University of North Florida

The University of North Florida, also known simply as UNF, is located in Jacksonville, Florida and is a member of the State University System of Florida. UNF is also accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools which allows it to award degrees to students ranging from baccalaureates, to masters, to doctorates. The UNF Campus is comprised of 1,300 acres surrounded by a natural preserve in Jacksonville’s Southside area.

The University of North Florida opened in Jacksonville in 1972 and was originally designated as an upper-division college for juniors and seniors but began admitting freshman students in 1984. The university is divided into five colleges that offer 53 undergraduate degree programs and 28 graduate degree programs. Some of the noted programs include business, nursing, nutrition, coastal biology, and music. While most students reside off campus, there are six areas of on-campus housing.
UNF also has 220 clubs and organizations that students can take part in as well as an active Student Government and Greek life. There is also a student-run newspaper known as The Spinnaker that is published every month. The university also has intercollegiate athletic teams known as the Ospreys that are currently members of the Atlantic Sun Conference in NCAA Division I. UNF was named one of the best colleges in the Southeast in 2007 by the Princeton Review and kept that title for four consecutive years.

After 1,000 acres between downtown Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Beaches were set aside for the campus, the university was founded in 1969. Up until this point, the only publicly funded higher learning institution in the city was the Florida Community College at Jacksonville. In 1971, classrooms and buildings were constructed, and in the fall of 1972, UNF opened with an initial enrollment of 2,027 students who were supported by hundreds of faculty and staff.

In 1973, UNF graduated 35 students and in 1974 was accredited by the Southern Associated of Colleges and Schools. In 1979, the osprey was adopted as the university’s mascot over other choices such as seagull, manatee, and armadillo. There are male and female versions of the mascot, known as Ozzie and Harriet respectively.

A legislative effort was made in 1980 to merge the University of North Florida in Jacksonville with the University of Florida in Gainesville, but the bill proposing this idea was vetoed by Governor Bob Graham. In 1984 UNF began admitting freshman and sophomore students for the first time. In 1995, enrollment at UNF exceeded 10,000 students, and during the spring semester of 2000, the university broke its commencement record and ended up graduating more than 1,000 students.

During the 2000s, many new buildings were developed on campus such as the Social Science Building, the Fine Arts Center, the building for Science and Engineering, and the College of Education and Human Services building among others. In 2002, a Board of Trustees contained thirteen members to oversee UNF and in 2003 former mayor of Jacksonville, John Delaney, became president of the university.