University of North Florida

Quick facts UNF Presidents [ 9 ] Thomas G. Carpenter 1969–1980 Andrew Robinson (interim) 1980–1982 Curtis L. McCray 1982–1988 Roy E. McTarnaghan (interim) 1988–1989 Adam W. Herbert 1989–1998 E. K. Fretwell (interim) 1998–1999 Anne H. Hopkins 1999–2002 A. David Kline (interim) 2002–2003 John A. Delaney 2003–2018 David Szymanski 2018–2021 Pamela S. Chally (interim) 2021–2022 Moez Limayem 2022-Present Close The university was founded in 1969 after 1,000 acres (4.0 km 2 ) midway between downtown Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Beaches were set aside for the campus, 500 acres (2.0 km 2 ) of which were donated by the Skinner family of Jacksonville. [ 10 ] Until this time, the only publicly funded institution of higher learning in the city was Florida Junior College . Construction on classrooms and buildings began in 1971 and UNF opened in the fall of 1972 with an initial enrollment of 2,027 juniors, seniors and graduate students, supported by 117 faculty and more than 150 staff. [ 11 ] Originally, like the other Florida state institutions opened around this time, UNF was designated as a "senior" college, meaning it would enroll only upperclassmen and graduate students. UNF graduated 35 students in 1973. The school was quick to expand and it was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1974. The school's mascot, the osprey , was adopted in November 1979 over other choices such as the armadillo, the manatee and the seagull. [ 12 ] The male and female versions of the mascot are known as Ozzie and Harriet. In 1980, there was a legislative effort to merge UNF with the University of Florida but a bill proposing this was vetoed by Governor Bob Graham . Freshmen and sophomores were admitted for the first time in 1984. Enrollment at UNF exceeded 10,000 in 1995, [ 13 ] and in the spring of 2000 it broke its commencement record, graduating over 1,000 students.

[ 14 ] The 2000s saw significant development on campus as many new buildings including the Social Science building, Science and Engineering building, College of Education and Human Services building, Fine Arts Center , the John A. Delaney Student Union , and Osprey Fountains residence hall were built. In 2002, a 13-member Board of Trustees began work to oversee UNF. [ 14 ] Former mayor of Jacksonville John Delaney was appointed President of the university in 2003. UNF was officially reclassified as an NCAA Division I school for its athletics programs in 2009. [ 15 ]

Social Sciences Building UNF's campus is near the intersection of I-295 (East Beltway) and SR-202 (J. Turner Butler Boulevard), two major expressways in the Jacksonville area. UNF has 28 major buildings and six housing facilities on campus. Many of the buildings bear the names of individuals who have made significant contributions to the university. These buildings include the Coggin College of Business, the John E. Mathews, Jr. Computer and Information Sciences Building, and J. J. Daniel Hall. In addition, the library bears the name of the university's first president, Thomas G. Carpenter . The Green is a central open grassy area on the campus popular with students. The Social Sciences building, which opened in the fall of 2006, became the first Northeast Florida facility to be certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Also the first "green" building on campus, it received the 2007 Award of Excellence for University Building by the Southeast Construction Company for Energy and Environmental Design. [ 16 ] There is also a state-protected wildlife and bird sanctuary featuring miles of nature trails and numerous lakes and ponds on and around campus. The size of the campus has grown to 1,300 acres (5.3 km 2 ) . In the fall of 2007, the university began offering a shuttle service between campus locations including the dorms, UNF Hall, the parking lots, Carpenter Library, and the UNF Arena . [ 17 ] A new Biological Sciences building opened in the spring of 2012. A new Student Wellness Center opened in the fall of 2012, replacing the Dottie Dorion Fitness Center. [ 18 ] An addition to the College of Education and Human Services was completed in December 2011. A new multi-story dining hall has been completed in the fall of 2012. All four buildings are expected to be LEED-certified. Thomas G. Carpenter Library Main article: Thomas G. Carpenter Library Thomas G. Carpenter Library The Thomas G.

Carpenter Library, or building 12, is named after the university's first president, Thomas G. Carpenter. Groundbreaking began on August 8, 1978, and was completed on October 1, 1980. [ 19 ] Construction to expand the library by adding a four-story addition began in May 2004. This addition added 79,000 square feet (7,300 m 2 ) and increased the capacity of the library from 800 to 2,000, bringing the size of the library to 199,000 square feet (18,500 m 2 ) . Costing $22.5 million, the new addition was opened in December 2005. The library has 328 public workstations, 18 group study rooms, 37 carrels, 19 faculty, 25 support staff, over 1.4 million microform units, over 800 videos, 13,000 electronic journals, over 52,000 electronic books, and over 840,000 volumes. Electronic resources are available off campus for students, faculty and staff. Free wireless Internet is available throughout the building and enrolled students can check out laptops. [ 20 ]