University of Alaska Fairbanks

UAF has a unique location and distinctive role as the nation’s northernmost Land, Sea and Space Grant university and an international research center. Situated on a hilltop overlooking the Alaska Range and the vast Tanana Valley to the south, the campus is highly visible to the community. The campus property comprises nearly 2,250 acres of which approximately 10 percent is fully developed. The remaining acreage is characterized by special use areas, including the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (AFES) and North Campus, a boreal forest that is primarily used for outdoor instruction, research and recreation.

Included in the STARS report was the campus core, the area in which academic, research and residential functions are concentrated, occupies approximately 229 acres of a total 2,250 acres. Bounded by Tanana Loop, the campus core sits on a ridge top with spectacular views across the Tanana Valley to the Alaska Range.

Several facilities are located off campus, including the Administrative Services Center on College Road, and University Park Building on University Avenue. These, along with satellite campuses located in rural Alaska, were not included in the report. Data collection for these satellite campuses would have presented unique and difficult challenges, derailing the reporting from being completed on an achievable timeline. Future STARS reports may include data from the satellite campuses.

Important to note is the remarkable subarctic climate of Fairbanks. Characterized by long, cold winters and short, mild summers, the diverse annual temperature ranges and variable daylight levels — +80° F days in July with nearly 24 hours of daylight and occasionally to -50° F days in January with extended twilight — provide a compelling environment in which to study, live and work. The climate is arid with annual precipitation of roughly 10 inches. The ground is snow covered for roughly 6 months per year (October through March).