Sept. 17, 2024

Welcome to Week 4!

Can you believe it? We are already almost a quarter of the way through the whole semester! You are doing amazing! Keep up the great work! You have got this! 

I hope and trust that you all had a wonderful weekend!

This week, I wanted to share some of our larger efforts to invest in and modernize your student experience. Here are four really big and inspiring projects to celebrate week four.

If you are living in Moore and Bartlett Residence Halls this fall, you know that just hours before you moved in, we completed $30 million worth of renovations! I was a resident of 8th floor Bartlett back in the late 1980s and I can tell you — these halls have never looked and felt better than they do now! I hope and trust you are feeling pretty swank in these newly renovated spaces with their fancy new bathrooms and updated furniture and fixtures! 

If you are living in Wickersham Hall this semester, you are enjoying the products of a $4 million renovation project completed in the past couple of years. Wickersham features recently updated bathrooms, windows, flooring, paint, and furniture. 

In addition, have you seen the new Student Success Center? This $9 million renovation project is the new home for First Year Advising, Math Tutoring, Study Abroad, The Writing Center, The Speaking Center, and much more. This work, including 18 months worth of development and construction on top of years of planning, all designed to help you succeed while you are here at UAF. All of these projects are just for you, but this one is especially just to help support your journey. There is an equally robust online center to ensure we equitably serve all of UAF’s students — not just those here at Troth Yeddha’. It is awesome. Check it out if you haven’t already.

Lastly, have you heard about the planned Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center? This project has been a long time coming and recently, UAF received approval from the Board of Regents to raise $53 million for a new building to be located just east of the UA Museum of the North. This facility is key to UAF fulfilling our vision of becoming a global leader in indigenous and Alaska Native studies, and critical as a home to our Alaska Native students and for the unique scholarship and research enterprise that will grow to become an even larger piece of our future. This is one of the most exciting and transformative projects for our future. 

If you think all this is amazing for UAF — you are right. If you’ve tuned into the latest Board of Regents meetings, you may have heard UAF Chancellor Dan White mention hints of even more ambitious plans for the future. We are talking about much larger renovation projects down the road, including new construction plans for an ice rink, renovations to the Patty Center, and more! 

What does all this construction mean for your experience here at UAF? Fundamentally, it means that UAF continues to improve. This is important because, as a UAF student, you are a shareholder in our collective future. You are investing your time and money in yourself, and investing in who we can be and what we will be. By being here and by choosing UAF, you are a part of this improvement. Our futures are more than connected. We have a common future, and that future — your future — is looking very bright! 

Things to do:

Humans vs. Zombies is this week on the Troth Yeddha’ campus. The excitement will run Wednesday through Friday. Humans vs. Zombies is a moderated game of tag played with Nerf blasters. Players will start the week as humans while trying to survive the growing zombie hoard. This three-day event is open to all students and will consist of different missions throughout the week as the battle to survive the zombie hoard becomes more challenging. Will you survive as a human or conquer as a zombie? The game will start on 9/18 and will end on 9/20. Have fun, play safe, and be mindful of others around you. 

Starvation Gulch is coming! Do you and your club want to participate in building one of the six bonfires that will be burned on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Starvation Gulch? Register your team at the SAO Office (Wood Center 101C) ASAP. This annual Traditions event signifies passing the torch of knowledge from returning UAF students to new students. This event will feature 6 HUGE bonfires, live music, food trucks, and more!

The Interfaith Festival is Sept. 18th from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Wood Center Ballroom. This is a vibrant celebration of the rich diversity of religious and spiritual traditions that make up the University of Alaska Fairbanks community. This is a unique opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to engage with various religious organizations, student clubs, and faith practices represented on campus. Whether you are curious about different beliefs, seeking to deepen your understanding, or looking for a supportive community, this event offers something for everyone.

There is much more to do — many things can be found on engage.uaf.edu. 

As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback for me, please don’t hesitate to send your thoughts my way. You can find me at obguthrie@alaska.edu.

Have a great fourth (FOURTH!) week! You’ve got this!

— Owen Guthrie, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management