack' wins 4 awards, Northern Arizona University, March 30, 2005
  28. ^ Frequently Asked Questions- NAU Alumni Association, September 2008

Student life

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