Ginger S.
Yelp
University of Alaska Fairbanks is an overall nice campus. Aside from a top notch education, UAF also offers a campus recreation center (which includes a gym, pool, ice skating rink, rock wall, and weight room), over 17 miles of multipurpose trails, and even an outdoor ice climbing wall in the winter. UAF also offers pool tables, a bowling alley, and an arcade. All of these things are great, and if you are into the outdoors and being active I highly recommend checking out the University of Alaska Fairbanks. However, my one complaint about UAF is its inaccessibility.
All freshman attendants are required to live in the dorms on upper campus, basically on top of a hill which is at least a ten minute to any of the buildings containing classes or food. This year, a boy named Timmy lived on the second floor of the freshman dorm hall. Timmy had some sort of palsy, making it difficult for him to get around. While I didn't know him well, he seemed like a really smart and nice kid. Unfortunately, after just a few weeks of school, Timmy left for home because he didn't think he would be able to get to classes or the cafeteria (which is down an incredibly steep and slippery trail) in the winter time, as it was difficult enough in the summer. This incident made me realize how unbelievably inaccessible the UAF campus really is.
The MBS complex, where all freshman dorms are located just built a new staircase out front, making four possible entry points by stairs. It looks great, but there is no ramp out front. Physically handicap students have to go around back, another couple minute uphill, to enter their home. To me, this is unacceptable. With all of the money that the university brings in each year, one would think they could somehow build a ramp for students who deserve to get out of the cold as fast as the rest of us. Nobody really needed the new staircase, but there are several people at MBS who desperately need the ramp. In this day and age, I can't imagine that it is even legal to not have a ramp in front of a dorm. Unfortunately, the lack of a ramp is only one example of the campus' insensible design. The hill along the main road connecting upper and lower campus, for example, is very slippery in the winter. I have almost fallen several times because it is not properly salted or graveled. I can't imagine trying to get down the hill without assistance if I had some sort of physical handicap.
University of Alaska Fairbanks is a good school, but needs to spend some money making the campus accessible. Students like Timmy deserve an education as much as the rest of us. Something needs to be done to ensure that everyone feels welcome and accepted at UAF.