Celebrate A LEGACY OF Excellence2 0 0 1 - 2 0 1 4

Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a place so familiar to all of us and yet so different than it was 13 years ago. A remarkable evolution over that time span transformed the physical campus, our approach to academics and athletics, accessibility to higher education—little has remained untouched. Today, NAU stands as a model for how a thriving public university should look and operate in the 21st century. Taking a moment to reflect reminds us that NAU is ideally positioned to move forward. Transformative change, through all its excitement and challenges, has set us on a long course of student-focused success and research excellence. We are here because of vision, commitment, and hard work. It’s a great place to be.

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The university’s 2005 rebranding initiative positioned NAU as a premier institution of higher education and “the difference that matters” to students. It also provided a cohesive visual style that has evolved to include a new website and, more recently, a new Athletics logo and mascot.

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The university’s focus on global engagement includes interweaving cultural and societal perspectives with coursework, offering study abroad opportunities, and bringing international students--and their diverse perspectives--to campus. One of these efforts, a partnership with Chinese universities to bring their students to Northern Arizona University, began in 2005.

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President Haeger’s commitment to affordability shaped the NAU Pledge Program in 2008, creating cost predictability for students and their parents. The program has served as a national model for tuition affordability.

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The Yellow Bike program, which provides students with free transportation, has been lauded for promoting a bicycle-friendly atmosphere and contributing to a reduction of carbon emissions on campus. Large-scale sustainability efforts include recent upgrades to campus infrastructure that will save more than $1 million in annual energy costs.

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NAU can boast nine LEED-certified buildings, including the “Platinum” Applied Research and Development building, which opened in 2007. As one of the “greenest” buildings in the world, ARD demonstrates NAU’s commitment to sustainable construction practices.

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The university offers venues such as the annual Undergraduate Symposium, which began in 2007, for our students to share their creative discoveries and present in-depth research and scholarly work to their peers and the university community.

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The university received its largest charitable gift in history in 2007, a $25 million donation from William A. Franke. The gift provided a namesake for the business college, along with support for skill development, scholarships, and technology.

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The High Country Conference Center, which opened in 2008, resulted from a unique partnership involving NAU, the city of Flagstaff, Drury Hotels, and Sodexo. The conference center and hotel combination has generated a regional economic impact of more than $29 million.

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With the opening of Aspen Crossing, NAU broke new ground on its commitment to integrative learning communities. There are now more than 30 such communities housed within campus residence halls, where students can learn alongside others who share the same interests and majors.

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The Global Learning Initiative at NAU includes interdisciplinary medical missions, international exchange opportunities, and coursework infused with international themes. The 2009 initiative ensures that all students have multiple, substantive, and intentional encounters with global perspectives. The effort earned a national Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization.

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Arizona Public Service and NAU are valuable partners in efforts to identify sustainable energy solutions. APS funded the solar array on south campus that provides power to the Applied Research and Development building.

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Many projects have been undertaken to raise the university’s profile, including the Elevating the Digital Experience at NAU (EDEN) program, which transformed the university’s web presence.

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A strong focus on sustainability extends to the South Recreation Fields, which earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver designation by installing power-saving sports lighting and synthetic grass. The fields, which opened in 2009, provide recreation facilities to NAU and the Flagstaff community.

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The Military and Veteran Student Center reflects the university’s commitment to our veterans and active duty soldiers. The center has earned recognition for its efforts, including a Military Times Best for Vets designation in the Southwest region and a military-friendly designation from GI Jobs.

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NAU-Yavapai, a partnership between NAU, Yavapai College, and the Town of Prescott Valley, provides students with access to accelerated and affordable bachelor’s degrees. U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick called it a dream come true. “This is what we should be doing,” the congresswoman said, following a 2010 tour of the facility. “This is a model project.”

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The addition of two parking garages and a transportation “spine” moves vehicle traffic to the fringes of campus, promoting environmentally-sustainable public transportation use and making NAU a more walkable campus.

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The Health and Learning Center is home to health services, flexible, technology-driven classrooms, ample study space, a state-of-the-art recreation facility, and dining options to ensure our students are healthy and engaged.

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The 2011 North Quad revitalization expanded green space in NAU’s historic district and restored the site as an ideal venue for upholding university traditions.

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Through the support of the NAU Foundation, the former North Union was reinvented as a community restaurant and culinary destination. The 1899 Bar and Grill has been featured in Sunset magazine and earned a top 10 best new restaurant rating from Phoenix magazine.

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Improvements to athletics facilities include the 2011 renovations of Lumberjack Stadium and the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome. The renovations allow our student-athletes to train and compete in more modern facilities.

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The Native American Cultural Center, which opened in 2011, exhibits NAU’s commitment to Native American education by welcoming students, scholars, tribal communities, and the public to engage in educational, social, and cultural activities. It also houses services that support Native student success and retention.

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NAU’s aspiration to be the nation’s leading university in serving Native Americans is backed by strong programs. The university offers advising, scholarships, and support services to Native American students. Students from more than 94 tribes attend the university.

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NAU is ranked among the top four percent of universities in the nation based on its research mission. Notable scholars such as Regents’ Professor Paul Keim, who played an integral role in investigating the 2001 anthrax letter attacks, contribute to NAU’s international reputation in such fields as genetics and genomics, forestry, health professions, ecology, environmental science, and engineering.

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A signature of the undergraduate experience is the university’s focus on engaged and active learning. More than 15 percent of all NAU undergraduates in Flagstaff participate in independent research and internships each year.

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The Phoenix Biomedical Campus represents a unique partnership between NAU and the University of Arizona that is helping to fill critical workforce shortages in the health professions. NAU’s presence includes physician assistant, physical therapy and occupational therapy programs.

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President Haeger’s commitment to elevate NAU Athletics included a renovation of the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome, unveiled in the fall of 2010. Haeger and Executive Vice President MJ McMahon enjoy the new view from the sidelines during that season’s football home opener.

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Northern Arizona University’s student-athletes excel in the classroom and in their sports. They maintain consistently high GPAs, win championships, and even compete in the Olympic Games. David McNeill, a member of the NAU track and field team, competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

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President Haeger welcomed Lisa Campos, vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics, and Jack Murphy, head men’s basketball coach, to the NAU family at a press conference in 2012, ushering in a new era in Lumberjack athletics.

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Arizona Governor Jan Brewer joined President Haeger in 2012 for the opening of the Lumberjack Mathematics Center, part of the president’s initiative to increase freshman retention. “NAU has been a true pioneer of education innovation, and this emporium is the latest example of its steadfast commitment to its students,” Brewer said.

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John and Cecily Haeger, right, joined with Coconino Community College (CCC) President Leah Bornstein and her husband, Joseph Findley, to establish the CCC2NAU Scholarship. The scholarship is a symbol of a visionary collaboration that streamlines the transition for transfer students and breaks down barriers between community colleges and universities.

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The National Science Foundation supported NAU’s establishment of the Global Science and Engineering Program that includes a yearlong immersion in a foreign country, contributing to language proficiency, cultural awareness, and applied scientific discovery. The program develops a science, technology, engineering, and math workforce that can succeed in a variety of global settings.

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Arizona Western College President Glenn Mayle, left, and President Haeger celebrate the institutions’ 25-year partnership at NAU-Yuma during a rededication event in 2013. NAU-Yuma earned a branch campus designation in 2006 and a Hispanic-Serving Institution designation in 2007. Together, the institutions have earned $5 million in support of student success and research initiatives.

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NAU has impressive standards for our student-athletes: succeed in the classroom, contribute to the community, and win. NAU Athletics has twice under President Haeger’s leadership been honored with the prestigious Big Sky Conference Presidents’ Cup, recognizing overall athletic success in competition and in academics.

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It is important to shift the focus from individual athletes toward the team’s success and the president’s commitment to elevating the program.

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NAU’s launch of the Personalized Learning program is a result of President Haeger’s call for innovation in education accessibility, affordability, and delivery. Haeger called its launch “a watershed moment” in which “we are opening an entirely new level of access to a respected university education.”

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Embarking on its eighth year of record-breaking enrollment growth, NAU welcomed 19,320 students to campus in the fall of 2013. It was the largest freshman class in the university’s history.

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The Campaign for NAU, the largest fundraising effort in the university’s history, has a goal of $100 million in gifts to benefit student success, faculty projects, research excellence, and student-athletes.

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The university became the Official Education Partner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury basketball teams in 2014. Partnering with the teams means increased visibility for Northern Arizona University’s mission and programs. In addition, NAU teams with the Suns and Mercury on community and education-based initiatives.

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The university’s core focus has always been—and continues to be—preparing our students to face the challenges they will meet as global citizens.

Celebrate A LEGACY OF Excellence2 0 0 1 - 2 0 1 4